I am so Glad to be able to visit your room again Dave - even if only in spirit for the moment. Superb room,  captivating listening and peerless company every time you shared your sweet spot.

One day soon, my Friend ...

Glen

Wow, Terminator Dac!

How does it compare to Exogal Comet?

What h as been your theory and thoughts on Dac's you have owned?

Jeff

Have almost (finally) completed my isolation upgrade project for the TNT: separate Symposium Ultra platforms under the table and motor/flywheel assembly. Removed the Firestone air bladders/VPI elephant feet and am replacing them with 3” diameter aircraft-grade aluminum footers coupled directly between the TNT’s plinth and the Ultra platform. Sonic results thus far are very encouraging.

Dave

Great looking system and room!

I'll bet the music sounds very good.

Best regards...

Hi Gary,

I never owned the genuine SR HFTs, only built my own using ozzy's recipe. My experience was a mixed success. I hated them on the wall behind my speakers (bright and harsh) as instructed by SR but found them to add some air to the upper frequencies when placed at tweeter height on the wall behind me. More was definitely not better for me, but I feel that my experience is an outlier to others so YMMV.

I had a bunch leftover, but gave them to a friend about a month ago. DoH! Would have been happy to send them your way otherwise.

If you want to, PM me and I will guide you to the vendors I used for the DIY parts. Very inexpensive and easy to make.

Best to you Gary,

Dave 

How do you fair with your DIY Synergistic Research HFT's?

shadorne,

One good thing about reaching a point where one is satisfied with what I call the "foundation system", thus resisting wholesale/perpetual changes to the preamp, amp, speakers, ancillary cabling, etc with the latest wundergear, is that you know the sound intimately and can astutely judge the different sound character of sources and their ancillary cabling, and, of course, "tweaks". I sense that you get that.

Dave

Thank you very much shadorne.

re: Roon vs Aurender, I am admittedly a newbie to computer audio. My decision path thus far: Try streaming Tidal with my laptop/inexpensive but good used DAC (Hegel HD-12) => happy but decide I want better sound quality => try better USB cable (Curious), great improvement => hate using laptop for streaming => read up on overwhelming number of options to replace laptop => get overwhelmed by too much computer talk => decide on Auralic Aries for price, simplicity, and wifi capability => miss out on several used ones for sale => friend strongly recommends Aurender over Aries => find mint used Aurender from seller with advanced computer skills to provide install debug support and phone assist in getting it up and running (a wise move) => very happy with sound and Aurender App => buy Exogal Plus DAC => go insane trying different usb and Ethernet cables to fine tune sound and eliminate Exogal lean-ness => found Purist audio to be my favorite. STOP

I have read nothing but good things about Roon but it seemed to me to require too much "computer" think to use properly. Probably completely wrong.

Dave 

Great system. I own 2 DR9 and enjoy my apogee caliper signature. Can you give me the mods made on one of your DR9.

I am going to have a look on the power supply you recommend. 

I am an idler drive guy with a heavy mod lenco.

Kinds regards Gilles

Great system. Smart match of the Classe & Thiels. I always loved the ET2 and bet it takes the TNT to its height of performance. Funny, a friend had the Orpheus for a long time and it was also riding on a linear arm; a Walker.

Bet movie night is fun in there too! Cheers,

Spencer 

Thank you jayrossi.  I think you will be very pleased with the Powercell 10 UEF. The FEQ module adds quite a bit, so try to get one in the deal.

Dave

I've been considering the SR Powercell 10 UEF, I think you've just pushed me over the edge. 

jafant,

Thanks for the compliments. The proximity thing is a shared disappointment.  However, we would likely not even be aware of each other's existence were it not for the internet, so we, by constraint, dwell there.

Chris,

I understand that you have the fixed-mount version of the Empire, but perhaps you can use adjustments at the tone-arm base to align the stylus as described (assuming that it is not already)?

I have a fair number of the top vintage MMs myself, so I understand what you say about preferences. Among my favorites are Micro-Acoustics exemplars (not technically MM but Electret), especially the 3002, The Signet TK-7LCa, The Sonus Gold-blue, and, of course, the Empire, depending on the arm/table. I read good things about the Acutex and once attempted to source one, but narrowly missed the window in which they were readily available.

I have resisted the urge to crazy glue my Empire, instead creating a collection of NOS styli as to be "future-proof".

Best to you both, my far-away friends.

Dave

 

Hi Dave thanks for the explanation on your Empire cart setup

it answered my curiosity. .

yeah, mine is the later version with the different mount. 

It can only be mounted one way. 

My Room B  - SP10/ET2 is setup just for MM.

The Empire was on there for a time. The Acutex 420str outperformed the Empire and others, so its on there now. I went through a stretch, with a bunch of different MM's. Most have now been sold. The Empire is in its wood case in the drawer. It has also been crazy glued. :^)

Cheers Chris

Chris,

After some thought, I now clearly recall my main criteria for correct orientation of the Empire 4000D/III, learned from Doug on "another forum":  Since the shape of the stylus housing (pull) is irregular, the way to judge the correct play orientation is to view the "points" on the bottom of the stylus housing at each end of the curvature of the bottom of the pull. When positioned on an LP, these two points on the pull should be on the same vertical plane. Best way I know to describe it.

This may help you in setting up your fixed-body Empire 4000D/III by adjusting the height of the tonearm at the base such that these two points appear to be on the same vertical plane. If you give this a try, let me know how it works for you.

Hope this helps.

Dave 

Chris,

Thanks for the kind words. I too wish that proximity wasn't a limitation. At least we have Audiogon...

My 4000D/III came mounted on the 698 with the "low-loft" clip and, upon replacing the included generic replacement stylus (unplayedt) with the NOS first-gen S4000D/III sylus, it did not sound the way Raul described nor did its angle look like his pics of his mounted exemplar.  Not very open on top.  I sought some advice from the Empire gurus over on "another forum" and discovered this clip thing. I then bought an Empire 2000 D-whatever just for the "high-loft" clip. Changed them out and the top end was there in spades. It just worked... 

I should have photographed the Empire 4000D/III with the stylus lowered onto an LP. Its angle is actually not as extreme at its looks in that pic. It is however significantly tilted to provide a very positive VTA. I found that this Empire likes it that way for whatever reason (we both know what the possible reasons are). I have three NOS genuine Empire S4000D/III styluses, each of a different vintage, and each has benefited from the same, uh, "abnormal" VTA.  Of course all have only been played on my vintage Empire 698, so YMMV.  Or perhaps the fact that I can only load with 47k instead of the 100k that Raul strongly recommends is at play. Maybe both, who knows.

I'm sure that you have had similar unusual experiences somewhere in your extensive audio journey?

Dave

Hi Dave 

Amazing looking room and setup. The usual complaint -wish we weren't so far apart to share listening to music.

I like what's playing on your turntable. We named our daughter after the Beatles song Michelle. Later when she hit teenage years she approached us and asked why we gave her a name with the word hell in it. :^(   

That TNT brings back a lot of good memories. 

Hello to Dan also on the thread.

Dave  - A comment / question on the Empire 4000 D/III cartridge. I own a later version that has the plastic mount. 

In your pictures you show it mounted with two different metal clips. Why does the proper metal clip mount for that cartridge make it look like its plowing potatoes ?  

I appears to be at an extreme angle (high VTA - tail way up in the air) ?

Cheers Chris 

Thank you Dan and oblgny. Your interest and comments are much appreciated.

Dan - been through some tight-money times myself.  It is a good opportunity to spend time just listening and perhaps pulling some "replaced" pieces from the closet to retry and maybe discover positives about them that exceed your memory. Also to question and re-evaluate cable and powercord choices as I have recently discovered that a "coveted" power cord that has been in my system for years was killing my sound. Took another (much cheaper) one off of one of my subs and tried it on the amp and the traits that had irritated me for a long while disappeared. I was pissed, but also grateful that I tripped into this discovery by experimenting. 

Hang tough. God always comes through.

Dave  

Most of my equipment is either vintage or DIY, and I definitely agree with you, the older equipment can sound outstandingly great. 

Keep up your well-deserved enjoyment of music, regards,

Dan