System edited: Took a shot swapped out the Pass X250.5 to match up the Einstein Tube preamp with its amplifier sibling, The Light In The Dark. Result: WOW. Imaging, soundstage, low-level detail, and black background, all improved, and I mean greatly improved. To be sure, I remain a big Pass fan and will keep the X250.5 for a second system. But the in-family synergy with the Einstein pieces is sublime. Also (before the amp switch) bit the bullet and went with Kimber Tri-Focal XL speaker cables to very nice results.

whitecap October 31, 2014 13:46

Listener57, it was my error not yours. I had slipped and hit AR to identify my CDP, instead of ARC. Now corrected. Thanks.

whitecap March 16, 2014 15:49

Correction of my 2-19-14 post above:
The vintage AR CD player to which I hastily made an incorrect reference is not your great modern CD player, but a unit made by the original AR (Acoustic Research) audio company started in the 1950's, and selling their CD player in the late 1980's era.

listener57 February 23, 2014 04:08

Whitecap,
I just realized the old original AR brand (which stood for the formerly famous Acoustic Research of a past audio era) is not the current great company which produced your wonderful modern CD-8 player.
My vintage comment was off the mark when it referenced the previous AR brand CD player from some time near the end of the 80's.

listener57 February 22, 2014 06:25

I'm in a high rise coop in nyc. Shunyata Triton works for me.

gpgr4blu February 21, 2014 03:17

Living in an apartment and using tube amp- I would look into power regenerator, update AC outlet and exchange the $2.00 power cord for more shielded AC power cables for preamp, power amp and source.

lapierre February 21, 2014 01:10

Wow, what a great system. I googled your pre-amp because I'm kind of in the market for a tube pre-amp. Well, I won't be getting THAT one any time soon! Pretty spectacular.

I've got one dedicated 20amp circuit which I use solely for my power amp, a Parasound Halo A21. Instead of agonizing over the choice of a power cord and receptacle, I simply wired a Wattgate IEC plug direct to the breaker! I didn't use fancy wire, just thick. It's a stranded 3 pole 8AWG cable compliments of Home Depot. Sound is fabulous.

oranfoster February 20, 2014 17:52

In order to silence the RFI in your NYC Condo, try the childishly simple-appearing, tiny treated copper foil RFI blockers imaginatively called Machina Dynamica "Flying Saucers" for windows, and also for AC wall outlets not already in use for a power cord. Install in seconds, no skill or tools required.

Machina Dynamica periodic ads and auctions here on Audiogon are not continuously present, but you can visit the website describable as showcasing the weird (to any newcomer) and wonderful (actually highly effective) modestly priced aids to any system.

I didn't know anyone out there still owned your AR CD player, but Machina Dynamica has some clever and effective items to specifically enhance reading those shiny CD's some of us still are spinning in our vintage CD players.

listener57 February 20, 2014 02:11

Hi, Some of the baddest karma may be the line voltage which in my Brooklyn apt can vary from 121v to 126v.

jetrexpro February 20, 2014 01:41