In my small dedicated listening room with vault ceilings this is the best system so far. Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage's which were some of the last pair to be brought into the US along with new Jadis JA 30 Mk2 Mono Blocks utilizing KT150's and Smooth Plate Telefunken tubes, a CAT SL1 Renaissance Black Path BPX with phono. The Linn LP12 Radikal D, Karousel/Kore is the front-end with a Lyra Kleos. Esoteric DV60 SACD player, Esoteric D-05 DAC, Alternate ss amp: Jeff Rowland model 8T modded by Jeff. Room tuning devices include the Real Traps Mondo Traps, Mini Traps and Shakti Hallograph's. Grand Prix Monaco amp stands. Audio Art SE-1 power cords with Furutech connectors.Zenwave power cord PL1 with Furutech NCF 50, Zenwave D2 Ultra ic's, Graceline 1.5 meter ic and Black Cat PC-1 Silverstar power cord for Rowland. Two REL T5i subs...running high level off the amp outputs and with Signal subwoofer cables and Supra pc's.
@dayglow Subs have really improved in the last few years, as you noted. The older models most likely would not have worked with my SF's. The newer models blend in so that they are now invisible with the mains. Now getting them to do that does some considerable amount of work and experimentation, but it is possible. ( unlike in the past!)
Your room is slightly larger than mine, although your 8' ceiling is possibly a factor. If you can get the Sabrina X's to work in that space ( and I don't see why you cannot), then they are a good option. I don't think they will plumb the bottom end as well as monitors with two good subs. OTOH, they will be a lot easier to set up initially and if you are using the services of the dealer for this, then its going to be plug and play. No wrong answer here..
Thx for the quick reply. One positive about Wilson Audio is the dealer sets up(trained by Wilson Audio) the speaker for you and can give valuable room treatment advice. I know subwoofers have really improved in the last 5 years so maybe I need to correct my "old school" bias!
@dayglow Started out with just one sub. Added the second one to balance the system.
You ask an interesting question, whether it is better in a small room to go with stand mounts and add sub(s), or to go with a good floor stander? The Wilson Sabrina X is one of my favorite small floor standers, nice little speaker for a smaller room. However, the advantage of a monitor and subs brings to the equation is this...flexibility of placement. Moving subs around in the room ( particularly more than one) will allow for a more even balance in the bottom end, IME. Small rooms really do not give one too many options when it comes to placement of speakers.
Great system in a small room. Did you start with 1 REL T5i then decide 2 subs were optimal? My situation is my new audio room measures 13x14x8, would I be better off with monitors(Dynaudio Confidence 20) or a smaller tower(Wilson Sabrina x) to avoid implementing a subwoofer(s)?
Thank you alan 2. Yes, tube amps are special. I think if one can have both, tube and ss, it is a great idea. Both offer something that the other does not. No right answer though, it's all good.
noromance, great question...but there is a clear path to the left side of my mono blocks. The guitar case in the first picture usually isn't there. Therefore, accessing the LP12 is quite easy.
Thanks Dover. The Vishay loading resistors were actually soldered onto the input RCA loading plugs. I bought these from Micheal Percy. I will look into changing them to Vishay bulk foils. Thanks for the suggestion.
I am going to be soon replacing my current CAT with a new CAT SL 1 Renaissance BPX, so will probably wait till this is accomplished.
You should upgrade your Vishay loading resistors to Vishay bulk foils. Significant improvement over the D102's. Also soldering them onto the input RCA's inside should lower the noise over using loading plugs.
REL T5's replaced by REL T5i's. The newer design is more resolving and can plumb down more into the bottom end. Definitely an improvement on the older design.
Before the GH's I had a number of speakers. Including the Hales System 2 Signature's, Maggie 1.7's, Acoustat 3M's and a pair of PYE's. The Hales were the best of the rest. None of them hold candle to the GH's.
If you can source a pair of GH's, I would suggest jumping on them. Not easy to find, but with your REL sub would make your Linn speakers sound broken, and the Linn's are not bad speakers!
Added a new Lyra Kleos. Still in the break in stage, but so far...I'm seriously impressed! Far better imaging precision, resolution, dynamics, bass control, upper end air and extension than my prior cartridge. Amazing what these new design cartridges bring to the game.
Rolled in NOS Telefunken 12Au7's rib plates into the Jadis and rolled in NOS Siemens 12Au7's into the CAT line stage, replacing the Mullards.The Telefunken's are more 'musical' in the driver stage than the Siemens, and tons more resolving and 'musical' than the stock EH's!
Jeff Rowland has now modded my model 8. I am unsure, but this amp may be the only amp in existence that has the original choke power supply along with the latest transimpedance modules. The sound definitely took a leap forward in the resolution and transparency department.