Rockitman's System

by rockitman on All Out Assault

Description

My "All Out Assault" on two channel reproduction started back in 2009 with the acquisition of Wilson Audio W/P 8's. Prior to getting those speakers my system remained pretty much static from 1994-2009. It was a Mark Levinson system consisting of No.27.5, No.36, No.380s. Speakers were Aerial Acoustic 10t's. It was a digital only system. After the W/P's came the PS Audio Perfect Wav DAC/Trans. This was my first time being exposed to hi-rez playback. It only took a few hi-rez needle drops for me determine that analog was the way to go for best sounding audio. 

System tour on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=LL8mwfiB_0vQtdPPbBJv0EMQ&v=pd1JYxBZS3s




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Components Toggle details

    • American Sound AS-2000 Turntable
    Belt driven (Pabst Capstan) super high mass turtable. It is the absolute state of the art in vinyl spinners. Using NOS SME 3012R’s as primary arms. Knife edge bearing from the early1970’s. Original NOS cables for the arms too. Total weight...approximately 500lbs. Air platter, no bearing.
    • TechDAS Air Force One
    Ripple free air bearing, air suspension and vacuum hold down. Running 12" Graham Supreme rear slot and Phantom Elite (Not here yet) with Nordost Odin wiring and tone arm cable. (DIN->RCA)
    • Clearaudio Master Innovation
    Belt-driven magnetic drive. Ceramic Magnetic bearing.
    • Technics RS 1500
    Nortronics Pro 1/2 tack, head wired out to external tape preamp (King/Cello NAB/IEC, 15 ips). All inferior Technics electronics are bypassed.
    • Otari MTR-10 RTR Tape Deck
    2 Channel, 1/4" tape, head wired out for use with King/Cello tape preamp.
    • King/Cello Tape Pre IEC/NAB
    adjustible Hi Freq. EQ
    • Studer A810
    2 units...one fully stock, the other with a JRF Magnetics repro head upgrade.
    • Otari MX 5050 Bll-2
    1/4" two track RTR player/recorder
    • Lamm Industries LP-1 Signature Phono
    The LP1 Signature is a vacuum tube preamplifier that employs a high current pure class A operation from input to output.  No loop feedback is employed.  Other features include:
    • Audibly neutral power supplies (one for each channel) featuring full-wave vacuum rectifiers, choke contained filters, vacuum tube high-voltage regulators, and solid-state low-voltage analogue non-switching regulators used as the heater supplies
    • Three separate inputs for MM and MC (two inputs) cartridges
    • All amplification stages utilize high transconductance super low noise high-current vacuum triodes
    • Very accurate RIAA EQ network

    Each preamplifier is carefully handcrafted of the finest materials and hand selected top quality parts like military-grade DALE metal-film resistors, RCD wire-wound resistors, BOURNS multi-turn potentiometers; ELECTROCUBE, CORNELL DUBILIER and ROEDERSTEIN film capacitors; high frequency switching grade CORNELL DUBILIER electrolytic capacitors; HAMMOND chokes; gold-plated NEUTRIC connectors; and military-grade low-noise long-life vacuum tubes.

    A custom-designed massive damping panel installed in the preamplifier unit significantly reduces all types of mechanical vibrations which, in turn, leads to a more extended, coherent and natural bass reproduction.
    The LP1 Signature features a custom-designed super-low noise power transformer.

    • Allnic H-5000 DHT Phono
    LCR. Adjustable EQ, direct heated triode phono stage. 1950-1960 RCA Miltary spec 5U4G tubes used for rectification. Voltage regulation via Takatsuki 300B tubes.
    • Allnic HA-3000 Head Amp
    Nuvistor tube based moving coil head amp.
    • SME 3012R Phono pick up arm
    1970’s NOS with knife edge bearing...not the shit gimbal bearing design that came out later.
    • Graham Engineering Phantom Elite 10 inch
    Grahams new reference arm with improved bearing, wiring, bearing house, arm tube
    • Graham Engineering Phantom II Supreme
    Fluid damped, uni-pivot design. 10 & 12 inch arm wand x 2.
    • Clearaudio Universal Tone Arm with VTA Lifter
    • Nordost Odin Supreme Reference Cabling
    2-1.25 meter DIN to RCA phono cables. 1-1.5 meter XLR for phono stage to main pre. 1-5 meter XLR for main pre to amps. 1.5 meter RCA, 4-2.5 meter Power Cords. 4 meter speaker cable.
    • Nordost Valhalla Reference DIN phono
    Used with Graham arm.
    • Koetsu Coralstone Platinum
    understated beauty of the petrified coral bodes…so rare is the material that cartridges in this guise will only be available in the US, priced at $15000 with production unlikely to exceed a couple of dozen…stunning naturalness and presence…a sense of substance and stability to the image…big and rich and vibrant…There's a rightness, an immediately convincing quality to its presentation that draws you into the music. Specifications: Body: Coral Stone Type: Moving Coil Coil Wiring: Silverplated Copper Magnet: Platinum Magnet Cantilever: Boron Cantilever Output Volts: 0.3mV Frequency Range: 20Hz to 100kHz Channel Seperation: 25db/1kHz Inner Impedance: 5 Ohm Channel Balance: 0.5db/1kHz Recommended Impednace: 30 Ohm Weight: 12g Compliance: 5 x 10-6 cm/dyne at 100 hz
    • Koetsu Tiger Eye Platinum
    Koetsu Tigereye Technical Data •Body: Tigereye •Type: moving coil •Coil wiring: silver-plated copper •Magnet: platinum •Cantilever: boron •Output: .3mV •Frequency range: 20Hz-100kHz •Channel separation: 25dB/1kHz •Inner impedance: 5 ohms •Channel balance: .5dB/1kHz •Recommended impedance: 30 ohms •Weight: 12.5 •Compliance: 5x10-6cm/dyne at 100Hz
    • Dynavector DRT XV-1t
    Urushi bamboo body. Dynavectors statement cartridge.
    • Ortofon MC A90
    Two units...One still Sealed for the future.
    • Shelter Harmony
    Shelter Phono Cartridge
    Output Voltage: 0.5 mV at 1Khz 5 cm/sec.
    Weight: 8.5 grams
    Channel Balance: within 0.8 dB at 1Khz
    Tracking Force: 1.4 to 2.2 grams
    Stylus Tip: 1.6 X 0.3 mil Line Contact Nude Diamond
    DC Resistance: 15 Ohm
    Recommended Load Impedance:
    Step Up Transformer - 10 to 30 Ohms
    Head Amplifier - within 100 Ohms
    High Gain EQ-amp - within 47K Ohms
    Compliance - 9 ìm/mN
    • Benz Micro Gullwing SLR
    MOMC
    • Lyra Olympos - Mono Phono Cartridge

    One of 4 mono versions ever made. SL single coil design. Output: .15mV

    Truly the Holy Grail for mono record playback.

    • Ikeda 9TT - Mono
    LOMC
    • PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC

    Stereophile Recommended Component 2015

    Class A+ Stereophile rated DirectStream DAC converts any digital input format, such as PCM or DSD to a pure DSD stream and outputs near-perfect analog directly to your power amplifier or preamplifier. Whatever the format, whatever the sample rate, DirectStream is a pure DSD based solution that fulfills the promise of a high-resolution analog performance standard the originators of CDs promised over 30 years ago. Hear what’s been missing in your music for all these years. If you know the sound of music and instruments, and want to hear what’s been missing on your discs, then this DAC is right for you.

    • PS Audio PerfectWave PWT
    Buffered Memory player. 24/192 capable
    • Pass Labs XS Preamp - Dual Chassis
    It is a large two chassis preamp built in a true dual mono arrangement. The circuit board materials are optimized for performance in each area, a power supply circuit board has different requirements
    • Pass Labs XS-150 Dual Chassis Monoblocks
    Class A solid state dual chassis mono-blocks Xs These are Pass Laboratories ultimate expression of Power Amplifiers the perfect blend of science and visceral emotion. The successor to our already lavishly praised and well regarded Supersymmetry patent. Every technical effort has been made to assure exceptional specifications, among these: Separate chassis for lower electromagnetic noise Power supplies with greatly enhanced storage capacitance Banks of redundantly parallel high speed / soft recovery rectifiers Improved high frequency noise filters Larger / quieter transformers Improved passive decoupling Lower power standby Input impedances of 200 k-ohm balanced with negligible capacitance These amplifiers will drive any load, while being driven from any source. If there’s a more emotionally satisfying amplifier anywhere, we’re not aware of it. Xs 150 / Specifications Gain (db)26 Power Output /ch (8 ohm)150 Power Output /ch (4 ohm)300 Maximum Output (Amps)30 Input Impedance,(Kohms)200k Balanced, 100k single-ended Power Consumption (W)500 Number of Chassis2 Dimensions (W x H x D)19 x 11.5 x 21.5 (each) Unit Weight (LBS)130 + 100
    • Wilson Audio Alexandria X2.2
    almandine black metallic with Black Grills
    • Table Stable TS-140
    Active Isolation table
    • Millennia Media NSEQ-4
    Profesional Level Parametric Utilized via tape loop on main pre when needed. EQ World’s first all-discrete, true differential Class-A input buffer/amplifier Selectable balanced or unbalanced input Greatly improved 3rd generation FSA-03 all-discrete EQ amplifier Improved output stage, no muting required (as with Twin Topology) True hard-wire bypass when EQ not selected Upgraded power supply leading to improved sonic performance
    • PS Audio P5 Power Plant
    Clean AC power Regenerator for source components only. Amps plugged directly into wall.
    • Stillpoints Ultra 5
    Used under Pass XS 150 amps, Wilson X-2.2 speakers and Clearaudio Master Innovation turntable.
    • Stillpoints LP1
    Used on top of all music chain components and as record weights for both turntables.
    • Stillpoints Ultra SS
    Isolation/Vibration control component footers
    • KL Audio Ultrasonic Record Cleaner
    The best ultrasonic record cleaner. Uses only distilled water.
    • Entreq Silver Tellus
    Signal grounding box. I use two...one dedicated to main preamp and the other dedicated to the phono preamp.
    • Entreq Atlantis Grounding Cables
    Two pairs for main preamp, one pair for phono stage
    • Clearaudio ACCUDRIVE
    Battery power supply for Clearaudio Master Innovation turntable.
    • Western Electric 422A Rectifiers
    Purchased NOS (1960 MFG Date)Used for rectification in the Allnic H5000 DHT phono preamp
    • Takatsuki 300B Tubes
    Hi-End 300B tube made in Japan. Used for voltage regulation in the Allnic H5000 DHT Phono preamp. These make a big difference on the performance of the tubes in the gain stage.
    • Torus Power RM-15 Plus Isolation Transformer
    2 units....one for each power amp channel.

Comments 277

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Owner
Hi Peter,

I did not. I'm not sold on impedance matching network boxes, especially when one size would not fit all. Valhalla is neutral and fast amongst other desireable sonic traits, so I went with it...

rockitman

Rockitman,
Did you ever audition speaker wire from Transparent? I'm curious because that is what Wilson uses in its speakers and it is supposed to be very good, though I have never tried it in my own system. Cables are the next area of investigation in my system as well.
Congratulations, your system must sound tremendous.

peterayer

Owner
The final piece (speaker wire) was ordered today. After long deliberations between Siltech Royal Signature and Nordost Valhalla...I went for a 4 meter pair of Valhalla (shotgun) spade to spade.

rockitman

Owner
Koetsu Coralstone Platinum cart arrives 6/22/12. Thanks Albert Porter ! :-)

rockitman

Owner
System edited: Added new pics showing the Wilson Alexandria X-2 Series 2 and the Millennia NESQ-4 Parametric EQ that I use when the source mastering dictates. It's a modern day Cello and allows precise adjustment via my listening position. I now use Element Signature Titan Ag (6 nines) silver interconnect for the long run of the EQ to my main preamp. Two pairs, 13 feet each with Cardas Rhodium plated XLR's. They sound excellent and hold their own with my Nordost Valhalla, Tyr and Siltech 770i cables I use on source components. I connect it via a tape loop so I can one click disengage it from the sound chain with my remote.

rockitman

Tell us all about those big boys!

madfloyd

It's going to be a great day.

Regards,

metralla

Owner
The Alexandria's arrive today !

rockitman

Owner
06-02-12: Zerv
Can you recommend someone to do the retrofit on the Technics 1500? Thanks.

Contact Charles King (Chris Moynihan referred you)...from King/Cello Tape preamps. He made my tape pre and did my head block mod for the technics 1500.

607-432-0528

rockitman

Can you recommend someone to do the retrofit on the Technics 1500? Thanks.

zerv

Owner
W/P 8's are leaving my system (frown). They are being replaced June 8th with Wilson Alexandria X-2, Series 2 in Almandine Black. I can't wait. (smile)

rockitman

Owner
05-29-12: Thankful
Rockitman how does the PS Audio P5 AC Re-generator perform in your system? I have the PWT and PWD MKII as well. Nice system.

It's great. Whether it sounds any better, different than the Power Plant Premier it replaced I don't know. I use a P5 for all the source components and use individual PPP's (1 for each monoblock).

rockitman

Owner
05-22-12: Kmccarty
Very, very nice system. Can you compare and contrast your reel-to-reel machines? Also, how do you like your Adona racks? Do they provide good isolation?

I still have a Techincs 1500 deck with a pro Nortronics 2 track repro head that is wired out directly to an outboard tape preamp (King/Cello). The consumer playbck electronics are not very good, so that is why it is done this way. The Studer A810's are stock. They sound very good and have a very robust dynamic sound about them. For ultimate fidelity, the Technics with the outboard preamp wins by a bit over the Studer. The tape handling isn't as good. One fast forward/rewind speed...full out. With the Studer you can slow rewind way down to reduce tape shed. So I use them for all rewinding.

The Adona racks are great. Very well built and solid. I use them on a poured concrete floor...My basement that is carpeted.

rockitman

Rockitman how does the PS Audio P5 AC Re-generator perform in your system? I have the PWT and PWD MKII as well. Nice system.

thankful

Very, very nice system. Can you compare and contrast your reel-to-reel machines? Also, how do you like your Adona racks? Do they provide good isolation?

kmccarty

Way cool system! I saw that model Clearaudio at CES, it's very beautiful.

A Technics tape deck is shown in one system image but I see in component list you appear to have replaced it with a Studer A810.

That's exactly the same path I took and how I got sucked into collecting tape. Great job on all, I know you're enjoying it.

albertporter

Love the photos of your room. The wide angle makes the XA100.5 look HUGE. I know Pass/Wilson are a great combination, so your system must sound great. Could you describe the sonic difference you heard when you put your amps up on stands?

Also I'm curious about the gain settings on both your XP-25 and XP-30. I have the XP-20 and Xono. I just got a new analog rig - SME 30/12, V-12 arm, Air Tight supreme cartridge. I've been experimenting with cartridge loading and gain settings inside the Xono. There are so many possible settings that it is a long process, though I'm hearing differences and learning in the process. I'm finding that it is all about getting the balance right. Too much in either direction loses the magic.

I prefer the lowest gain settings in both pre amps. This may be from my days owning the Pass Aleph P which was a one box unit but it had gain dials on the front with a volume control, similar to the XP-30. Pass recommended at the time that the gain be turned as low as possible (to the left) while the volume be turned as high as possible (to the right). This resulted in lower noise and higher fidelity. In my Xono, increasing the gain results in a pronounced and aggressive mid range. Too forward with glare.

Could you share your finding with these next generation Pass pre amps? Thanks.

peterayer

nice set up /room

andromedaaudio

Owner
Thanks for posting in my system thread Ortofon. I'm happy the record has finally been set straight.

rockitman

As there have been a few questions about Ortofon stylus life lately, we would like to set some facts straight.

Understandably, there had previously been some confusion as we had once issued a statement claiming 600-1000 hours for stylus life. This, unfortunately, was regarding the lifetime of “tipped” or “bonded” type diamonds which are found primarily in the cartridges we manufacture for DJ use.

However, according to our designer and engineers, HiFi cartridges with Nude diamonds can expect to far exceed 2,000 hours with proper care and maintenance. The precursors to this lifespan are as follows:

1. Proper care must be taken to ensure the proper alignment, tracking force, and azimuth of the cartridge during setup.
2. Appropriate vinyl care must be exercised regularly in order to keep each record free of dust, record release compound, record sleeve residue, and other contaminants.
3. The stylus must be gently cleaned without the use of solvents, directly before and after each record side is played.

Another consideration to be made is that the diamond stylus will begin to exhibit physical changes after approximately 1,000 hours. This is a feature of all diamond styli from all manufacturers, not uniquely ones used by Ortofon. To a degree, the usability of cartridges in the thousands of hours becomes a personal preference rather than an absolute.

Lastly, Ortofon does not use cultured (synthetic) diamonds.

We hope that this information has cleared up any former confusion.

Regards,

Ortofon

ortofoninc

Owner
Thanks Dan,

I need to update this gallery with my RTR stuff. Just bought my 4th RTR deck today...Studer A810 with output electronics updated.

rockitman

Rockitman,

I've been looking at your updated system on whatsbestforum.com

Wow!

danielk141

Owner
Peter,

I am very pleased with the Graham. I have lost motivation to spend $8K on another arm at this time. RTR has been hogging my focus as of late...

rockitman

Rockit, have you compared the Graham Supreme to either the Talea or the Reed? You mention those as your next upgrades, yet you seem extremely pleased with the Graham. I envy the adjustability of the Graham as I have an SME V. And I'm a huge fan of the Pass electronics. Congratulations again on the XP25 and 30.

peterayer

Owner
01-29-12: Bigpond
Hi Rockitman, How is the Graham compared to the Clearaudio Tonearm. Kind Regards Bigpond

The Graham Supreme beat the Universal in both sound quality and VTA adjustment precision. The Graham's spirit bubble level on the pivot tower makes all the difference. Getting a base VTA (perfectly level) with the Universal is hit and miss...with the Graham, I get it right for every record I play within 5 seconds. I fine tune, if necessary by ear from the reference level position established by the Graham bubble level. I would buy a Graham again over virtually any pivoted arm available.

rockitman

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