Located in an open 40' x 40' space with concrete floors, rug in front of system, big soft couch that seats 6 . Sheetrock walls with one 40' long glass wall to one side, with thin curtains. Ceiling is 18" deep open wood trusses, 2' on center. Deck is at 10' and covered in 1.5" lined acoustic fiberglass. Listening area is nom. 16' by 40' and loosely defined by a 5 -4" high open shelf storage wall opposite the glass wall. The wall behind the system is covered in paintings and acoustic diffusion panels.
The room also supports a HT system with a Pioneer Elite 50 monitor on a rolling track to allow multiple options on placement. The Receiver is also a Pioneer Elite, the 7.1 speaker system is Totem Dreamcatcher with an SVS powered sub, Sony Blue Ray and a knocked out Dell media server.
The 2 channel system is the result of many years of fooling around with this stuff. I have become a committed Tom Evans junkie, his plain black boxes are amazing, taking the signal from the cartridge and stepping it up carefully, producing a holographic sound set in a background that is as quiet as the vacuum of space. Evans obsession with power filtering pushed me to pursue more careful work on my front end power. I have installed an Isoclean breaker panel with beautiful Seimens breakers, two PT3030G transformers and a lot of high end wire work. The elimination of noise in the power, via Isoclean and Tom Evans allows the most subtle of sounds to emerge. The music coming from the Meadowlark time coherent speakers offer a breathtaking playback of the instruments and voices. The nuances of note decay places you in a beautiful and accurate soundstage that is addictive.
My analog source is from my good friend Mehran who has helped me find everything I want and need for vinyl playback. The Amazon Refrenz turntable is deep and rock steady. The Triplanar arm is beautifully adjustable and hold its settings forever! This is one responsive and agile arm. The ZYX is well know for a reason, it is so effortless and responsive. Overall and rather trouble and fuss free front end.
My rack is custom made by yours truly, as is the rolling TV rail system. I like to fool around in the wood shop and weld steel and aluminum. The rack is made from solid 1.5 square carbon steel, The shelves are 1.5 Baltic birch with the turntable shelf resting on an Aurios bearings. The Tom Evans gear sits on soapstone slabs on top of more Aurios bearings. The rack is clad in perforated aluminum panels that attach magnetically to the steel barstock with magnetic tape. The turntable is under a sliding wood cover that protects the turntable. Since the turntable is on an isolated shelf, the sliding of the cover has no vibrational impact on the turntable. The result is a quiet looking rack with only the glow of the lights coming through the perforated metal. It also protects this stuff from my drinking friends and my 3 yr old daughter.
The room is a trial and error and intuitively tuned space that makes a serious difference to the experience. I am also interested in art and can pour more cash into that than even my audio hobby. It is a wonderful place to entertain, listen to music, watch tv movies, and work.
I have not bought any new equipment or tweaks in many many months, I am not even inclined to, Amazing!!! I will keep my Evans boxes up to date and dont feel the urge to replace them. The one ongoing investment has been vinyl from Tom Port at Better Records. I have sunk a fortune into Tom and he has been my best investment. The sound from his offerings are shattering and mind blowing. I have no problem putting a record on and within minutes drifting away to a small night club or studio somewhere in the time space continuum.
thank you for your comment Agear. this thread has been quiet for several years. i do need to update my gear info as there has been improvements/upgrades in the Tom Evans boxes, turntable/cartridge, and cabling. The Meadowlarks are still performing well, responding to upstream upgrades beautifully. I figure my next move (with luck and a $ windfall) will be to the Vandersteen 7's.
thank you for your kind words, i really like the head and heart comment. i do think that what we do is more of an art form than science. of course, good art often has science in it. i will get some more and updated pics up soon. i have made some upgrades in the system and room. have a safe and fun new years eve and have a good 2010!
Samhar, Skushino, Jsawhitlock, thank you for your comments. you all have good taste! ha!
I do like balancing aesthetics and acoustics. As with most things in my life, it is a slow process. The rolling tv is fun and smart acoustically. I will eventually hook it up to some device like a garage door opener to move it back and forth, what the hell, girls dig it. I am working on securing an new couch as well, ( http://www.bebitalia.it/collezioni/scheda_foto_gallery.asp?qString=1|1|71|1|0|1|0&lingua=en ), it is going to be expennnnsive The interesting thing that make me a little bit nervous is the fact that I have not messed with the stereo for so long. It sounds so great and steady. I suspect I have Triplaner to thank for that.
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, that bookshelf is custom made by yours truly. It is 26 feet long and constructed of 1-3/8" baltic birch plywood. I actually fabricated each piece, finished it and assembled it in place. It is assembled with wood biscuts and polyurathane glue. I saw some interesting plastic grid shelving at Design Within Reach, similar in design, but not wood, not cheap either...
Mac.. the piping is stainless steel. I cut it on a big metal band saw. You can cut tubing with many tools though, from a hand held hacksaw to many power tools. Those fittings are made by Hollaender, try this link
Timrhu, I retrieved the soapstone out of a buidling I renovated, a 1924 electrical substation. The soapstone was used as isolation for massive raw conductors. I think you might track it down from a stone yard. It has made a recent comeback for kitchen countertops, sinks and fireplace hearths. Good luck with Pat. He is the person to talk to.
Macdadtex, The stand is made from 1-1/4" baltic birch plywood and stainless steel tubing in aluminum alloy fittings. There is a 26' long grid of the same plywood to the left that houses lp's cd's and junk. I am very proud of that. It also acts as a room divider from the kitchen (a 28" long stainless steel counter...) I will post more images soon. The TV stand is actually on a small rail system so I can roll it to the left 15 or 20 feet next to the big bathtub (a good movive, wine and a bath..), out of the stereo zone. I make tis stuff in the shop. The 1-1/4" plywood is very dense. I am in the process of isolating each piece of equipment on 1-1/2" thick soap stone and aurios bearings. the turntable is done. The soap stone is very heavy and soft, I cut it with a carbide tipped skill saw and sand it smooth with an air sander. I think it may be the very best in stone platforms. The whole plywood stand is on 6 adjustable spikes, resting on a heavy concrete slab. I will also line the wall below the paintings with more 1'1'2" duct liner, as the wall to the right and the complete ceiling. I also have a Radio Shack sp meter and the Rives audio cd coming. Its time to check this room out properly. I think it will be quiet simple to tweek it in a logical fashon. Fun work in progress...
Bemopti123, you are perceptive, Big D in Texas, just outside downtown in an industrial/now turned design district. The art work is from a friend, Ludwig Schwarz, a highly respected artist who happens to be a real music nut. He does video and music installation as well. In his younger days, he and his band rewrote the complete lyrics/storyline to Tommy, and performed/recorded it. Check out one of his web sites,
http://www.artisforthepeople.com/
Click on "myths" or "tall Tales" or "fables" and try some of his stuff. he is a bit out there. Of course, i give him shit because he refuses to keeop his lp's in the sleeves, he stacks them up in a pile as the night goes on. I told him he will never touch my lp's until he straightens up.
Thank you for the kind comments Verewax. I am really enjoying my system and room. I am lucky, as an architect and a hobby millwork/build things guy, I have access to a great shop to make stuff. My pad is actually in a small building compound that includes a converted warehouse that now houses many small compatable businesses (architects, engineers, lighting and graphic designers, etc) and a wood and metal shop. I also have many artsy type friends that love to hang at my place and listen to music. We cook and drink. While they like my system, they are not not audiophiles, but they do love the music. And I love the music. I enjoy the system upgrades that make the music even more dreamy and magical.
