Clean Clear Warm and Holographic

by maprik on
New setup
New setup
Old setup
New setup
Extreme Toe in
New setup
Pink noise at sweet spot

Description

Always improving, testing, comparing, its a process and its been great fun for 25 years!!! This current system is the best I've ever had. Listening to music late into the night 3-4 nights a week. The Node130 and Tidal are responsible for a huge increase in listening. Just going down musical rabbit holes and discovering so many incredible recordings.

7/12/2025: In search of a wider and deeper soundstage I bought longer speaker cables and moved my speakers from a 1/2 room longwall set up to a full room short wall set up but with my speakers basically at the 2/3 point. What a huge improvement!! Went from a sound "picture" on my wall in front of me to having 3D images of musicians in the room behind my speakers. Also using extreme toe-in so 3 people get a solid soundstage with center imaging. 
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Room Details

Dimensions: 30’ × 18’  X large
Ceiling: 9’

Components Toggle details

    • Well Tempered Labs Classic mkV
    With upgraded black delrin platter and reference arm and reference motor.
    • Hana Xl-SL
    What can I say? Great cart and reasonable price! 

    Previous: 
    Cartridgeman Music Maker III
    Denon DL-103R
    • Hegel H200
    Amazing integrated. Crystal clear, effortless music flowing. Amazing detail but never harsh and a huge holographic soundstage with rock solid imaging.

    Previous amps:
    Almarro A318B
    Jeff Rowland Concentra
    Audio Research CA-50
    YBA integre DT 
    Decware SE34i.2+. 
    Classe CAP-150
    Cary CAD 120S MkII
    Unison Research Unico 50
    Music Reference RM-9
    Quicksilver 8417 tube monoblocks
    • Wavetouch Audio Antero
    Incredibly transparent and accurate. Incredible bass. Easy to drive at 92db/4ohms. Not well known speaker handmade by Alex Yoon. 

    Previous speakers:
    Sound Dynamics 300Ti
    Magnepan 1.6
    Reference 3A MM DeCapo
    Gershman Acoustics Avant Garde R1
    Shamrock Eire
    Spendor SP1
    Klipsch Heresy 
    NHT Superone
    NHT 2.5i
    Audio Physic Tempo
    Audio Physic Virgo II
    Vandersteen 2ci
    Silverline Audio Sonatina MkII
    Sonus Faber Grand Piano 
    Vienna Acoustics Mozart 
    Avalon Eclipse
    Gallo Acoustics Reference 3.1
    PSB Image 5T
    PSB Stratus Gold 
    Totem Acoustic Arro
    Totem Acoustic Forest 
    Thiel CS 1.6
    Silverline SR-15
    Klipsch Forte II w/ Bob Crites upgrades
    Wavetouch Grand Tetons
    • Cardas Audio Quadlink 5C speaker cables and ICs
    Clear, clean and dynamic. 

    Previous speaker cables:
    Virtual Dynamics David 
    Anti-cables
    Cardas Neutral Reference
    Synergistic Resolution Reference .5
    Nordost Red Dawn
    Audience Au24
    • Sony SCD-XA5400es
    Super sound. Bomb proof build quality. Incredible Redbook as well.
    • EAR 834P
    This is a Chinese 834P clone with Level 2 mods by Mitch Singerman. It's MM so I have a Echo Audio/Jena Labs step up for my Hana SL. 
    Amperex tubes. 
    • Myrtlewood Cuboids
    Myrtlewood blocks are under all of my audio components.
    • SAP Relaxa
    A magnetic levitation shelf that holds my turntable.
    • Bluesound Node N130
    Just added. Has a modified power supply. Sounds amazing. Connected to Tidal on MAX quality and it is excellent. On par with my CDP.
    • IsoAcoustics GAIA III
    Great addition to my speaker stands and improvement over the sorbothane half-spheres that I was previously using. Everything is just tighter.

Comments 26

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I'm very intrigued by your custom subplatter you mention. I really like the idea of the VTAF for my Rega but I knew the platter would have to be raised to accomodate it. Did your custom subplatter account for this? Where did you get it?

hyperreal

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