Like most music lovers I have been quietly upgrading my system to optimize performance. The main upgrades over 2024/2025 have been the replacement of my Pathos Classic Remix amplifier with the far more powerful Pathos Kratos integrated amplifier. Adding the Arendal subwoofer and the addition of the WiiM Ultra streamer. Most recently I've upgraded my Bel Canto 3.7 R2R ladder DAC with a Denafrips 15th DAC.
Primary music sources remain as CD/SACD and Vinyl with the WiiM Ultra used to access recordings for potential purchases, listen to new artists catalogues, create playlists of material I don't wish to own.
My CD/SACD and Vinyl collection includes music from many genres like bebop jazz, pop, folk, rock, electronic, R&B as well as opera and a considerable collection of classical music so it is important my system can handle all types of musical genre well.
Subwoofer with 800 watt on board amplifier and remote control of settings via Android or Apple app. 13.8 inch speaker designed to face into corner as close as 4 inches from the wall. Uniquely uses high density fiber board cabinet. Both depth of bass and speaker crossover plus slope and other fine tuning controls, including presets, make integration and fine tuning to room straightforward with the app control from your listening position really simplifying getting the amount of detail and musicality you want.
Pathos Acoustics Kratos
Hybrid integrated amplifier using ECC83 tubes and delivering 350W into 4 Ohms.
Denafrips Venus 15th DAC
An excellent pure DAC (no pre-amp features) based on their previous Denafrips Terminator DAC. Connected to WiiM Ultra via coaxial input for streaming and via I2S connection to PS Audio CD/SACD transport.
WiiM WiiM Ultra Streamer
Highly competent, low cost streamer supporting a wide range of streaming services plus the ability to act as a music hub with its multiple connectivity options including as a phono-stage, pre-amp and subwoofer output. Offers great software app support and also room correction.
Thanks jafant your comment stirred me to update my entry for 2023. Just moved to a Hybrid amp from Pathos (so now Italian amp and speakers).
About 80 hours into burn-in of tubes, caps etc. but sounding great. Detail without too much detail, great soundstage, great balance across high to lows, relaxing and easy to listen to over long periods.
Love CDs, SACDs and vinyl too and keep collecting.
Thanks for your comment, happy listening to you too.
Yes the CD collection continues to grow! I’ve got to admit I have it all backed up as flac files too, but don’t stream as I really like the process of putting on a disc and listening to all the tracks. Discogs, eBay, Amazon, Import CDs and retail buys at 2nd & Charles plus my local record shop. I constantly say no more and the phrase too much great music and too little time definitely applies. But I cannot stop. I still have some records and occasionally buy vinyl still, but CD is my drug!
Nice system. Mine is ancient in comparison. What I enjoy seeing is a dedication to music through media, I've collected records since childhood, still have my mom's 78's. My priority is the library, the "reading" equipment, for me takes a back seat. Sonics are important, sure, but it's great to see a CD collection like yours.
Got to admit having a friend who shared his audiophile passion helped a lot. I use the KT88s for their more complete sound on my system compared to KT77/EL34. I do however look at my CD collection built up since 1982 and think some madness possesses me! Glad you understood my journey!
Excellent tour through your mindset as you made this audio journey. I also went from solid state to tubes, and I'm not sure that I could go back. I am also a KT88 user, and going this way has been one of the more important changes I have made.
OK I'll try to keep it short but it's a journey! I arrived from the UK in 2014 with Pioneer separates and Rogers 8 floorstanding speakers I bought in the late 80's and wanted to get rid of power transformers, and play as usual my CDs but also old LPs that had lain dormant in my garage for years!
So I bought a basic turntable from Akai BT500 that had good reviews, a decent Sony AV receiver and teamed it with a Sony CD player and the Rogers speakers.
Then I wanted a better CD player that would play SACD's so I bought the Onkyo C-S5V CD Player (which I still use for SACDs).
Then, a friend that I go to live music gigs with got me listening to his tube amps and lent me a Manley Stingray, and so started the slippery slope to my current setup. I started looking at affordable but good power wattage tube amps (Manley Stingray at $6k was too much) and settled on the Willsenton based upon really good reviews and its flexibility to tube roll as it takes EL34, 6550 and KT88 tubes.
Things were sounding a lot better, but my speakers were 30+years and it showed so I looked for near full range floor standers. Went to lots of shows (RMAF was still running in CO) and visited HiFi stores. Auditioned lots of speakers and the Sonus Faber Sonetto 8's sounded great and as per the reviews a good allrounder for all types of music, neutral, detailed and with a good dynamic range, plus down facing bass port makes placement more straightforward. Then I got a great deal when buying the Sonetto's VIII's and created my current dedicated 2 channel setup.
Having so many CDs I wanted a better sound so instead of using the Onkyo as a CD player I decided to use it as a transport and bought the Bel Canto 3.7 DAC from my friend as I had heard the detail, warmth and tube output greatness from the Bel Canto DAC. Its R2R and has separate power supply and a completely dark presentation except when there is a signal. It's basically a great DAC. And to go further in achieving the best CD sound I bought the PS Audio CD/SACD Memory Player 2nd. hand from Audiogon - knowing PS Audio was just down the road if things needed fixed.
So my reasons for choices started out budgetary, then being attracted to tube sound, and then being able to listen to higher-end items before buying and driven because I wanted the best from CDs and LPs and CDs and listen to albums rather than tracks. (I'm still only using streaming to listen to CDs I might want to buy.)
Other tweaks - Furman Sound 8 Outlet Surge Suppressor; Self-made Belden and Mogami RCA and Coaxial interconnects; Self-made Furtech/Yarbo Power cable for the amplifier; Audiocrast HiFi Power cables; XLFM-RC1 XLR to RCA for DAC to Amp output.
So where am I now? It's a very good to great sounding system. It's very musical and has excellent soundstage, depth/breadth, very good detail throughout the dynamic range, and I really enjoy listening to it. But as I have the audio bug I'd like to potentially go two ways.
1. Looking at a better (more powerful) integrated amp or pre-amp/power amp to really drive the Sonetto's to their full potential while gaining some more overall definition, control and detail that I know the SFs can deliver.
2. Getting more live music feel by integrating a sub-woofer.
