Sorry I missed your question earlier.

The holes are left open. I do not believe they go through.

I'm nor using BDR cones, I use Arios under the speakers, I have not tried Stillpoint, but I have thought about it and believe the Stillpoints would be perfect, I just can't afford them.

Removing the bases made the biggest difference in performance.

jadem6 March 06, 2013 14:55

System edited: Long overdue update of my system. Gone is the Aesthetix Calypso, added Aesthetix Callisto pre-amp and Io phono stage. Added custom turntable. Gone are Kubala Sosna Emotion cables, added Jade Audio interconnects, speaker cables and Dream State power cords.

jadem6 May 09, 2010 23:43

System edited: In order to show my DIY Interconnects as discussed [url=http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?rcabl&1150905409&openusid&zzJadem6&4&&]here[/url] I am using the “My System” thread which allows me to attach pictures. I have posted them with captions.

jadem6 July 17, 2006 00:52

Thanks Bill, I need to hear I'm not too far gone. If you look at the picture that is face on to my fireplace you'll see a large brown bear who looks like she's sitting on the other bears head. (on the hearth) Her name is Leone, and she is actually sitting on a box to get the higher reflection spot. She was made locally by a friend of my mother and was presented to me as a birthday present. Her name comes because she is made from my Grandmother's old mink stole. Grandma's name was Leone, so... It's really a very cool idea for those old furs that have some sentimental value. My cousin was in town this past summer and she could not stop hugging Grandma Leone, now reduced to a bear, but she felt the presence, very cool!

I had not hear about John Dunlavy. Sad news indeed. I have had many long phone conversations with him over the years. He was always willing to take large amounts of time to help educate and share his experiences. I have found I often do not agree with his opinions, but he was a fine speaker/cross-over designer and brought value into a hobby that needs more men of his integrity and love for music reproduction. I will certainly include him in my prayers.

jadem6 January 28, 2006 04:49

Hi William,
Yes I am a hopeless bear lover. The white Polar bear is a true music coinsurer and enjoys every form of music. The bears by the fireplace have sacrificed the listening experience for the job of reflection absorption off the brick. The deep firebox is a great trap for breaking up standing waves. Behind my listening position are the true music loving bears. I have about thirty that sit in the sweet spot, and they also break up reflection off the back wall.

It’s sad I know, but teddy bears just have a way of making me smile. I will attached a picture of some of my smaller bears posing for a photo I use as my desktop. Yes, I am a very strange man, but I’m happy.

jadem6 January 28, 2006 00:23

This is a very hard question to answer because it’s so subjective. Having said that; I will try to describe my impressions.. The Nordost Valhalla were my interconnects and speaker cable for many years. I defended them fiercely as “the” reference cable. Their speed, definition, slam, and soundstage were beyond anything I had heard and I tried most of the high end cables before I decided on the Valhalla. The major weakness of the Valhalla is the top end is thin, as if too transparent. This made instruments like violins and steel string guitars sound edgy and shimmery. Another complain in hind sight was they were so exact and detailed, sounds often had no body or seemed suspended in space rather than grounded to the floor. The thinness is what I was aware of over the years, but overall no other cable I had tried did as much right as the Valhalla.

I then had an opportunity to try the Kubala-Sosna Emotion. I first only heard my system with one pair of KS Emotion interconnects. I was immediately taken with how blacker the background was and how much body now existed in comparison. The speed did not appear to lessen and the extension was full in both directions, but the violins now had a resonance to the body of the instrument. I later had the chance to add one cable at a time into my system. First we swapped power cables from Electraglide Epiphany, NBS Statement and Elrod EPS-2 to the Emotions. Each cable was easily distinguished as providing “more” of what the first emotion did. Blacker, more body, more extended… this experience continues when the interconnects were swapped, and still another major step when the speaker cables were swapped. The KS cable can best be described as neutral. This was also the way I described the Valhalla, but in comparison the body of the notes as heard through the Emotions seemed more real, more like natural music. I guess I could describe it as less manufactured and more acoustic. After this demonstration I ordered a full set of cables, including one to the Hydra (original) power conditioner.

I should say I have heard these cables in five systems now, and in every case the experience was the same. These cables are very natural, and to my ears brought more of all the audiophile adjectives, without giving up anything.

A couple local audio friends and I began trying out a number of different cables, and the Purist cables came up. None of us had heard the Dominus line, so we borrowed a number of cables from Albert. He included Opus, Venustas and Dominus. We were not able to try all one line of cables, but we had enough to get a feeling. To my ears these are excellent cables, with a full warm bloom. The Dominus was the only one that was an improvement when used as an interconnect in my system. Sonically, the KS and Purist are very similar. Both have great body and a rich resonance brought to instruments from a triangle, cymbal or violin to the piano and horns. The base is strong and focused with both; the KS may be slightly less bloomy, leaving the base notes very tight with a quick leading edge.

One thing was significantly different when I use the Dominus between the pre amp and amp; and that was size, both the soundstage and individual instruments. I’m talking about the overall presentation. Because of room constraints I sit about 8 ½ feet from the speakers that are on the long wall. The speakers are around 12 ½ feet apart. This puts me in time phase with the speakers, but leaves me in a near field situation. The presentation is therefore from the third row with the stage slightly elevated. This relationship to the soundstage has been consistent over the many years and different cables I have used.

The Purist Dominus changed this to the degree that it seemed like a different system. With the Dominus in place the images appeared to shrink, and the perspective went from looking up to looking down slightly. The images seamed like they were closer to accurate size. ( I should clarify one thing, my comments could be miss interpreted as a smaller soundstage. This would not be accurate, the width is still fully across my room, the scale is like I moved back twenty rows. I believe the soundstage is deeper with the Dominus, but this is hard to verify in that the two presentations are so different.) I tried both the Rev. B with fluid and Rev. C with ferox. The Rev. B tended to bloat and thicken the notes. They create a warm rounded sound, much like a tube amp. Some degree of resolution seemed to be lost, but not bad. The Rev. C was much more neutral, much more like the KS, but still had the re-imaging of the scale. I remain mixed on my opinion of the Rev. B, in that I’m not sure I want to lose the resolution I have worked so hard to get.

For my taste, one Rev. C is perfect. Adding a second Dominus (the Rev. B) was nice, but again it’s the resolution. I think an all Dominus would be too much for my taste. Two pairs of interconnects would be very nice, but I can not see spending the additional money for limited benefit (if the Purist is considered a benefit) So for right now I’m going to stick with the Emotion cables throughout, with one Dominus Rev. C interconnect to gain the scaling they provide. All this could change as I begin experimenting with footers and other tweaks over the winter. The imaging may be a footer thing, I just don’t know yet.

So in my mind, the Valhalla is no longer the neutral bench mark. I now see the Kubala-Sosna Emotion as the benchmark product. The Dominus is equal to the Emotion but the scale issues and lose of resolution is something I need to understand more before I could say where this cable ranks. Clearly it is in the top cables made, and for some it’s the best. Jafox, with his all tube system and electrostatic speakers loves the Purist, and that makes sense to me, in that he likes trying to add more bloom and body without losing detail and imaging. This is where taste and system matching comes into play. Having heard the KS in five systems and the Purist in three allows me to start understand the characteristics of these two cables. I think it’s fair to say sonically both are excellent. Tonally they are both neutral and natural. The difference is in body and weight, of added bloom.

So far I have compared without pricing as a variable. When price is added into the equation the benefits of the KS come forward. (Assuming normal one meter interconnects and 2-3 meter speaker cables) The KS in full retail is still almost half the discounted or used price of the others.

Jade

jadem6 December 06, 2005 17:05

System edited: This is an update to my system after selling off a third of the value. The major changes were going from two amps to one and changing cabling from Nordost Valhalla to Kubala-Sosna Emotion (about half the cost) I lost a slight amount of dynamics in selling off on amp, but gained a great amount of body and realism from the cable changes.

jadem6 November 20, 2005 17:23

Skushino, some day we will meet, I'm sure of it. either I'll be there or you'll end up here. I look forward to playing stereo with you in that we can't ski together. maybe we can go out for dinner first and tell skiing stories and settle into the music afterward. untill we meet my friend!

jadem6 May 24, 2005 15:22

System edited: added my high school Marantz model 20 tuner.

jadem6 May 23, 2005 13:44

Thanks Art, I had fun too. Call anytime you want to play!

jadem6 May 23, 2005 13:15

System edited: I finally got to pictures and updated my pre-amp

jadem6 May 21, 2005 22:05

Thank-you for the insight Larry. I used to own some BMI power cords and once wrote something negative. I don't remember the manufacturer’s name, but he went crazy and threatened me. I decided too many steroids and sold my BMI. Sounds like I should give them another try
J.D.

PS: looks like i need to do some updating of this page. The Placette was replaced with an Aesthetix Calypso and I've added a Nordost Valhalla power cable and an Elrod.

jadem6 May 21, 2005 16:45

The Valhalla are very revealing. With electrostatic speakers they may sound bright, I would try them first before spending the money. I would recommend you try Audience AU-24 also. I’ve read good comments on the speaker wire when compared to the Valhalla. For some more money used FIM Gold or NBS Statement I know will soften and warm the sound some. A second opinion is people have thought the Valhalla to sound thin, again with the speakers your using this may be an issue. On my system I would not call them thin, but they are not thick either. I personally love the sound and the detail is beyond reproach. For you I am recommending an audition first.
As far as the SA-102 matching up with your speakers, I think it will be a great match. You will discover information you never knew existed. I think you’ll be thrilled.

jadem6 January 21, 2003 16:59

Tok20000, I agree an anologue section would be nice. I have an old table but the sound is so bad I do not use it anymore. I've thought about the Rega 9 2002 version, do you have thoughts? also I would need a phono pre-amp.

jadem6 October 26, 2002 16:29

I will get around to pictures soon, it's been on my list of things to do. I plan to include close up shots of some of the tweaks and shelve support. Thanks for the intrest.

jadem6 August 08, 2002 15:53

I chose the FIM because of it's control and definition on the bass. I have tested almost all the higher end interconnects avalible, and for my system the FIM has the best control and definition in the bass. Given that is my small nit on the Dunlavy speakers the FIM tend to off set this short coming. The coloration is hard to hear in the low frequency so the weakness of the FIM (it's added color to the higher frequencies) are not an issue in my usage of them.

jadem6 June 05, 2002 19:48