Description

My 2-channel system is part of my multi-channel home theater set-up. The Adcom pre-amp has a HT bypass. I have been putting my kit together for approximately 7 years making many changes as my listening and finances improved. Thankfully my wife is VERY supportive and has made my obsession even more enjoyable. Audiogon has been a huge help also, as it is a great place to buy gear and learn from fellow enthusiast. My goal is realism. Let the smooth be smooth and the harsh be...harsh!
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Components Toggle details

    • Edge Electronics NL 10.1
    Detailed, smooth, dynamic. Very enjoyable. 100 lb beauty.
    • Pass Labs XP-20
    So much more enjoyable than my X-1, which was a great linestage.
    • Pass Labs XP-20 Power Supply
    Innards! Use this for my X-Ono too.
    • Pass Labs XP-15
    Musical, smooth, detailed. Splendid bass. A real joy to listen to.
    • Von Schweikert Audio VR-IV SR
    Great imaging, dynamics. Loads of resolution. I LOVE these speakers!
    • Von Schweikert Audio VR S/1
    Fast well defined bass keeps up with the Sr. 4's. I have a stereo pair to fill out the low bass in my large-ish room in an open floorplan.
    • Von Schweikert Audio LCR-15
    The center channel for the HT. Very clear, fast.
    • VPI Industries Scoutmaster
    A truly wonderful TT. I added the ringclamp which I feel is a very worthwhile upgrade, especialy on regular weight vinyl. I also added a TT Weight center weight- very worthwhile. Added TT Weights adjustable feet. Nicely designed/built.
    • Zyx Airy 3 Silver low output MC
    .24 mv version with silver wire and silver weight.
    • VPI Industries JMW 10.5i Stainless
    Nice upgrade. On the fly VTA adjusment, easier azimuth adjustment
    • VPI Anti-Skating Device
    A must have with the stiffer Nordost wire. A really good design too. The set-up instructions are a joke though.
    • Mint LP Protractor
    Very worth the effort and $110. I really got so much more out of my cartridge with this.
    • Gingko Audio Cloud 11
    Nice isolation for the Scoutmaster.
    • VPI 16.5
    Record cleaning machine- noisy,but effective...A must have IMO
    • PS Audio Power Plant Premier
    Decent. It really cleaned up the sound. I like the steady power to steady my TT motor. Tight plug sockets screwed up the finish on a couple high end plugs though.
    • Onkyo TX-NR905
    I LOVE this AVR. Does all the new codecs, great DAC, versatile, easy to use, sounds great.
    • Denon DVD-2500BTCI
    Plays blurays nicely. HDMI out transport only.
    • Denon DVD 5900
    Built like a tank. Plays DVD's beautifuly, also does CD, DVD-A, SACD pretty well.
    • PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC
    I am truly impressed with this DAC. Seems to do everything pretty much right.
    • Harmonic Technology Magic Reference Tweeter
    These go to the Vons' tweeter-mid cabinets. They really make cymbals shine and fill out the beginning and ending of notes. Truly revealing cables.
    • Harmonic Technology Magic Reference Woofer
    Wow! These power the Vons' bass cabinets. A BIG step up from the Pro 9+ they replaced. These cables have great bass definition and are smooth and very clean.
    • Harmonic Technology Magic One
    I use these throughout the system. Really clean and detailed, free of grain. Loads of bass. I really like Harmonic Tech's products. Most of these have been modded with new sleeving and reterminated by myself with custom lengths.
    • Homemade Power Cords Oyaide Tunami w/ Oyaide Plugs
    Also have condutive carbon shielding jacket. I am proud of these. Great sounding/looking.
    • Harmonic Technology Pro Ac 11 & Fantasy AC-10
    Good cords. Reterminated and covered with conductive carbon sleeving. Used for the VSA subs and DVD and Bluray players.
    • Furutech e-TP80
    Passive line conditioner. Used for TV,and DVR.
    • custom made Granite Mass Sandwich
    I sandwiched two 22lb granite slabs together with some Scotch Foam Mounting Squares and stuck 5 silicone feet on the bottom (1 in the center, 4 about 2 1/2" from the edges.
    • Furutech FT-D20A
    Gold duplex receptacle. Did not expect much but a strong grip on my heavy power cords. I heard a tremendous improvement in bass and clarity. When my wife came home and asked what I had done to the system with a cheerful tone I knew that I hadn't gone crazy.
    • Scotch Foam Mounting Squares
    Removable foam tape. I used this to secure the point disc to my ceramic tile for the 2 VSA subs. WOW! Best cheap tweak ever!
    • Former Equipment below Former Equipment Below
    Former Equipment Below
    • Pass Labs X-600
    Another photo...
    • Pass Labs X-600
    Never ending headroom- soooo clean and detailed, dynamics that stun!
    • Musical Fidelity TriVista SACD Player
    RIP- $6500 paper weight.
    • VPI Industries JMW Memorial 9 Signature
    I upgraded from the stock JMW Memorial 9. The Nordost wire is a bit stiffer and made the VPI anti-skating device a must with my set-up.
    • Dynavector 20XH
    Nice match for the Scout!
    • Pass Labs X-1
    Replaced with XP-20
    • Pass Labs X-ONO
    Replaced by XP-15. This one was modded by Wayne Colburn at Pass. It was really good.

Comments 58

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Sr: Sorry for the delay in responding on my system thread; work and a death in the family (my father) have taken me off the boards for a while. I am glad to hear about your new Calypso, did you get it yet? How do you like it?

zephyr24069

That's cool....I'd like to talk to you sometime about the process of building your own power cords and ICs...

zephyr24069

You are very welcome...on my dedicated 20-amp circuit, I'm using cryo'ed Oyaide R-1 outlets from Chris at VH Audio. Those outlets are very much to my liking and well worth the price!

zephyr24069

Sounds like a classic ground potential difference. I also love the 'blacker backgrounds' and everything that star-grounding and a properly run electrical circuit bring to the listening experience...

zephyr24069

Thanks for the feedback...for your hum issue, I would suggest grabbing a Granite Audio Ground Zero 501 star-grounding unit and the appropriate number of cables. It sounds like you have a bit of a ground potential difference between your pre and the rest of the system. The Ground Zero will allow you to trouble-shoot, isolate and eliminate it. I am using one with great results.For a pre-amp there are many suggestions (check out a thread on the topic I started plus alot of entries under my main system thread. I love my Classe CP-700 2-box dual-mono pre-amp; it mates extremely well with the Edge NL 12.1 and sounds great!.

zephyr24069

Great looking system....it's good to see another Edge NL fan enjoying his system. How do you like the NL 10.1 amp with the Pass Labs gear and VS speakers? It looks like you've put together one hell of a sweet sounding system that can deliver big dynamic passages and yet still deliver appropriate passages with finesse when called upon...Happy Listening!

zephyr24069