I started with a basement HT system about 10 years ago. I liked listening to music mostly and my wife allowed me to develop a separate 2ch system and home theater. In 2007, we moved to our new, custom built house. There is a first floor library/music room (23'by 25 by 9.5') built with double studs and double Quiet Rock 545 for outstanding sound isolation. With the custom 300lb door (rubber stoppers underneath which automatically click into place when the door closes) I have superb isolation which allows to play the music as loud as I want without any issues (ie wife) elsewhere. In the basement, there is a larger, separate beautiful home theater room (with an assist from Rives Audio design), similarly isolated for sound. I listen to classical, vocals, and jazz, and I especially enjoy acoustical music. I favor a natural relaxed sound, with as as much detail without sacrificing musicality. I live in the DC area and was fortunate to be exposed to vinyl and tubes by a local dealer, Vu of DeJavu Audio. I started with a Cary 300B amp and mmDeCapo speakers ( I still have them.) My next move was to 45 tube amps and the SAP speaker. I still have my first turntable and have upgraded the arm and cartridge. For digital, I started with the Sony 77ES SACD player, later had it modified by Dan Wright, and next purchased the EMM gear.
I really enjoy the Audiogon web site and learned a great deal, especially about trying things on my own. I love listening to music in my system, which continues to slowly evolve. To paraphrase, 'the world is flat' and 'there is always better'.
Custom Jensen Imperial Folded Horn Western Electric speakers
Custom-made Jensen mahogany cabinet with Western Electric (WE) 713 compression driver connected to WE ks-12025 horn and WE ks-12004 15" woofers and vintage WE super-tweeters (2011)
EMM Lab XDS1 CD/DAC
CD/SACD Player, with digital input to modified Sonos to amazing DAC. (2011)
Vintage Western Electric preamp
Western Electric transformer-coupled vintage preamp with battery power source, customized by Deja Vu Audio, with 264C tubes (2008)
Dejavu Audio 45 SET monoblocks
Custom-made parallel 45 valve (EML mesh pair per monoblock) SET monoblocks with Audio Note Kageki transformer, Black Gate and oil capacitors, (2 watts) from Deja Vu Audio (2004).
Nottingham Dais turntable
purchased 2002
Allaerts MC-1 mkII cartridge
purchased 2003
Nottingham Anna arm
purchased 2002
Sonos ZP 90 source
modified by Audiocom (2010)
HRS M1RX rack system
Burled walnut finish for preamp, dac, phonostage, (2006)
Jorma Design Prime interconnect
one meter interconnect between XDS-1 and preamp (2006)
Sablon Audio Gran Corona power cords
2011. From wall to Firewall, from Firewall to RTP for sources and preamp battery charger, and from wall to RTP for mono blocks. Superb weight and realism.
Prana Cosmos interconnect
4 meter IC from preamp to monoblocks. Purchased 2005
Shakti Hallographs
two pairs. superb addition. 2004
Symposium rollerblocks
single rollerblocks to monoblocks and double stack rollerblocks to XDS-1. 2001-02
Critical Mass Systems Grand Master amp stands
cocobola finish for SET monoblocks. 2006
Equitech 10WQF balanced AC wall panel
greater than 300 lb, basement wall cabinet subpanel supplying balanced power to dedicated circuits in both 2CH (four circuits) and HT (six circuits) systems- (2004).
Hovland Groove-2
phono interconnect. 2003
Herbie Audio Tube dampers
to tubes in monoblocks. 2003
Niitty Gritty Mini-Pro2 record cleaner
cobola finish. 2004
Custom dedicated circuits Oyaide/JPS
Four dedicated circuits with JPS Audio in wall AC cabling- 10awg (2007) and Oyaide RS-1 receptacles with SW-1 carbon covers (2007)
Acoustic Revive- room treatment RR-77
a pair of ultra-low frequency pulse generator (2008), located in front corners, on top of Shakti Hallographs. I prefer the supplied wallmart power supply. Like all Acoustic Revive products, outstanding.
Acoustic Revive- ground conditioner RGC-24
Ground Conditioners, attached to and placed underneath the Sonos and XDS-1. I have no idea why this thing works, but it significantly increases the SNR.
Acoustic Revive REM-8
2010. EMF canceller. One each under XDS-1 and Sonos
Bybee Stealth Power Purifier, v-2
2012. Replaced AR RTP. Fed by Sablon Audio GC plus
High end Novum Passive Multi-vocal Resonator
2012. Sonically and visually pleasing
HiFi Tuning Supreme fuses
2011. In monoblock amps, preamp. Effective upgrade.
REL Acoustics Stentor mkII
2008. Use upgraded (Synergistic Research) hi-pass connectors. Love Rel subs
WA-Quantum Chips
Applied to following (in order of greatest effect to least effect-still significant, IMO): speakers, power cords, interconnects, fuses.
Quietrock 545-THX
Acoustic isolation drywall. Room is double stud with 545 on each side (STC-80db)
Empirical Audio Synchromesh reclocker
Sonos digital out to reclocker, which goes digital out to DAC. Wow. 2013
Hi ! I just purchased a used Deja Vu Custom 45 Monoblocks. I like them very much. They will replace my Yamamoto A-08S 45 amp. Prior to that I had a Mactone 300B amp.
I am thinking to upgrade to EML 45 solid plates, Mullard CV378 rectifiers and to keep 4 CBS Jan 5692 tubes. What is your recommendation? Any other suggestions. I am thinking to get Acoustic Revive RR-77
i've been trying to find out more abt the "Acoustic Revive- ground conditioner RGC-24". how is this device being connected to your DCC2? hv you tried it on any other devices (e.g. preamps, etc.)? where does it make the biggest improvements?
am running DCC2 direct to amp via PAD dominus ferox (dominus ferox powercords & speaker cables). although i'm happy with dominus (very black background, textured midrange, great dynamics & soundstage), they're a touch limited in higher freq. (i.e. treble extension & detail) when paired with my current speakers.
hoping to try diff. interconnects (stealth indra, jorma prime) &/or speaker cables (kubala emotion, stealth dream, jorma) to see if i'm able to acheive better bal.
I recently purchased the Jorma Design Prime ic for between my DCC2 and preamp. I also own the Stealth Indra and NBS Black Label. After break-in of the Prime, I compared all three. The Prime in comparison has a blacker background, more natural harmonics, and a significantly larger soundstage. This latter characteristic is not as important to me as the first two. I have to say that the Indra held its own very well and IMO, when purchased used, is a great performance/price value. Hope this helps.
I sent my DCC2 to EMM labs for the upgrade to the Signature (btw, a very swift and efficient transaction). Thus I found it hard to make any significant initial comparison without having both to compare. However, after hearing the upgraded unit for a month, I find my system even more relaxed, with more detail and low level information. IMO, well worth the not inconsiderable cost of upgrade.
Amperidian, Thank you for your comments. It has been a very enjoyable and humbling evolution. IMS there are some tweaks/changes that I 've noticed right away, like tube dampers, isolation, active biamping, Hallograph, intellichip, EML tubes etc. There are some that make no difference (IMO) such as shakti stones, power cord wraps. There are many that I am not sure of like the Clever little clock, Golden Sound soundstage expander. And finally there are those that I only notice a difference if I remove them after a period of time , but not if I A/B them, such as most cabling, Brilliant Peebles, contact enhancers such as SST or Quiksilver, Audiomagic Sound disrupters, most power conditioners. The Walker High definition links you asked about are in this last category. I only notice a difference after a while after I remove them ( lessening of the sound stage, less relaxation, slightly brighter sound.) I can not tell you if there is a difference between the baseline links and the more expensive Reference links.
I was just wandering what experience you have with the walker audio reference high def. links? Are they better than using runs of biwireable sc's? Have you compared the sound of your system using a biwire sc's from the same company?
You have adressed a lot of things in your system (form powerconditioning to vibration control) and it looks like you your gear is top notch too. I was just wandering how good the w.a. links are in a high resolution system such as yours... as I may sell one run of sc's and go to them also if they are worth it.
My system is very modest compared to yours, but like yourself I derive much musical enjoyment from it. I use both Symposium and HRS products with great results ... great companies IMHO. I noticed you also use SRA for your amps.
Thank you for posting such a great system on audiogon.
Thank you for your kind comments. I enjoy music and the jorney to maximize my listening experience. I also value the community of Audigon and what I have learned. I will post pictures in the near future.
WOW!!! I am simply in awe over the component list you have. From the upstream components to the downstream ones, the analog and digital source, all are state-of-the-art equipment that should elevate you to AUDIO NIRVANA! I would encourage you to post pictures of your current set up for everyone to behold and admire. CONGRATULATIONS on your phenomenal, one-of-a-kind audio system!
