I want a system that makes me wan't to relax after coming home from work while listen to my records. It should be able to let me immerse into the music, let me forget about the playback equipment at all and transfer the emotion of music to the highest possible degree... Nothing more, nothing less. I think my actual system fits my needs the best way I can imagine. It's balanced in the best sense rather than having individual strenghts at the expense of others. I can listen to everything from Einstürzende Neubauten to Miles Davis to Stravinski. Over time I was going from Gryphon solid state gear to VAC and Paragon tube electronics (before that it was just HiFI) and finally I encountered Shindo/Auditorium 23, which told me one or more lessons what to expect from a system in regard of enjoyment and true musicality...not HiFi.
Laboratoire Verdier La Nouvelle Platine (A23 version)
For me it's the ideal of a functional, solid, perfect sounding and gorgeous looking turntable.
Auditorium 23 Hommage T1
The best / most satisfying step up transformer I encountered...ideal for SPU. Of all transformers I had (I had many) only the Kondo SFz was near the A23 Hommage. But the A23 T1 is more organic and coherent than the Kondo which seemed to appeal more through it's very high transparency and detail whereas the T1 is more about emotion without offering less in hifi-terms. I had several cartridges over time (Koetsu, Kiseki, couple of Benz's...) but finally came back to my simple SPU classic.
EMT 997 (Auditorium 23 version)
Equipped with Shindo inner cabling. It replaced my beloved SME 3012R (which I still keep). It sounds significant more solid with music evolving from a darker backround. Together with the Hommage T1 transformer it also helped me to rediscover my simple SPU classic as a contiouns source of enjoyment...more than most other stuff I owned. I had different tonearms from Kuzma, Schröder, Audiocraft, SME, AT, Morch but the combination EMT + SPU is one of my favourite.
Ortofon SPU A
It's the old 2 Ohm version not the actual reissue wich is different from the previeous A. I prefer this "simple" cartridge over all the Benz, Koetsu, Shelter, Kiseki...I had, because the SPU A sounds just right to me, emotion, energy, music with flesh and bones, yet delicate...the only thing is, you have to have a first class MC transformer to get the full magic with the SPU. Even on top class phonostages (my old Gryphon Orestes ltd.) it just sounds good, but not outstanding like on the A23 T1 transformer for instance.
Ortofon SPU A Reference
The SPU Reference A has a Replicant 100 diamond tip in contrast to the SPU A classics conical tip. Also it runs with "just" 3g tracking force. All Hifi parameters are better than on the simple classic A but also musicality is somehow better. It does not sound as charming and dense in the mids compared to the classic but sounds more natural and clear. I also still have a classic A, therefore I can choose between the two depending on mood.
Shindo Laboratory Monbrison
The Monbrison replaced my former Shindo Mazeris Bellevus, which has been an older model with output transformers. It took not even 5 min for the Monbrison to feel at home in my system. It is quite a step from the fantastic Mazeris Bellevus. My Monbrison is the old chassis version with output transformers, Arome MC step up transformers and full loaded with NOS parts...quite different from the actual Monbrison. A good set of tubes makes this great preamp even a little better...I use Genalex 6x4 rectifier, Mullard square getter ECC82 and others by Siemens / Mullard. I don't need "more" preamp.
Shindo Laboratory Palmer 300B
Classic Shindo 300B SET design with Mullard CV181, CV593 and Cetron 300B. No oversized mega transformers, millions of capacitors here...It is stunning what a couple of highly musical watts can do, if used with the right speaker. The sound is just perfect with the Valencias. In contrast to it's small physics and modest power rating, these amps have enough slam to reproduce even modern music without any noticeable compromises...at least with an super easy to drive speaker like the Valencias.
Shindo Laboratory Pavillon Rouge
New family member...really exciting new amps. I'm "tasting" the differences to the Palmer 300B actually.
Altec Lansing 846b
I was looking for a SET friendly loudspeaker and what I found was the Altec Valencia 846B sold from a thrift store. After cleaning and restoration they look and sound unbelievable good. I replaced the inner cabling with A23/Shindo wire and changed the org. caps, as recommend by Mr. Aschenbrenner of Auditorium 23. After listening a while with the Velencias it's rather hard to be satisfied with convential modern loudspeakers. The strenght of the Valencias is their top to bottom coherency, roomfilling presentation with nearly perfect detachment of music from the speakers itself, believable dynamics as well as their sense of flow and rythm. It's just a different energy in the room compared to moderately sized modern speaker with comparatively small and inefficient drivers. The slightly limited bandwith at both frequency extremes is only a weakness for people who tend to like bright and brash solid state systems and even if they don't go too far down into very low frequencies, the bass quality is the best I've heard yet from a 2- or more way system. Theres nothing I miss and nothing I wish to be different, while listening to music via the Valencias..very satisfying.
Lignolab - Norbert Gütte Die Bank
It is hard to convey what difference a rack like the suspended Lignolab can make and how the whole performance of an already very good performing system can benefit, if you never experienced it with your own ears. Besides the acoustical benefits any tendency of my tonarm to jump out of the record groove if someone is walking nearby the turntable is gone completely. Now you can jump on the old wooden floor next to the turntable and the Platine Verdier is just playing on. Oh yes, the Lignolab looks gorgeous too.
Auditorium 23 speaker cable
When I first tried this speaker cable on loan I was not immediately knocked over by spectacular bass, highest highs etc...it just made me focus on the right/important things in the music. After going back to my old (not inexpensive) cable, something was really missing. I bought 2x6m of Auditorim 23 green speaker cable then.
Auditorium 23 Interconnect
All interconnects I use are from Auditorium 23.
Okki Nokki RCM
The Okki Nokki replaced my old Nitty Gritty Recordmaster which did a good job in all the years. The ON is significantly more comfortable to use and also quiter and better looking, especially in white, with acrylic cover. The ON offers a lot for the money and is very solid (made in Germany too).
I would have never believed that a PP amp can beat my beloved Shindo Palmer 300B, not just in terms of better control, dynamics but surptisingly also in terms of musicality and emotional connection to music.
Therefore I sold my Shindo Palmer 300B and listen happily with the Pavillon Rouge PP amps.
since I bought the Valencias in not so good condition, I had to replace the compression driver diaphragm, remagnetised the drivers and also got a pair of fresh refurbished (by GPA) 416A drivers (the old ones had been optically ok, but sounded somewhat lame).
I also cleaned the L-Pad's (that alone did a lot) and change the caps with paper in oil caps. The coils and circuit is original, I only changed the cabels to ones I got from Auditorium 23.
thanks for the flowers :) I have to give many thanks to my friend Hartmut (a long term Shindo/A23 afficionado) and Mr. Aschenbrenner of Auditorium 23 for their many advises. Without them my system might have looked totally different.
An Altec A7 with the Aurieges, a good tube power amp and a decent source (vinyl :)) should give more musicality than most highest-end mega buck systems.
I just came back from the High-End Show in Munich this weekend and can tell you that most systems (even the ones with price tags comparable to an big size appartement in on of the bigger cities on this planet) does sound more musical engaging than a medium quality car hifi system.
The few exceptions have been the A23 room with a big Klangfilm Euronor system, the Silbatone room with large Western Electric horns and a system from the swiss company Swissonor, also in the vein of historic speakers and tube amps.
System edited: After beeing satisfied for several years with a Nitty Gritty record cleaning machine I bought a Okki Nokki cause I wanted to have a bit more comfort.
For the interested...old speakers are damped with glass wool in most cases. Since it is known that especially old glas wool has the potential to harm your health/lungs, I wanted to replace the old glass wool in the Valencias with something less dangerous.
After searching the wwww I decided to go for sheep wool and/or felt mats. Unfortunately changing the inner damping means also to change the speakers sound by a large degree.
Therefore I had to struggle a couple of weeks (almost months) now to obtain the same satisfying sound as before. I had to start 3 times from scratch because some solutions (shep wool only and felt only ) dindt worked at all.
I finally ended up with a mixtures of both and had to fine tune the right amount of both damping materials as well as the placement in the speakers by endless hours of trying and hearing (not much fun in the beginning).
But fortunately now the speakers are as good as before and have no glass wool fibres emitted in the room air.
System edited: I was considering it quite a while and now I added the Lignolab / Norbert Gütte rack (in Germany it's called "Die Bank") to my system. Wow...it leaves a remarkable fingerprint in the systems sound...increased effortlessness and depth of "tone".
yes, I know this review...thats why I thought that the mesh plate 300B might be a substitute if once my Cetrons died. Therefore I borrowed the bespoken pair TJ from a friend (his spare pair).
But as written before, to my ears and in my amps/system the Cetron was the significant more musical sounding tube (tube data is similar). I havnt listened to other tubes in my Amps so far but...at least my own experiences may encourage the findings of other people I know and who have experiences with different tubes in Shindo amps, which concluded that the Cetron is the 2nd best and only choice to the WE 300B.
System edited: One word about Chinese 300B...I had a well burnt in pair of the much raved about TJ/Sophia mesh plate 300B here, borrowed from a friend...They suck against Cetron! Even if some people state in the www that they prefer the Chinese tubes (even over the WE 300B) and that Cetron 300B isn't that good at all. I think the Cetron 300B is a MUCH more musical sounding tube than the highly regarded Chines TJ/Sophia mesh plate 300B...At least in my amps the differences are quite big. The Cetrons have more nuance, sense than the TJ, which sound stiff in comparison. On acoustic guitar stuff the Cetrons bring out the most subtle nuances in the guitar playing while with the TJ it sounds as if the guitar was handed over to a construction worker or a blacksmith (nothing against these jobs btw). Too bad that the Cetrons arent available anymore, this might be the only choice next to the original WE 300B. I may try WE 300B reissue if available again hopefully. If someone has a pair Cetrons (even used) let me know.
Mr. Aschenbrenner of Auditorium 23 is the german distributor for Verdier Tunrtables for many years and is closely associated with the history of this turntable legend. You can read an article on this topic on the english pages of A23.
http://www.auditorium-23.de/Verdier/Platine.html
Due to the close association with Mr. Verdier he was also closely incorporated in the idea / development of a "smaller" more affordable turntable...which should become the "La Nouvelle Platine Verdier". Therefore there are two official versions available in Europe the A23 (authorized by Mr. Verdier) and the french version which are different in some significant points. The A23 version has a veneered multiplex wood base compared to the MDF board of the french version. Also only the A23 version uses a lot of bronze for several metal parts.
Even theres the french version available, the A23 version got the "Diapason D'Or" award in 2002 from the famous french Audio magazine Diapason.
Mr. Verdier himself took this award in the name of both A23 and Verdier turntables. (all written on the german pages of the A23 homepage, but only in German).
System edited: I replaced the Shindo Mazeris Bellevus with the Monbrison. The Monbrison is better in hifi terms but more important in the way to present music too.
System edited: Over time my System has changed a lot. For my taste the Cabasse, VAC, Paragon combination was close to perfect for my listening taste, even compared to systems I heard costing > 6 digits (Euros ;). But having now a systems consisting of Altec, Shindo and Auditorium 23 components I have to say, that I didn'n knew what still was possible. Theres more expression, emotion and just enjoyment in music with what I have now.
System Edit...I replaced the SME 3012R on the NPV with an Auditorium23 / EMT 997...wow, incredible! I did not new how much was possible. It's running actually with a SPU GM/E. Another SPU GM is on it's way.
tahnks :) I tried several other speakers including such expensive names as Wilson and Dynaudio but in direct comparison they all missed something for me and sounded dead and "hifi" to me.
Delta Dynamics does no advertising in the german hifi press and is rather small compared to transrotor or clearaudio.
They have another bigger model called the 12.100 with a oversized platter, specially made for use with 12" arms. they have a smaller model too called 9.40.
major difference to other decks is that the bearing spindle is made of sinter-metal and is also coming out of the bottom of the unit forming one of the 3 spikes. the center screw of the arm bases are also coming out underneath, forming the other 2 spikes. wich means that vibration is not fed in the chassis itself but is directly coupled to the ground, which should be some softer sand stone.
another desing principle is the use of solid brass instead of aluminum. and also strictly the use of battery power supply.
if you like, check out:
http://www.tizoacryl.de/highend.htm
unfortunately this is their new page and there are not much actual pictures so far and everything is in german.
best regards
Ron
P.S. have you compared your Bent MU to other step up transformers? I just bought one from UK wich is shipped these days.
