Description

I really enjoy the simplicity and purity of SET based systems. It's been nearly ten years but I'm finally getting to a great spot with my setup. Thank you Highwater Sound.
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Room Details

Dimensions: 18’ × 12’  Medium
Ceiling: 12’


Components Toggle details

    • TW Raven AC3
    Raven AC with the new 3 motor pod and Black Night feet.
    • Horning Aristotle Ultimate Zigma
    96db efficient horn loaded speakers with the latest updated drivers.
    • TW Raven 10.5
    I just had to have this to go along with my Raven AC. Awesome arm!
    • Ortofon RMG 309
    Vintage 12" tonearm completely rebuilt and rewired with Cardas copper internal wiring
    • Fidelity Research FR 64S
    I just added a vintage FR64S tonearm to compliment my Ortofon RMG 309. This is the copper wired version and I must say it sounds quite good with the SPUs!
    • Shun Mook Record Clamp
    Ebony record clamp. Phenomenal...
    • Ortofon Windfeld
    85 hours on it now and has been a very nice upgrade from the Cadenza Black. More open, more nuanced and higher resolution while retaining ALL of the musicality of the Black.
    • Ortofon SPU Silver Meister MKII
    Faster and more detailed than the Meister GM while still retaining all of the SPU traits.
    • Ortofon SPU Meister GM
    Copper wire 1990's Meister. Full bodied with fantastic tone.
    • WSS Platin Phono
    1.5M phono cable for the Ortofon RMG 309.
    • Ebony Armboard DIY
    Made this Gaboon Ebony armboard myself using a milling machine and a armboard as the template.
    • Ebony Armboard DIY
    First attempt at an Ebony armboard (right). Shown next to another armboard. Will use this for now while I make a final polished armboard. This armboard will serve as the base for my Ortofon RMG 309 tonearm with the SPU cartridges.
    • Tron Seven Ultimate Preamp
    Full function preamp with line and phono in one box. Built to Ultimate spec with exotic resistors, silver wiring and silver transformers.
    • Border Patrol SE300B
    Great little 300B amp. It's modest 8 watt power rating does not convey its real abilities. A very nice match with the Hornings.
    • Manley Laboratories Neoclassic 300b PP/SET
    300b monoblocks switchable between SET (12wpc) and PP (24wpc). Outfitted with Sophia Carbon plate 300b tubes, VT-231 RCA or Ken Rad, NOS VT-229 RCA and NOS Tung Sol 5U4GB
    • SRA Ohio Class
    SRA custom Ohio platform for the Tron preamp
    • SRA Ohio Class
    Sits underneath the Raven AC turntable. Pretty much mandatory because I have subway trains running directly underneath my apartment building!
    • SRA Custom
    Had a set of SRAs made custom for the Manley monoblocks. Very noticable improvement.
    • Furman SPR-20i
    Regulates the voltage to a steady 120V and cleans the power. Best sounding conditioner I have used.
    • Audience Au24e
    Very clear, fast and detailed with tight and punchy bass. 1.5m
    • Audience Au24e Interconnects
    1.5m pair that runs between the preamp and the amps. Clear and detailed just like the AU24e speaker cables.
    • Stealth Audio M7000 V10
    1.5M 20A power cable with silver connectors running from the wall to my Furman conditioner. The improvement in resolution and overall musical flow was not subtle...Power cables matter folks.
    • Edensound Terrastone slabs
    I use Edensound slabs under my Border Patrol amp and power conditioner (BDR cones under the Furman). Nice sonic improvement and keeps the gear off the floor.
    • Timbernation Custom Low Bench
    Chris at Timbernation made a beautiful solid walnut low bench to my specs to hold the Raven AC and Tron. The bench is 50" wide x 24" deep by 12" high. Keeps the gear out of the soundstage and looks great.
    • TW Turntable Mat
    I really don't understand what the debate is about here on Agon. The mat is a significant improvement on the Raven AC. No A/B was necessary.
    • Garrard 301
    Just for fun. Heavy custom Baltic bitch plinth bone stock 301 with my Ortofon RMG 309 and Silver Meister MK2 SPU riding shotgun
    • Denon DL-103r Panzerholz
    The humble 103R which I added as a casual daily listening cart to spare excessive hours on my Windfeld. I removed the plastic body and installed a Panzerholz wood body. Big improvement
    • Denon DL-103r Ebony
    Ebony wood body. Great tone very enjoyable cartridge.
    • Denon 103R Green Malachite
    UWE green malachite stone body on another 103r. Paired with Ortofon LH-9000 heavy headshell on my RMG 309 for a high mass combo. Amazing organic tone but very dynamic and big soundstage. The best of my 3 bodies for 103R.
    • Pure Sound P10/T10
    Added the very good Puresound P10 MM tube phono and matching T10 MC transformer to be able to run the Garrard 301 via the Tron line stage.

Comments 116

Showing all comments by latinsamba1.

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Owner

No changes to my system in the last year or so. Trying to force myself to stop the urge to constantly upgrade and just listen to what I have...

I did cave a few months ago though and bought a small run of NOS Western Electric speaker cable as described in the write-up by Jeff Day off Ebay for about $100.

The cables are almost laughable physically by audiophile standards. Spagetti thickness with a simple tin coating on the copper strands, a white sheath between the copper and the red cloth. I stripped the raw ends and just attached them to my BP300 amp and speakers expecting yet another vintage disappointment - i.e. grainy compressed sound, no depth, thin, etc. I had a negative expectation bias going in you could say... Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong! BIG bold sound, fantastic tone, punchy base, and just so natural for lack of a better word. I am blown away...I guess the folks at Western Electric figured out a long time ago what worked well on the low powered tube amps of the day. I am having a lot of fun with these cables its a cheap experiment for any of you with SET amps you might be in for a shock..  


   


latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Paul,

I don't have the Eufrodites but I was able to upgrade to the newer version of the Aristoltes with the better drivers etc. My living room is just too small for the Eufrodites unfortunately. I sold the old Aristotles off and got a light oak finished pair. 

I've actually been having a ton of fun with the humble Denon 103r cartridges. I rebodied 2 of them myself in panzerholz and ebony and I'm astonished at how damn good they are. They end up weighing about 12g with the wood bodies and sound excellent on my TW 10.5 arm. Sure it's no Ortofon Windfeld, but they have a very natural and non-fatiguing sound that I find myself just listening to for hours. IMO the biggest bargain in analog. I even went ahead and ordered a special UWE stone body for one (kind of a poor mans Koetsu). There's a NYC seller on eBay who hand selects channel matched ones for a small premium. I see why these are so popular. 

I think my next serious upgrade will be to get either the BN platter or a Tron GT phono stage but trying to save right now so just scratching the itch with cheap fun. 

latinsamba1

Owner

Added a Pure Sound P10 MM phono and T10 MC transformer as an inexpensive way to have a dedicated phono stage for the Garrard 301. The P10 is run through my Tron Ultimate line stage.

Very solid for such a reasonable priced combination. I am hearing good dynamics, bass and soundstage. Very quiet operation with my SPU Meister Silver. I have heard other Pure Sound gear and its all great frankly. Huge bargain in audio IMO.

latinsamba1

Owner
Just added a Denon 103R for fun thinking I would spare the excessive hours on my prized $$$ cartridges. What a pleasant surprise! 
Ok, it's not the last word in resolution but it has a wonderful organic and non-fatiguing quality to the sound. I can see why it's so popular. Huge bargain and I can't wait to see what a wood body upgrade will do. I ordered both the ebony and Panzerholz bodies
Running it quite nicely on the 10.5 arm but thinking it will do better with the extra mass of my FR-64 in a heavy headshell....

latinsamba1

Owner
Added a vintage Garrard 301 to the system just for fun. Raw heavy birch ply plinth holds a bone stock 301 with 60hz pulley. My Ortofon RMG 309 and Silver Meister MK2 SPU are riding shotgun. 
Initial impressions are a very punchy and musical sound, but lacking the resolution and soundstage of a modern high end table. I'm going to repurpose my left over stock TW AC3 feet to upgrade the wood footers and ordered a Kokomo bearing kit to help it along a bit :) 
I can see why the 301 has achieved cult status. It's impressive for 1960s technology and it definitely gets the heart of the music right. No plans to go crazy with upgrades just enjoying it for what it is. 

latinsamba1

Owner
Yes, Jeff tells me the BN platter is huge. I'm shocked that I can still get significant improvements from the turntable at this level but even those two small tweaks brought it up quite noticeably.

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: A follow up on my system with a few changes in the past several months. The most significant was updating my speakers to Aristotle Zigmas with the new drivers. Also made 2 meaningful tweaks to the already fantastic Raven AC with the addition of the Black Night feet and the TW turntable mat. I would like to add the Black Night platter in the future but really enjoying how the system is sounding now.

latinsamba1

Owner
I'm sure you will be very happy with anything Shun Mook. I've been enjoying the record clamp so I'm curious about the AC cords. Let us know what you think of them.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Kenny,

It's been a while since I've posted here and a few system changes as well since then. I'm using the M7000 on my Furman conditioner because its the best PC in my system and I thought it would do the most good there vs my baseline Black Sand cable (a very good medium price cord IMO).

What I got was a "faster" sounding system overall with a notable improvement in bass depth and definition. I hadn't thought that the Black Sand was rounding the bottom octave notes but the improvement with the M7000 was obvious. I can't say how it stacks up to a Cloude 99 but it is a very large and stiff cable that I can only imagine using on an AMP or PC. I wish I had a second one for my Border Patrol 300B amp because I believe it would be an excellent match there as well.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Tboooe,

My room is about 12" wide and I don't really use room treatments except for tall plants in the corners, a large oriental rug, etc. I found lately with my speaker positioning that I get better sound by moving the speakers closer together. My speakers are now only 6" apart tweeter to tweeter which has actually made the sound stage bigger. A 9ft room is very tough. Could you maybe get speakers that are meant to be placed right in the corners such as Audio Note?

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Paul,

The Shun Mook is incredible. I still can't believe that a piece of tuned wood does this much for the sound. It's not going anywhere!

The three motor unit was another great upgrade. I commented on it in another thread but it really made my TW come alive. More drive, tuneful bass, depth.

Lately I have just made decisions based on Jeff's recommendations and every time the results have exceeded my expectations. Very happy with the analog front end.

Regards,

Ed

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: Just got the famous Shun Mook LP clamp. Absolutely amazing... People who mock/dismiss it have obviously never heard what it does for the music. Awesome.

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: Just mounted a new addition to the analog rotation - a vintage Fidelity Research FR64S copper wired tonearm. I must say it sounds really good with the SPUs! Really cool arm.

latinsamba1

Owner
Agear,

Yes, almost everything came from Jeff at Highwater Sound. First the Tron preamp, then the TW and recently the BP amp. After hearing his system a few years back I knew that I had found the sound I wanted and just took his advice on building a system from that point on.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Loki,

The Windfeld and Black are both excellent cartridges (I own both). I'm loving the Silver Meister MKII SPU as a great all around cartridge and that would pair beautifully with the RS-309D arm at a very reasonable price. I have been enjoying it on everything from classic rock to jazz and classical. It does it all.

The GT2 was built for me by Auto Associates of Canton, CT about ten years ago. We started with a 1977 chassis that had been rebodied with 1997 GT2 Evo bodywork and then built it into an all out 2200lb PCA GT1R car with 700hp Motec turbo engine, 935 suspension, etc. The irony is I have never once tracked it and basically only take it out for the occasional joy ride. Total overkill but a lot of fun.

latinsamba1

Owner
Loki,

I am quite sure you will be thrilled with the Tron/BP 300B/Aristotles/TW combination! What cartridges are you planning to pair with the Ortofon arm? I'm assuming you are talking about the RS-309D?

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Charles,

I have heard both the Tron and BP in the same system and prefer the Tron. It is unbelievably powerful and transparent. That said, the BP is one heck of a fine amp for a fraction of the price. I am very happy with it and find that it also has very impressive drive and balance. It has taken my system to a higher level.

I am sure there are even better tubes than the Sophia Carbon plates but I have a brand new quad that I use with the Manleys for now. EML makes really high quality tubes for the money and I would love to try those in the future as well.

latinsamba1

Owner
Loki,

The BP 300B is a beautiful sounding amp. Plenty of power and bass impact with all of the 300B midrange attributes. I have about 200 hours on it now and still using the stock Electroharmonix tubes. I'm sure when I swap my carbon plate Sophia tubes in it will be even better! For the money I believe you would be VERY hard pressed to do better in a 300B amp. I plan on keeping it until I can afford a Tron 300B someday.

On the phono section, I asked Jeff about adding a second input to do away with the hassle of swapping phono cables back and forth. It would make A/B comparisons much easier. He felt that doing so would slightly degrade the sound quality which is not a compromise I am willing to make. The reality is that I generally listen to a cartridge/arm for a few weeks before feeling any urge to change. I have been listening to the RMG 309/Silver Meister for the last 35 hours and I must say it is a stunning combination. Really meaty organic sound with great speed and detail.

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: I finally made the Ebony armboard for my second tonearm. This was a first attempt but came out decently. Ebony is a bit tricky to machine because the wood tends to crumble and chip easily despite its high density. I also machined a 2nd stainless riser to go with this armboard on my lathe. I will use this to test out my Ortofon RMG 309 vintage arm and SPU cartridges. Hopefully the sonics make this whole exercise worth while!

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: Added 2 SPU cartridges to the rotation. Silver Meister GM MKII and a Meister GM. Both fantastic sounding (I have already heard them on a friend's system). Will have them up and running soon on my Raven AC. Can't wait!

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Pcosta,

I agree it would be much better to have a dedicated phono stage. The 2nd arm and cartridge are an Ortofon RMG 309 with the Silver Meister MKII SPU. I have heard both the AE85 and the AE90 on Jeff's system and just love the organic SPU sound. I'm hoping the Silver will give me the classic SPU sound with the detail I'm used to from my Windfeld (ok now that's maybe too much too ask :) I will eventually want a dedicated phono stage with both MM and MC so that I can someday add even more arm and cartridge combinations.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Jarraa,

The preamp has only one phono input which I had spec'd out at +68db for MC. With the table going to two arms soon (and maybe 3 in the future :), it would be better honestly to have the separate line and phono stages but the Ultimate preamp was significantly more affordable than having 2 boxes in Ultimate spec (and also the extra ICs and PC of similar quality!). I don't expect to be constantly switching back and forth between the arms during each listening session so it's a compromise I can easily live with for now.

The tubes are a pair of 12AX7s and a pair of 5687s. On the latter, the tubes are aready JAN type so I've only swapped the 12AX7s. You were right about letting the tubes settle - the sound improved a bit more today :)

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Jarraa,

That's good news :) I only had a 2 hour session yesterday after changing the tubes but I like what I hear so far. I've got a second arm and cartridge that I will be adding to the TW as soon as I finish making a custom DIY armboard (out of black ebony). Still waiting for the WSS phono cable as well but very excited about things to come.

latinsamba1

Owner
Installed a pair of 1963 12AX7 Mazda silver plate tubes in the Tron replacing the OEM Sovteks. My listening impression is that they add a bit more delicacy and air to the top end while improving bass definition. Good dynamics. They have slightly less gain than the Sovteks but are completely silent. I have not tried the Telefunken or Amperex alternatives but feel no need given how good these sound. Not a massive improvement but a very satisfying little tweak overall.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Kenny,

I love the finish on your new Aristotles. I have considered upgrading mine to the latest spec or may go for the Eufrodites when funds permit. If you are considering an amp change I know you would LOVE the Border Patrol with your speakers! I have also heard the S10 in Jeff's system driving the Cessaro Chopins and that was just magical.

Oh and FYI all of my impressions on the base SE300B are with the stock Electroharmonix tubes!!! The amp only has about 50 hours on it and I will eventually swap in the Sophia Carbon plate 300Bs and upgrade the other tubes. Based on what tube rolling did for the Manleys I expect the BP has even more untapped potential.

Ed

latinsamba1

Owner
Hello Charles,

The Manleys are great all-around 300B amplifiers but the BP SE300B has the slight edge in it's ability to convey micro musical nuances and a more organic 3D presentation. Bass performance is about equal between the two in SE mode but the Manleys would win in PP mode with 24 watts on tap. With the SE300B my listening volumes are 9-9:30 versus 8:30-9 with the Manleys due to their slightly lower output (which was to be expected). My musical taste is 30% classical, 30% jazz, 20% acoustic and vocals and 20% rock. For this mix and the 96db Hornings the Border Patrol is the winner in my view. If my speakers were only 93db efficient and my tastes were more heavily rock and large scale classical the Manleys might be the better choice.

I have had fun playing with both amps over the past few months but cannot help but wonder what an upgrade to the BP S10 configuration (with dual power supplies) would sound like. I imagine it would be very special :)

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: Added a Border Patrol SE300B amplifier a few months back to mix things up a bit. Thank you Jeff at Highwater Sound! This is the base single external power supply model but let me assure you it puts out a very robust sounding 8 watts. A great match with the Hornings.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Rauliruegas,

I have only logged a few hours on the Windfeld but it is already superior to the Cadenza in my system. Wider soundstage, more inner detail, bigger dynamic swings, better bass detail, more 3D presentation and a lower noise floor. The amazing thing is that the Windfeld retains ALL of the musicality of the Cadenza - ie you don't just get more resolution at the cost of an analytical sound.

With this cartridge I now feel that further major improvements in my system would come from upgrading other components (amps and speakers) rather than from the analog chain.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Assad,

Yes, I might take a ski trip out there next month. I'm not so sure I could convince my girlfriend to make a stop for a listening session though :(

So I decided to go with an Ortofon Windfeld after talking with Jeff and have about 12 hours on it so far. Right out of the box it was clearly a step up from the Cadenza Black. It still needs more hours but my initial impressions are that it provides yet another level of resolution and inner nuance, a wider soundstage, better bass detail and an even lower noise floor. It does all of this while retaining all of the musicality of the Black. It's an amazing cartridge.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Jetrexpro,

There is some voltage fluctuation which is why the Furman is critical. I had a PS Audio PPP before but the Furman sounded better in my system. Eventually I would like to daisy chain a IT-Ref 20 to the SPR-20i to clean the power further but there are other system priorities first. I'd love to have dedicated lines but that would be difficult in my apartment.

Your system looks very engaging as well. I have never heard the Audio Note speakers but I love how they can be placed right in the corners. Kudos on building your own 300b amplifier!

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Jarraa,

I went ahead and ordered a Windfeld. I'm looking forward to hearing what it can do in my system and I'll be sure to be extra careful with this one!

The extra power from your 845 monoblocks must sound really good with the Hornings. I'd love to see pics of your system when/if you decide to post them :)

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Jarrah,

Yes, I was REALLY upset when I did that.

I think you are right about the Black. It is likely more the difference between your amps and mine and not the cartridge. You also have the Lowther 65 drivers which are a major upgrade from my 45s. I have heard the Black sound much better on another system so I know that it is capable of a lot more. However, I heard the Windfeld on that system and it was even better yet. I guess I'm just looking for an excuse to upgrade the cartridge even though other areas of my system can also be improved upon :)

Thanks for the input on cartridges. Which Lyra model do you think would compare favorably to a Windfeld?

latinsamba1

Owner
Just as I was settling in with a few recent tweaks to my setup the unthinkable just happened...As I was changing records my sweater sleeve snagged the stylus of my Ortofon Cadenza Black and completely snapped the cantilever off!!! Not a good day :(

So basically a total write-off with only 400 hours on it and now in the market for another cart.

Any suggestions for my arm and table? I loved the musicality of the Cadenza Black but sometimes felt the sound was a bit too rounded. I would like something a bit more dynamic and resolving without losing the wonderful musicality of the Black.

Some possibilities may be the Ortofon Windfeld or Miyajima Kansui. I have heard both on TW tables and they are superb but quite a bit more money. Any other suggestions for my setup that won't completely break the bank?

latinsamba1

Owner
After only 8 months with the Raven AC I made the decision to get out of digital entirely. I found myself listening to vinyl 100% of the time these days and just wanted to free up funds for more vinyl (ok and maybe some minor upgrades :) So I sold my excellent modified Sony SACD player and now it's a vinyl only system. I'm a relatively young guy who grew up on digital and I'll say that I never would have predicted this move until the TW AC.

Who else here has made the same move? Any regrets?

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Pcosta,

I got the Furman over a year ago on Jeff's recommendation.

The voltage here in NYC fluctuates quite a bit (from 117 to 123 volts) which would affect the bias on my tube amps. I had a Power Plant Premier previously but had some reliability issues with it (the factory gave me a brand new replacement which I promptly sold).

The Furman has operated flawlessly and I feel it also sounds more neutral in my system (a cleaner and more natural sound). It handles my entire system with plenty of headroom to spare.

latinsamba1

Owner
A few months now with the Raven AC and I'm finding it to be so much better than even my initial impressions. It's allowed me to finally stop obsessing over gear and just listen to great music! No desire to make any changes soon but I may eventually add another tonearm and cart just for fun. Has anyone ever tried a vintage Fidelity Research FR-64/FR-7z combo on this table?

latinsamba1

Owner
Jarraa,

They both sound fantastic honestly but I haven't listened to the SATI long enough to draw real conclusions.

The best person to ask would be Jeff at Highwater Sound.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Pcosta,

The other speakers to consider are the Cessaro Chopins. I just heard them paired with Thoress amps and they would be perfect for your room. Extremely dynamic with an absolutely huge soundstage. Since you are in the market for the Telstar.... :)

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Pcosta,

I'm really enjoying the Aristotles and find them to be a good match for my 12x25 room. In terms of room treatment I only have tall potted plants in the corners which helped tame my acoustically live room a bit. Not willing to go further right now because my listening room is my living room. I have tried a few placements and they sound best about 20" off the side walls with about 2ft of back space.

On the Telstar you certainly won't be disappointed! I have heard it paired with both Horning and Cessaro speakers and the sound is absolutely incredible. Which speakers are you considering?

latinsamba1

Owner
I have the Hornings sitting on a pair of 3" thick maple platforms with 1" brass cones. I had them laying around from when they were previously used with my amps. The sound maybe warmed up slightly which was a good thing in my acoustically live room. The main thing was the added soundstage height which just gives them a bigger sound overall IMO.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Jarrah,

I have the Hornings sitting on a pair of 3" thick maple platforms with 1" brass cones. I had them laying around from when they were previously used with my amps. The sound maybe warmed up slightly which was a good thing in my acoustically live room. The main thing was the added soundstage height which just gives them a bigger sound overall IMO.

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: I finally got my Raven AC table and thought I'd share pics of the current setup. Many changes over the last 6 months! Now it's time for me to relax a bit and just enjoy the music...

latinsamba1

Owner
I am not certain but I believe the full function preamp only goes up to Ultimate. Regardless I can't imagine anyone wanting more :)

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Jarraa,

I have heard the individual phono stage but not in my system. From what Jeff told me I don't think you are giving up anything sonically with the one box preamp with phono. For me the decision was simple - less cables, less shelf space and lower total cost.

latinsamba1

Owner
Swapped my AZ Matrix Ref IIs for a pair of Au24e interconnects between the Tron pre and the amps. Not as dramatic as upgrading to the Au24e speaker cables but definitely a nice improvement. I will likely leave my Silver Ref IIs in the chain because this combination sounds really good with my SACD player.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Kenny,

The waiting part for the table is certainly painful but it will be well worth it I hope!

I'm getting a Raven AC-1 with the TW 10.5 arm. I already have an Ortofon Cadenza Black cartridge which I heard with that arm on a Raven One (and pretty much started my whole system transformation about a year ago). Very exciting stuff!

latinsamba1

Owner
System update: Bought an Audio Desk record cleaning machine to help me get a vinyl collection going. I have cleaned about 100 LPs with it so far and feel it was really worth the money. Quiet and does an excellent job. Looking forward to hitting a few used vinyl shops around NYC this weekend to have plenty of music ready for when my turntable arrives next month!

latinsamba1

Owner
In my room the Aristotles throw a larger soundstage with real depth and flesh around instruments and vocals. They also seem to pressurize the room with air in much the same way that I feel real instruments do. The midrange is as clear, natural and open as my Omegas but the overall sound is much better balanced across the whole frequency range. Bass in particular is more articulate and authoritative than I am used to even positioned a few feet out from the front wall. I wish I had a bigger room to allow them to really "breathe" as my living room is only 12ft wide but over 25ft long including the kitchen it opens to in the back. Even so, I am very happy with the improvements.

I'm also a fan of the TW tables and will be getting mine within the next month hopefully!

latinsamba1

Owner
I am driving the Hornings in SET mode which is 12 watts. SET with these speakers still has great control over the bottom end and more purity in the midrange. I am still playing with speaker positions but have already found that they love plenty of distance from the front wall. It's a bit easy to overload my room with the bass output otherwise and the soundstage becomes much deeper.

I plan to add a turntable in the next month which will require a totally revised rack configuration. My living room setup unfortunately only allows for the gear to be between the speakers so my plan is to have a low wood bench built to get the gear as low as possible. Major changes coming soon so I will provide new pics when its all done!

latinsamba1

Owner
System edited: Just upgraded to Horning Aristotles. Very natural sounding and great dynamics!

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Devilboy,

I would say you would be challenged on deep bass with most single driver systems in a room that size. My room is a bit narrower than yours and also opens up to a kitchen behind the living room area (the kitchen area is about the last 7ft or so of the length of the room). A matching Omega sub would cure that problem in a room like yours but I'm personally not a fan of subs.

latinsamba1

Owner
Thanks it certainly makes music now. I'm itching to hear the phono stage but a turntable is probably on hold until later this year.

latinsamba1

Owner
Thanks Sebrof. That's basically what I did this entire weekend with the arrival of my new Tron preamp a few days ago. I never fully appreciated the impact a preamp can make until now! Very happy.

latinsamba1

Owner
This is my 4th pair of speaker cables and replaced my previous AZ Hologram IIs. They gave me a bit more detail and I find that voices and instruments are more firmly locked in space. Very fast cable too which allows the speed of the Omegas to fully come through. IMO these are really outstanding cables for the money. If your system leans on the bright side though they could be a bit much.

latinsamba1

Owner
Hi Onemug,

The Manley sounds great in both modes but I keep it in SET which gives it that extra bit of air and sparkle while losing nearly nothing in the bass. Upgrading to the Sophia Carbon plate 300b tubes over the OEM Electroharmonix also made for a much more dynamic sound in SET.

latinsamba1