I'm now solidly middle aged and have been an enthusiast since my first system when I was 14; Kef C-80's, Carver 900 Receiver and Carver CD player with Sonic Hologram technology.
Years ago (about 10, pre-kids) I had a killer top tier system. Talon Firebirds, Tenor Audio 150hp amps, Vac Ren Sig mk II with phono, MF Trivista CD, Teres Table with Graham arm, Ricks Rack Rack. I listened almost every day and it made my soul happy and content. Then I had kids, moved, and my practice got crazy busy and I lost my free time and sold my entire system except for my table/arm combo.
It's been way too long now and I am finally building a whole new system. I have been speaking with Guido and several other great guy/audio resources to help me re-start my search. I started doing a lot of listening.
I purchased the Veritas amps and 2 pre-amps to compare; a Levinson 326s (with phono stage) and a Rowland Capri S2 with PL1 external power supply. The amps and pre-amps are sitting on my floor and on amp stands. Lonely. Not connected. Sigh.
I auditioned a number of speakers (TAD Evo 1/Ref 1, Kef 207/2, Revel Salon 2, Vienna The Muzik, Sonus Faber Ellipsa SE) and decided on The Muzik's. Guido was rather happy with that choice. Happy to add thoughts on the other speakers if anyone asks. The Muzik's are arriving Friday. Yay!!!
FYI - Stay away from European sellers. I got snubbed and lost a boatload of money on an attempted purchase of Faber Amati Futura's. Buy from Europe only through PayPal. NO wires!!! He had good feedback and solid references.
I also just purchased an Adona SR4 (4 shelf) rack with oversized top shelf for my turntable, a Teres Audio with Graham 2.2 arm and Denon MC cartridge. Currently using an Electrocompaniet ECP1 phono stage. Rack will be here in 2 weeks. Yay again!! Great people at Adona by-the-way.
Source is a PS Audio Perfectwave 2 DAC being fed by a Core Audio modified Mac Mini running iTunes and Amarra via a Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB cable.
Cables are Shunyata Z-tron Anaconda XLR from DAC to pre and pre to amps, Audience AU-24SE bi-wire 1.5m speaker cables and a Shunyata Z-tron Alpha digital power cord for the DAC and the high level stock PC's that came with the Veritas amps.
Still need a better PC for the pre-amp, and deciding on power conditioning. Currently running an old PS Audio Duet with the pre, DAC, phono and table power. It's actually a great conditioner performer for what it is.
And with ALL of that, I haven't heard it all together! Sigh. But in 2 weeks, music will flow.... Then I can start rejoicing and commenting on the gear and what, if anything, needs to be changed. But I needed to start somewhere and I think I'm starting off pretty darn nicely. :)
External power supply. Running Amarra software with iTunes. Using Atomic Mac Mini isolation platform.
Aurender N10
Borrowed until I decide what will stay permanently.
Davinci Light Harmonic 2
This DAC does everything better then any other DAC I have ever heard, at any price.
Empirical Audio Over Drive SX
Hand made Hynes Regs CUTF Coupling Caps
Burmester Audio 077 with internal power supply
With built in DAC. Simply stunning performance and a heavenly match with the 911
Burmester Audio 911 mk3 monoblocks
Factory wired monoblocks with 770 watts into 4 ohms.
Dynaudio Consequence Ultimate
This is Dynaudio's true Flagship speaker. It is quite special and I have heard very little that offers its full dynamic range, tonal accuracy, palacial soundstage, subtlety and refinement. And nothing else at this size. It fills my smallish room, but doesn't overload it.
Just Wow!
Shunyata Z-Tron Anaconda XLR Interconnects
Connects DAC to pre-amp and pre-amp.
Shunyata ZiTron Anaconda S XLR Interconnects
8.5m XLR stereo run from pre-amp to monoblock amps
Analysis Plus Inc. Big Silver Oval
5' run.
These are amazing value and mesh seamlessly with my system.
Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB
USB - the best there is
Shunyata Z-Tron Cobra Power Cord
1 running to each monoblock
Shunyata Z-Tron Alpha Power Cord
DAC and SACD power cord.
Audio Magic Oracle Power Conditioner
Fully loaded with Audio Magic magic!
Shunyata Hydra AV
Power conditioner
Stillpoint Ultra 5
4 for each speaker
Adona SR4
Audio rack.
Adona Nemisis ALGC
Audio rack
Square D 125 amp 20 breaker sub-panel
70 amp GE double breaker from the main GE commercial panel running through a 4/3 Romex to this 20 breaker sub-panel. Five dedicated 20 amp circuits all running off the same Line in the sub-panel to keep phase constant.
Environmental Potentials EP-2750 & EP-2050
EP-2750 on each dedicated circuit - ground filter
EP-2050 on first 2 breakers of dedicated panel - surge protection and waveform correction.
Furutech GTX Rhodium Outlets
Doesn't get much better then these.
Edison Home Model A Cylinder Phonograph : 1902
One of the earliest model phonograph with horn output and 2 minute hand crank play time.
Victor Victrola VV-IX-A Talking Phono: 1918
Hand crank Talking Phonograph Machine with analog box horn
RCA Radiola III : 1923
One of the first personal radios available. Used two WD11 tubes: one for reception, one for amplification for the headphones. Battery powered.
Philco - Ford R-90 Cathedral AM/FM Radio : 1986
Transistor replica of an early 30's tube radio manufactured for True Value hardware as a gift in the late '80's.
GE Model P977E AM/FM Radio : 1967-1973
This was the same model as my first, ever, handheld radio. Battery or AC powered.
11-11-14: Mattnshilp It's a basement room. Not concerned about isolation.
the clips can be used on ceilings as well to prevent vertical transmission. My room is also in the basement, and that was key for peace in my homestead....
What do you mean by "acoustic insulation"? I had spray foam shot into the joints and nooks and crannies and it can work well. Also, if noise isolation is a priority, you can also consider floating the green glued drywall on these clip systems: http://www.cascadeaudio.com/commercial_residential/sound_isolation_clips.htm
Cascase is a good company and engineer owned and run.
They also have solutions for the door: http://www.cascadeaudio.com/commercial_residential/soundproof_door.htm
Matt, that is exciting news. Your ceiling height is a good thing. A stepwise approach is indeed the way to go. I have heard one too many "dedicated," engineered rooms sound like mausoleums.
Simple things can have a lot of impact like a wool rug, choice of furniture, and speaker positioning. Proper speaker placement has incredible impact, is a two or three man job, and is often bungled. Even cheap, best buy grade speakers can sound good dialed into a room.
There are some tweaky, fringe products that can have impact such as the resonator bowls....enjoy.
Based on my previous experiences with VA speakers, they are titled towards the musical side of the equation (a good thing) and thus SS gear can work. A brighter more detailed speaker might be problematic.
Congrats on your new journey. For me, I have found that ancillary technologies (electrical grounding, power conditioning, mechanical grounding) and the room has trumped what lies upstream. As older philes told me when I started in earnest in this silly hobby, the room is 80+% of the equation. I now finally have a dedicated room which destroyed my previous big rig even with bestbuy level equipment....
That is what I assumed. I am in medicine as well and its becoming a harsh mistress. That being said, I have a L7 lampi on order and am looking at picking up a Triangle table.
Congrats on channeling your OCDness and stirring the digital pot on that thread of yours. Should be fun....
