Musical library

by rgwrjs on All Out Assault

Description

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'.
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Components Toggle details

    • 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

Comments 18

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Owner
System edited: Updated system

rgwrjs

Owner
System edited: Finally added pictures (2/11)

rgwrjs

Owner
Alexsee,

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.

Reg

rgwrjs

Owner
System edited: system edited. added Jena Labs model power cords and HRS rack.

rgwrjs

Owner
Peepoy2,

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.

Reg

rgwrjs

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