Well, it has all changed again, I should just relist it as it has changed so many times since creating this as the "3rd" system. One thing is for sure, Ever Evolving has been accurate.
Awesome little digital tuner from the late 1980's.
Audio Note AN-Vx - Interconnect
I have two sets; I run one from my CDP to preamp and one from my tuner to preamp. Symmetrical 99.99% silver litz coax 20 strands 0.09 mm
Audio Note AN-Vz - Interconnect
Silver IC, 1m RCA
Analysis Plus Big Silver Oval
Constructed of pure silver over a stabilizing strand of oxygen-free copper, woven into a patented hollow oval geometry in an oval-coaxial configuration. 9 gauge.
Clearwave Loudspeaker Design Symphonia 72R
The Symphonia 72R has a custom sandwich layered non- resonant 2 inch thick front baffle with a solid hardwood layer for driver de-coupling. The drivers are flush mounted level to the front baffle to eliminate edge diffraction, and the driver openings have chamfered flares at the backside of the opening to eliminate early reflections inside the box. Top of the line RAAL tweeters and Accuton drivers.
Wadia 170iTransport
I use this with a 160g iPod Classic.
PS Audio DigitalLink III
Mine has the Level 4 Cullen modifications.
Furman IT Reference 20i
This power conditioner and protection unit has made the biggest difference I have ever intruduced into a system; I wish I would have purchased something like this a long time ago!!!
I need very little of the Luxman to run the Harbeth's, usually around 9 o'clock on the dial.
My experience with the Harbeth's hasn't fully mirrored other reports, as mentioned; I was expecting slightly muted highs but I find that to be the contrary, compared to previous speakers.
"Ironically, I don't find the sound of my system with the the Harbeth's warm or laid-back, but maybe some of that is a sign of previous systems or my room. "
That may be evidence of the Harbeths being a good match into the room.
My understanding is that harbeths tend towards the warm side of sound compared to other speakers normally in most rooms. YOur room is very unique in construction however and inherently lively. I would expect good synergy with HArbeths based on my understanding in your room as a result. Part of that may be a more neutral sound than tpyical with Harbeths.
Synergy is everything! Unique rooms (acoustically) are likely to have unique synergies that are not the norm.
Assuming your room is very lively, then less power may be desirable as well for best results.
Also, also higher frequencies tend to reflect while lower frequencies tend more to be absorbed. A warmer sounding speaker with less energy in the high frequencies could be just what the doctor ordered.
I think listening to Harbeths in a beautiful log home room is a wonderful place to be both aesthetically and because most likely less may mean moe when it comes to the demand on an amplifier.
Mapman, the room is indeed quite lively. It has been most notable to me while talking on the phone and I go down the hallway into the bedroom and the sound difference in my voice is very noticeable.
Ironically, I don't find the sound of my system with the the Harbeth's warm or laid-back, but maybe some of that is a sign of previous systems or my room.
I am hoping we are able to add on to our house in the near future, if so, my system will be moved to a smaller environment, which I think would be a benefit.
And also the move to lower power high quality amp would also appear to be a sound one in my eyes assuming that room is as inherently lively acoustically as I suspect it is. To take it even further if needed, probably a good environment for running even a lower powered SET amp with the Harbeths if desired. That might provide options to take the edge off even further if needed.
I see you've tried a lot of speakers in this system over the years!
I'm going to guess that the famously warmer, more laid back Harbeths are a very good fit into that room, which from the pictures I am guessing is inherently pretty lively with a lot of echo and reflected sound in play.
Congrats on the Harbeth experience--big, warm, sweet sound at modest listening levels. Like the pairing with the Luxman Integrated which is seductive listening.
Luxman's L-590a looks very similar to it's cousin Accuphase E-560.
Hey Arthur, awhile indeed. I have wanted to try the Harbeth's for a long time but was always concerned about them being too small for my room and I indeed wish for a fuller sound. That said, even though I continue to wish for a fuller sound, I have found that I am very much drawn to listen to them every day, in fact I have listened to a lot of music the past month, over 700 tracks. They do so much I like that it would be hard to live without what they do for some added weight. I have had to adjust to listen at a much lower volume level than I am used to as that is where this setup sounds its best. Listening at lower volumes has its benefits as I can listen with others in the house with less disturbance. I still don't have a "proper" stand setup.
I think you'd greatly enjoy the 550or 590 on your Nanos.
Hey Brian! It's been a while. I see another speaker change. You are pleased with it? I'm thrilled with my Nanos. I would love to hear a 590 on them at some point.
Wow! I see big changes. From high-power to low-power huh? I'm not surprised you prefer it. I've gone so far down that road that I decided to get speakers that will allow me to have just about any low-power amp.
I decided you just can't ever get enough headroom for correct dynamics with low-efficiency speakers, and, high-power amps just don't have the agility necessary for truly transparent sound.
Very interesting your take on the Mac gear, always fun to see the different system changes and reading your comments. Must must be fun to listen and live at your house.
Looking for a better match with my speakers as what I had wasn't as good as what I heard from the speakers at a show. The Luxman is indeed superior and has me wishing I had it when I had some other speakers as I am curious how they would have sounded with the Luxman.
The Mac gear is quite relaxed and I always blamed a recessed midrange I had while using W/P 7's on the speakers, well I no longer feel this way. Admitedly the Luxman, with the rest of my system, comes across as forward, it is much prefered, for me, to the recessed midrange I had with the Mac gear. Even watching TV through the system with the Mac I wished for more, even boosting the midrange via the EQ a couple times to hear better, this is not an issue with the Luxman.
The Luxman is vastly superior in clarity/transparency, bass, vocals, you name it. Anyone blindfolded would pick the Luxman as 400 watts and the Mac as 30 instead of the reverse.
System edited: I replaced the McIntosh MC402 and C46 with the Luxman L-590a II integrated, Class A, 30 watts. I hooked it up late last night and at this point I have had no real time to listen.
