I have been experimenting with hifi equipment for over 50 years trying to get my jazz LPs to sound their very best.I started out making a lot of equipment myself, mostly out of economic necessity, but I returned to DIY simply to get the sound that I want. It's also more satisfying to design and build something than it is to be on the audio merry-go-round where nothing is ultimately satisfying. In general, I like a warm, detailed, dynamic sound with good rhythmic pacing. I also want my speakers to sound like a single driver, not a collection of several drivers all sounding a little different.
One thing that has remained constant over the years is my love for straight-ahead jazz especially from the late '40s through the '80s. I particularly enjoy jazz guitarists such as George Barnes, Bucky Pizzarelli, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Charlie Christian, Jim Hall, Barney Kessell, and Oscar Moore. Jazz probably accounts for 70% of my listening, but I also listen to classical chamber music.
I generally prefer the sound of the original issues of LPs or early reissues, in contrast to the reissues sold today by "audiophile" labels. For whatever reason, most modern reissues just don't have the natural sound that records pressed in the 1950's and 1960's have. I would rather put up with a few ticks and pops and even some occasional distortion when listening to a used record from that era than listen to a modern reissue which may sound clean and pristine but also processed and less natural.
Deja Vu Audio speaker with all vintage components--Jensen A15PM woofers in open baffle, Western Electric 32A horns with YL Acoustic 5500 compression drivers, and Electro-Voice T-350 tweeter. 500 Hz and 6.5K crossovers. Internal wiring is Audio Note Lexus and Audio Note SPx..
Galibier Gavia
with Gavia platter (32 lbs). Dynamic, detailed and musical. The table has the updated Galibier high-torque motor and new controller circuitry. It is powered by a Teddy Pardo power supply.
Analog Instruments Siggwan 12
A 12" unipivot arm made by James Grant in New Zealand from a single piece of cocobolo. I replaced the standard Cardas wiring with a Discovery wiring harness. I tried 2 different armboards but recently switched to the solid brass arm pod shown in one of the photos. That sounds better to me.
Triplanar VII.2 Ultimate
The Triplanar is a great match with the Benz LP.
Benz LP
I have been a loyal Benz customer for over 20 years, progressing from a Glider M2 to L2 Woodbody to the LP. I have enjoyed each one.
Denon 103R
A classic. Recently upgraded with boron cantilever and MR stylus by Andy Kim. Sounds really nice on the Siggwan tonearm.
EMIA Intact Audio MC Stepup Transformers
Copper 1:10 stepups
DIY D3a/5687 Phono
My main phono preamp is a 2-stage tube phono circuit with passive RIAA equalization. The first stage is a Siemens D3a (in triode) and the second is one-half of a 5687. Each tube is biased with LEDs. The outboard power supply uses a 5R4GY rectifier, a vintage Chicago choke, and Blackgate WKZ filter caps. The audio circuit uses a number of Audio Note Silver tantalum resistors. Interstage coupling caps are .1uf CuTF V-Caps. Intact Audio output transformers.
I experimented with a number of audio circuit topologies and power supply designs, as well as component types, before settling on this particular setup, so it's no surprise that I like its sound very much. Aside from sound quality, it is also very quiet, more so than any of the 4 or 5 solid-state phono preamps I've tried.
Emotive Audio Epifania Custom
This is a one-of-a-kind version of the Epifania. It uses the Epifania 12B4A audio circuitry but with solid state regulators. This unit has V-Cap coupling capacitors and Black Gate WKZ power supply caps.
Slagle Autoformer passive attenuator
Western Electric WE 124 amplifiers
DIY version of the WE 124 amplifier with Acrosound TO-330 output transformers and vintage Collins chokes. RCA 6L6-G output tubes. Copper V-Caps, Audio Note Silver Tantalum resistors, and WBT binding posts.
Emotive Audio Vita monoblocks
These are a custom pair of Vita amps built by Fred Volz at Emotive. The Vitas are a push-pull design that can use KT-120s, KT-88s, 6550s, EL-34s, KT-77s and 6L6GCs. My favorites are Genalex (reissue) KT-77s and Tung Sol KT-120s. These amps are, without a doubt, the best sounding high-powered amps I have had in my system. They are also the best looking with matching tiger maple bases. The amps have 3/4" thick aluminum slabs around the perimeter which act like a sink for vibrations. They have copper V-Cap (CuTF) coupling capacitors, Teflon tube sockets and WBT connectors.
DIY 6L6GC Monoblocks
Push-pull amps with GE 6L6GC Blackplate outputs and vintage Chicago output transformers. They use a floating paraphase inverter circuit. Coupling caps are Copper V-Cap (CuTF).
DIY 46 SE Monoblocks
Single-ended 2-stage amps with Electra-Print output transformers. A Western Electric 417a driver feeds a RCA 46 output tube via an interstage transformer made by Dave Slagle of Intact Audio. The driver stage has voltage and current regulation with a CCS feeding an OD3 gas tube. Choke-input power supply with 5R4GY rectifier and BlackGate WKZ filter caps.
Audio Note Sogon and Vx
1m Silver litz interconnects.
Audio Note Lexus interconnects
4m Copper Litz
Audio Note SPx speaker cables
Silver litz speaker cable.
Audio Note Lexus speaker cables
Ocellia Reference power cord
Audio Note ISIS power cords
with ETI Legato Gold IEC and Furutech FI-11M Copper AC connectors. Used throughout system.
Sound Anchors Stands
Dedicated stands for turntable and monoblock amps.
ASC Tube Traps
one trap in each corner behind speakers
Loricraft PRC-3 record cleaner
Box Furniture rack
DIY Tube DAC Non-Oversampling
Digital board has AD1865N chip and vintage caps and resistors. Audio portion uses Western Electric 407a with tube rectifier and BlackGate WKZ filter cap.
From an SP 1/2 owner your system is super cool. And I agree with your statement about driver integration. Spendor nailed it with the SP100s and SP 1/2s (2/3s not as much, IMO) super coherent, just like live music. I am a bit jealous.
Strange stuff this audio business. I use the WE16ga wire now because I found it full bodied and smooth. It bested cables both copper and silver cables I have that cost thousands. Very interesting comments on your experience. Wonder what about the combination of your gear gave a different result?
It is very natural and organic sounding in my system as others have experienced. This is why it is impossible to say something is this or that in this hobby. Fact is wire or gear seems to not perform the same system to system.
I dislike thin sounding gear do we are on the same page on that attribute.
I tried the WE 16g briefly, maybe 4 or 5 hours, and didn't like the tonal balance---too bright and too lean. It was certainly lively sounding and had pretty decent detail but the tonal balance was not to my liking. I am hoping that it will improve with more hours. So far, however, I haven't had the time or interest to try it again. I also bought some more WE 16g so I can try it with doubled up wiring next time. A pair of 16g wires is equivalent to something in between 12g and 13g, so I am hoping that improves the LF weight.
I did spend a lot of time working with the Belden 8402 interconnect recommended by Jeff Day. I started out with KLE Absolute RCA plugs, ran it for over 200 hours to break in the plugs and cable, tried it with and without shielding, and tried it in both directions. Then I changed the KLE plugs to WBT 0102 Ag plugs and went through the whole breakin routine again for another 200 hours. The bottom line after all that was I still prefer my old Wireworld Eclipse II to the Belden.
I don't disagree that the WE 16g and the Belden are great values, but so far I haven't head anything that suggests they deserve all the hype.
In any case, comparing cables is not my idea of fun!
I noticed your input on a WE16ga thread. Did you like the wire? I see you are not using it in your system as your speaker cable. Great stuff at $1.39 per foot! Silly good for this price really.
No, I haven't tried the Clarity TC caps. I am still very pleased with the power supply caps I am using which are BlackGate WKZ and Jensen radial electrolytics. In concert with the other capacitor, resistor and wiring choices, these power supply caps give me the sound I am seeking.
Did you ever put the TC caps in the power supply of your amp? Love to hear your findings. Also curious what you thought of the Western Electric WE16ga NOS wire as speaker cable? I think you tried some in the past?
I added a photo of the new armboard for the Siggwan arm. This is a massive hunk of aluminum that is attached to the Galibier turntable with two 3/8" bolts. Very solid.
The Siggwan is now my preferred tonearm. While I do occasionally switch back to the Triplanar, I always end up putting the Siggwan back pretty quickly. I don't know whether it is due to the cocobolo or the 12" length or something else, but the Siggwan has a natural tonality and a sense of ease and composure that I like very much.
I recently sold the Schick tonearm so it is no longer listed.
The Siggwan 12" cocobolo is attached right now. I used it for a couple months to break in the wiring, went back to the Triplanar briefly as a reference point, and am now back to the Siggwan. Both the Triplanar and Siggwan sound very good but I haven't compared them yet with the same cartridge. The Schick also sounds nice but I prefer the other two arms.
I will be trying some different wiring on the Siggwan shortly.
Well, this is interesting to come by. I've been buying jazz LPs since about 1958. And I've been trying to get them to sound their best for all that time since.
My current systeme is a Thorens TD-121 with Ortofon RMG-212 tonearm that I bought in 1962 or 1963; the current cartridge is an EMT XSD-15 SFL. It steps up through a Denon AU-310 transformer and then to a Diego Nardi designed Phi-42 phono preamp, DIY from Sound Practices. Then on to a 5687 WOT linestage, and the current power amp is an EL84/2A3/MQ FS-030 Loftin-White. Speakers are Lowther PM2A A.T. Special spec'd drivers in modified Fidelio enclosures, or Petite Onkens with Altec 802-8Ds on conical horns on top.
An *extra groove* as we used to say in pre-Motown Detroit. I'm long gone from Detroit now...in East central Vermont. Yep, it's cold here, but the music is an extra groove!.
Mention of the Clarity TC psu caps got me to this thread because I also have a DIY 24A/45//James JS-6123 HS Loftin-White power amp which until now has had motor run caps in the power supply. But they've been giving problems.
As a result, I *just* ordered four Clarity TC caps from Parts Connexion to replace them. We shall see what we shall see. I'll try to report back once they're in and once that 45 amp is back in-systeme, because it's the *grail*.
Guess I never looked at your turntable before and oh my....so nice! I am not an LP guy, always interests me, but I bet your analog rig sounds fantastic!
I added a photo of the Siggwan cocobolo tonearm. After listening to it for the past two months, I am still very happy with the sound of the Siggwan. I have only used the Denon 103R so far but will try other cartridges soon.
John, I don't see the bike photo on your virtual system. Maybe a delay with it appearing?
My Waterford was a 2200 with custom geometry (very minor tweaks to make the fit more similar to the Trek 1200 aluminum I had ridden for 7 years before the Waterford). The frame was a deep burgundy, absolutely beautiful with the intricate lug work. I had my local bike store install the components which were Dura Ace with Mavic Open Pro wheels. I used the Waterford for two seasons (a little over 7000 miles) before moving all the components to a Litespeed aluminum frame. The Waterford tended to give me a backache on long rides, no matter what I did to tweak the fit, so I eventually decided we were just not made for each other. I ran the Litespeed pretty hard for a couple years and it became too flexy so I bought my current bike which is a Trek 5200 Madone. Nothing fancy. It looks just like everyone else's bike whereas the Waterford always attracted attention. Despite the generic appearance, I have to admit I love the ride of the Trek. I hope it will be with me for a long time.
My Reynolds 853 bike is indeed a Waterford as well, an SR-22. I had it built up five years ago. I considered briefly using 953 for the project. I've never ridden a carbon bike but since I am not as fit as I used to be I figured I'd just stick with what I knew best. The bike came in at about 17lbs. It is built up using Campagnolo Super Record and has a Chris King titanium headset (very limited production). The bikes I road before the current one were: 1980-1993 - Team Raleigh with Reynolds 531 and Campy Super Record; 1993-2009 - Waterford Paramount with True Temper OS tubing and Campy C-Record.
Sal, Thanks very much for your impression . Given the considerable discussion this amp generates on the AA SET forum I'd like to hear it myself someday out of pure curiosity. Charles,
Thanks for visiting Reynolds853 and for the nice comments. I like your moniker as well. For a few years I had a Waterford road bike made of Reynolds 853 so seeing your moniker brings back lots of great memories. Alas, that beautiful bike is long gone. I gave in and now have a carbon fiber frame.
Charles1dad, my experience with the Serious Stereo 2A3 amps is limited to hearing them in 3 settings at RMAF, twice in the Serious Stereo room on the Serious Stereo 604 speakers (2007 and 2011) and once in the Galibier room on Daedalus Ulysses speakers (2011). I spent several hours listening in the Galibier room spread over several days.
It's always hard to triangulate the sound of a particular component when you are hearing it in the context of someone else's system, but with that caveat my impressions of the Serious Stereo amps are: excellent detail, surprisngly good dynamics, and full range extension in the bass and treble. I have a suspicion that the SS amps are also a bit lean in the midbass range but I can't say that for sure given the show listening conditions. The Ulysses speakers supposedly have a 96db sensitivity so they should be reasonably well suited to a low power amp. Nevertheless I was surprised by how much power and control the amps had at relatively loud volumes in a fairly large room. Yes, I could hear some compression on peaks but that hardly detracted from their fine performance. That said, when I returned home and listened to my 46 amps on my high-efficiency speakers, I thought my setup sounded even better at least for my tastes. (Of course, there were a lot more differences than just the amps.) My 46 amps are more limited in power output, however, so speaker matching becomes even more important than with a "powerful" 2A3 amp. A tad over 1 watt will only go so far.
Hi Sal, Saw your post on the AA forum where you mentioned the Serious Stereo 2A3 SET. I'm interested to know your impression of Dennis Fraker's amplifier. How does it sound? Charles,
Very nice system! I enjoyed reading about its evolution and hope you will continue to find it pleasing for many years to come. Thank you too for posting the names of some of the musicians you enjoy, I'll try to add them to my collection.
