This is where we are at today. Lots of components coming and going, but this is what I keep coming back to. Notable extras are the CAD GC1.1 grounding unit (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this unit), SOtM sNH-10G Ethernet switch, and the Small Green Computer Optical Module Deluxe with LPS. I have tried many different cables, but for me the Straight Wire cables sound very smooth and detailed in this system. Still using all AQ Thunder power cables with Niagara 1000.
A beautiful pair of Classe mono amplifiers. Class A up to 35 watts
HifiRose RS150B
I really love this piece. ESS Sabre DAC with built in streamer. Using Roon sometimes and the Rose app most of the time. CD ripper with Samsung hard drive inside. Love the screen, but the sound quality is very impressive.
KEF Blade
Definitely, one of my favorites. No complaints. Super imaging, great bass. Wife likes these better than the Magnepans, but not as much as the Reference 5 Meta.
For what it's worth, I like the room and looks of the system in front of the window best.
I'm a big fan of Classe but have never heard anything of that caliber. And I've thought the Blade speakers are beautiful, and I'll bet they sound like it too. Wonderful system, room, view, and I'll bet the sound too.
Hi there friends. The GC 1.1 is plugged into the Hifi Rose streamer with a USB connection and also the Delta PRE with an RCA connection.
I was fully planning to bi-wire the speakers, but when I spoke to Straight Wire, they said they had tried it in the past with Blade and it was not beneficial. I have some nice jumpers that I use for my Magnepans, but they aren’t long enough for this. I will definitely put that on my list of things to try, so thanks for the suggestion.
All components are on a dedicated 20A circuit and all the networking equipment is on a different circuit with a battery UPS.
Nice, high quality rig. Kudos! It appears you are using the stock jumpers for the speakers. If you want to have a project, try bi-wiring or replacing the stock jumpers with a short length of high quality speaker cable. It should be a noticeable improvement. If you do not wish to spend the money or cannot fit a second set of speaker cables on the amp, upgrading the jumpers is efficacious.
