Thanks Needfreestuff & Mapman. Unfortunately, I sold my place and am living in temporary digs so most of this system is in storage until I get to my final location in about two years. I do run the Altecs and the Thorens with Shindo gear as the available space in my loft is limited. But who knows, I might get the "itch" and hopefully the time to find the various boxes and might take the 57's out for a much needed spin. I do miss their transparency and near field awesomeness.

Thanks for possibly "spurring me into action".

closdesducs October 17, 2014 18:57

Nice collection of very cool stuff. Love the Thorens in particular. Must be loads of fun. Enjoy!

mapman October 15, 2014 09:32

With all the technology they still can't produce a cleaner midrange than the 57s. Love your setup enjoy

needfreestuff October 14, 2014 22:16

I just ordered two of the Wywires Juice II Silver's for my Modwright.

Initially, I'll use the stock Sovtek rectifier tube and some NOS Syvania 6SN7's.

Can't wait to get my new CDP!

Good luck with your move.

pdreher March 25, 2014 12:27

I am presently using the WyeWires Juice II Silver PCs on both the transport and the power supply with good results.

Whenever I saw a ModWright XA5400es on display at either the THE Show or Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, they've had either WyeWires or VooDoo PCs. No personal experience with VooDoo but may try them out one day.

As for the 6SN7's, I presently run the Sophia Electric's in lieu of the stock tubes ModWright originally sent. For the rectifier tube, I've played around with NOS Mullard GZ 34 and the Philips 5R4GYS from Holland as sold by Upscale Audio. ModWright was able to provide a power supply cover with a neat hole cut out to accommodate the taller Philips tube and that's what I presently have running.

As for tube rolling the 6SN7's, I should do that as I have managed to cobble together a varied selection of NOS tubes for the Wright WPA 3.5 monoblock amps (oval plate black glass Tung Sols, RCA red base 5692, Brimar CV1988 and Sylvania VT-231) and will eventually get around to it. Parts of my system have been "mothballed" as I am selling my home, so I will wait until I get to my final digs before swapping in and out components/tubes/power cords/etc.

Congrats on your new acquisition and I wish you many hours of Happy Listening!

closdesducs March 24, 2014 12:51

I found one gently used that should arrive by Friday. I need a pc for the Modwright power supply... do you like the Wyewires Juice pc?

Also would be interested to hear what you recommend for 6SN7's and the rectifier tube.

pdreher March 23, 2014 15:08

Thanks for the kind offer but I think I've reached the "end of the road" re. digital playback with the ModWright. Best wishes on your quest.

closdesducs March 23, 2014 08:02

Let me know if you want to sell your ModWright XA-5400ES w/Ultimate Truth mods.

pdreher March 19, 2014 12:47

System edited: The Klipsch Heresy III's were sold to a fellow audiophile. And on the cheerier side, the Snell Type J II's were repaired by OC Speaker Repair. Can't wait to try them out!

closdesducs July 05, 2013 11:18

System edited: Always wanted to own a pair of Snell Type J speakers and was finally able to locate a very clean pair on eBay. I think these speakers will be a workhorse this summer as I will be changing residences and the Altec Valencia's will be in summer "hibernation".

closdesducs June 17, 2013 12:35

System edited: In anticipation of a change in home, sold the Vandersteen 3A's and 2W subwoofer to a friend. Sold the Snell Type A II speakers to another audiophile friend who sold me the Wright WPA 3.5 SET's earlier in the year and who has been "jones-ing" for a pair of Type A's. Also acquired a pair of extraordinarily clean Snell Type J II speakers on eBay. Despite being well packed, the foam surrounds were falling apart by the time they arrived in SoCal. So they are presently at Orange County Speaker Repair for a much-needed re-foaming.

closdesducs June 17, 2013 12:27

System edited: Acquired a very clean pair of 6-foot Wywires Juice II Silver power cords for the ModWright XA5400es SACD/CD player and its separate power supply. They replace a pair of Shunyata Venom 3 PCs. I've been tube rolling RCA red base 5692's and Tung Sol 5Y3 tubes into the Wright WPA 3.5 monoblocks (with a pair of NOS Bendix 6106 in the acquisition phase) so I'll let this setup run for awhile before evaluating the impacts of the Wywires PCs.

closdesducs April 16, 2013 01:40

System edited: Couple of acquisitions as of late. A pair of Wright Sound WPA 3.5 2A3 monoblocks to learn about what SET amps can do when paired with a very efficient pair of Altec 846A Valencia's. It was a local sale which was nice as the seller was able to let me audition the amps in my system for a day. The second piece of the puzzle is a very clean Lenco L75 mounted in a heavy Mirko plinth and a yet to be installed Mirko replacement bearing assembly.

closdesducs March 12, 2013 10:49

System edited: Christmas comes early! The ModWright XA-5400es made its appearance underneath the Christmas tree yesterday. Had a thoroughly enjoyable setup and first istening session late into the night, but will wait the unit is run in over the next couple of weeks before any serious assessment. I'm using the ModWright-provided stock power cords, Electro-Harmonix 6SN7 and 5AR4 tubes to obtain a baseline, and have a pair of recently-acquired Sophia Electric 6SN7, Mullard 5AR4, and Create/Synergy 5AR4's to eventually tube roll through the player and power supply. I've been reading up on potential power cables upgrades and I'd appreciate any feedback from other ModWright users regarding their experiences with Voodoo Cable, WyWires and Kubala Sosna. Happy Holiday Listening everyone!

closdesducs December 21, 2012 11:09

Thank you for your kind comments! I acquired the Quad's just before Thanksgiving, so I've been running them and becoming familiar with their sound. They'll be sent out after the holidays to have EHT and Zener clamp boards installed, so I'll rotate back to the Valencia's at that time. I tend to rotate speakers every quarter, but perhaps it's time to set up a separate system in my upstairs loft to be able to choose between the two sets of speakers without having to move heavy stuff around.

I really liked the look of your Audio Note system and have enjoyed their showrooms at both the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest and THE Show. Perhaps one day, it would be fun to travel down that audio path.

Happy Listening!

closdesducs November 28, 2012 12:34

Hi Clos, dig your setup! How much do you listen to your altecs now that you have the quads? Funny, I obtained a pair of Valencia cousins (flamenco 16ohm) last year from the original owners' son, too. Truly wonderful and quite different from my audio note ANE. Like you, I've wanted a pair of 57 and have my eyes peeled for a local pair. Hope to compare at home someday.

Enjoy!
Doug

douglikesaudio November 27, 2012 10:15

System edited: Acquired a QUAD ESL 57 from a fellow A-goner. Love a local sale; no shipping drama. The pair was refurbished ~7 years ago and in very good condition. The seller included a pair of EHT and clamp boards from Electrostatic Solutions which was very nice of him. I'll have to have them installed. I am running the QUADs with Purist Audio Musaeus speaker cables and the Audio Research VT 100 mkiii & ARC SP-10 combo. Great detail and soundstage. A wonderful near field listening experience. Still playing around with speaker positioning. The Final Solution is almost in sight...?

closdesducs November 26, 2012 10:39