Have two of these units. One for recording and the other is used for playback. The transport is modified so that the tape signal is taken directly from the playback head and connected directly to the balanced outputs bypassing the internal electronics. The outputs pass the signal to the tape head preamp inputs on the MP-3.
pARTicular Triangle
3 post suspension rack with acrylic shelves. In this configuration the suspension has been disabled to conserve space. The rack has also been shortened 2 feet. Additional shelving and isolation has been added as well.
Charles & Jeff, thanks for your comments and compliments. I think we can all agree that there are multiple ways to achieve high quality sound. Did I mention to either of you that the famed recording engineer Rick Rubin dropped by the CF room and thought quite highly of it. I would be curious if he dropped by the Highwater Sound room as well.
If I recall you guys live in MI. How far from Detroit? I go to Detroit quite a bit for business. Could be a means to hear one of our amps in your system.
Charles, the speakers were designed with the Atma-Sphere S-30, so these amps are a really great match for them. Currently I upgraded to the M-60 as I have become an Atma-Sphere dealer.
I do listen to our amps on these speakers quite a bit, primarily before they are shipped out. Right now I have the CES show amps in my system and will keep them there until it is time to test a new set. Our amps have a more pronounced bass versus the Atma-Sphere, it's what a really well designed and manufactured output transformer will give you over an OTL. However, a well designed OTL will give you a bit more transparency and slightly better mid-range. It is really hard for me to determine which amp I like better, that 300B is quite special, as is the GM-70.
Yes still own them. A fabulous set of speakers. Looking to try some ESL speakers though. Did compare a set of Maggie 1.6QR to the Jazz Modules and found the Jazz Modules to be superior.
The new set up revolves around the Atma-Sphere S-30 amp and MP-3 preamp. Fully balance from source through the amp. This includes both analog sources. My single ended system is down right now, but our new Magnetic Line preamplifier and the Lightspeed Attenuator are part of it. If you are curious about our new preamplifier follow the link:
System edited: Some changes to my system over the last 18 months. New residence, some new equipment, and the loss of my buddy Clio who passed away in May 2012. My only regret is that she could not be here with me to listen to the recent iteration of the system. Going fully balanced now and primarily analog sources for listening although I occasionally listen to digital for some of the live concert recordings I have.
Paul, 18 x 14. Not ideal but gets the job done. My new room treatments are pretty well tuned in now and there is a new level of clarity to the sound. Been happy with this room overall.
Hi Tom, sorry for the delay in posting back. I am currently using one of three DACs. Primarily at the moment I use the Resolution Audio Cantata Music Center. It is a complete player, DAC, and computer audio source. Disclaimer: I am a Resolution Audio dealer.
I also use the Lessloss DAC 2004 MkII. An excellent DAC and very reliable for the 5 years I have owned it. The Lessloss and Cantata use the PCM-1704 chips. I also have a Silicon Arts Design (Concert Fidelity subsidiary) DAc that is NOS and uses the Phillips chip TD 15XX architecture.
I still use the Lightspeed with both my Music Reference amps (RM-10 and EM7 !2v) and our own Electra Fidelity amps. When using my Atma-Sphere S-30 I have been running the Cantata direct into it via balanced outputs and using the built in volume control on the Cantata.
One of the reasons I have posted much on this system is that it hasn't changed all that much in a while. Also, I have been having issues getting to my system page to make changes. I will see if that has been rectified.
It can be driven, but it does run out of steam at higher volumes when listening to complex material. On jazz trio recordings I was able to get more than adequate sound levels out of the combo. I suspect the sensitivity rating of my speakers is a bit on the conservative side. I'm going to guess they are closer to 94 dB than 92 dB. We recommend 95+ and preferably 97+ for the 45 SET.
I am now manufacturing/marketing a line of amplifiers so the replacements will be my own (45 SET and EL-34 PP). The two new additions (one already built and the other in progress) would have brought my amp total up to 7. I was already having a hard time figuring out how to get consistent playing time out of 5 amps, I couldn't fathom 7 so something had to give.
It's always hard for me to let go of something that's provided a lot of enjoyment, regardless of what it's being replaced with. They are going to a good home though.
System edited: An agonizing decision but sold the VAC amps. I'm certain the next time there is one of those, "equipment you've regretted selling threads," I'll be mentioning them.
Yo2up - I am using a combination of TelWire, Q, and Mogami interconnects. Note that I am a dealer for Q and TelWire.
Jea48 - The Music Note is directional due to the fact that I use the XLR out on my transport and the RCA input on my DAC. I wouldn't be able to connect the cable the other way around even if I wanted to.
A combination of a couple things. First, I prefer not to have the equipment between the speakers. In my previous condo I did short wall placement so I was able to conveniently have the rack along the side wall out of the way. In this condo I'm doing my preferred long wall placement and there is just not enough space along the side wall. Vibrations do factor into some of the decision as well. Especially for the analog rig.
I'm tinkering with the idea of going with shorter speaker cables and longer interconnects and moving the preamp into the room along the side wall. The amps would be placed between the speakers. I don't often need to get up and change the volume, but sometimes it is a bit inconvenient to have to get up and go into the other room to do that. I wouldn't call it a PITA though, at least not yet.
Things are much more open now. Imaging has improved noticeably. It took longer than I would have liked but I finally got speaker placement to the point where things are very well balanced. Overall even with room treatments it is a lively room which I like quite a bit.
System edited: Just moved in to a new condo with much more space. I uploaded new photos showing the set-up. The speakers and amps are in the main listening room. All other components are in an adjacent room. I drilled holes in the wall to run the interconnects from the preamp to amp.
System edited: Added a few new pieces and am enjoying interchanging them. Finally completed my analog section by purchasing a Galibier Serac, Kenwood KT-8300 tuner, and Otari reel-to-reel deck. The Serac will have an SME Series III mounted on it with a B&O MMC-2 cartridge.
Glad to hear you're satisfied. I feel the same way about mine and Duke. If you are not using any of the internal port extensions you should be getting plenty of bass out of the speakers. I have one extension in place and unless I move the speakers further out from the back wall (not likely due to space) I will keep it that way.
Closing the port has the effect of a sealed box that will reduce bass. Duke recommended closed cell foam for this. You can also narrow the port to gain a similar effect. What follows comes directly from Duke:
Increasing port length lowers the tuning frequency, and decreasing port length raises it. Now the actual effect on the bass is a bit more complicated. A longer port results in the bass starting to roll off higher up, but it rolls off more gently. A shorter port means more bass energy over most of the bass region, but a more rapid roll off once it starts rolling off.
Usually the answer for "not enough bass" is to shorten the port, which will increase the bass energy above 40 Hz. If the problem is "too much bass", then a longer port will usually help out. If you still have too much bass, remove the rectangular resistor cup on the back of the cabinet and shove a pound or two of loose Polyfill into the cabinet. As a last resort, shove a rolled-up chunk of closed-cell foam into the port and you have a sealed box.
Room Lenses were originally available through Argent, but they have long been out of production. I bought mine used here on Audiogon. They come up from time to time. If you're DIY inclined there are a couple of sites that offer instructions on how to build them.
Yes, he just gave me instructions for doing that. Also, he recommended some rolled up closed cell foam to stuff the bass port creating a sealed box effect. That's what I like about these speakers, very flexible.
Pat, the Room Lenses are worth the scratch IMO. They did a nice job adding some liveliness to the room and bringing about some additional focus to the center image.
I need to play around a little more with the side lenses. David Aiken over on AA recommended I angle them to intercept the sound waves that would normally hit the side wall first reflection points.
System edited: I've come full circle and put the speakers back to where I originally had them to begin with. Used a modified version of the Sumiko Master Set to fine tune the placement. With a 25 foot run of Mogami Gold Neglex balanced cables from the preamp to amps I was able to move the rack out of the way to the left rear of the room. Added a trio of Argent room lenses to boot. Next step, new room, which means a move.
If I had to do it all over again, the ceiling would be the first point I would treat. Especially, if you can mount the panel with 6" or away from the surface. With the way my ceiling is angled and its height, this helps quite a bit.
I wish I could do your set-up with the toe-in. Unfortunately an angled wall in my room gives me all sorts of fits. A 5' equilateral triangle is the best I could manage and at that distance the 45 degree toe-in is unnecessary. The sound is wonderful though. Very lively and the depth is very good.
How have you tuned the bass ports? I agree with the high end tuning, not much difference from one value to another.
Pierre - if you look at the pic showing the rear view of the speaker at the top you will see a resistor connected via binding posts. Changing the value of this resistor will tilt the top end. Duke supplies a few values of Mills resistors, but you could try other values and brands if you like. I've not made any adjustments on the top end.
The bass is adjusted by removing the rear port at the bottom and changing the length. Duke supplies collars that can be added or removed as required. This allows you some additional flexibility in placing the speaker. I've actually had these speakers against the back wall and the sound was great, although the sound stage a bit flat. IMO you have to bring the speakers out into the room to achieve adequate sound stage depth.
Tvad - I've never had the luxury of a large room so near field listening has been the rule. This set-up is a 5' equilateral triangle, although from the pics it seems a bit closer.
There is a definite you are there presence when listening. Front row presentation so to speak. Some slight imaging issues aside due to room layout, the sound is very good and Duke's speakers disappear nicely in the sound stage.
Two different kinds of what? Can you elaborate? From the pictures you can see how I have set up some room treatments.
If you are on a budget the Acoustimac products are very good and they can build them for you or sell you materials to DIY your own. The Real Traps are expensive in comparison. They do a better job of absorption, but I would not say they are worth twice the price.
I am not sure the Eighth Nerve products are available anymore. If they are I'd offer a buyer beware warning. My last transaction with them was not the most pleasant experience. They are very good products and work a bit differently than the first two, or other absorption products for that matter. The Triangles are meant to be placed in the upper room corners. The Rectangles are meant to be placed along the corner seams where the walls meet, or the seams where the wall meets the ceiling. Their goal is to let sound pass through, reflect in the corners or seams, and then attenuate the reflections as they come back through into the room.
The Furetech and Decware channel diffusers break up and spread out sound as opposed to absorbing it. The Decware are pretty affordable versus the Furetech and other diffusers if you buy the kit packages.
I use two Acoustimac absorption panels for the rear wall. I also use one Furetech diffuser sandwiched between two Real Trap Mini Traps on the front wall. Lastly, I use one Furetech and one set of Decware diffusers on the walls directly opposite the sides of my listening chair.
The photos show a good example of how I use the Eighth Nerve products. Hope this helps.
No problem, I'll even send you a diagram of my room. I sense I'm more space challenged than you are.
If you'd like to investigate a diagonal set-up further, check out the Decware site. Steve has some interesting observations on the topic and shows sample reflections in such a set up.
Yes, Chris sent me an email with the announcement. The only place I did not like the original Tel Wire cables was on my amps. I'm looking forward to trying the HC version on the VAC's.
BTW - I've since moved the set-up to the long wall and using a longer pair of ICs from preamp to amps was able to remove the rack from in between the speakers. Still playing around with speaker set-up to optimize sound, but I think I'll keep this configuration. Updated pictures are forthcoming.
The platforms under the speakers are from Adona Corporation, not from Duke. They are the base shelving they use in their racks. The platform is a combination of granite that has MDF bonded to it. I place the granite side face down on the carpet and the speakers on top of the MDF side. When I used the Stormbringer's I placed them on Sound Anchor 3 post 14" stands and the stands were spiked into the MDF side of the platform. I've had the Adona platforms for quite sometime and while I would not recommend it for source components, it does work well under some heavier components.
One of the components I thought of using with Duke's speakers was the RWA 30.1 amp. My friend has one and really enjoys it. The VAC Auricle MB70 amps made themselves available (after I already had purchased the Avatar SE integrated which also worked nicely with the Stormbringer's) so I decided to pursue that direction. I think in the end I couldn't lose with either choice.
When I had the Stormbringer's my original set-up was pretty standard. Speakers were about 6' apart tweeter to tweeter and 6' tweeter to ear. Toe-in was 45 degrees as Duke suggested and the crosspoint was about 1.5' in front of me.
In my smallish non-symmetrical room the sound was a bit diffuse in the center imaging. In addition I had other imaging issues due to the room which included a left image that was not nearly as wide as the right image and a bit congested. To fix this I had to move the speakers in to about 5' apart and sit about 4' away. I then toed the speakers out so they are about 20 degrees.
After RMAF I decided to try a diagonal set-up that was based on what I saw in some of the rooms, with some very fine equipment I might add (Roger Sanders for one). I kept the same distances, just moved everything to a diagonal. The Stormbringer's worked fine in this set-up. Imaging is much improved and the clarity and detail were also improved and not subtle by any means. It was quite noticeable. I think the major factor in this was the addition of some room diffusers and the removal of some bass boom I was experiencing in the other set-up.
Since the Storbringer's worked fine in this set-up I decided to use it for the Jazz Modules. Duke was a bit surprised to see my new set-up as he had the opportunity to see it in original form when he delivered the Stormbringer's. When he listened he was further surprised at how good the sound was at such near filed distances with his speakers.
Goes to show a little tinkering could be a worthwhile investment in your sound.
I see you're using the Magnan ICs. Nice cables and I had the top line version in here for audition of late that Duke let me try. However, those were RCA and I now use balanced. Hoping to find some used balanced ones here on Audiogon.
Tvad, the S-30 is definitely on the radar, but I might get the M-60s instead. Ralph and Duke have both told me I could remove output tubes to bring down the power rating on the M-60s. The flexibility is interesting.
Duke was pretty impressed with the VAC/Jazz Modules combination. Before deciding on Atma-sphere he considered selling the VAC line.
The Jazz Modules are still breaking in but they are more detailed (slightly), refined (most noticeable improvement), and accurate (slightly) than the Stormbringers. These are not phase coherent speakers with the trade off being a design that provides excellent tonal accuracy and balance. The bass port is currently tuned to go down to 24hz, although my room prevents me from getting all of that. I may tilt the tweeter up a bit but I'll wait about 50 hours or so before doing that.
If you can ever get a chance to listen to Duke's speakers please do so.
Rewired Rega tonearms with the captive wire (versus DIN to RCA) can be very good. IIRC Brit Audio used the Incognito wire for their rewiring on Rega tonearms and they received high marks. I'm sure other options could be utilized as well.
It is hard to "out duke" Duke. Really great guy and drove a good 9 hours to deliver my speakers to me. Mot many other places you could get that service.
BTW - I had a chance to meet Robert Schult at RMAF and hear the Sasson speakers. Very impressive in both weight and sound. I'm sure you are enjoying them.
I'm using the Crystal Cable Micro from the tonearm to the Capri. So far I like what they do. It helped that I was able to get them at a great price due to distributor liquidation, otherwise I'd probably still be using the Oritek X-2 phono cable.
Duke delivered the Jazz Modules last night and we listened together for about 90 minutes. Right out of the box they are somewhat smoother. I'll post more thoughts as they break in. They use a smaller bass driver (12" vs. 10") than the Stormbringer, but the larger cabinet assures equal or better bass response.
I need to post some pictures of them and my new room configuration where I listen extreme near field in a diagonal set-up. The set-up change was partly due to my experience at RMAF and remembrance of an article written by Steve Deckert at Decware for how one might handle troublesome room environments. Duke was amazed at the sound in such a set-up where one is about 4' from the speakers (ear to tweeter). Normally he recommends 6 - 7' to start and 90 degree toe-in, but my set-up had him rethinking that and acknowledging his speakers can work as well in extreme near field applications.
Thanks for the comment Spencer. I have had Grover's speaker cables in my system now for about 3 months. They are quite good and really surprised me. The cable retains much of the characteristics of the Mosaic Chimera speaker cables, but there is a slightly lower noise floor and once they were broken in, a more natural decay which I especially notice in cymbals. While they don't provide the level of detail that the Mosaic Chimera's do I'm not missing it all that much. Quite a bargain at $40/ft. If I have any regret it's that I didn't go with a bare wire/banana plug combination instead of banana plugs all around.
I have been thinking of trying the new interconnects. They look very promising at their price point.
System edited: Made a few minor changes. Replaced the BPT PPC with the Alan Maher Designs Reference Power Center v2. Upgraded my Audio Kinesis Stormbringers to the Jazz Modules floor standers. Now using Grover Huffman speaker cables.
The Stormbringers are transparent and detailed. As Ralph Karsten explained to me he feels these speakers offer detail in spades, especially being fed by his amps, which Duke uses to voice the speakers. In comparison to my Spendor !/2e speakers they are also more neutral, and considering the reputation of the 1/2e design that is saying a lot. With the Stormbringer I get a level of clarity that I had not heard before from a pair of speakers in my system.
In regards to tonality the bass is deep and fast while the highs are also very extended, but smooth. The music is reproduced in a very real and lifelike manner. Vocals are especially excellent. I had never heard a horn tweeter before and I don't know if I can ever go back (maybe a ribbon design like the Tonian Labs TL-D1). However, everything is well balanced. The design of the speaker allows you to tune the bass and upper frequencies, so placement is not so critical.
Unfortunately these are no longer available. I'm anxiously waiting for RMAF so I can hear more of Duke's designs. I'd like to eventually trade up to the Jazz Modules which use a Pioneer pro woofer versus the Italian pro woofer in the Stormbringer.
System edited: I couldn't leave well enough alone. Some new components have made it into the system. In addition the analog rig is up and running. I'm enjoying the sound of tubes again. The VAC amps are phenomenal. Hopefully this will be it for awhile.
The Walker links have always intrigued me. Over on AA a few users have DIYed them and I think one person posted his instructions on Alan Maher's website. A bit more than I can manage but one day I will snag a used set and try them.
I've heard the RAM mods are very good. Not sure how it may affect my unit as it is slaved to the DAC. The CEC clock signal is somewhat of a non-factor in this set up. I believe one of RAM's mods is to upgrade the clock, which if the DAC is slaved to the transport should afford an improvement, if the whole process is carried out properly.
Also, I'm going to have some new pics up soon. The system has changed. Don't know why I posted it to this category. I should have known better.
I'm very happy with the LessLoss combo. The most analogue sounding digital I have heard, even better than a previous NOS DAC set-up I had and my North Star combo which was also very good. I don't listen to SACD so I can't make any comparisons there. Also, if I didn't get this combo used I wouldn't have it in my system as I would not spend that much for the combo new (I think over $5000 USD now). I really listen to vinyl and now have my analog rig set-up. I need to update the photos soon.
As for the room treatment I like the concept behind Eighth Nerve. I did not want something that would over absorb and treating the upper corners and seams has been recommended by many folks over at Audio Asylum. As for the stand alone panels I saw them here on Audiogon and always liked the idea since they could easily be moved around.
I didn't read a book, but the Room Acoustics forum on Audio Asylum is a wealth of information. Especially posts by David Aiken and Ethan Weiner. Also, go to the Decware website and read Steve's philosophy on room treatment. He also sells some nice diffusor panels I'd like to try.
Dale's speakers are quite nice from what I have heard from a few people who use them. Duke's Audio Kinesis speakers are heavy enough I wouldn't be able to lift Dale's.
I wish I could afford the Phi series. I'm feel fortunate enough that I lucked out on the Auricle Musicblocs.
Well as in my previous post you will have noticed I am changing some equipment. The VAC Auricle Musicblocs have the balanced input circuit and the Rowland Capri is fully balanced. So I'm going to try out some balanced cables. Right now I'm looking at Mogami Neglex as recommended by Ralph Karsten, Oyaide PA-02TX, and Magnan Vi as recommended by Duke LeJeune. I will probably look at a few others as well. I also haven't rule out the balanced version of the Mosaic Chimeras. I've wanted to try a balanced set-up for a while.
The VAC Avatar SE is now in the system and sounds wonderful with the Stormbringers. While not as quiet or detailed as the TRL combo the Avatar SE is a fine piece of equipment. Huge soundstage, plenty of detail, but most of all I think it's more musical than the TRL combo. The phono is very good as well.
I also just picked up a set of Auricle Musicblocs. Sort of by accident. So then I went out and got a Rowland Capri with phono and will see how that matches up with the Musicblocs. So much for being done for now.
Sorry for the delayed response. Been away on business and a hectic week at the office. I'll attempt to answer your questions:
Sherod: using the Tel Wire cables on the transport and DAC. The amp was built by TRL and I use their cable on it. I use their cable on the preamp too, but for now using the Oyaide as I can't seem to locate the other TRL cable. I just moved so its in a box here somewhere.
Tmiddle: The bamboo screen is something I bought online. My reason for using it in addition to privacy was to create some diffusion and to minimize the effect of the windows/blinds on the sound. I then decided to place a couple of Acoustimac sound panels in the window spaces. This caused a bit too much dampening and I have since removed them. One of my challenges is along the left side wall. You see the bamboo shade that covers an arch. There is a stairwell that leads downstairs along that wall to the front door and garage. In a sense it creates a chamber with incredible slap echo in there. Again, I'm trying to create some diffusion to prevent negative sound effects. I took one of the Acoustimac panels and placed it behind the shade. It seems to help a bit but in the lowest bass frequencies I'm still getting a little "boom" effect. Then again maybe this is normal and consistent. My Spendor's were never known to go that low in the bass and the Strombringer's do seem to manage to go down to their 30 - 35hz.
Shadorne: I do like the lively horn sound. I always agreed with the assessment that the Spendor 1/2 series are a bit polite and even a little stuffy, but that glorious mid-range makes you forget that sometimes. The Stormbringer's have improved bass, more transparency (1/2's are good at this too), and more flexibility. The Stormbringer's can be placed anywhere in the room with tuning via the bass port (shorten or lengthen it) and tweeter (swap resistors externally via binding posts). I found that having the speakers out in the room the low end needed some reinforcement while the top end needed to be toned down a bit. I think I have it where I want it now. Also, Duke is a great guy. Delivered the speakers to me and helped me set them up. Gave me a 30 day trial too. It took about a week for me to decide I wanted to keep them. I will eventually upgrade to the Jazz Modules when I get a bigger space.
