Rockitman's System

by rockitman on All Out Assault

Description

My "All Out Assault" on two channel reproduction started back in 2009 with the acquisition of Wilson Audio W/P 8's. Prior to getting those speakers my system remained pretty much static from 1994-2009. It was a Mark Levinson system consisting of No.27.5, No.36, No.380s. Speakers were Aerial Acoustic 10t's. It was a digital only system. After the W/P's came the PS Audio Perfect Wav DAC/Trans. This was my first time being exposed to hi-rez playback. It only took a few hi-rez needle drops for me determine that analog was the way to go for best sounding audio. 

System tour on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=LL8mwfiB_0vQtdPPbBJv0EMQ&v=pd1JYxBZS3s




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Components Toggle details

    • American Sound AS-2000 Turntable
    Belt driven (Pabst Capstan) super high mass turtable. It is the absolute state of the art in vinyl spinners. Using NOS SME 3012R’s as primary arms. Knife edge bearing from the early1970’s. Original NOS cables for the arms too. Total weight...approximately 500lbs. Air platter, no bearing.
    • TechDAS Air Force One
    Ripple free air bearing, air suspension and vacuum hold down. Running 12" Graham Supreme rear slot and Phantom Elite (Not here yet) with Nordost Odin wiring and tone arm cable. (DIN->RCA)
    • Clearaudio Master Innovation
    Belt-driven magnetic drive. Ceramic Magnetic bearing.
    • Technics RS 1500
    Nortronics Pro 1/2 tack, head wired out to external tape preamp (King/Cello NAB/IEC, 15 ips). All inferior Technics electronics are bypassed.
    • Otari MTR-10 RTR Tape Deck
    2 Channel, 1/4" tape, head wired out for use with King/Cello tape preamp.
    • King/Cello Tape Pre IEC/NAB
    adjustible Hi Freq. EQ
    • Studer A810
    2 units...one fully stock, the other with a JRF Magnetics repro head upgrade.
    • Otari MX 5050 Bll-2
    1/4" two track RTR player/recorder
    • Lamm Industries LP-1 Signature Phono
    The LP1 Signature is a vacuum tube preamplifier that employs a high current pure class A operation from input to output.  No loop feedback is employed.  Other features include:
    • Audibly neutral power supplies (one for each channel) featuring full-wave vacuum rectifiers, choke contained filters, vacuum tube high-voltage regulators, and solid-state low-voltage analogue non-switching regulators used as the heater supplies
    • Three separate inputs for MM and MC (two inputs) cartridges
    • All amplification stages utilize high transconductance super low noise high-current vacuum triodes
    • Very accurate RIAA EQ network

    Each preamplifier is carefully handcrafted of the finest materials and hand selected top quality parts like military-grade DALE metal-film resistors, RCD wire-wound resistors, BOURNS multi-turn potentiometers; ELECTROCUBE, CORNELL DUBILIER and ROEDERSTEIN film capacitors; high frequency switching grade CORNELL DUBILIER electrolytic capacitors; HAMMOND chokes; gold-plated NEUTRIC connectors; and military-grade low-noise long-life vacuum tubes.

    A custom-designed massive damping panel installed in the preamplifier unit significantly reduces all types of mechanical vibrations which, in turn, leads to a more extended, coherent and natural bass reproduction.
    The LP1 Signature features a custom-designed super-low noise power transformer.

    • Allnic H-5000 DHT Phono
    LCR. Adjustable EQ, direct heated triode phono stage. 1950-1960 RCA Miltary spec 5U4G tubes used for rectification. Voltage regulation via Takatsuki 300B tubes.
    • Allnic HA-3000 Head Amp
    Nuvistor tube based moving coil head amp.
    • SME 3012R Phono pick up arm
    1970’s NOS with knife edge bearing...not the shit gimbal bearing design that came out later.
    • Graham Engineering Phantom Elite 10 inch
    Grahams new reference arm with improved bearing, wiring, bearing house, arm tube
    • Graham Engineering Phantom II Supreme
    Fluid damped, uni-pivot design. 10 & 12 inch arm wand x 2.
    • Clearaudio Universal Tone Arm with VTA Lifter
    • Nordost Odin Supreme Reference Cabling
    2-1.25 meter DIN to RCA phono cables. 1-1.5 meter XLR for phono stage to main pre. 1-5 meter XLR for main pre to amps. 1.5 meter RCA, 4-2.5 meter Power Cords. 4 meter speaker cable.
    • Nordost Valhalla Reference DIN phono
    Used with Graham arm.
    • Koetsu Coralstone Platinum
    understated beauty of the petrified coral bodes…so rare is the material that cartridges in this guise will only be available in the US, priced at $15000 with production unlikely to exceed a couple of dozen…stunning naturalness and presence…a sense of substance and stability to the image…big and rich and vibrant…There's a rightness, an immediately convincing quality to its presentation that draws you into the music. Specifications: Body: Coral Stone Type: Moving Coil Coil Wiring: Silverplated Copper Magnet: Platinum Magnet Cantilever: Boron Cantilever Output Volts: 0.3mV Frequency Range: 20Hz to 100kHz Channel Seperation: 25db/1kHz Inner Impedance: 5 Ohm Channel Balance: 0.5db/1kHz Recommended Impednace: 30 Ohm Weight: 12g Compliance: 5 x 10-6 cm/dyne at 100 hz
    • Koetsu Tiger Eye Platinum
    Koetsu Tigereye Technical Data •Body: Tigereye •Type: moving coil •Coil wiring: silver-plated copper •Magnet: platinum •Cantilever: boron •Output: .3mV •Frequency range: 20Hz-100kHz •Channel separation: 25dB/1kHz •Inner impedance: 5 ohms •Channel balance: .5dB/1kHz •Recommended impedance: 30 ohms •Weight: 12.5 •Compliance: 5x10-6cm/dyne at 100Hz
    • Dynavector DRT XV-1t
    Urushi bamboo body. Dynavectors statement cartridge.
    • Ortofon MC A90
    Two units...One still Sealed for the future.
    • Shelter Harmony
    Shelter Phono Cartridge
    Output Voltage: 0.5 mV at 1Khz 5 cm/sec.
    Weight: 8.5 grams
    Channel Balance: within 0.8 dB at 1Khz
    Tracking Force: 1.4 to 2.2 grams
    Stylus Tip: 1.6 X 0.3 mil Line Contact Nude Diamond
    DC Resistance: 15 Ohm
    Recommended Load Impedance:
    Step Up Transformer - 10 to 30 Ohms
    Head Amplifier - within 100 Ohms
    High Gain EQ-amp - within 47K Ohms
    Compliance - 9 ìm/mN
    • Benz Micro Gullwing SLR
    MOMC
    • Lyra Olympos - Mono Phono Cartridge

    One of 4 mono versions ever made. SL single coil design. Output: .15mV

    Truly the Holy Grail for mono record playback.

    • Ikeda 9TT - Mono
    LOMC
    • PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC

    Stereophile Recommended Component 2015

    Class A+ Stereophile rated DirectStream DAC converts any digital input format, such as PCM or DSD to a pure DSD stream and outputs near-perfect analog directly to your power amplifier or preamplifier. Whatever the format, whatever the sample rate, DirectStream is a pure DSD based solution that fulfills the promise of a high-resolution analog performance standard the originators of CDs promised over 30 years ago. Hear what’s been missing in your music for all these years. If you know the sound of music and instruments, and want to hear what’s been missing on your discs, then this DAC is right for you.

    • PS Audio PerfectWave PWT
    Buffered Memory player. 24/192 capable
    • Pass Labs XS Preamp - Dual Chassis
    It is a large two chassis preamp built in a true dual mono arrangement. The circuit board materials are optimized for performance in each area, a power supply circuit board has different requirements
    • Pass Labs XS-150 Dual Chassis Monoblocks
    Class A solid state dual chassis mono-blocks Xs These are Pass Laboratories ultimate expression of Power Amplifiers the perfect blend of science and visceral emotion. The successor to our already lavishly praised and well regarded Supersymmetry patent. Every technical effort has been made to assure exceptional specifications, among these: Separate chassis for lower electromagnetic noise Power supplies with greatly enhanced storage capacitance Banks of redundantly parallel high speed / soft recovery rectifiers Improved high frequency noise filters Larger / quieter transformers Improved passive decoupling Lower power standby Input impedances of 200 k-ohm balanced with negligible capacitance These amplifiers will drive any load, while being driven from any source. If there’s a more emotionally satisfying amplifier anywhere, we’re not aware of it. Xs 150 / Specifications Gain (db)26 Power Output /ch (8 ohm)150 Power Output /ch (4 ohm)300 Maximum Output (Amps)30 Input Impedance,(Kohms)200k Balanced, 100k single-ended Power Consumption (W)500 Number of Chassis2 Dimensions (W x H x D)19 x 11.5 x 21.5 (each) Unit Weight (LBS)130 + 100
    • Wilson Audio Alexandria X2.2
    almandine black metallic with Black Grills
    • Table Stable TS-140
    Active Isolation table
    • Millennia Media NSEQ-4
    Profesional Level Parametric Utilized via tape loop on main pre when needed. EQ World’s first all-discrete, true differential Class-A input buffer/amplifier Selectable balanced or unbalanced input Greatly improved 3rd generation FSA-03 all-discrete EQ amplifier Improved output stage, no muting required (as with Twin Topology) True hard-wire bypass when EQ not selected Upgraded power supply leading to improved sonic performance
    • PS Audio P5 Power Plant
    Clean AC power Regenerator for source components only. Amps plugged directly into wall.
    • Stillpoints Ultra 5
    Used under Pass XS 150 amps, Wilson X-2.2 speakers and Clearaudio Master Innovation turntable.
    • Stillpoints LP1
    Used on top of all music chain components and as record weights for both turntables.
    • Stillpoints Ultra SS
    Isolation/Vibration control component footers
    • KL Audio Ultrasonic Record Cleaner
    The best ultrasonic record cleaner. Uses only distilled water.
    • Entreq Silver Tellus
    Signal grounding box. I use two...one dedicated to main preamp and the other dedicated to the phono preamp.
    • Entreq Atlantis Grounding Cables
    Two pairs for main preamp, one pair for phono stage
    • Clearaudio ACCUDRIVE
    Battery power supply for Clearaudio Master Innovation turntable.
    • Western Electric 422A Rectifiers
    Purchased NOS (1960 MFG Date)Used for rectification in the Allnic H5000 DHT phono preamp
    • Takatsuki 300B Tubes
    Hi-End 300B tube made in Japan. Used for voltage regulation in the Allnic H5000 DHT Phono preamp. These make a big difference on the performance of the tubes in the gain stage.
    • Torus Power RM-15 Plus Isolation Transformer
    2 units....one for each power amp channel.

Comments 277

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I owned the Valhalla as well. I was the second in Holland who bought it. I sols a lot of Valhalla as well. But syngery is the biggest bullshit I ever heard. I had the chance to test hundreds of hours with manu cables. Nordost as well. I see you have Pass labs poweramps. I owned the XA100.5, XA60.6 and 30.5. Now for the time being I use the X250.5. Pass labs has a very wide en deep stage. Valhalla is fast and gives a lot of air around instruments and voices. But wenn you use a lot of Nordost ( I played many times with 100% Valhalla, I hate it) you always get the same problems. You loose depth, individual focus is not that sharp as it should be. And the lack of emotion in the mid's. Wenn I changed the Valhalla interconnect by pur silver Acapella, Kimber of Audioquest I always became a wider and much deeper stage. Individual focus became a lot better. Instuments and voices are very small in dimension and foccused wenn they are not amplyfied. A violin becomes a lot more convincing in sound realism wenn I used the Acapella, Kimber or Audioquest interconnect. These days I use Purist Audio power cables. Compared to Valhalla the stage is so much more 3d and a lot deeper. And voices are much more open en more 3d. At a Odin demo of Nordost I heard the same problems. I told to them it is still the same problems in sound. They always became irritated wenn I told them about the flaws. It didn't matter in all systems I had the same results. I always say: it is as it is. Nordost is good, but only use it for a part. Or you will loose some important parts which should be there in a highend system.

bo1972

Owner
It is a very good phono stage for that price point. I do recommend the ACCU+ battery power supply option. It makes a big difference in reducing noise. I still have mine, but it's boxed up. My Pass XP-25 is a superior & much more flexible phono stage as it should be for 3 times the cost of th Balance+ with Accu battery power unit.

rockitman

Hello,
Wonderful system you have! I saw that you owned a Clearaudio Balance + at some time, why did you get rid of it? Would you recommend it? Thank you.

tswisla

Owner
System edited: Added links to pics large size at top of system description

rockitman

"Hard to imagine they could improve the XP-30, XP-25, but you never know." That's what I thought about my XA160.5, but after reading your and other's initial testimonials of the XS, I'm convinced as long as NP and Wayne are designing products, they will find a way to continue to improve their designs. Incredible, really.

peterayer

Owner
Hard to imagine they could improve the XP-30,XP-25, but you never know. If I had one word to summarize these amps...Expolsive would be it.

rockitman

I know exactly what you mean. "You don't know what you are missing until you hear it", my friend said after hearing the XP-30 in my system.

Unfortunately, I can only afford my XP-20 right now. I'll have to wait for a used XP-30 (maybe yours) once Pass develops ax XS-P preamp perhaps sometime in the future. They say that anything can drive the new XS platform. Even a Pass Passive? They could compliment there new line of speakers with a super $30K preamp and phono stage.

peterayer

Owner
Hi Peter,

I think it's more than just moving up in power. My speakers are 95 db sensitivity. The XA 100 bias meters barely moved. I will post more impressions and pics over the weekend. I could easily lived happily ever after with the xa's until I heard the xs's.

rockitman

We want pictures. Congratulations for getting them hooked up. And as I understand it, those initial impressions are based on listening to digital. Wow, imagine what your LPs will sound like.

Some of what you describe I heard when I moved up from the XA100.5 to the XA160.5, but my speakers needed the extra power. I wonder if some of what you will hear is just from the extra headroom that these have over your old 100.5s.

Look forward to more listening impressions as time goes on.

peterayer

Owner
The XS-150's are finally in place. So far, the sound has been glorious. They are big and heavy and give off quite a bit of heat. The soundstage depth, scale, imaging, transient attack and note decay are excellent. They are very musical and natural sounding. You would think you are listening to a class A tube rig but with the power and bass grip only SS can deliver. Are they worth 4 times the price of the XA100.5's ? For me, yes!!! TheXA series of amps don't reach the level of refinement that the XS series do. I'm sure I will have more impressions when I get more listening time.

rockitman

Owner
I haven't listened to my system for two weeks. The cast on my right hand makes vinyl playback tricky. I think I will get them in by weds.

rockitman

Well Albert, It's not like Rockitman can't listen to music. He still has the XA100.5 in the system unless he already traded them in. Then it would be a REAL shame.

peterayer

XS-150's look great still boxed up in my garage. They have been there a week as I am still recovering. Hopefully one of my friends will help me get them installed early this week.

I wish you speedy recovery, I hate to have something so nice waiting on me and I can't tend to it. All of us that love music have had this happen to us.

I'm eager to hear about the Wilson speakers with Coralstone, I think it will be a marriage made in heaven. If I lived near you I would help, maybe even do images for you :-).

albertporter

Come on friends, help out your buddy Rockitman. He wants to listen to his new toys, and I want to see his photos and read his review.

peterayer

Owner
XS-150's look great still boxed up in my garage. They have been there a week as I am still recovering. Hopefully one of my friends will help me get them installed early this week. I feel like a kid seeing my big wrapped x-mas gift unable to open it until Christmas. I hope that day arrives soon.

rockitman

Oh no! Hope I didn't jinx you! Rest up and feel better soon!

theaudioassociation

Owner
Thanks guys. I hurt myself over the weekend and am confined to crutches. It will be a few days before I can install them. Hopefully I can find some help for lifting

rockitman

Congratulations. Uncrate from the garage or street and move each of the four separately into the house. We are all extremely envious. I'm looking very forward to reading your impressions and seeing some photos.

If and when the Xs super preamp is developed, I want the right of first refusal on your XP-30. Just joking, but your system must be amazing.

peterayer

Start pumping iron Christian! Hate to hear that you hurt yourself with those big massive beauties!

theaudioassociation

Owner
Monday 8/13 is the big day. 680 lbs palletted shipping weight !!!

rockitman

Christian... your system will be rockin' very soon! Congrats on the amps!

theaudioassociation

Owner
Pass XS-150's ordered today. Should have them w/in a week and a half. Very excited !

rockitman

Owner
Thanks Peter. I am getting rid of my XA 100.5's and replacing them with the dual chassis XS150's. I should have them next week....:-)
Wilson and Pass are a great marriage. Probably better than mine...lol

rockitman

Rockitman, Yours must be a tremendous system. Last weekend I took my XA160.5 to a friend's house. He has the XP-30 and Sashas. The Pass/Pass combo really sounded nice on his Wilsons. With your Alexandrias and XP-25, the system must be incredible. Well done and please keep us updated.

peterayer

Owner
System edited: System component description/pics updated.

rockitman

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