Description

edit 7-29-2018 

I have had to let go of several long held beliefs as I have continuously improved the synergy of the system. Therefore the title.

Dual mono tube preamp/line stage in the system above 160Hz.

PS A DirectStream, Jadis JP-200/800, dual chassis line stage through Aural Thrills AC tube powered interconnect, and from line stage to amps with tube powered active shield interconnects.

Tubes in or near the front end and the same for the rear. Tubes on the stats. H-class SS on the woofers and, D-class amps built into the subwoofers.
D, but mostly tubes.

8 tube head amp/pre-pre amp, Phono 8 tubes, 6 tubes each line stage, Mono block amps 14 tubes each. interconnects 1 tube ea.(three sets)

59 tubes total, driving Prodigy stats, with lots of SS grunt on the woofers and paired active subwoofers.
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Room Details

Dimensions: 13’ × 24’  Medium
Ceiling: 8’


Components Toggle details

    • Purple Preamp ADAT-ST
    Most of you are too young to remember the pull down turntable with built in speakers, and sometimes tuners, back in the 60's to spin our vinyl.

    Of course we all eventually progressed to separate turntables with a receiver and separate speakers.

    Of course then transitioned into a a separate preamp and power amp.

    Some of us even moved on to mono amps. And preamps with a separate phono section, and line section. And possibly a separate power supply.

    So, this is a block diagram of all my separate pieces.
    • Jadis JP-800
    Built in China and sold as a Jadis JP-200. The JP-200 was a four chassis preamp full function (phono included) using 12AX7's. However, this is a line section only preamp. The four chassis JP-800 was built around 12AU7's. I have the additional chassis and parts now.  But I will probably never build the separate power supply chassis because it sounds so good now.  All the line section 12A*7's in the left and right line sections have been replaced with three 12SN7's , and the coupling caps have been paralleled with large US NOS PIO caps. Therefore this is closer to a JP-800 clone with a digital readout.
    • Jadis JP-200
    Dual mono (two chassis) using the Lite Audio L's Audio A28 chassis with one LSD-Y power supply each and a single channel JP-200 clone. Tubes are NOT as spec'd, but rolled with US NOS. Line tubes 3-12SN7's , regulator and reference tubes 12bh7, and 12B4A. Russian rectifier/diode tube. All NOS.
    • PS Audio DirectStream DAC
    With the latest firmware - Redcloud
    • HP Touchsmart 520-1047c
    Dedicate as the music server. Runs Fidelizer, and jRiver for graphics interface.  Files played from memory.
    • Audio by Van Alstine Bridge - Stereo to monoblock
    Van Alstine engineering prototype bridge.  Coverts two stereo amps to monoblocks with twice the voltage swing to the speakers.  Theoretically 4 time the single stereo power, real world something over 3 times.
    • Cary Audio Design CAD-280sa, V12
    A pair of these, bridged as 325 watt mono blocks. 2-6sn7 input tubes and 12 el34's per amp
    • Martin Logan Prodigy
    Prodigy with Blue Analine side panels, and DIY oak perch on the left side used for mouse and remotes.

    ALL passive crossover components bypassed.  Therefore, active electrostatic hybrids powered by 325 watt tube mono blocks.

    These huge "headphones" with powered subs are wonderful, and have to be heard, as setup, to truly understand and appreciate.
    • Behringer EP4000
    H Class AB, MOSFET amp monoblock. One channel only directly driving Prodigy woofers in series.  550 watts RMS into nominal 8 ohms. Used from 160 Hz to 45 digital crossover, 48 db slope.
    • Behringer EP4000 monoblock
    Second H Class AB, MOSFET amp monoblock. One channel only directly driving Prodigy woofers in series.  550 watts RMS into nominal 8 ohms. Used from 160 Hz to 45 digital crossover, 48 db slope.
    • Martin Logan Depth - pair
    The three 8" woofers move the air of a 13". The D-class amps are optimized for the task and lots of crossover and volume control with each sub makes them a perfect match for the Prodigy, in my listening room. Digital crossover to input @ 45Hz to 25Hz LR 48db/octave.
    • Counterpoint SA-2
    Tube rectified head amp, moving coil step-up amp.  8 tubes
    • Conrad Johnson PV-5
    This is an 8 tube classic from the "80's". I use it as a dedicated phono preamp. The phono and line sections have about 70 db of gain combined. It will work with moving coil. Currently being used with the GAS moving coil.
    • Linn LP-12 Valhalla
    If you are a Linn die hard you will NOT like this one. Bottom is off. Rubber feet are gone and three cones in their place. Damping on the platter and subplatter. Armboard replaced with plexi and bolted to subchassis. Tonearm "floating" on armboard. At least those are the major changes. Oh, and Boston record mat.
    • CJ/Behringer X2/PS Audio/Jadis SA-2/PV5/SCR2496/DEQ/DirectStream DAC/JP200
    Phono(Counterpoint SA-2, CJ PV5, SCR2496, DEQ2496, digital preamp PS Audio DirectStream DAC, JP200's to stat tube amps, PS Audio to woofer monoblocks. See the individual pieces below.
    • GAS (Great American Sound) Sleeping Beauty
    Currently in service. GAS Sleeping Beauty, MC cartridge Manufacturer: The Great American Sound Co., INC., USA, actually an OEM cartridge made for them in Japan by Coral. The Sleeping Beauty was a rebadged Coral 777EX Principle: Moving Coil (MC Output voltage: 0.3 mV Frequency response: 10 Hz - 35000 Hz Tracking force: 1.3 - 2.0 g
    • Koetsu Rosewood Mk II NOS
    Currently out of service because of a lost tip. :-( I had a Rosewood back in the late 70's with an Audiocraft AC300 on a Linn.

    I went through a few cartridges and a few tables and arms before I made it back home to a Rosewood, Linn, and Audiocraft.
    • Grado Signature 8MR
    Now in retirement in favor of GAS above. For decades, the Grado name has been synonymous with providing affordable cartridges that hint at the performance of expensive moving-coils. Although Grado Labs founder/designer, Joseph Grado may be best known for inventing the moving-coil cartridge, and for marketing moving-iron cartridges in the 70's that were more expensive than any moving-coil then available in the US (that is until the original Koetsu Rosewood broke the four digit price barrier), his greatest impact on the affordable market was the introduction of the Signature 8 cartridge in the early 80's. This $200 reference moving-iron design represented a drastic price reduction from his previous decade of efforts and had few glaring flaws. It's smooth tonal balance, superb dynamics and resolution of detail, and soundstaging capabilities competed with many more expensive moving-coils of the day. All of the Grado cartridges shared a rich, seductive midrange that made them attractive to audiophiles who cherished realistic vocal reproduction.
    • Audiocraft AC300
    This 1970's vintage arm is Still a good match for my Rosewood or GAS. But it is even a better arm now that it sits in a VTAF.
    • Peter Riggle Audio Engineering VTAF
    What can I say that has not been said. Just check his website. Link is here; http://www.vtaf.com/vtafdescription.html
    • Boston Audio Design MAT-1
    Carbon fiber mix
    • Audioquest Sorbothane Record Mat
    Sits on platter UNDER the Boston
    • Behringer DCX2496
    Crossover - digital domain - 48db/octave at 160Hz and down to 25Hz.  Used for woofers and subwoofers only.
    • Behringer SRC 2496
    Behringer's very inexpensive sample rate converter.  Used to digitize the CJ PV5 at 24/96 to the PS Direct stream DAC for bass ONLY!

    ANALOG from cartridge all the way to the stats!!!.
    • Behringer Ultra-Curve Pro DEQ2496 - Currently NOT in system
    Available on the web for $350 or less. The Behringer Ultra-Curve Pro DEQ2496 offers 4 concurrently selectable EQ modules: 31-band graphic, 10-band parametric, Feedback Destroyer, and 3 dynamic EQs per channel. Other highlights are the 61-band RTA that can run simultaneously with the EQ section, high-quality 24-bit/96kHz A/D/A converters, and 2 high-performance 32/40-bit floating-point SHARC digital signal processors which yield ultimate sonic resolution and 113dB dynamic range. Multifunction level meters, 64 user memories, RTA mic/line input. Balanced inputs, servo-balanced outputs with gold-plated XLR connectors, stereo aux output, and AES/EBU and S/PDIF I/Os (XLR and optical)
    • Locus Design Group Polestar
    The Locus Design exclusive Complect™ braid of ultra pure CryoFreeze™ treated DCT-UP-OCC conductors and Teflon air tubes make up the inner design of the cable. Over this base a tinned copper weave and strategic use of ERS fabric is added for shielding and additional damping. Finally, a layer of Multifilament nylon is pulled over the complete assembly for extra damping and aestethic appeal.
    • Aural Thrills DC Tube ACS
    12AU7 twin triode tube amplifier. It is powered by a AC-DC wallwart converter and the output of the tube amp charges the shield to about 50 volts. With the wrong tube it is not that special. With the right tube. WOW
    • Aural Thrills Tube Powered Active Cables
    to follow
    • Aural Thrills Tube Powered Active Cables
    AC version of the interconnects with NOS 12AU7. Tom Kenny's statement to me, "If the DC version is a 7 than the AC is a 10". He is correct! :-)
    • Van den Hul The First Ultimate - etc.
    Carbon interconnects!!! Lots of pairs of The First Ultimate, and MK II. 0.8 to 3 meter pairs. Using one for pair from TT to phono in. The rest are currently retired.
    • Cardas Helink Golden 5-C
    At one time Cardas' top of the line speaker cable.  From EP4000 monos direct to woofers
    • Audioquest Volcano 144v
    From the Zero boxes to the Prodigy stats. Four foot pair, upgraded to 144v system. Audioquest sold the 144v version for a short while. It has been explained to me that UL had a problem/requirement for something at that voltage level. Apparently the improvement in sound was not be enough to make AQ jump through more UL hoops.
    • Alpha-Core MI-3 Divinity
    Nice beefy cooper from the Behringer mono blocks to the woofers.
    • Blue Circle BC68
    The BC68 is essentially a BC62 power cord with a built in line-conditioner equivalent to two BC86 MKII noisehounds. It was developed and serendipitously  used with some Matin Logan electrostatic loudspeakers. Now in the MkIII iteration     http://www.bluecircle.com/page88.html
    • Virtual Dynamics - kinda Master Series DIY 6 awg
    These huge 6 AWG!!!! solid core/single strand AC power cords are real BANG for the BUCK!($70 cost) Here are threads to details and construction; http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&1242155869&openmine&zzBruce_weiland&4&5#Bruce_weiland http://www.carveraudio.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=11564&start=0
    • Equi=Tech Son of Q
    I use two of these balance AC transformer conditioners.  Took care of ALL of my hum problems that I had battled for year.  Lowered noise floor.
    • BPT Balance Power Technologies BPT-2
    BPT-2 balance AC power transformer, small, older unit for analog front end.
    • DIY Sound Flags
    A cross between Michael Green's room tunes, and ASC's sound flags. Standard fiberglass wall insulation cut into triangles, with a cheap fabric triangle "pillow case like" cover.

Comments 68

Showing all comments by jedinite24.

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Hi Bruce

Will you keep the Tice power gird intact or will that be sold off too? Your system has been a favorite of mine for years as well as an inspiration. I would keep your system as is and stop tweaking but to each is their own. Can't wait to see what your new system will be like.

jedinite24

Hi Bruce

Glad to see your system is back here on A'gon. I hope it won't disappear again. Your entire system never ceases to amaze me. Lots of tweaking and TLC looks to have gone into it through the years. I definitely found some inspiration from it in the form of some DIYing. I don't think I can take it to your level though.

I also never thought the chassis of those Manley amps can handle so much weight. Looks like they have over 50lbs each on them.

Well enjoy your system and Thanks for putting it out here again. It must have taken lots of time. Make sure A'gon archives it proper so it won't vanish again. ;)

jedinite24