I have been working on this system since about 1999 (minus an assignment overseas, 2004-2005). I tried a lot of different equipment, much of it from Audiogon: Linn CD12; Cary, ARC, pse, VTL pre-amps (mostly mid-line); BEL, ARC, VTL, BAT amps; Vandersteen, Harbeth, Spendor speakers; various cables. This is where I ended up. I'm still refining the pre-amp situation--I'll probably stick with the Prem 14, but have some work done on it by Bill Thalman (who did a nice job on the Prem 11). I've ended up with 2 CD players because I think the EMM does a particularly nice job on most classical music, and the Wadia brings some additional punch and presence that I enjoy for jazz and pop/rock. However, over the last year (and after doing a rehab job on my 20 year old Linn LP12), I've come to the conclusion that, for my ears, Lps are (generally) the more satisfying medium, and I listen now to Lps probably about 60 - 70% of the time.
Probably like most audiophiles, I have conflicting goals in my listening. I really enjoy the illusion of actual musical instruments in my listening room. But I also like a concert hall ambience. The latter is particularly problematic with many orchestral recordings in which multiple mics were used, close up to the instruments. Also, like most audiophiles, I have a desire to retrieve maximum information from my source, yet I don't want to be overwhelmed by all the problems inherent in this or that recording (or mastering, or stamping, or whatever thing has gone wrong with any particular source). I've found it difficult to get to a balance between getting information from my Lps or CDs, and getting too much information presented in an aggressive fashion.
My undergraduate education was in music (1973-77), and although I shifted professions on account of the economics (I went to law school), I continued to play professionally intermittently until about 2001. My original instrument was the trumpet, but I migrated to guitar, and played mostly rock and fusion, though I concentrated on classical guitar the last 2 years of music school. I've played trumpet with bands and orchestras, and guitar (and later bass) in various contexts, from smokey bars to recital halls. I've recorded in several studios and learned a great deal about what goes into a finished recorded product, both good and bad, as a result. I've also done a great deal of listening to live music, and made it a project back in the 80's to hear all of the great American orchestras in their own halls. My favorite halls have been Carnegie Hall and Symphony Hall in Boston. This may give an idea of the sound that I'd like to hear from my system.
I've never posted my system before, because I've not been all that happy with it. The system I've got now is getting close to what I think I can do to get the kind of sound I want in my relatively small room (19 x 15) and within my budget. I get quite a bit of listening pleasure out of perhaps 60 - 70% of what I play. I think that may be about as good as I'm likely to get out of any one system.
If there is one thing I have found most useful in the process of assembling a system that at least works pretty well for me, it is the following mantra: "It's only a recording." And what we're playing it on is only playback gear. There is no one true absolute sound in the recording/playback world. You have to just keep working with synergies until you find the right combination that works for you most of the time.
Many thanks, Steve. I sent my CJ gear to Bill Thalman (formerly with CJ) (and this now includes Prem 12 monoblocks and a Prem 3 pre-amp). I don't remember everything he did -- mainly upgrades, but in a direction that was likely to appeal to my less-detail-oriented ears. (However, there is still an abundance of detail -- almost no other way with the Avalons.)
Other than playing around w/ different CJ models, installing some finite element cerebases, and installing a fairly substantial isoclean power conditioning system, I haven't done much else in a bit more than 2 years -- although I guess all of that is not nothing. I think I would have to say that the isoclean power conditioning set-up made the most difference of all the tweaking I've done since early '09. I'll try to write more about that later -- I really didn't understand how much difference power conditioning/cleaning could make.
I stumbled on an old post of yours where you were looking for suggestions on romantic-sounding, euphonic tube amps (which turned into a great thread BTW), and then made my way here to your system page.
You've done an amazing job of articulating the same audio journey that I traveled from 'detailed, maximum info hi-fi' to pleasurable, relaxed and enjoyable listening through perhaps less 'accurate' but more pleasing rose-tinted tube amplification.
In my journey, I arrived at a point where I realized I was constantly honing in on *the trees* (e.g. geeking out on how clearly I could or could not hear the rivets decaying on the drummer's cymbals ...) and totally missing *the forest* (i.e. just sitting back and enjoying the music). Then, the epiphany: there's nothing wrong with ear-pleasing euphony, esp. if I find myself just enjoying my lp's and CD's a lot more than I once did during my "detail" days.
Interesting account of your musical background and your live venue frames of reference and how they've informed your perspective on recorded sound: IT'S JUST A RECORDING, indeed!
Great read - thanks.
BTW, what mods/upgrades did you have done to your C-J 11A to get you closer to what you were looking for?
System edited: Since I first posted this system about 18 months ago, I've upgraded the Avalon Ascendants to Eidelon Visions, upgraded the Koetsu Black to a Rosewood, and upgraded the phono stage to an Einstein. (I posted a fairly long note about the speaker change a few days ago.) I am also now using Cerabases under the amp and the EMM CD player...I'll get more when my budget (I hope!) replenishes; they are one of the few vibration control devices I've tried that (to my ear) do more good than harm consistently. I'm playing a lot of guitar now, and recording a fair bit, and going to the symphony and chamber music concerts more regularly (all post-divorce). The experience of being in the studio, or being in the concert hall, changes my perspective on recorded sound. I've also spent more time with Houston Audio Society people, and listened to more systems of others' who are very serious about reproduced sound. One of the most heartening things, really (in an odd way), is hearing several of the systems that are way ahead of mine, and then hearing, for example, the Houston Symphony doing Barber's 1st Symphony with Marin Alsop (as I did last Saturday) live, and realizing about audio, once again, that at the end of the day, IT'S JUST A RECORDING. It will never be the real thing. At the very best, we get a pleasureable illusion. If I focus on audio as a means toward capturing a pleasureable illusion, as opposed to perfection, life as an audiophile becomes a hell of a lot simpler. I can even enjoy my ipod! My audio goals haven't changed, although I may now be better able to express them. I want, first, a system that I enjoy listening to most of the time (i.e., a system that does not rub my nose to heavily into the warts of each recording -- and there are warts almost always), and I want some level of illusion, and I need to hear a fair bit of detail (especially for mastering purposes). Tubes rule, for me. Vinyl mostly rules. But digital is unavoidable. This system meets my criteria a fair bit of the time...more so than most systems I hear -- but it's a personal thing, especially on the issue of midrange warmth (which I want in abundance -- and, after a lot of work, have largely achieved). Thanks for looking.
System edited: I didn't realize that the speakers didn't show up when I first posted this thread. I am now using the Avalon Ascendants (which are the more recent model, with, I understand, an upgraded tweeter). I still have my Harbeths and my Spendors, which I will probably use in a system in another room.
