this system is finally complete with the recent addition of the prologue 8 cd player. the system is the best of what primaluna has to offer and all wired up with nordost. it really sings.
primaluna prologue 8 cd player with two electro-harmonix 12ax7 gold series, two electro-harmonix 12au7 and two chinease 5ar4
VPI Industries scout
vpi scout turntable with dynavector 10x5 high output mc cartridge
Dynavector 10x5
dynavector 10x5 high output mc cartridge
primaluna prologue 3
primaluna prologue 3 tube preamp with two electro-harmonix 12ax7 gold series, two electro-harmonix 12au7 and two primaluna 5ar4
primaluna prologue 7 monoblocks
primaluna prologue 7 monoblocks with four electro-harmonix kt88, two electro-harmonix 12ax7 gold series and two electro-harmonix 12au7
Antique Sound Labs phono lux dt
antique sound labs phono lux dt all tube phono stage with regulated out-board power supply and electro-harmonix tubes
nordost red dawn rev 2
nordost red dawn rev2 interconnects two 2 meter pairs and two 1 meter pairs, all terminated with nordost moonGlo rca. red dawn is nordost fastest interconnect at 94 percent the speed of light
nordost red dawn rev2
nordost red dawn rev2 speaker cables 2 meters in length and shotgun terminated with nordost z-plugs 94 percent the speed of light
Wharfedale diamond 9.6
wharfedale diamond 9.6 in cherry finish. spacing between left and right tweeters are 111 inches center to center
Polk Audio psw10
polk audio psw10 subwoofers, cheap they get the job done but i dont have them on all the time, i usually use them for movies
nordost micro mono-filament
nordost micro mono-filament jumper wires on back of speakers terminated with spades
listening position
listening position is 152 inches back from center line of speakers. tweeters are 111 inches apart from center to center. tweeters are 42 inches high and center of ear height from listening position is 42 inches high.
Gritt, I see you have 2 subs? I am thinking of adding a sub so to have a "stereo" pair but I would like to use the speaker level inputs on the subs. Is this how you are running yours? One for left and another for right? or 2 mono subs? Sorry for all the questions.
Surely, you must have meant the opposite of what you wrote "...there is no one best of anything that is going to sound better on our own gear." You must have meant to have written: There is no single piece of gear that will synergize with every system. With that statement I completely agree. Anyways, the only sure way to know if something enhances one's stereo is to try it but when you listen to as many different combinations of gear (some more synergistic than others) as I have you start to get a feel for these things; call it a "hunch" or "male intuition." Anyways, it seems as though we aren't on the same wavelength so I'll just stop corresponding with you.
bruce, are you kidding me? you think just because one component makes a system sound better that it is going to make every system sound better no matter what different components are involved? ive heard single components bring a system to life like you couldnt belive and then put it on another system and it degrades the sound. maybee you thought i meant something else?
The ProAc Response D15's are only $3600 msrp & are on sale throughout their dealer network right now for $3299...comparably priced to your monoblocks. They are only "$6k" in New Zealand because their "dollar" is worth less than ours. I've never heard of the guy whose review you read but Michael Fremer asked Richard Gerberg (of ProAc USA) for a pair of D38's which sound ALMOST IDENTICAL to the D15's - with just slightly lower bass - after hearing them @ my dealer's shop during a local audio event. If you can't trust the internationally recognized analog audio guru Mikey Fremer; then who can you trust? I still stand by both the items I've recommended...they are magical-sounding as well as reasonably priced & aesthetically well-matched. I disagree with the following statement you make: "...there is no one best of anything that is going to sound better on our own gear." That's simply not true. Haven't you ever heard of the concept of synergy?
hey bruce, im not exactly being defencive and im shure your system sounds pretty good, maybee even better than mine? dont automaticly think mines better, but i am completely happy with my phonostage and i auditioned many. the thing as audiophilles we have to be carefull with is if something sounds good on gear wich we dont own it might not sound good at home so it is a trial and error of mix matching, there is no one best of anything that is going to sound better on our own gear. i looked up the speakers that you recomended for my system and they were six times the retail price of the ones i own, i do appreciate the advice, it is welcome but the reviews i read on them werent very good but who knows........
hey chuck, i used to own the prologue five and it is very good, the sevens have more power and thats it. if you have the five and it has enough power for you without clipping or distorting you should keep it. i think the primaluna amps sound better when there driven a little hard any way. the dialogue two intagrated amp also sounds really good as well.
Grittbass, Out of curiosity, did you happen to audition any other Primaluna amps with the PL3 before you selected the 7's? I've been using the PL5, recognize its synergy with the PL3, and wonder if the 7's would be a sonic improvement.
No need to get defensive; I know your system is nicer than mine (including your phonostage,) I'm just passing along information; I wouldn't expect you'd buy anything sight unseen/sound unheard from anyone. I actually didn't get a chance to audition the Bellari before I bought it; I just bought the Music Hall 2.1 & the Bellari together on a whim as a starter vinyl system to let me buy & listen to records while I save up for something more serious - the same could be said for much of my current system. I've since done a lot of listening to various analog systems & was really taken with a Michell Tecnodec/Dynavector/Phonomena combo on a Manley Labs Shrimp/Snappers driving Gallo Nucleus 3.1's cabled with Nordost & conditioned with Isotek. My dealer very recently told me they have dropped Antique Sound Labs because "they don't generally offer a high performance to value ratio anymore." I, however, own an ASL LH-01 preamp & an AQ 1003 integrated that sound decent but kind of noisy - but I knew that was a real possibility going into it; they are Chinese after all. I just thought the Phonomena unit would be a safe & easy recommendation that also visually enhances your system. That's all I have to say & you can take it or leave it.
your recomending a phono stage by phonomena in my system? but i see you use a Bellari in yours, ive auditioned a Bellari and i really did not care for it. the antique sound labs tube phono stage in my system sounds so much better, with tubes or solid state amps, (i have both) you should have a listen to one some time.
One more thing...I've heard this unit by Phonomena that would look & and sound really elegant in your system plus it'll give you more flexibility in your upgrade path with cartridges due to it's impedance & gain dialabilty...
"What do you say about a product which you've already given a Golden Ear award when it is improved and it's price is dropped? ...this Nova remains, without apology or serious qualification, my new (affordable) reference - and very satisfyingly so." - Paul Seydor, The Absolute Sound, June/July 2007, Issue 172
That's a really great looking (& I'm sure great sounding) system, it looks like you possess a great deal of patience & self control in selecting & acquiring your pieces as well as setting them up. The Wharfedale Diamonds are great speakers but should you decide to upgrade them I'd like to cast my vote for the ProAc Response D15's, I think you'll find they do everything that your Wharfedales do but better, have no crossover-induced soundstage blurring plus are very tube friendly AND float "creepily realistic vocal apparitions" between them. Anyways, great job on the rig!
