Description

This is a crazy hobby/passion we all have and I've been at it for the last 35 years sinking lots of dough in it. I am getting there to that elusive audio/home theater system nirvana. IMO, the room has the biggest influence in the quality of the ultimate quality of the sound system. Case in point, my previous home, I had a dedicated audio room with very high cathedral cieling and it was a rather large living room. I had plunked down over 200G in 1988 to a system that was featured in Audio/Video Interior magazine called "Cathedral of Sound". The system consisted of Duntech Sovereign 2001 loudspeakers, Bridged Cello Performance Amplifiers(8 chassis including 220V power supply), Cello Audio Suite, Cello Audio pallette, Wadia and Accuphase transport/dac, Nakamichi Dragon DAT, Goldmund Reference RO turntable, Day Sequerra Broadcast monitor, etc. Well the sound of the system was just unbelievably close to live sound. I moved to a place that no longer had the high pitched cieling but also of decent sized room. With the same equipment, I no longer had that magical acoustics and sound from my system. One by one I started to sell the electronics, changed speakers, but nothing I have done truly restored the kind of sound that I was getting before. I remember that one of the biggest improvement that I made with the sound in my new place was when I got 8 dedicated 20 amp isolated ground MC 10 gauge 35 amp peak capable lines. You got to have your fundamentals correct.

My current configuration is getting there but not quite the sound I remembered having in my old place. I think the biggest improvement I made was when I got Dynaudio Evidence Temptations. The next biggest improvement was with the source, followed by speaker cable, interconnects and power cords.

I am about to replace this behemoth E-Cube dual 18 inch subs with dual prototype 15 inch subs with factory provided DSP equalization system which I can not disclose the manufacturer name for now. This ought to be interesting.

It is not evident from the pics but I have a large 1,600 sq ft listening area that expands out to three adjacent rooms beyond the listening position. Hence, the reason why I need a good subwoofer system to augment the bottom 1/2 octave I'm not getting without subs.

I think a good room correction possible nowadays with good DSP systems such as Rane, Tact 2.2XP, DEQX can go a long way in improving the sound and is definitely on my plate to try.
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Components Toggle details

    • MSB Technology Platinum Reference CD Station III
    Platinum Reference CD Station III
    • Goldmund Reference RO
    Goldmund Reference RO Turntable
    • van den Hul Grasshopper mkIV
    van den Hul Grasshopper mkIV Cartridge
    • Theta Digital Casablanca III
    Casablanca III with extreme dacs
    • MBL MBL 9007 Reerence Mono
    MBL 9007 Reerence Mono
    • Wolcott Audio Wolcott M220 mono tube amps
    Wolcott M220 mono tube amps
    • Dynaudio Evidence
    Dynaudio Evidence Temptation
    • Harmonic Technology Cyberlight P2A
    Cyberlight P2A
    • NBS Statement
    NBS Statement
    • BPT 3.5 Signature Plus
    BPT 3.5 Signature Plus
    • PS Audio Premiere Power Plant
    PS Audio Premiere Power Plant
    • Day Sequerra Broadcast Standard
    Day Sequerra Broadcast Standard Tuner
    • Tara Labs The One ISM
    Tara Labs The One ISM
    • Kharma Ceramique 1.0
    Grand Midi
    • Virtual Dynamics Revelation
    Amazing but very stiff
    • Kharma Ceramique 3.0
    Kharma Ceramique 3.2 FE for rear channel

Comments 11

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Stereo phile great system and I really appreciate what the Temptations do, I noticed that you have chosen some MBL gear and drive them with the 9007 Ref mono blocks. What's your thoughts of these? I actually just purchased MBL 101E's and await their arrival, absolutely unbelievable speaker. They replaced my beloved Eggleston Andra 2's which are also a amazing speaker, my associated gear;

Oracle 2000 Transport
Accustic Arts new tube dac
Audio Research Ref3 pre
Pass X-600.5 mono blocks

dev