This is my main system. It is moved from the hall into my working room. It is a fairly small room 3x5 metres (around 10x16). Despite the 30cm woofer, the active system control well the woofer and there is no any bass overload in the room. This is a warm, detailed, very dynamic sound. This is not a modern detailed and cold sound, typical of many modern studio gear. It is really rather the sound of the eighties. Warm, inviting, natural and dynamic sound, designed in an are when still analog was the main source of the music and not only amplified music existed. Actually. save the dac, every piece of my gear is made before 1983. Philips once, before acquiring Marantz was a leading manufacturer of quality audio pieces. These well engineered old studio equipments are wonderful, close to live music, while lacking of coloration of so many high-endish product produced by small firms seeking a niche market in the sea of tastes.
I almost exclusively hear at home classical music. Very rarely rock and jazz, when my friends come over. It is not picky: 99% of cds and Lps just sound good on it. This is a system, which could play any type of music, loud or at moderate SLP level: equally good. Save the Tice powerblock I don't have any typical audiophile product to redress the balance of the system(or to colour it, if you like). Simple cheap solid core OFC cables, no powercables, nada. Still it sounds well. There are many good sounding systems are in the world. I like soundlabs, martin logans, big nautilus line of bowers, big thiels. They may provide a more exciting sound, but I think this system also gives a very good dynamic and natural sound, which is not fatiguing at all and good for long term pleasure.
Power conditioner. It works audibly and makes the sound much clearer.
Accuphase T-101
I have replaced Accuphase T-105 with a T.101 modell. Wow, what a difference. T-101 is a completly new world: more dynamism, more live, solid bass foundation, more extended highs and nicer midrange.
Magnum Dynalab Ribbon Antenna
Nice upgrade to my tuner for good reception and it made background noise to disappear.
Teac VRDS-10se
I have added TEAC VRDS10 DE as a transport. The ML 39 is a fine player,only let down by its transport. Earlier I have used Accuphase DP 80. It was a fantastic transport with very analogue like dry sound. The TEAC seems to be give a more dynamic, powerful, more open soundprint.
Apogee Rosetta 200
Oh, what a wonderful DAC. It is way better than the ML39, which served me nicely in the last 3-4 years. It has an inbuilt AD converter which I use for recording radio programs. With inbult firewire card connects to my computer also.
Pioneer PL.707
Direct Drive Turntable. Smooth, warm and dynamic sound. Just a fantastic bargain.
Technics technics 205 MM cartridge
Very nice cartridge. Good combination of openess and warmth.
Philips AH-572
The high-end preamp of Philips from the eighties.
Philips MFB 454
The biggest version of the MFB active studiomonitors with 30cm woofer and three inbuilt amplifier. 20-20.0000 hz range according to its technical specification. Warm, detailed, natural sound. The building base of my system.
System edited: Philips Ah 752 preamplifier replaced the Philips Ah 280 preamplifier. This was the high-end attempt of Philips in the early eighties. Very clean and detailed sound with wonderful phonostage from a time when phonostage was not an added on thing but the main part of any preamplifier.
System edited: I have replaced the Wilson Benesch Full Circle with a Pioneer PL-707 direct drive turntable with MM phono. MC phono preamp also out and introduced the Philips AH 280 preamp, made in the early 80s for the MFB speaker line with MM phono. What a change! Beautiful, warm, lush and at the same time dynamic sound with realistic body. Certainly, it lacks some of the air and transparency of the WB with MC pickup. But much more musical and nicer sound. Given that I only play classical music LPs, for this kind of music a wonderful change.
System edited: I have added VH Audio flavour 4 powercords throughout the system, It seems to be fairly neutral cords, just increased dynamics and more colourfull sound.
System edited: I have added TEAC VRDS10 DE as a transport. The ML 39 is a fine player,only let down by its transport. Earlier I have used Accuphase DP 80. It was a fantastic transport with very analogue like dry sound. The TEAC seems to be give a more dynamic, powerful, more open soundprint. W
System edited: I have replaced Accuphase T-105 with a T.101 modell. Wow, what a difference. T-101 is a completly new world: more dynamism, more live, solid bass foundation, more extended highs and nicer midrange.
System edited: Philips AH 280 preamplifier built for the MFB series speakers in the early eighties. It replaced the Philips 572 laboratory series pre-amplifier. Compared to the 572, it has a more punctual, detailed, but slightly cooler (less upper bass warmth, but more open high) presentation.
Hi, Yeah, mine is doing the same. Also I bought used, without any documentation. I dont have the slightest idea why is it like this, but I can live with it. Maybe it was manufactured before accuphase adopted total quality manufacturing methods?
No problem, about one third literature, one third history (my other hobby), and one third sociology and political sciences. No, I have very strange relationship to jazz. I love to go jazzclubs and love live jazz music. Somehow, coserved jazz music does not fascinate me. I find it uninteresting. Sorry. But the same goes for folkmusic. I live folkmusic, I go very frequently folk concerts - at home... not, very rarely. Maybe because these music still live when there is audience there.
System edited: I have replaced the PsAudioP300 POwerplant-Accuphase DP80 Transport-Madrigal Digital Interconenct-Mark Levinson 39 system with a modified Sony CDP-X303ES cd player. Modification was done by a local DIY guy. Sony 303ES is one of teh best transport ever made according to Alex Peychev. A local DIY guy has made extensive modifications, including replacing the original DAC with PCM 16 bit dacs and making teh signal pat shorter by takign out opamps. The new player is so much better than the system I have used. Its soundprint now is somewhat remember me to the NAIM CDS3-XPS555 combo, at fraction fo price.
System edited: I have replaced the Nordost Valhalla interconnect from an ic of a small Hungarian High-end manufacturer, made of solid core copper. It lacks some of the high frequency extention of Valhalla, but it has a more warmer, organic sound.
System edited: Following the replacement the ML331 to Aronov tube integrated amplifier, I could replace my ultra expensive powercords (Nordost Valhalla and PS Audio Lab cable) to much simpler (and cheaper) cords as I dont need anymore those cables which I bought to kick into some life the dry and lifeless sound of the ML 331. The new cords are made of twisted solid core copper leads covered by cotton.
Unfortunately, the MIG 29 is too new design. Russian troops were in this country until 1990. Before 1990, the price of the internal wiring were around a bottle of vodka, or two maximum. Nowadays, I guess, the price went up for such a thing. I guess, the price of soviet military gear went up somewhat.
I am Hungarian, and I am living in Hungary. This was one of those countries which were liberated by the Soviet troops in 1944/1945 - and unfortunately these troops stayed for a while and and ensured the full scale implementation of stalinst communist regimes. So, there is a plenty of leftovers of outdated russian military equipments. A friend of mine has acquired a good deal of communication wire from MIG-21 fighter planes and selling them as audio cables terminated with WBTs. These cables apparently made of approx 10-15 twisted leads of silver coated copper wrapped into cotton. They are extremely neutral cables. I had it for a while, and replaced the Siltech LS120G3 speaker cables. It is so good. Now I am using the Veracity MI2. It seems that the Veracity is a bit more warmish cable, and I like that coloration better. But, if your taste is for neutral and fast cable, without any overhyped highs the MIG cable is a good option.
System edited: I have replaced the Siltech LS120 G3 loudspeaker cable by D.I.Y cable made from the internal trasmission line wiring of the Russian MIG-21 fighter plane.
System edited: Added Accuphase Dp 80. The transport of the ML 39 stopped working properly. I have added this accuphase trasnport. It is such a change. Resolution, transparency, frequency extension is so better than with the original transport.
System edited: Recently I have bought shunyata, elrod and nordost valhalla cables to found out which works best. Finally, I have stayed with the combination of Nordost Valhalla into the ML 39 and PS Audio Lab cable (original) into the ML 331. The combination of the two gave me what I wanted: quick, dynamic, transparent sound with body in the midrange and bass. Also, I have taken out the Hydra2. I think its main contribution was to make the sound more musical, nicer by reducing certain harshness of the music. It was a useful device until I had the Rs Audio Silver Spirit loudspeaker cable, which own its own has a harshness. But after the replacement of the Rs cables with the Siltech, the effect of the Hydra became artificial - to my taste - and made music too silky.
System edited: I have replaced the Rscables Solid Silver speaker cable with the Siltech LS 120 G3 one. The Siltech just doing right. It has a nice organic sound, more everything compared to RS, while it lacks rs's somehwhat harsh treble. It allowed to take out the enacom speaker tweeter, which I used with RS cables to tame its bright character.
System edited: New powercable: Elrod EPS3 between the ultimate outlet and the P300 powerplant. It increased air, transparency, speed to a great extent. It is not as bass heavy as the EPS3 signirture, but very nice power cord.
System edited: Added Hutter amplifier stand for ML 331. Visually very nice. Maybe also has some positive sonic impact. Rests on four nordost pulsar points instead of its original feet.
System edited: I have put between the Hydra2 and the P300 powerplant a PSaudio Lab cable. Increased the bass and body, layered more the soundstage, without any apparent darkening of treble. Nice adding.
System edited: I added Shunyata Hydra2. It feeds the P300 powerplant, and thorugh that the ML 39, in one hand, and the PSAudio UO, and through that the ML 331. It lifted up an other veil, made the system more dynamic, faster, lively. Instruments are more like in live. Very important upgrade.
System edited: I added PS Audio Ultimate Outlet high current version, It seems to be a very nice adds on. It increased dynamics, air. It has resulted in a blacker blackground, and thus more livlier music.
Hi thanks for the ideas. The major obstacle for the speaker placement, that I have two small children, and they need some space. Currently, they are 40 cm away from the bookshelf. daytime, when they are not at home, I usually pull away the speakers to about 90 cm (3 feet) for critical listening, but then I really should push them back.
Hi Tvad, www.eupen.com, model: GNLM 05 3G1 MM2, see the discussion on this controversy over jps cables: audioasylum.com/cables. I got the idea from that discussion.
System edited: I have tried the Harmonix Studio Master powercord yesterday, and it stays. A wonderful extension of bass and midrange, realism and it gives a new insight into the layers of music. It bested the OEM JPS digital AC by Eupen by a great margin. I put the earlier one to serve between the wall and the powerplant. The Harmonix is placed between the P300 and the ML. no. 39.
System edited: Recently Ihave added the OEM version of JPS Digital Ac by Eupen, and Nordost Pulsar Points under the ML 39 and ML 331. All three addition slightly but audibly increased resolution, dynamics, bass and treble extension.
System edited: System edited: A friend of mine offered me his ML 331 (as his Thiel CS-6 required a more powerful amplifier). This allowed me to audition at home the 331 and it stayed instead of the Musical Fidelity fx2. After extensive audition the HT magic tweeter with the HT magic link one, I found that it darkens the sound the system. So, I decided to stay with the RS cables speaker cables. With some repositioning the system, I was able to cut my rs cables speaker cable (which originally was 5.5 m long into two and do from the remaining piece jumpers to bridge the triwirable Act one with jumpers made from the speaker cable. This move also saved me some bucks, while I got substantial improvement. Now I am looking for a new interconnect. I am thinking between Siltech QS-88B Gold and Nordost Valhalla.
Hi Adam, Tanks for the tipps. I have already tried the harmonic technology magic speaker cable. It seems to me that way better than the rs cables silver spirit. Compared to the HT, the rs cables seem to have a leaner and harsher sound. The HT gives more body to the music and less harsh top end, while the speed remains the same.
