Waxwaves System | Virtual Listening Room

Altec project with Jean Hiraga style crossovers by Pete Riggle

The rack of Mac

Playin with McPower

Big boxes of awesome.

Solid spinner sounds sweet!

The vintage McIntosh system that blew me away. Thank you Terry D!

Tannoy Monitor Royal in custom black walnut bass reflex cabinets.

Custom Tannoy Monitor Royal with upgrade networks and posts

Another great vintage McIntosh and Tannoy Combo!

Source Technologies 2268 in for audition. Incredible sound!

MC30s+MX110+Big 6+Tannoy=Amazement!

Vintage McIntosh Solid State

Source Speaker Technologies 2268 playing in the system, so good!

Bi-amp the 15" Tannoys

Lampizator and Zu Omen with MC30s

Description

The main system is setup in my 18'x24'x10' underground bunker...fully stocked with Audimute acoustic panels, bass traps and other various room treatments. There are three dedicated circuits with high quality breakers feeding three PS Audio Soloist CI with 12ga romex. One line is just for the MC30s and MX110z and one line for the D100 and MVP-851. One last line supplies power to the TD-124 and the rest of the equipment. I also use PS Audio Noise Harvesters on these circuits with 9 AudioPrism Quiet Line throughout the rest of the house. AudioPrism Ground Control on the Tannoy speakers.

Tweeks include:

Target turntable shelf

Black Diamond Racing isolation cones

ceramic cable elevators

AudioPrism Ground Control

PS Audio Noise Harvesters

AudioPrism Quiet Lines
Cardas caps
Caig ProGold
Last stylus care products
DB Systems cartridge alignment tool
Shure stylus force gauge
VPI HW17 record cleaning machine
Salamander Archetype 5.0 in cherry
Wiremold power strip
Grado SR-60i

AKG-550

Lat AC-2 MkII power cable with Oyaide 037 connectors for TV and PC

I am very happy with the results. Great sound for a guy on a fairly tight budget and I enjoy it everyday folks! I have been archiving and enjoying great music for almost 25 years now. The McIntosh/Tannoy/Lampizator/VPI combo with these great cables, and the Dynavector are making MUSIC happen here. My collection of over 3,000 enjoyable LPs and a terabyte of high bitrate WAV files helps keep me occupied in my spare time.

Comments, questions, or criticisms are certainly welcome. I am always interested, willing to learn more, and willing help others build a great music system if I can.

Room Details

Dimensions: 24’ × 18’ Large
Ceiling: 10’

Components Toggle details

- McIntosh MX110z
Incredible sound from this vintage jewel. Wonderful in so many ways. One of my all time favorite audio components.
- McIntosh MC30 amplifiers
Maybe the best sounding amps I've ever heard. Perfect match with MX110z. These were restored by Yves Beauvais and look almost as beautiful as they sound. GE 6L6GC, Telefunken smooth plate 12ax7, Black plate RCA 12bh7, Gold Lion b749(thanks Jim McShane), and RCA 5u4g.
- Thorens TD-124
Simply one of the finest sounding turntable on the planet. This is probably my favorite audio component of all time. This one sports a gorgeous Ortofon style solid walnut plinth and a walnut armboard from Jim Campbell. I recently added the SME M2-9 tonearm and it sounds wonderful with an array of different cartridges.
- SME M2-9
Great new 9" tonearm. I'm thoroughly impressed ol chap.
- Tannoy Monitor Royal
These 12" dual concentric drivers in custom black walnut cabinets make some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard from a loudspeaker. I love them driven by McIntosh MC30 amplifiers. These have updated crossover networks and SwitchCraft binding posts. They rest in StarSound Sistrum stands
- Altec 15095A transformers
Used as moving coil step up devices for Koetsu Onyx Sapphire, Koetsu Black, Monster Alpha 1, Sumiko Talisman Sapphire, Denon DL103, and others running into the McIntosh MX110z phono section
- Dueland DCA12GA, DCA16GA, and DCA20GA
Using DCA16GA and DCA20GA as RCA interconnects and DCA12GA as speaker cable. If you haven't tried these yet, you owe it to yourself to give them a chance because they sound great....especially with quality vintage tube audio equipment.
- Star Sound Technologies Original Sistrum stands
Used under big Tannoy speakers with incredible results. Highly recommended.
- Star Sound Technologies Sistrum Apprentice
I use this under my MX110Z. The performance improvement here in my system has been noticeable to say the least. Great product makes the MX110Z sound even more impressive.
- VPI Industries Aries Scout
A quality performer that is dynamic as hell with toe tapping musicality. Solid foundation for playing records. Mounted to the JMW9 tonearm is a Dynavector DV20xh with SoundSmith ruby cantilever and fine line stylus. Purist Audio Design Venustas phono ics run the signal out to the MX110z phono section. Ginko cover.
- Dynavector DV20XH
This one has been fitted with Soundsmith ruby cantilever and fine line diamond by Peter at SoundSmith.
- Koetsu Onyx Sapphire
The most amazing phono cartridge I've ever laid ears on...or eyes. A masterpiece from the master, Sugano.
- Denon DL-103
Every self respecting audiophile needs one in their cartridge collection.
- Koetsu Black
I love the romantic Koetsu sound. This one has it too.
- Purist Audio Design Dominus power cable
I believe this is the best power cable EVER made. The fluid jacketed Dominus power cable used with the McIntosh D100 DAC. This cable will allow you to hear what your equipment is really capable of. I have never heard a power cable do what Dominus can do. Incredible....
- Purist Audio Design Venustas Preasto Phono
This is the best value interconnect on earth for my money. Incredibly solid, lifelike presentation of the music. Opening my ears to the music on a daily basis. Thanks Mr. Aud.
- Purist Audio Design Ultimate USB cable
Used from PC to the McIntosh D100 and I love the excellent sound. A well balanced, organic, superbly detailed, full bodied, and musical USB cable here folks. Once you hear it, you'll never use that Belden again.
- McIntosh D100
Great sounding DAC with extreme functionality. I don't miss the Lampizators because this D100 is producing some of the most enjoyable digital sound I've heard. When used with the PAD Dominus power cable and PAD Utimate USB this DAC has truly great sound and holds its own with some of the best. D100 also sports an impressive headphone output.
- McIntosh MVP-851
A fine sounding silver disc spinner and wonderful transport for D100 too
- LAT International AC-2 MkII power cable
Silverfuse power cables with upgrade Oyaide p-37 rhodium plated connectors. This is a very quiet, nuetral, and very well balanced power cable, made even smoother by the Oyaide connectors. Used on the Sony 65" 4k monitor and the PC running JRiver Media Center 20.
- Dell Upgraded PC running JRiver Media Center 20
Really enjoying using JRiver and I'm listening to 1411 bit rate WAV files running through the PAD Ultimate USB cable into the McIntosh D100 playing at 32bit 196kHz

Comments 59

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Thanks Adam. I'm glad to have two good cartridges, being able to swap them in and out in less than five minutes is a real plus. As with my selection of amps, It allows me to save hours on my two favorite carts, as I save hours on my EML 300B XLS tubes with my kit-built Class D amps.

Once in a while, I even pull out my Acutex LPM 320 STR III, and LPM 415 cartridges, that still amaze whenever I use them. I'll have to swap one of them in again, it's been awhile since I've done that.

Regards,

Dan

islandmandan April 16, 2018 14:28

Adam, great to hear back! I'm torn between my two main cartridges, a Zu Denon 103R with ESCCO white sapphire cantilever and Paratrace stylus mod, and my Soundsmith re-tipped Dynavector XX2MKII. I love 'em both. Either one works nicely with the Dynavector 501 arm.

Keep up doin' what you're doin'!

Dan

islandmandan April 10, 2018 20:49

Waxwaves you are still a man after my own heart. We have a lot in common, custom built vintage Tannoys, idler drive turntable, Dynavector and Denon MC carts, and we are still enjoying ourselves greatly every day.

Stay well and happy, regards,

Dan

islandmandan April 10, 2018 15:43

As a retired blue-collar guy, I understand your situation. Like you, I've had to do more with less than many enthusiasts, but that didn't deter me any.

I like what you have done, in that doing things yourself is a great, and rewarding way to stretch your budget, and get more enjoyment out of the hobby (or obsession).

More power to you, hope you continue to have many years of pleasureable listening.

Best regards,
Dan

islandmandan March 06, 2013 16:05