I just last week purchased the 101e's replacing the Alto Be's I had. Thought it would be fun to show the start of a major upgrade, and then as I am adding room treatments, changing the decor, and changing equipment, to show the changes and the thought processes behind it. I have an open architecture house, with glass along one side, and as this is our living room, a way to figure out the aestetics. Challenges await! Comments or suggestions welcome. I got the MBLs primarily because the kitchen, family room, and dining area are all pretty much open, and I want great sound whatever we are doing in the primary listening space. To me, the best music should be for all my family to enjoy, even my daughter with her AFI fetish. The sweet spot matters, but more important to me is when we are having dinner, or hanging out, everybody gets to enjoy the music. The MBLs are worlds bettter than the Alto's in this regard from the first time I fired them up. I had a very very nice, clean system with the EmmLabs direct to the MC2000 and then the Altos, but I felt I was missing alot, and there is a ton of slap echo in the house. So here's the start. As I add, subtract and change, pix will follow. Thanks for looking.
My open architecture house mates well with omnis. My number one reason for purchase
HRS mrx 1921-3v
two shelf, in real curly maple. Visually stunning, and works well at vibration control
EMM Labs dcc-2, cdsd
non-SE units. The best I have had in my system but I have a problem giving somebody 5000 usd for an upgrade 6 months after I buy a unit.
Symposium Series 2 RollerBlocks
under the 101e's. Better inner dynamics than the bigger ones by far, and much better than spikes on hardwood floor, the bass locks in and is more tuneful, three under each speaker
MBL 6010d bal/w/mc
Preamp is about worlds better than running the Meitner direct to amp... I got it balanced, with MC cartridge module, it is just a fantastic pre-amp in every way, plus it adds the ability to quad-amp.. so I am trying tubes on top and solid state on da bottom!
MBL 9011
Monoblock amplifiers, I have tried, Halcro DM-88, MBL 9008, Accuphase, McIntosh MC200(still my fave amp of all time) AR vt100mkII, ref210... and the winner was... the big monos. They visually overpower the room, they are bulky, my wife says they look like coffins, but, Houston we have ignition
Tara Power Screen
replaced Shunyata Hydra. Instruments sound like instruments now
Tara The One bi-wired
After trying a ton of cables, this was the best. I still want to try 0.8s though.
Tara 0.8
As the Meitner sounds better balanced, but the preamp has less circuitry single-ended, I am trying both.. the balanced is punchier, more dynamic, the single ended is fuller, more harmonically rich, still can;t decide
Transrotor Tourbillon
3 motor, 3 arm potential turntable, I bought a used version, so it does not have the magnetic conversion
Graham Engineering Phantom
tonearm. why? I don't know, had to start somewhere
Transfiguration Orpheus
so far, I like it, very smooth, but I have to do something with the bass. I am just letting it run in right now
Great system. I've enjoyed following its progress. You asked about power conditioning. Here's my 2 cents copied from another thread (the moral is, I recommend a passive unit):
I have a dedicated 20A line for my amp and another for my preamp+front end. Porter Ports on each line (thanks Albert-excellent product.)
Initially, I tried various combinations of plugging my amp, preamp, and front end into an ExactPower EP-15A voltage regulator/conditioner. The system sounded better than with no conditioner, yet constrained. So, I tried a Nordost Thor passive unit. With the passive unit, the system really opened up. There was more life.
I now plug the amp straight into the wall; use the Thor for the preamp and front end; and have relegated my Exactpower to another circuit for video components, where it noticeably improves the video quality of my plasma. Downside is the Thor's expensive. There are less expensive options.
