Kenny's System

by kennythekey on Ever Evolving

Description

I finally started piecing together gear that was built and known to work together. This came after discovering the sound that does it for me. To me, the first most important component.

Latest updates:

March 14, 2023 - Finally an important upgrade to my system, replacing my Shilabe cartridge with the Ortofon Verismo. It was a little work to set up with my Ortofon RS 309D arm, but getting the overhang right-on and the null points perfect was worth the time spent. Even after the initial drop of the Verismo, the sound is wonderful. I’m way happy, and only care about listening as I write this. More later about the sound as it breaks in.

November 27, 2022 - It's been a while. We moved twice since my last system update. A new home, so a different listening room even though my setup is somewhat identical. The room has a smaller footprint than previously, but it lends itself better to my Horning Aristoteles that are suited for medium sized rooms. The system is now playing loud at 10 o'clock with my 6-watt amps and benefiting from that. I've finally added two sets of speaker grills for my open baffle subs, so front and back. Why?…Because, it was fun!

August 10, 2019 - My daughter, Kelly, has purchased her first turntable, a Rega Planar 2. After reading about this table's sensitivity to vibration, especially in close proximity to speakers, I was surprised that there was zero effect from vibration when we turned up the volume with her speakers less than one foot from the table. The speakers are normally pulled out into the room, but not for this initial TT test. The bass was generous and I did some jumping up and down without issue. Is the cheap Ikea Lack Rack that we built handling all of this? If so, impressive.

May 2, 2018 - My daughter's audio rack is now completed. A really fun to build project on the cheap. What added the most cost, was using Herbie's Giant Threaded Stud Gliders for the bottom base. And, full length hard maple inserts for the legs.

March 23, 2018 - Work is progressing for daughter's first audio rack. Cost is a priority, as her first audio system is coming together. We decided on a DIY rack built from 4 IKEA Lack side tables ($8 each).

October 17, 2017 - Added NoRez material to quiet the sub cabinets from being heard. My system is sounding great in my open floor plan. Most of the DIY work was done by Jay (Captainhemo) who builds and sells custom flat packs for the sub cabinets up in British Columbia. You can find him on Audiocircle and you can see from my pics that he does marvelous work.

June 6, 2017 - Upgraded my Raven 1 table with latest bearing and Black Night feet. Background is blacker, sound is smoother, and bass is better. Added Townshend Isolation Bars to my subs. The subs work seamlessly with my Horning speakers, and have finally provided me with a full range sound that is also relaxed.

Kenny

Read more...

Room Details

Dimensions: 14’ × 18’  Medium
Ceiling: 10’

Components Toggle details

    • TW Acustic Raven One
    A wonderfully simple, but extremely well made design. Sounds fantastic. Tonearm: Ortofon RS-309D Cartridge: Ortofon Verismo, Miyajima Shilabe Tweaks: Motor Control: AC/MC Isolation: Silent Running Audio platform. Black Night feet. Platter Mat: TW-Acustic/Zanden Audio 5mm. Fuse: HiFi-Tuning Supreme. And, upgraded the bearing.
    • Ortofon RS-309D
    Great arm that works with the Raven. If I add another arm to the TT, this one will stay for mono.
    Update 2023 - This arm is still performing exceedingly well from what I hear!
    • Miyajima Shilabe
    My first truly high end cartridge, and the only I've tried with my Raven TT.

    2/15/2023 - This may be my first upgrade in quite some time. I have a new cartridge in mind and more on this later.
    • Ortofon Verismo
    MC Cartridge to replace my Shilabe. A true upgrade in you-are-there presentation, detail, and more nuanced.
    • Tron Seven - Phono
    Hand made Phono Amplifier that can be custom built. This one includes the caps from the Reference model and pseudo balanced outputs added for convenience. Isolation: Eden TerraStones with brass balls, but currently trying them all. Tweaks: HiFi-Tuning fuse.
    • Boulder L-3ae
    A temporary solution while saving up for a new line stage. I recently had Boulder Amplifiers upgrade the caps, and now the sound is wonderful.

    2023 - I’m still using the L-3ae and have no plans of replacing it. It’s become invisible to the rest of my system. I don’t know what those guys at Boulder Amplifiers did, because I thought my system setup would benefit from a tube line stage. All I can say, it’s your ears that count.
    • TW-Acustic 300 B SET
    Mono Block, 6 watts. Best component that I ever added. Now, I hear anything and everything that I change in my system. It brings my system together like it's sewn together from the same fabric. Designed and hand built by Thomas Woschnick.
    • McIntosh MR-71 Re-invented
    A long-term personal project started in 1989, as I first found the MR-71 chassis heaped on top of other non-working and discarded gear. I simply could not let it die, and the price was right. Restored by Audio Classics and then upgraded by Sam's Audio Labs. The tuner sounded very good after Audio Classic's work, but Sam's transformation to full triode, wow! Birdseye Maple cabinet was built by High Quality Reproduction Cabinets who specialize in old gear.
    • Horning Aristotle Zigma Ultimate
    This one has the DX65 drivers and finished in Apple Wood. The cabinetry is superb. These loudspeakers have given me "my"sound in spades. Their low end if driven properly is suberb. However, my house move took me to a setup with a large open space when the loudspeakers want a medium sized room with corners. This is the only reason, I added the DIY subs. And, I'm glad I did.

    2/15/2023 - That was then. I’ve moved twice. Damn, I’m happy. Got it altogether now in a better and much loved space. Yeah.
    • DIY - GR Research/Rythmik Sub Project Open Baffle
    The cabinets are designed and offered as a kit from Jay (captainhemo) on Audiocircle. Jay built the cabinets for me, so they are custom to match up with my speakers. The cabinets use GR Research servo drivers in combination with specifically integrated and external Rythmik servo plate amps. This is a patented design between GR Research and Rythmik. Even though this has been a long process to set up and tweak for me, the subs work seamlessly with my Horning speakers. Tweaks: Townshend Isolation Bars. The Bars completely cured previous oscillation problem from mechanical feedback to my turntable. I've also added 2 sets of speaker grills for the front and back. Jay can also provide the grills.

    2/15/2023 - My new room and home for my setup still includes both the Hornings and custom Subs. I have zero oscillation issues here. Tweaking the subs to the space has proven to be the best unexpected upgrade for me.
    • DIY Siamese Rack
    I built this to my specific requirements, so didn't really save me money as a DIY project. However, very rewarding and just what I wanted. Thanks to everyone on Audiogon who helped me out with this project.
    • Power: Various
    Panel: Intermatic all house surge protector with replaceable protection
    modules.
    Source: Two dedicated and isolated ground 20 amp circuits.
    Components: Brick Wall surge protector for TT Motor Controller and Boulder line stage.


Comments 147

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Kenny, Nice set-up! Where did u get ur Flex-i-rack materials from? I like ur rack. Do u like the way ur system sounds being on ur rack. Was it difficult to make?
Thakns,

sparks81

sparks81

Owner
System edited: The Horning Aristoteles will not step aside after all of this time as my speaker of choice. Perhaps, this will be the year.

I have been getting my feet wet with digital, but trying to stay away from the PC as the source. I had added an Eastern Electric DAC Plus and a Squeezebox Touch to my system that also includes a NAS drive and a backup HDD. To me, the 96/24 files sound best, but cannot equal the toe-tapping involvement and joy of my analog front end.

kennythekey

Owner
Thanks Glen. It was a rewarding experience building the rack even if it did not save me much money compared to a prebuilt.

kennythekey

Beauty of a rack love the wood on the components as well. Nice system, very nice.

glenfihi

Owner

Peterayer, I think it’s how the SME mated with the Shilabe cartridge and/or Raven TT. I had the SME installed on my SOTA Star Sapphire for years and it never sounded hyper.

By hyper, I mean on the edgy side. For example, cymbals can sound too sharp and even piercing at times. The sound can seem forced, especially in the upper frequencies.

The Raven/Ortofon/Shilabe combination is smooth as silk, but I don’t mean laid back. It provides the tonal balance that I love.

kennythekey

Kenny,

Nice system. Congratulations. I have a question about your SME arm. When you say the arm was "hyper", do you mean it was being overly excited by the cartridge? Do you think it was a flaw in the arm or just a bad cartridge/arm match. Did you spend a lot of time aligning it. I'm curious because I have an SME V arm and I hear non of that edginess with an AirTight PC-1 cartridge. Thanks.

peterayer

Owner
System edited: After updating my Raven One from my SME 309 arm to an Ortofon 309D and doing some tweaking, I found that my table sounded better without the copper mat I was using. The space within the sounstage was better defined, so a more realistic bubble if you will, IMO.

kennythekey

Owner
System edited: I've updated the picture of my Raven One after adding Eden Sound Terra Stones under the platform and removing the copper mat.

kennythekey

Owner
Thanks Lowens. Yes, I heard the Orangutans at the Montreal show in April. They sounded beautiful and light on their feet, but I heard some distortion in the vocal frequencies. This was due to something else such as the phono step-up device John was using. Anyway, they are still on my list but I want to hear them with my Sam's Audio Labs Amp. There's a dealer about sixty miles and I will try to set something up.

The Raven is sitting on a slab of slate that I got cut and polished from a local stone company. I've since replaced my Mapleshade Isoblocks with Eden Sound Terra Stones fitted with brass mini spikes. The terra stones IMO sound better, providing a blacker background with better pinpoint imaging, so spacial resolution has improved.

kennythekey

Very nice system, well thought out. Have you considered the new Devore O/96? I am very likely ordering a pair. Also what isolation shelf do you have your TW sitting on?

lowens

Owner
I must retract my previous statement about the Ortofon 309D being smooth and relaxed. Instead, the SME 309 was "hyper" sounding in my system, so the Ortofon initially sounded relaxed. After spending some time with the Ortofon, it's not only lively but perfectly balanced for my system, and a great match with my Shilabe.

Just another bull's eye recommendation from Jeff at High Water Sound.

kennythekey

Owner
System edited: I've just replaced my SME 309 arm with an Ortofon 309D. The sound is smooth and relaxed. I was experiencing some upper frequency edginess with the SME, but now that's a thing of the past.

kennythekey

Owner
Hi Plinko...Of course not, I'm still going around in circles!!! I went to the show in Montreal a few weeks ago, but came back empty handed.

I am still leaning towards the Horning Aristoteles.

kennythekey

did you ever decide on new speakers? i followed your thread regarding classic t5 and audio kinesis speakers (last year) with great interest.

plinko

Owner
Finally, I've received my Sam's Audio Labs Eico ST40. A long journey well worth the trip.

Full details here: http://www.site-soft.com/Eico.html

kennythekey

Owner
Thanks for that. There's a Devore dealer south of Denver but they didn't show up either to the RMAF!!!...grumble, grumble... I can always check them out...grumble.

The Ulysses are somewhat above my price point and while an excellent and engaging speaker, they didn't quite convey to me the open and in-the-moment realism of the Horning. Hey, that's me. Okay, let me explain.

For example, I checked out the Legacy room for fun, and while they blew my socks off, they also blew off my hat, and I found myself in another room looking for a Q-tip. Bottom line, I want an intimate speaker for a smallish room that delivers the closest truth. I realize there will be white lies now and then.

BTW - I will also have to listen to the Aristotle because the Eufrodites were at he show, but the Aristotles are supposed to be compatible with smaller rooms.

kennythekey

If you are interested in visiting the Pacific NW for a Ulysses demo let me know. We also have a local Devore dealer. Good luck!

jazdoc

Owner
Thanks Jazdoc. I was disappointed that Devore did not show up at the RMAF.

I had issues with the Daedalus and Audiokinesis at the show. However, the Ulysses sounded good, but not the best in their own room. My issues relate to the DA-RMa and the new Stratos by Audiokinesis. Duke (Audiokinesis) let me know that he was disappointed in the sound, but when he moved them to a different room, after the show, all was good.

It seems that the speakers I wanted to hear were all in the same type of room. The smaller ones in the middle of the hall. This also includes the Zu speakers and when comparing the bunch to my Thiels, I couln't get excited. The main problem for me was bass, but the Zu and Audiokineses also seemed congested. The DA-RMa sounded this way on Saturday but on Sunday they sounded clear and dynamic...but still the bass issue. However, I still want to hear these speakers because I don't believe they sounded nearly as good as they can. Frustrating.

I think going to the Montreal Show or doing personal visits will help me out.

kennythekey

Hi Kenny. The Audiokinesis sounded good at RMAF, I thought, and the model Duke had there comes in around $3800 in *today's* dollars.

Both of the Daedalus speakers were very nice (I liked the setup in First Sound room); I thought the monitors competed very well with big Ulysses.

For high efficiency, I also thought the Zu Superfly's were very nice, and not too spendy; unfortunately, there's an emphasis somewhere in the high frequencies exactly where my ears are sensetive.

I continue to be very impressed with Selah and the Gallo 3.5s; did you get to give either of those a try at RMAF?

J

jdoris

Great system and beautiful stand.

If you liked the Daedalus and Audiokinesis you might be interested in the Devore Fidelity speakers.

jazdoc

Owner
Thanks, John. For the center of the rack at the bottom, I place the albums that I've been playing or want to play. I'm going to hang my headphones over the albums at the top.

I listened to a number of high efficiency speakers at the RMAF, but couldn't find anything at a reasonable price that better my Thiels. The two hopefuls were Daedalus and Audiokinesis. I guess I didn't fully realize what I need to spend in today's money to equal the $3,800 that I spent on the Thiels fifteen years ago.

I like the Horning Speakers that Jeff of High Water Sound sells but they're $9K. I'm also interested in the new Bastanis Mandalla speakers that are $8K.

I like the way my Thiels sound in my 16' X 13' room. I would also like to hear the Verity Rienzi speakers. They look very intersting.

kennythekey

My goodness, Kenny, you sure have been busy! That rack is a thing of beauty! You need a vertically oriented component for the center slot ;)

System looking good too. I'm shopping for speakers, and have thought of the 3.7, but worry that my small room wouldn't let me get far enough back from the 1st order xos. Enjoying the 3.6s? What else did you consider?

J

jdoris

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