This was an experiment that got slightly out of hand. I had given myself a limit of $1500 per section--source, amplification, speakers. You can do pretty well for that, right? At the time, it seemed like a heck of a lot.
I had a simple system I loved when I was a young guy, built around vinyl and tubes. Then a big life change made the hobby impossible for almost 20 years. I started to ease back in around 1990. Having worked in audio I knew how dear it could get, so I made the $1.5K rule.
Two things happened: I made a little money, and I found some audio buddies who knew more than I did. The $1.5K-per-section rule turned into a $1.5K-per-upgrade rule. I've gone over that once or twice in the ten years this system has been in the making.
I think I did really well thanks to good advice, the Internet and plain luck. Like everyone else, I believe all my gear is great value. I still marvel when I listen. I say to myself, "How come I get to have sound this good?" Sweet, detailed, liquid, lively, dimensional, real-sounding.
No, it doesn't really give me a window on the original performance. That's for the true high end. But it does communicate the energy of the musicians, the sound quality of their instruments and the inspiration of the composers, in spades, with all kinds of music.
And there is a bonus. There are a lot of people around who love music, and believe the hype about CDs because they don't know the truth. They think digital blows away everything that came before it. They love CDs on my system... and then I put on an LP.
Charisma's top of the line as of end-2021. To my ear, this cartridge has no faults.
Well Tempered Labs Amadeus GTA.a
Even with a cost-conscious Denon DL103R, this turntable eliminates everything that bothered me about previous setups.
Apple Mac Mini 2012
Running iTunes and Pure Music software. Music library and backup on FireWire external discs. UpTone Audio MMK 12VDC board installed, powered from UpTone JS-2 linear regulated power supply.
WiFi is external, on a USB dongle, so internal WiFi and Bluetooth both turned off. USB connection runs through UpTone IsoREGEN powered by UpTone UltraCap 1.2.
Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7 USB
Audiomat Tempo 2.9
Teo Audio Kronon
Klyne Audio Arts SK-5A
Refurbished, restored and upgraded July 2011 and August 2021 by Klyne Audio Arts.
Audiomat Aria
Tube integrated with 4 EL34s running mostly in Class A.
Atlas Ichor
biwire
Capriccio Continuo (ATD) Admonitor
Monitor section of two-box speaker (Verity Audio style). On factory stands. Italian.
TEAC V-8030s
My Nak was stolen and I got this from insurance. It's a very good deck, and I still need to make tapes sometimes.
JAS Audio Cu/Ag9 AC cord
Four of these cords in the system. One feeds the IsoClean power bar, the others the preamp and monoblocks.
Acoustic Zen El Nino AC cord
High-value budget cord, good on digital sources. One each on transport and DAC.
Target TT1
A wall shelf is the best turntable support you can have in most cases. This one is welded steel with adjustable spikes to support the shelf.
Black Diamond Racing Cones
Types 3 & 4, mixed, under preamp and transport.
Isoclean 106
Six-outlet power bar. Had a remarkable effect: seemed to synchronize the music. Must have.
Herbie's Audio Labs Grounding Bases
Stainless steel disc with a central dimple, sitting on a thick disc of damping compound. 20 of them in the system, in 2 sizes, placed anywhere there are spikes or cone tips, like under the TT base's spikes. Most noticeable effect of these is under the BDR cones and under the speakers.
Herbie's IsoCup Ball & cup footers
These support the tube monoblocks.
Herbie's Audio Labs Tube Dampers
These are used on both driver and output tubes in the Audio Space monoblocs. Well worth their cost in improved resolution.
System edited: Added an Isoclean 106 six-outlet power bar as the AC source for the system. A friend proposed this to me, I would never have thought of it myself. The effect was amazing, even though I fed it at first with a fairly basic AC cord. The music without it seemed out of step, and harsher. This device does so much good for the music that it is now indispensable. The cord is now a JAS Audio Cu/Ag 9, another remarkable upgrade.
Jordan, isolation transformers improved soundstage, image, coherence, clarity, transparency--all of them things I associate with better resolution. In my location (downtown Montreal) they were very effective. In others, where AC power is cleaner, they may not make so great a difference.
Hi Timrhu, yep the Shearwaters have been there about six years. I try a new placement and they sound even better each time. Right now they're on the long wall, about 30 inches out.
The room is still untreated so I'm sure there's still more to be gotten out of them before an upgrade is needed.
Are you still using the Shearwaters? You have had those for quite sometime. I had to sell mine when we moved into an apartment while waiting for a house builder. I've thought about getting another pair but my room is probably too small for them. Nice to see a faithful listener.
Feb. 2008. Power tweak list, starting from the AC plug. Dedicated AC line -> Porter Port ->2x 600V 0.47 mF Auricaps -> Ensemble Powerflux cable -> Isoclean 6-outlet power bar -> 2 Topaz ultra-isolation transformers -> Ensemble and Acoustic Zen power cords.
February 2008. Amps moved to the floor beside the rack, placed on 3-inch maple platforms. What a difference that made. The bass is much better and there is more detail, more dynamics and less blur overall.
Right now the system is digital-only. My LP12 was sold last autumn. My carts have been rebuilt at Soundsmith and there will be a new turntable sometime this year.
System edited: changes at the source level. The Graham is gone, the DA -1000E converter failed and is no longer supported by Apogee. New arm to come, and second-string digital source has moved up to main while I look for a new DAC.
System edited: Feb. 19 2007, added Atlas opus digital cable. I've wanted to try this cable for a while, found one used (lucky!) but my transport is being checked out so no listening yet.
System edited: October 2006: thanks to a great friend I now have an Esoteric P-10 transport to replace my TEAC T1. It's a major upgrade, and I'll post my impressions once I get used to the new sound.
Tobias, I have the SP80 Shanlings as well. I have the Parts Connexion Chris Johnson's (formerly of Sonic Frontiers fame) modded versions. I am very happy with them. Running them with Meadowlark Blue Heron 2's . Going to play with getting some NOS tubes soon. Nice system you have! Thanks!
System edited: October 2005--added my "new" Graham arm to the list. Old faithful RB300 will be for sale soon. TT, amps & speakers still down after fire, haven't heard anything yet :)
Gilbodavid, those old tuners can be real treasures. Happy hunting! John's thread is a lot of fun and keeps tempting me to try a Decca--Lenco setup just to hear it. Thanks for sharing your impression after comparing that TT with your 401. If you ever try a Decca International/London pair, I'd love to hear about it.
hi toby. love the enthusiasm for trying out stuff. dont know much of your stuf at all. i'm on a similar mission. re tuners, i've been absolutely blown away by my sansui tu710, a 70's item, that i got for $70. didnt know sound like that was possible fom a tuner. with my quad electrostatics, leak tl12+ amps, stepped attenuator pre. its worth a look. see fmtunerinfo.com re tuners. i've spent hours on it. also, been playing with lenco l75 turntables, a la johnantais's thread. might be a $200 upgrade worth pursuing. smoked my garrard 401, with ol silver tonearm and denon dl304 on both.
Thanks for the kind word! It's true, the TEAC deck is 80% a visual item. However my job is teaching second language English and I do sometimes need to make recordings for students, who only have cassette machines in class. Also, while we are of no fixed address--having been forced from home by fire--the 8030 has been serving as a headphone amp. (These are my excuses for keeping it, but really if I could allow myself a gear obsession, I would probably collect cassette decks.)
Beautiful set up. After reading your comment I have to say it looks as if you are getting true high end. How much use does your cassette deck get? I owned a Teac V-800X (purchased new) but sold it as it sat for years without being turned on.
I don't know, I own a T-1 and am using it for the first time now that I'm living at an extended stay hotel. I'm surprised at the T-1's musicality, even though is so old and out of alignment. I bought is as a companion for my vintage Yamaha A-1 integrated.
Psychic, thanks for dropping by. No, I don't actually think the T-1 is at the same level as the Klyne.
What the Yamaha does have in common with the Klyne is value for money. This particular (slightly cosmetically challenged) T-1 cost a long way under a hundred on eBay, and I defy anyone to find a better-sounding tuner for that much. I also defy anyone to find a better-sounding preamp at the SK-5A's Blue Book price.
I am not a big FM listener, but nobody who enjoys free music should be without a tuner. Would you care to suggest one to equal the Klyne for sound and value?
I regret to say I haven't had the pleasure of hearing a current Klyne preamp. If anyone else would care to answer this one, I would be interested. ( Interested in an academic sort of way, since a 7LX3.5 with phono is not in my financial future. )
I agree, a T1 is a very good deal. I can't claim credit for the choice, it was a friend's recommendation. I'm glad you like yours; I think I'll try to turn mine on a bit more often.
I like the amps' looks too--thanks. It's an advantage when I demo my hobby to friends. When a unit looks really sharp, non-audiophiles seem to be more receptive to the idea it might be worth its price.
NOS driver tubes help these Shanlings to be the best-sounding amps I've owned. Their internal preamps are easy to bypass and I look forward to trying that. These units also represent excellent value at the price, I think. Like everyone else, I try to make that a rule when I choose gear.
"Sweet" is a good word for the system's sound--thanks!
I do very little serious listening to radio. I've only heard this tuner bring in a live concert once, so most of the time what I'm hearing is the station's cheap CD player... ewww. Considering how little a T1 costs on eBay, though, IMHO its sound is terrific value. It doesn't seem to contribute any major tone of its own, and it's fairly detailed.
