This system has it all from the past. Reel-to-reel, black box and a little from the present -- Wadia iPod transport.
More cables and tubes than you can shake a stick at. Will whittle them down one day. Each item included is intended to be a match for the system. That's why so many cables and tubes. The rest of he stuff works incredibly well together.
Fully modded from Underwood Wally back in the day. Tubes Rolled to a fare-thee-well -- now have the right combo but with backups.
Sony CDP-CS555es
Fully modded. I use the optical out to transport the signal to the downstream bits. I wanted multiple discs available and the downstream cleans up anything that gets added along the way.
Audio Alchemy DTI PRO32
This little black box sits between the digital pieces (Wadia i170 Transport for my iPod and the Sony. The difference is magic.
Muse Model 2 plus
Wonderful piece -- perfect. Black face rather than silver as in pic. Between the Audio Alchemy piece and the Muse -- HDCDs that I have are decoded and marvelous. Simply marvelous.
Wadia 170i
The way to get the digital signal from my iPods to a real music system. Nifty and well done.
JM Reynaud Trentes
Complete with JMR cables (which do make a difference and the
Stereovox HDXV
Here's the challenge -- I have too many cables by a lot. This one is moving to the connect between my Wadia and the Audio Alchemy. Beautiful digital cable -- the original Giant Killer
Stereolab (as Stereovox VX2
The other digital cable in my set-up. Just bought -- will go between the Audio Alchemy and the Muse. Wish I had an I2S cable that would mate between these two but -- no -- alas tis not to be.
Auricle Audio Encore Limited Edition
Just bought and will put in place -- I have WAY too many cables that sit in a box. Sheesh. These will connect the SACD stuff from the Sony to the Amp.
Wireworld Supernova 6+
A fine, actually GLASS Toslink cable between the Sony and the Audio Alchemy -- best I could do for this connect and it is great.
Acoustic Zen Silver Reference 2
Just at the cusp of
JM Reynaud Magic Cable
Made specifically for their products. This cable makes a huge difference in the quality of sound from these monitors
Revox A-77 mkIV
Yes -- a Reel-to-Reel. It is from my misspent youth that this memory piece comes. Some tapes -- some I even made. Wonderful piece includes a wired remote!
Nordost Black Knights
The smallest cable connect I could find to run from the Revox to the Amp. Still a quality cable though.
Battlerock Studios Myrtlewood Plynths
These beauties are wonderful. Thick, isolative and with three of them -- just the right touch for the system.
Where do you have your Battle Rock Studios Plynths situated or what gear do you have resting on them? I have mine situated under a pair of KEF speakers and I'm very happy with the plynths. Build quality wise, looks etc etc.
Latest and next to last update. Sheesh -- tube rollers paradise.
The Siemens are out at the 12AX7/ECC83 slot. In are some NOS Mullards that put even more air around the music and vocals. Looking for one last fix on this one. Considering either Telefunken or if I can find -- Amperex Bugleboys. Once the deed is done -- the balance of all the tubes? Well keep watching the Audiogon ads.
Also looking for the step up in my EL34's. One of my matched quad of "vintage" Svetlanas blew. The Blue JJ's just don't get it done. The way the Svet's handle female vocals is marvelous. Will keep looking.
This is about as good as this system is gonna get. Playing with tubes -- Siemens triple mica blacks really opened up the soundstage and compensates for the narrowing done by the Acoustic Zen ICs. The Stereovox/Stereolab digital cables are (IMHO) the bargain of the decade. They make such an incredible difference. Here is what I have used in the past for transport to DAC:
Cardas Lightning Acoustic Zen MC2 And a cable whose manufacturer I no longer know - very nice -- solid silver -- but WAYYYYY too bright for the system.
As with any of these things -- particularly tubed things -- it's all about synergy and how the components work together.
I do believe I am settled for a while. May swap in the JJ Tesla Blues for a bit just as a change of pace.
OK -- here is a lesson for those who have a Jolida 302B -- the bias is easy to set and oh so necessary. I read that the setting should be between 34 and 44 mV. I am now running at 38 and love the results. That only took an hour to discern. No big. Setting is easy -- it's the listening that takes time.
Now for the really sick part -- yeah another audiophile sick story -- I spent something over 4 hours trying different dither settings from the Audio Alchemy to the Muse. A double elimination tournament. Well, turns out when Muse says it is a 20-bit DAC -- it means it. The 20 bit setting out of the AA piece is ideal for my listening enjoyment. 18 was a cloe second oddly. That is what a hobby is about.
Now then -- just wait til I get all the cables in place and then start moving them around. Oh yeah.
