Description

One room thanks to my wife, 14.5' x 20' x 8'. There are 2 power reclining seats, there will be another added as soon as I can find the correct listening chair. The back wall holds my 5000+ albums & some CD's. I have slide out shelving to the right side to hold yet more vinyl.  Just outside the room in a small closet is my mono vinyl collection. I'm retiring so it's time to make what may be my last hardware updates for a while.

Hevac1
Read more...

Room Details

Dimensions: 19’ × 14’  Medium
Ceiling: 8’


Components Toggle details

    • PS Audio Power Port HC
    All power conditioners plug into these 6 PowerPort outlets.
    • Shunyata Diamond Back
    Powercord for Shunyata Hydra 6
    • Shunyata Hydra 6
    For Analog source equipment.
    • Shunyata Black Mamba
    Power cord to ARC Ref3
    • Audio Research Ref 3
    Best sounding preamp I have owned to date.
    • FMS SineWave
    From Hydra 6 to PS Audio PS300. From Hydra 6 to Oppo 83 & 95. From Guardian 2 to Moon amps. From APC H15 to Meridian G68 & 598. From Hydra 6 to NHT X2.
    • PS Audio P-300
    For TT motor control only
    • Shunyata Vernom 3 15 amp
    From PS Audio 300 to Basis Debut, From Hydra 6 to VPS
    • Basis Debut Diamond Signature
    Clear version with silver accents. Sounds great. Vacuume is excellent no warped records here. Talk about 200 gram records sounding better. All of my records are 2000 gram now.
    • Koetsu Urushi
    Latest version, awesome sounding.
    • Lyra Helikon mono
    Mono records sound best with this cartridge.
    • Graham Engineering Phantom B-44
    Easy to change to a mono needle from a stereo one with 2 arm wands.
    • Cardas Phono interface box
    From Phantum Arm
    • Nordost Valhalla
    SE from Cardas to VPS then XLR to Ref3
    • Nagra VPS Phono Preamp
    This has 2 MC inputs
    • dCS Bartók
    For new music server
    • OPPO BDP205
    BlueRay-3D/SACD/CD
    • Nordost Heimdall
    Nice balanced cable from Oppo95 to ARC Ref3
    • FMS Nexus
    SE from Oppo 83LE to Ref3. SE from Meridian to Moon W3. XLR from Ref3 to 3 Moon W6's.
    • Nordost Red Dawn
    From Ref3 to Meridian G68.
    • Sim Audio W-6
    For front left & right speakers
    • Purist Audio Design Aqueous
    Great speaker cable used for front & center speakers.
    • Rockport Technologies Avior II
    I have gone from Verity Fidelio's, Parsifal Encore, Parsifal Ovation and Sarastro II.
    Now I've changed to Rockport Avior II. 
    • FMS Zero
    From Ref3 to NHT X2
    • NHT X2
    Sub-crossover
    • Nordost Blue Heaven
    From NHT-X2 to JL Audio 113
    • JL Audio f113
    Added 2 of these to the 2 channel System.
    • Meridian G68 AXV
    Processor for digital and video but NEVER my VINYL
    • FMS MicroWave
    From Meridian LFE to NHT X2
    • Meridian 598DP DVD/CD Player
    DVD/CD player
    • Shunyata Venom 3 20 amp
    2 of these from PS Audio Power Ports to 2 Shunata Guardian 2
    • Sim Audio W-3
    For Rears
    • Revel Voice
    Center speaker
    • Revel Performa S-30
    Rear channels
    • REL Acoustics Stadium III
    Ash black for rear home theater channels
    • DVDO Iscan Dual
    High Definition Video Processor
    • JVC RS50U
    DLAI projector. Very good picture is able to do 3D.
    • Stewart ABB Electro screen
    With StudioTek 130 G3 screen material & is 110" Diaginal.
    • Panasonic GT55
    Plazma TV with 3D. Plcked this up so I would not go through so many bulbs for the projector.
    • ASC Sound Planks
    Room Treatment

Comments 36

Showing all comments by hevac1.

View all comments

Owner
System edited: Added & removed equipment. New pictures and more to come

hevac1

Owner
The entire cupboard is on the other side of a main carrying beam so there is no vibration tranfer. I can play at deafening volumes and huge amounts of bass with no feedback problems. I don't do it very often but sometimes. The wife gets pissed though.

hevac1

Owner
Hatari,

I got lucky on their placement, John Quick from Tempo Sales & Marketing lives in MA. He came over to help place them with the people from Goodwin's HighEnd when they were delivered. The final location may be different because he wants them to break-in some, then he will return for the final placement.

I sit 14'8" from the front wall and 9' from the front of the speakers. The woofer is 2' from the side wall, 3'10" from the back wall and they are 9' apart to the center of the front of the speakers. All quick measurements BTW.

I purchased the woofers when I still had Ovations, I had the woofer in the Ovations firing forward. I have not used them with the Sarastros yet. When I do I will get back to you.

I am enjoying the Sarastros very much, better detail, imaging, range and sound stage.

I made a few other changes in the room just after the speakers. I changed out my projector screen from fixed to powered. I felt the fixed screen screwed with the bass and imaging, I was right. I now have better imaging and bass but the bass is a little too much and I have issues with mid-range that I never had before. I have to treat the room somewhat to get it correct and I am experimenting with treatments at this time. This has only started with the screen change because when the Sarastros were setup I had the fixed screen and not the powered screen. One thing always lead to another ya know, LOL.

BTW 2 channel has first priority in the room.

Thank for the interest,

Enjoy.

hevac1

Owner
System edited: Updated Front picture

hevac1

Owner
System edited: Updated Oppo to LE. Upgraded front speakers to Varity Audio Sarastro II. Better bass, treble and the same great midrange. Better definition, larger sound stage and do these babies disappear with a little work.

hevac1

Owner
I talked with the person that owns Sarastro II. His upgrade was to sell the old Sarastro and buy new SarastroII. He felt the II's sounded better. I did not know that. He also said the upgrade price was not worth it to him and may not be for you either.

hevac1

Owner
I just upgraded from the Ovations to the the Sarastro II a week ago.
A freind of mine upgraded and said it was worth it. He said they sound better with a wider varity of music and alot better with rock music.

hevac1

Owner
My amps with the Ovation sounded effortless with no sign of strain, this is through out the range of these speakers. I now have Sarastro II's and feel the same. With the Saratros thou the upper midrange and tweeter are so much sweeter and the definition is much better. There is also better bass control and lower bass all around. The midrange is about the same and is why I like the Varity line over the last 10 years or so. They are harder to setup correctly. Took a few hours compared to the Ovations.

hevac1

Owner
System edited: Added 2 JL Audio f113 subs to 2 channel system.

hevac1

Owner
System edited: After adding VPS to system tried some Nordost cables and loved the sound. They have added them to the system.

hevac1

Owner
When I have time and enough hats I will put them going all the way around the room.

hevac1

Owner
Thanks Jfrech Hope you enjoy yours also.

hevac1

Owner
System edited: System is sounding awsome now. I will try not to add more for a while.

hevac1

Owner
Hello John,
Sorry for the Long delay to you also.
The Ref3 is awesome for my system and have been very happy with it. If you are looking for something that sounds great with most music then you cannot go wrong with the Ref3.

hevac1

Owner
Hello Norfish,

Sorry for the LOOOONG delay in responding to you about my system.

I have removed the FMS speaker cables from my system because they were sounding lean compared to a pair of Purist Audio Design Aqueous's a friend let me borrow.
Since then I have tried a pair of Silversmith's and they sounded awesome. A new speaker wire from Basis, very good and alot like the Purist I am borrowing. & some from Nordost, Tyr and Valhalla are excellent but very costly. The Silversmiths sound was between both of the Nordost speaker wire. I am trying them all again shortly to make my final pick.

Enjoy the music.

hevac1

Owner
Hi Ryder,

Yes I had it as part of my two channel system also but found it was not quite fast enough. I tried the Aerial SW-12 and it was very fast, as a result I purchased it. My 2 channel is my priority system not the theater.

I sold my front Rel but wish I had kept it. It is hard to setup the SW-12 for both. It was much easier to setup the Rel for both. I should have kept it for the HT front.

The only other issue with the Rel. When setting it up with mono amps, terminate the common to the preamp not the amps other wise you will get noise from the system.

Enjoy the music.

hevac1

Owner
System edited: Well I finally uploaded pictures. As you can see I am running out of room for my records. The wife will not let me store any records in the living room. Next I will upgrade the phono stage, interconnects & speaker cables. I have been busy so have not responded but suggestions are welcome The Parsifal Encores on the left wall are for sale here on AudiogoN

hevac1

Owner
System edited: Just upgraded to Parsifal Ovations and an Arial Acoustics SW-12 for the front of the system and it sounds better than ever.

hevac1