You're looking at a different kind of "All Out Assault", this one based on utilizing a fuller expression of current excellent technology, as opposed to a limited expression of such. Some go for a cost-no-object expression of one technology. I have chosen to pursue a superb expression of different technologies. I have derived far more pleasure doing so than seeking one rig to satisfy my longings to hear beautiful systems.
Photos represent some of the speakers, components and cables I have reviewed over the years. I have spent time predominantly with four technologies in speakers; Full range hybrid dyanamic, Full range ESL, and Omnidirectional hybrid. I have branched out to horn hybrid as well.
I have moved to file and streaming playback exclusively utilizing Tidal and ROON. However, I maintain CD as backup source. I find a shocking disparity in performance of digital based systems.
This is a dedicated room, built by myself and tuned for two channel, but wired for 7.1 surround. I listen to 2 ch. audio approx. 95-98% of time. The surround and video compliment is not noteworthy, as a result. I upgrade them only every several years.
Source, amplification and speakers have all been reviewed and are highly recommended. The sound quality of the system is moving steadily toward SOTA.
Continuing development of Scott Kindt's DLT (Disproportionately Large Tweeter; my term) designs. The Grand Aspen is the new flagship, extension of the Capella (previously called the Lagrange L5 MkII, seen below).
The Grand Aspen is a six-way speaker with built in active, oppositional, slot loaded subwoofer. I will be giving this speaker an owner's review to appear at Dagogo.com
Legacy Audio Whisper DSW Clarity Edition
Bill Dudleston realized my concept of a fully configurable speaker able to be employed as both passive and active. The result is what I call a "crossover speaker," which can be configured; 1. Fully passive, with as little as one stereo amp and three sets of speaker cables; 2. Hybrid active/passive, using the Legacy processor for the bass and the Mid/Treble passive, and 3: Fully active, using six channels of outboard amplification.
The speaker has been retrofitted for a review of upgrade internal cabling and capacitors. The result is the Whisper DSW, which Bill Dudleston of Legacy measured a 2 dB improvement on the Bass!
PureAudioProject Trio15 PAP Horn 1
Wonderful two-way hybrid horn reviewed for Dagogo.com. I enjoy the flexibility of the speaker in the crossover and "internal" wiring. My special utilization of the speaker is in Landscape mode, the realization of a dream for an alternative sound which I have pursued for about five years. The Horn 1 in Landscape impressed the entire audio group of which I am a member; they all placed it among the very best systems I have made. It truly is a stunning application of an affordable speaker with high end sensibility.
Alternative application of using Sound Anchor custom stands to hold speakers sideways. This results in a far wider soundstage superlative for live music recordings. Note that the orientation of the horn of the Horn 1 speaker is normally horizontal, so the Landscape mode/application results in the speaker's horn turned vertical, similar to large horn speakers such as the Volti Audio Alura.
PureAudioProject Quintet15 Horn1
Largest of PureAudioProject (PAP) offerings, this one outfitted with the horn driver. Features upgradable crossover components (cap, resistor) and "internal" wiring.
This speaker is especially beautiful sounding with the Legacy Audio i.V4 Ultra Amplifier. Both products reviewed for Dagogo.com
King Sound King III
The King III is a full range ESL with a performance which takes back seat to no magnetic planar speakers. With subwoofers they are a formidable ESL experience.
Aspen Acoustics Capella Speaker
Craft speaker made by a Colorado physics teacher. This is the pre-production model. Uses what I term the unique DLT (Disproportionately Large Tweeter) configuration. It has the punch of a dynamic speaker with the generosity of a panel speaker.
A more formidable model, the Grand Aspen, is under construction and will be replacing the pair of Capella speakers in my possession. The Grand Aspen features an enhanced DLT array, as seen on the Aspen Acoustics website.
See review of smaller model, L5 MkII at Dagogo.com
Kings Audio Kingsound King Tower
Omnidirectional hybrid dynamic/ribbon speaker system not available in N. America. and perhaps entirely disconintued by Kings Audio. Added to my collection as an expression of Omnidirectional speaker technology.
Perlisten D212s Subwoofers
Pair of Perlisten Audio D212s Subwoofers as reviewed by myself for Dagogo.com
I enjoyed the Legacy Audio XTREME XD Subs for ten years. Perlisten incorporates room correction in the subs, allowing me to maximize different genres of speakers used in reviewing. These are impressive devices.
Exogal Comet DAC and Ion PowerDAC
This is an unusual combination of a DAC (Comet) with an additional complementary extended DAC with integrated true digital amp (Ion). Together, they include everything needed in the front end of a system except for the source. The Comet can stand alone, but the Ion is dependent upon the Comet, it cannot be used separately.
This combination is thrilling in its performance to cost ratio. One of the most outstanding products I have reviewed in ten years! The digital amplification is especially notable for its ability at 100wpc to drive more difficult speakers to listening levels of about 88-90dB.
Eastern Electric Minimax DSD DAC Supreme
Latest EE DAC featuring DSD and continues to offer opportunity to roll in discrete opamps. Allows contouring system to any selection of components.
Discrete Opamps Staccato, Burson, Sonic Imagery, Sparkos Lab
Discrete opamps rolled into Eastern Electric Minimax DACs and Kinki Studio EX-M1+ Integrated Amplifier
Iconoclast Cables and BAV Power Cords Iconoclast/Belden
Current reference cable line. See review at Dagogo.com
Owned/Reviewed Spkr Cables Various
Have owned: Audioquest, Harmonic Technology, XLO, etc; Reviewed cables for Dagogo.com include: Iconoclast, TEO Audio, Clarity Cable, Silnote Audio, Snake River Audio, Wire World. etc.
Outlaw 950 Surround Processor
Has nice variety of surround settings, 2 component in, plenty of other inputs... Only thing I wished it did was to convert s video to component.
Rotel RB-976
A lovely little workhorse amp! Configurable from 3-6 channels; a wonderful flexibility for surround applications.
Magnepan MGM W
Very affordable planars for surround. They only play down to about 100khz, but acceptable for surround. Awesome feature - they can be mounted upside down (will sound the same) to accomodate wiring near top of room.
Legacy Audio Silver Screen
Black piano finish; complementary driver set to Focus HD; dual 7" bass, 4" planar mid, 1" tweet
Tice Audio Solo/Solo High Current
I'm using two Solos, and one is High Current for power amps. Gotta have someting like this to open up the system's sound...but price might be a bit steep for some people. I will accept an offer of $1,000,000.00 though.
Furutech GTX-D (G)
Audiophile grade outlet featuring copper internals and gold plated sockets for power cord pins
Plateau AV 42
Wonderfully solid, black for AV use. Affordable. Nice to have on casters when you have to move it.
Panasonic PTL-500U
Upgrade from PTL-330U; this unit has high def capabilities.
Auralex Propannel 2x4'
Room tuning sound absorbing pannels. Made a shockingly huge difference in my two channel listening! Some of best audio $ I ever spent!
-in_shore, I had the privilege of working with the Splash, the Reference and now the KRONON. The Splash are not used as much anymore because the KRONON is far superior. When I use the Splash I tend to like the Silver a bit more because it has better detail retrieval. Usually when it comes to cables if two are similar and one has better detail retrieval I usually select it to build the system. There are other ways, including power cords, to massage the tonality, but it's awfully tough to recapture precision if it is lost in the signal path.
As to the TEO Liquid Pre, I found it to be the cleanest among both the active and passive preamps I have used. I purchased it following the review because I know I can build a great rig with any amp as long as the Liquid Pre is in use. The combination of it being a passive pre and the liquid cabling inside is superb. I have a NOS DAC that I'm reviewing currently and I'm curious how the result of it with the Liquid Pre will compare to DACs with volume control. I would not be surprised if holistically the Liquid Pre/NOS DAC and Amp combo is superior.
There are so many directions to go in system construction, but the Liquid Pre is a purist device, and it has performed very satisfactorily with a wide variety of amps.
Hi Doug , I was just curious if you use Teo Audio Splash interconnects silver or copper and how you like them also any comments on Teos preamplifier ,.?
radiohead99, The Benchmark AHB2 is a better match with the Horn 1 for people who want a studio sound, a closer to the audience feel. It is also more potent in macrodynamics. The J2 is better for persons wishing a more relaxed, less macrodynamic impactful experience, i.e. the bass will not be sledge hammer-like, but somewhat more rounded and less pistonic. The tonality of the two is actually similar. Either can yield a very pleasing system sound.
Shadorne, thank you! You are perhaps the most vocal fan of Benchmark Audio on this website. You know good specs when you see 'em! :) With some gear that can mean a sterile sound, but Benchmark does a nice job avoiding it.
The Benchmark Audio components are superbly designed and a great value. If you are using Roon I suggest you consider exploration of the Headroom feature for enhanced tuning of the system.
Update on the PureAudioProject Trio15 Horn 1 Speaker; this hybrid continues to really please me. I have by now gotten about 12 or more discrete systems built with this speaker, and the elevation potential for performance is as steep as any speaker I have used.
I also am back to discrete Opamp rolling with the Eastern Electric Minimax DSD DAC Supreme, and it's extraordinary virtue in swapping opamps continues to impress. I have Burson 5th generation opamps and combined them with some Sparkos Labs - a lovely combo, blending with such finesse with the Horn 1. This is a reminder to all those who have rolled discrete opamps to never conclude that you are "once and done," i.e. that even if you changed the system the old configuration is fine. Revisit the collection of optional opamps (see my articles at Dagogo.com on opamp rolling) and you will be surprised at how the best combinations vary with equipment changes. Speakers have such profound differences in characteristics that it is understandable that differing opamps' characteristics will complement or hinder them.
Showing off the recent PureAudioProject Trio15 PAP Horn 1 Speaker in Landscape orientation. This has been the epitome of the search for a "broad based" speaker system especially suitable for live recordings.
I have also begun to show some other speakers and components I reviewed over the years.
My coveted Tice Solo conditioner is still informally for sale at $1M. No takers yet. :)
jayant, thank you for the compliment. I appreciate your taking the time to look.
Regarding cables I have owned many brands and reviewed as many or more. You can read about them in individual reviews at Dagogo.com. Some brands that have worked well for me are Clarity Cables, TEO Audio, Silnote Audio and Snake River Audio.
I strongly suggest you begin with a full set of cables from one manufacturer, then begin to rotate in cables of another brand one/one pair at a time. Otherwise you have no basis for judgment of any particular cable/brand.
A while back here I noted that I just finished a stint with a Landscape system. That speaker system was the Magnepan .7 speakers, using the custom Sound Anchor stands I had made and utilized with the Daedalus Ulysses speakers originally. Though the review does not discuss the Landscape orientation, you can read at Dagogo.com about my time with the .7 speakers. Also, you can be sure that this will not be the end of my Landscape speaker orientation exercises. The results are so satisfactory that it begs for further exploration.
cassroy, I can't give you a direct recommendation on those amps, but I recall being pleased with the PureDAC and PureVox Speakers from BMC. Seeing as how the 352 and M2 are both solid state designs, I glanced at the general specifications and imo it would be difficult to say with certainty that one or the other would be strongly preferable apart from an actual comparison.
The Mac has more power and can use three sets of outputs (2,4,8 Ohm) which is a very important option for contouring the sound with different gear and speakers. The M2 is less powerful, 200wpc vs. the Mac at 350. It looks as though the M2 might have some advantages if used with the BMC DAC1, but this would not be realized in a mixed brand setup.
It would be tough to call the outcome of a comparison. My guess is the dynamics and soundstage of the Mac might be better, but the overall cleanness of the BMC might be better. As regards tonality that could fall to either amp. This is an armchair assessment, so please do not take it as holding equal weight as a review.
Just finished a stint with a Landscape system - not the Daedalus Ulysses. I am very pleased with the development of the Landscape orientation in systems. I have been able to vastly improve the experience, and frankly, now it is as important a rig as any I have set up. The variables in setting up the Landscape system have come together remarkably to maximize the potential. I am very gratified to have put in the time and money into this project. It is one of the most robust outcomes I have attained in 30 years of exploring systems.
While I am not disclosing at this time the speakers being used in more recent Landscape systems, these things will be revealed in time.
RJ, do you mean the Aeris speaker? Yes, the upgrade in the processor to the Wavelaunch is well worthwhile. Typically, with a speaker as good as the Aeris any significant upgrade is worthwhile.
The power supply I use with the StreamPlayer Gen III is the HD-Plex 100watt linear power supply. It appears that HD-PLEX now may only sell a 200W and 400W power supply.
I have the Aries and Modified Focus, as well as Sig III. I am also using a Salk Stream Player. I am interested in where I can get the power supply for the Salk that you reviewed. I could not find it. I also am interested in the upgrade for the Aries your thoughts about the (Wavelet vs Wavelaunch)
Having fun exploring a new dimension in sound! Ethernet cable! Mind blowing how even a cable dedicated to transmission of digital data before the digital source is efficacious! Sorry, I cannot divulge the company whose Ethernet cable I am using until the article is written, but it incorporates conductors using silver. Suffice to say to those who have ignored this link, you best get moving on trying an aftermarket Ethernet cable!
Zephyr, I have usually placed subs behind the mains, so in many of my pics the subs are not visible. I will likely put some new pics up soon. I have been experimenting with a much deeper and wider placement of the speakers. I have pushed them back much deeper into the corners of the room and there is no place for the subs behind them.
I am very pleased with the scale presented with the new placement. The Center, Left Center and Right Center all have grown proportionate to the L/R images. Rather than hearing anomalies due to placement near the sides and head wall I am hearing much more of what I like on a much larger scale.
This was no small change, as the speakers are now about 2.5 feet further recessed than prior. I like how the driver sets are more integrated and the bass more palpable with reinforcement from the front corners of the room, where the subs used to be. I found that putting the subs behind the mains blocked much of their output, but I didn't think I had a choice. The new position is ahead of the mains, flanking them and nearly touching the walls. Putting the subs ahead of the mains aids in countering the lag of the larger drivers' more sluggish transients.
Can you post 1 or 2 photos of the new subwoofer positioning, etc....? Have you ever tried them at the rear of the room behind the listening position or off to the side of the room?
