I know this is nuts but it doesn't even begin to cover my insanity , which includes 3 other AV rooms , but it does reflect 60+ years of continuing improvement . The sound room includes a great deal of sound treatment by GIC and Acoustic Geometry . With the X-tremes . I'd recommend no room treatment or lots of room treatment . My friends at MBL would probably recommend the former but I opted for the latter .I expect to update to the X-tremes II later this year and , if I can sell a kidney , to the new dCS Varese stack next year . Vinyl /turntable ? As soon as the stylus drops you know you are listening to arecorded music . I'll pass . FYI , after 52 years of marriage , my wife accepts this as long as it is confined to my end of our home .
Two pair for the trip-amplified X-tremes ( powered woofer columns )
Gryphon Commander preamp
DCS Vivaldi Apex
" Stack. " including clock,D-to-A , Upsampler/streamer and transport
Aurender W20se
streamer
Theoretica Physica BACCH Grand
DSP and so much more . BACCH processing can make a room disappear .
Shunyata Research Altaira
grounding system ( 17 connections )
Sequerra Model 1 Tuner
See. No. 6 bought more then 40 years ago and still works perfectly . Keptt for old times sake /
Woo Audio Headphone amps .
Separate tube amps for planar and electrostatic headphones
Stromtank S-2500 Quantum MKII
Powers everything but the amps . All digital components are fed by the Stromtank to a Burmester power conditioner . All analogue components are fed from a " star " configuration of multiple Richard Gray power conditioners
DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 DualCore
Two pair operated in mono for bass correction only
Silent Angel Network Switch
Warwick Acoustics Aperio Gold
Best headphones I have ever owned or auditioned .
Stax 9000x
One of many headphones - HiFiman Susvara , Abyss PHI-Tc , Audis CRBN , Focal Utopia , Grade Signature and in-ear headphones mostly from Audis , Stax and Astell&Kerns .
Transparent Audio Reference XL V
most interconnects are Reference XL ; most power cables are Shunyata
QNAP Servers
I have about 400Tb of available storage on multiple QNAP servers in a separate room . All music files are stored on SSDs .The QNAPs are secondary to the files stored on the Aurender W20SE .
Thanks for your comment . If you ever get the chance ( actually the last chance in the current venue ) check out the MBL X-treme demo in Munich . MBL's chief engineer and the head of U.S. operations spend at least 12-14 hours measuring and testing the X-treme set-up to optimize its performance despite the limitations of show spaces . The results are immediate , apparent and AWESOME ! A bucket list item for an audiophile .
Outstanding. I want to hear it. MBL makes my favorite systems. They sound so darn good, and unlike anything else. I've listened for hours to MBL at after hours events at audio shows. The distributor on the east coast (can't remember he and his wife's name) but the 2 of them were awesome. A group of 20 of us just sat for hours listening, and not doing much talking, which is rare at an audio show.
Anyhow, awesome setup. I'd love to hear this setup somewhere, someday. It's on my bucket list.
Clean power! The fundamental aspect of high-end audio that most beginners don't understand. I've always been a fan of MBL - music floating in 3D space. Congratulations!
Great choices there. I use the MBL 101mk2 speakers, and the only speakers I would trade them for are the X-tremes. It's hard to believe what they can do. If I may, I'd like to suggest your next upgrade. I replaced my pair of 9007 amps with a single, stereo Soulution 711 and that was the most beneficial improvement I've made in many years. Although I worried about losing the raw power of the 9007s, that was never an issue. Also, I use a pair of class-D amps to power the integral subs, which takes a lot of load off the main amp. A pair of Soulution 701 monos would alleviate any worry about power limits.
Incredible equipment lineup. Vast CD collection. And the amazing array of headphones tells me the wife is not as accepting as you'd like.:) One thing that stumps me is I can't figure out how this room could be 17' wide. The proximity of everything up front points to a much narrower room. Optical illusion? The cabinet between the speakers must be a very specific need for you as it wouldn't be helpful for sound imo. Nonetheless the effort, thought process and financial dedication put into this room is remarkable. Congrats!
incredible system however moving your gear into a critical mass rack would literally take that system to another level i got a demo of one after testing hrs and stillpoints and it made our demo system dramatically better
Thanks . I love the X-tremes . Some reviewer described them as a thrill ride and that is an apt description . The room walls disappear and you have a 180 degree soundstage and on live performances you are often sitting in the audience with applause behind you . If you can ever make it to the Munich Audio Show you will hear the X-tremes at their best in a show environment . The MBL folks spend hours on the setup to insure the broadest possible sweet spot in a large room . I think I learned a great deal watching true perfectionists with pride in their products . There are several dealers showing systems in the U.S. and the New Orleans dealer , Uptown Audio/Video , has done a great job of setting up his X-tremes in consultation with MBL . That might be an easier audition than Munich .
gaylelee60 on 60+ years of evolution