Sanctum Sanctorum

by jtori on Done For Now

Description

System Updated: I added a pc-based music server, something I had been contemplating for the past year or so. The opportunity presented itself when a friend was preparing to scrap a Dell C521 low-profile desktop computer. I fitted it out with a a 2.4 GHz AMD Athlon 64 x2 processor, 2 GB RAM, Windows XP Pro, iTunes 9, USB 2.0, Musiland Monitor 01 USD and Blue Jeans Cable BNC/BNC digital cable. Digital bitstream is fed to the S/PDIF in on my Wadia 16. I shuffled a few things around and have sited my ARC LS5 Mk. III on a Black Diamond Racing Shelf with two sets of #4 cones and placed the PC on the Towhshend Seismic Sink. Things sound just a little tighter, with greater impact and more image specificity. This move supplements the tweak I implemented recently, fabbing an acoustic treatment which hangs from the plasma screen in my listening room. The treatment employs three ASC Sound Planks, which are oriented horizontally. Otherwise, I've had the same audio system for going on 12 years and made only minor adjustments to it. This system, more than any I have owned before (and there have been a few) communicates the emotion and magic of the music. The system is situated in a lower level dedicated listening room. Walls were constructed using two layers of 5/8" drywall on 16" stud centers. Floor is concrete slab and is covered with the best fiber-based padding I could find and wool carpet. There are four dedicated 20-amp circuits on isolated grounds, as well as one separate 15-amp circuit for non-audio ancillaries. Room dimesions are the closest I could get to golden-rule proportions. The room is prewired for a future plasma screen and Magnepan 5.1 surround system, however, I'm a two-channel guy at heart. The room is treated with RPG abfusers (side walls), RPG bass traps (front corners), ASC tube traps (rear corners) and ASC Sound planks (front wall). Measured performance of the room/system combination is really pretty good (up 5 db at 80 Hz is the only real anomaly). A non-audio feature of the room is an ultra-quiet vent fan situated above the hot seat, which I installed so I can smoke the occasional cigar. Make-up air is supplied by a large thru-wall return vent. It was a nice idea but I have only smoked one cigar in the room so far. The fan is effective for venting heat generated by the tube amp, however. Overall, I'm pleased on this, my third and hopefully last, dedicated listening room adventure.
Read more...

Components Toggle details

    • Wadia 16
    VRDS disc clamping system, digimaster D/A conversion, 80 MIPS processing, 24-bit resolution, balanced outputs, 45 lbs. Sound compares favorably to newer players, so I haven't been able to bring myself to upgrade it.
    • Dell C521
    Music Server - AMD Athlon 64 x2, 2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Windows XP Pro, iTunes 9, USB 2.0, Musiland Monitor 01 USD, Blue Jeans Cable BNC/BNC digital cable.
    • VPI Industries Aries
    I have been very pleased with this table. I am just now considering the addition of the new Mini Super Feet and SDS from VPI. The table is sited on a Bright Star base designed for the Aries, which I have found to be quite effective.
    • VPI Industries JMW Memorial
    Unipivot design, easy to adjust and swap out for another. Sonic characteristics can also be tuned by increasing/decreasing the amount of damping fluid in the cup.
    • Benz Micro Glider
    This cartridge mates well to the JMW Memorial arm and Aries table. I prefer it to my van den Hul One
    • van den Hul MC-One
    Very low output and very pleasing sound, though I prefer my Benz Micro Glider. Alignment can be difficult due to the short cantilever.
    • Audio Research LS-5 mkIII
    To my ears, an absolutely terrific preamp. Dynamic and clean with great bloom. A keeper.
    • Audio Research VT-200
    I love this amp. An absolutely synergistic match with the Magnepan 3.5Rs, and there is not much it will not drive.
    • Magnepan MG-3.5r
    I'm a real fan of their sound, especially with the ARC VT200. The transparency, reproduction of acoustic instruments and voices, and the soundstaging are, in my opinion, superb.
    • Vandersteen 2wq
    Supplementing the Magnepan 3.5Rs with a pair of these was one of the best investments I've made in my system, allowing the Maggies to do what they do best and releiving the amp/speakers of the need to reproduce the lowest frequencies. I'm running them balanced with the optional Vandersteen high pass filters.
    • Kimber KCTG and KCAG
    Balanced throughout, with the exception of the run from turntable to phono preamp.
    • Audioquest Emerald
    Balanced 9-meter run from preamp to amplifier. Great cable.
    • Audio Research PH-3
    A nice phono preamp. I will probably send this to ARC in the not-too-distant future for upgrading to SE.
    • Audioquest Clear
    Bi-wired 8-foot run from amp to main speakers.
    • Kimber 8TC
    One 8-foot run from amp to each subwoofer.
    • Kimber Homemade
    Kimber 8TC with a copper ground lead down the center, connected to Hubbell connectors and jacketed in a woven sleeve.
    • Audio Power 116
    Just for that extra measure of protection and filtering
    • Audio Power PE-1
    Though there are claimed benefits to sound, I like it for the reason that I am able to monitor line voltage.
    • Black Diamond Shelves and Cones
    Under CD player and phono preamp, each using two sets of three cones.
    • Townshend Seismic Sink
    Under preamp
    • Sound Anchor VT200
    Situated under VT200
    • Ensemble Tube Sox
    Replacing the OEM damping rings on all 6922s in the LS5 and PH3. A noticeable reduction in microphonics can be attributed to the tweak.
    • Panasonic TH-58PZ800U
    58-inch HD plasma screen TV
    • ASC & RPG Various
    Acoustic treatments, including bass traps, Tube Traps, Abfusors, Sound Planks and Skylines. Devices are applied as required according to room measurements.
    • ASC Sound Planks Plasma Treatment
    Home-brew acoustic treatment for 58" plasma screen TV -- I've got my image back! Today I fabricated a simple but effective acoustic treament to hang on my flat screen. I used 3/4" flat stock to make two hooks for hanging, some velcro and three Sound Planks. The insides of the hooks are covered with velcro (loop side) to prevent damage to the TV. The outside of each hook is covered with velcro which enables two 33" "ribbons" of velcro to hang down. The sound planks are affixed with velcro in a horizontal orientation, helping to tame front wall reflections. The device was a breeze to make, is easily stored and affixes in about 30 seconds for critical listening.
    • Nixie Clock and Single Malts Various
    The Nixie clock blows the Tice clock away. It gets the timing right and is much more analog (and therefore real) in its presentation. The single malts greatly improve soundstage width and depth, take the edge off highs, and make 100 dB sound like 90 dB. Using them I have had occasions where I heard things I didn't know were present on the medium of being played (perhaps they weren't).

Comments 51

Showing all comments by jtori.

View all comments

Sign in to comment
Owner
System edited: New photos added, in addition to one new tweak.

jtori

Owner
System edited: I've been intrigued with the notion of building a music server for about a year. The opportunity presented itself when a friend was preparing to scrap a Dell C521 computer. The computer is in a low-profile case, has a power-efficient processor and runs cool and quiet. After cleaning, reformatting and reconfiguring the computer, I ordered up a Musiland Monitor 01 USD USB-to-S/PDIF convertor and hunk of BNC-terminated digital cable. The server is running only Windows XP Pro and iTunes 9. Output from the Musiland is fed to my Wadia 16, which handles D-A conversion. The result is beyond my expectations, and the convenience is outstanding. Now all I have to do is rip the rest of my library.

jtori

Owner
Breezer,

I have to confess I haven't changed the tubes. The only change I implemented was to replace the elastomer tube dampers with Tube Sox. The net effect was a reduction in microphonics. After the change, I thought the pre sounded a bit dead. Then, after swapping back and returning to the Tube Sox, I realized the sound was more truthful, a little less euphonic. I'm probably coming up on a tube change in the not-too-distant future. For now, though, the ARC is dead quiet and sounds great to my ears. As I do with every purchase, I'll likely deliberate carefully before buying replacement tubes. Any thoughts you or others may have are appreciated.

jtori

Owner
System edited: I got my image back! Yesterday I cooked up a home-brew acoustic treatment for my 58" plasma screen TV. I used 3/4" flat stock to make two hooks for hanging, some velcro and three Sound Planks. The insides of the hooks are covered with velcro (loop side) to prevent damage to the TV. The outside of each hook is covered with velcro which enables two 33" "ribbons" of velcro to hang down. The sound planks are affixed with velcro in a horizontal orientation, helping to tame front wall reflections. The device was a breeze to make, is easily stored and affixes in about 30 seconds for critical listening. I spent some time listening and am extremely pleased with the outcome.

jtori

Owner
Home-brew acoustic treatment for 58" plasma screen TV -- I've got my image back! Today I fabricated a simple but effective acoustic treament to hang on my flat screen. I used 3/4" flat stock to make two hooks for hanging, some velcro and three Sound Planks. The insides of the hooks are covered with velcro (loop side) to prevent damage to the TV. The outside of each hook is covered with velcro which enables two 33" "ribbons" of velcro to hang down. The sound planks are affixed with velcro in a horizontal orientation, helping to tame front wall reflections. The device was a breeze to make, is easily stored and affixes in about 30 seconds for critical listening.

jtori

Owner
Kehut,

Thanks for the enthusiastic endorsement. I've thought about moving to the 3.6s but I can't find much fault with the 3.5s. As for the LS5 and VT200, they're not going anywhere. The VT200 is kind of like a big-block V8: There always seems to be plenty of torque on hand. And I just don't have any gripes with the LS5; it's a great preamp. I've thought about sending it off to GNSC for an upgrade sometime in the future. To me, the PH3 is the weak link in the chain. It should probably be upgraded first. Thanks again for the kind remarks

jtori

Owner
Thanks for your kind remarks. I own and play an eclectic variety of music. I like acoustic -- mainly bebop, mainstream and straight-ahead jazz -- as well as female vocals. I also enjoy Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Wilco, The Who, The Kinks, Chris Isaak, Oregon, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Lou Reed and Joshua Redman. Like I said, I'm all over the map. Depends on the mood. I like to rifle the pile of LPs or CDs and play whatever strikes my fancy. I'm also always on the prowl for interesting new music. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks again!

jtori

Owner
Sage advice. I followed this rule in selecting the present treatments for my room. I will heed your recommendation with my plasma cover. Now, I just need to find the time to create the device.

jtori

Owner
Thanks, Dan. I'll check this out. I had been sketching out a sort of "fitted bedsheet" kind of covering encapsulating an absorptive matting of some sort. Because they are lightweight, I even thought I might be able to attach three of the sound planks, oriented horizontally, to the arrangement. In the end, I'd like it to be easy to deal with, attractive in appearance and, most of all effective.

jtori

Owner
I sure have! I noticed after removing the sound planks and installing the plasma that there is still quite a soundstage, just not with the image specificity that existed before. By this I mean that while the the stage extends beyond and above the speakers, the placement of players within the stage is less (maybe not at all) precise. I'm playing with the Sound Planks now to determine where I will remount them. One option is to place one on either side of the screen vertically and one above the screen horizontally. This doesn't address the large reflective surface, though. Another option is to place two vertically on either side of the screen more or less directly behind the speakers; this may address the front wall reflection some. Also under consideration is some sort of absorptive covering for the plasma in conjunction with option 1 or 2. I am open to any suggestions you or fellow brethren may have. Music and sound quality are most important to me.

jtori

Owner
System edited: A lifelong two-channel guy, after nearly three years of deliberation, I decided to pull the trigger and add a fancy-schmancy flat screen TV. The screen of choice was a 58" Panasonic HD Plasma. Since I'm not a videophile, I'm quite pleased with the image quality. Now I'm going moving carefully down the HT path so as not to compromise my beloved audio system.

jtori

Owner
Thanks for your complimentary remarks, Chadnliz. Like many audiophiles I think of ways to improve my system. The Vandy subs made a huge difference, not only by supplying that last octave but by allowing the Maggies and amp to concentrate on more convincingly reproducing music from the upper bass range upwards. The result was not subtle. On my short list of potential upgrades are the following (in order of priority): Mini Super Feet and SDS for the Aries, GNSC reference upgrade for the PH3, and GNSC reference upgrade for the LS5 Mk. III. Also, at some point in the future, I will probably upgrade/replace the Wadia. There is room for improvement on the analog side. On the digital side, I'm really very happy; whenever I get the notion to "improve" reproduction I ask myself, "Why?"

Again, thanks for the kind remarks. JT

jtori

Owner
Thanks for the enthusiastic support. Sounds like you've got a great system yourself. I used to run my setup with the ARC pre and Krell KMA-160s. Wish I'd kept them; I would have liked to try bi-amping. Like you, I like to swap out my speaks from time to time; I have a pair of Red Rose Music R3s and a pair of Vandersteen 1Cs. I rund the R3s straight, without subs, and the 1Cs with the subs. Each has its own sound, which I favor at differenct times. In fact, the 1Cs, for their price, are quite astounding in terms of timbre and imaging when paired with the Vandy subs. Re:: audiophiles being OCD, I don't buy it .... wait a minute, I've got to move my speakers 1/4 of an inch ...

jtori

Owner
The acoustic panels are from ASC and RPG. The tube traps and flat panels on the front wall are by ASC, while the abfusers on the side walls and bass traps in the front wall corners are by RPG.

jtori

Owner
Jeffnc, When I finished the basement, I instructed the electrician to include my four dedicated 20-amp lines; I told him where I wanted each receptacle placed and made certain each was on its own 20-amp breaker in the breaker box. According to code, each of these receptacles is on a 12-2 line. As a result, there is minimal voltage drop between the breaker box and the outlets. The effect on sound has been profound, especially when I was using a pair of Class-A Krell KMA-160s, each of which drew 8 amps continuously. In my opinion, there's no substitute for a good, stout line feeding the amps.

jtori

Owner
Dywang1, I am using a pair of the Vandersteen M5-HPB balanced high-pass filters with my system. They are inserted in the signal path between the preamp and power amplifier and may be adjusted for amplifier input impedance. The subwoofers take their input from the output of the amplifier. My final settings for the high-pass filters are as recommended by Vandersteen; I followed the company's setup instructions and have been unable to improve on the recommended settings. The subs are adjustable for Q and speaker sensitivity. My final settings on the subwoofers are identical to the Maggies' sensitivity and the Q is dialed down, which improves integration with my room. Adding these subs and filters was one of the best improvements I have made in my system, improving the midrange response of my main speakers and adding that last octave of bass to the system. Many times you don't even know the subs are there, however, when the music calls for bass, it is there ... and it is good.

jtori

Owner
In my opinion, there is no substitute for a good, stout line to feed your system. I have read all of the reviews about high-priced power cords and the argument they represent the first four or so feet leading from the equipment to the outlet. However, if the outlet is one of several hanging on a 14-2 line that feeds everything from small appliances to flourescent lights there is going to be an effect on the equipment ... and the quality of the music it can reproduce. I can honestly say installing dedicated lines has had a profound effect on sound quality. First, the voltage is stable. Second, there is no other noise-inducing equipment hanging on the line. And third, when the amps need current, it is available. This is the third room in which I have had dedicated lines. I think they represent a small investment for the improvement they yield in sound quality.

jtori

Owner
Thanks for the compliment, Barry, and for the sage advice regarding the Mye stands. Since I'm down to the short strokes on my system (at least for the time being), I will definitely consider the stands. In measuring the room acoustics, I took a fairly rudimentary approach: I placed my digital-readout Radio Shack sound pressure meter on a tripod at the listening position and popped in Stereophile test disc #2. I then ran through the warble tone test tracks (20-31) and recorded the spl at each of the respective frequencies. If there was a hump or a dip, I moved the speakers, adjusted the subs or amended the seating position slightly. Eventually, I ended up with relatively good measured response. From here you can alter speaker or seating position some to achieve the desired subjective response if you wish. It's not perfect but it has worked relatively well in my last three listening rooms. This was confirmed in my first dedicated listening room when I had friend who is an acoustical engineer stop by with his spectrum analyzer and pink noise generator. The anomalies I had noted were roughly the same as those he had measured, though his data was much more granular. Careful placement of acoustic treatments also helps. I have a fairly robust and flexible assortment of these, however, I have used pretty much the same elements in each of my last three rooms. Hope this helps. If you're in Michigan, stop by.

Joe.

jtori

Owner
Thank you for your kind remarks. There is a layer of adhesive between the sheets of drywall and I believe it is green. There is no vibration I can detect. Bass is rock solid, however, and not muddy.

jtori

Owner
Hi, Thank you for the compliment. The front-end equipment is connected to the amplifier using by a 9-meter pair of balanced Audioquest Emerald interconnect. At the time I purchased it (about 10 years ago) it was one step below Audioquest's top of the line cable, Clear. I have no complaints with the cable, and because of the dual-differential configuration it rejects hum, etc.

jtori

Owner
Gmorris,

Thanks for the kind words. Our systems are indeed similar in nature. Only changes I'm contemplating at the moment are GNSC modifications to my LS5 Mk. III and PH3 followed by the possible acquisition of a new CD player (not sure which yet).

JTori

jtori

Owner
Scott and Oz,

Thank you for your kind remarks. I suppose our rooms and our selection of equipment are a reflection of our personalities. I have been extremely pleased with the sound of my system and can only think of a few small tweaks I'd like to make, including GNSC upgrades to my preamp and phono preamp.

Joe.

jtori

Owner
Thank you very much, Gmele, for the compliment. The system is the result of many years of evolution. It's not difficult doing something you have passion for.

jtori

Owner
Thanks, Tympani, for your kind remarks. Our hobby is one that can be enjoyed on many different levels (technical and artistic). The music is relaxing, and our systems implementation is infinitely perfectable.

jtori

  • 353.2K
  • 51
  •  1
Latest forum discussions
© 2024 Audiogon.com