- Triangle Art Signature Turntable
Using the external Walker Motor Controller
With silver cable and custom Bubinga wood arm board machined by Steve Dobbins of Xact Audio.
Takes some patience to dial in the anti-skating through adjustment of the two collar screws. VTA / tonearm-height-adjustment not easy like the Schröder Ref and other arms out there, but this arm tracks like a champ. I set the VTA for the bottom of the cartridge to be parallel to a 180g LP and leave it at that. Azimuth adjustment is done by rotating the head shell (with locking screw). This is a little more fussy than the azimuth adjustment on the Ref.
I will do a shootout between this and the Ref with a couple cartridges one of these days.
- Schröder Reference SQ 11" Tonearm
Special late model version of this highly-respected tonearm. With silver cable and custom Bubinga wood arm board machined by Steve Dobbins of Xact Audio.
Schröder recommends starting the gap at the thickness of a business card and then adjusting based on listening. Instead, I close the gap until cueing the arm down results in not a straight drop down. And then I open the gap in tiny increments until I get the arm to drop straight. I have found this approach to give the best bass extension without giving up the magic elsewhere.
I set the VTA for the bottom of the cartridge to be parallel to a 180g LP and leave it at that. Very cool way to adjust azimuth by simply rotating the oblong shaped counter weight.
- Phono Cartridges: Shelter Harmony, AQ 7000, Shinon Red, Grado Statement
Currently running Shelter Harmony or rebuilt Audioquest 7000 by Andy at Needle Clinic. Andy's work here with internal cleaning and diamond retip is outstanding. The Harmony is phenomenally detailed and dynamic with the AQ a bit more mellow and lush. Both of these cartridges reach deep into the bass with the Schroeder arm.
Also play with the Shinon Red from time to time when I need a higher output mc but this is not as resolving like the others.
- Zanden Audio 1200 Mk 3 Phono Stage
Right out of the box with new EH tubes throughout, this unit brings out harmonic layers and structures that I had not heard before on LPs I have played 100s of times over the last 20-30 years. Changing the rectifier and 7308 audio signal tubes as recommended by Brent Jesse, the unit took on a level of musicality that matched what the reviewers of this product have been writing for years. And this phono stage, like all Zanden products, is a beautiful work of art.
- miniDSP Studio SHD Processor / Streamer
Outstanding value network streamer. A bit overwhelming for the streamer newbie with the multitude of inputs, modes, and the Volumio media application. But some perseverance ....... and then there is sound. Darn good sound with included wall wart DC power adapter. But a well designed low-noise power supply can take this unit to the next level or 2.
Purchased in 2014, the initial 5 years, with some efforts on tube rolling in audio and PS sections, this unit was very impressive. Now at 10 years, It will likely cost $10k or even $15k to significantly improve upon this, and I just don't want put that out.
- Stealth Audio Cables Sextet RCA-RCA Digital Cable
Use this from the miniDSP to the Lampi DAC. As well as the Marigo Labs Apparition cable has performed over the years, the Sextet brings on another level of smoothness and clarity, most notably, lyrics.
- Aria Audio (Michael Elliot of Counterpoint) WV5 XL Tube Full Function Preamp
Full-function, fully-balanced preamp. Has one MM and one MC input, three line inputs and one HT pass-through. The latter does not require the preamp to be powered on. The MC input uses a pair of Sowter 8055 step-up transformers. Options here are the silver wiring for the umbilical and the Vishay TX2575 resistors.
- Convergent Audio Technology CAT JL-3 Signature Mono Amps
16 power tubes (6550 or KT88) per amp, 150w (way under-rated!) mono blocks. Big and heavy and .... they double as floor heaters, but hard to let go. They are truly special.
- Symphonic Line Kraft 300 40th Anniversary Stereo Power Amplifier
Single-ended inputs only. Effortless dynamics and clarity. I bounce between this and the CAT JL-3 amps.
- Symphonic Line RG-1 Power Amplifier
This medium powered amp can do a most impressive job to drive the Sound Lab A1, but I use it along with a Symphonic Line RG-11 in a home theater setup. Outstanding tonal coherency and clarity with air around the instruments that gives a hint of the great tube products. The RG-1 is one step above the bottom model (RG-11) but this amp holds its own against a number of competitors that I tried. Mr Rolf Gemein, the man behind Symphonic Line, has one impressive product line.
- CH Acoustic X20 Interconnect
A recent (2019) audition in my system. What a discovery! Great tonal coherency, very lively with strong dynamic contrasts, amazing amazing detail, low-level detail, retains the 3D that far too few cables do ..... and wow, great bass authority. A big and bold presentation. There might be a temptation to fully load the system with this cable (if I could afford to do), but I imagine it might be too much of a "good" thing. The Jade Audio Ref and TA cables bring on a nice balance. Not a big fan of the use of the word, synergy, which often implies compensating for tonal coherency issues elsewhere in the system.
- Jade Audio Reference Platinum/Gold Interconnect
Have owned this cable for 15+ years, in various lengths, RCA and XLR, and its performance in my system connecting sources to the line stage has been stellar. Outstanding portrayal of space and tonal coherency with very good frequency extreme coverage.
- Transparent Audio Reference MM2 Interconnect 6m
This is the Ref MM2, one level down from the Opus. This is not to be confused with the Reference with MM2 technology, which is down two more model levels.
I needed a 20-foot minimum length cable which limits the playing field dramatically.
This cable surprised me so much, that I bought it. Got dealer loaners of the Ref MM2 and the next lower level model Ref XL with MM2. They were neck and neck in tonality, but the Ref MM2 had such a huge improvement in clarity, ambiance, especially with piano which was severely smeared by the XL, that there was no going back to the XL. I have no doubt that moving up to the Opus could have a similar improvement, but the price starts to get seriously crazy at that point. On the hunt to find a 6-7m IC at the next level of performance.
I had a 1.5m of this cable. Directly compared to the CHA X20, this TA is no match to the X20 in clarity and delineation. But the bloom factor with the TA can be addictive. The X20 was the keeper.
- CH Acoustic X20 Speaker Cable 6'
I never heard a speaker cable bring on such refinements like this product. Nice flat tonal coherency like my long-time reference speaker cable, the Silent Source Music Reference. Whereas the SS has a mellow laid-back presentation, the X20 is lively, bold, dynamic, great clarity. Oh my, what would the X30 bring to the table?!
- Vapor Audio Speakers: Model: Joule Black
Got these speakers as part of a trade in summer 2023. Been running these in the basement music system for several months with impressive results. Very very resolving, great bass, outstanding imaging and depth but somewhat lacking in the richness, ambiance and bloom compared to my reference, the Sound Lab A1. These remind me of the Proac speakers I auditioned 20+ years ago, same qualities, only these Vapors are far more refined. I need to move some furniture and equipment around to get these farther back into the room and a bit farther apart and see if I can get more 3D magic out of these.
- Duntech Speakers: Model Sovereign 2001 - Late 1980's
Recently (summer 2023) acquired these as part of a trade. Coming off the Sound Lab A1's, the Duntechs have a big presentation but it was immediately apparent that detail and clarity with the Duntechs were severely lacking. It was evident that a rebuild of the crossover boards was inevitable. A complete crossover rebuild was completed (Dec 2023) with phenomenal results which is another discussion altogether. These are currently used in the main floor HT system.
- Sound Lab Speakers: Model A-1
These are currently back as the main music speakers on the sidelines with
Vapor Audio speakers on the sidelines.
These A1's are an older pair with wood cores. Upgraded back panels (2015) with latest transformer. After being a Magnepan fan for a decade or so, and not a huge fan of ML Electrostatics, though the Stax were impressive back in the 80s, it took only a few seconds after hearing the SL's that I knew I wanted this speaker. It is rough to return to a dynamic speaker after living with these for nearly 20 years now (2023).
- Running Springs Dmitri, Duke and Haley Power Conditioners
Dmitri Power Line Conditioner used for Lampizator DAC, Streamer PS, Zanden phono, TT Motor Controller and Aria WV5. I got a killer price on this a few years ago. I use a HZ Crown Jewel (CH Acoustic X15) power cord here.
Duke Power Line Conditioner for the Symphonic Line Kraft 300 amp. I use another HZ Crown Jewel power cord here. The benefit here was the most surprising of the 3 conditioners as I had no idea that doing this at the amp would have such an incredible boost in dynamics and clarity.
One of the great finds 15 years ago was the RS Haley. It shamed a number of power conditioners a friend and I had owned that costed much more. Again, and again, it's all about clarity. What a incredible value! The Haley is now used for the HT setup. One of these days, I will try another product line if one gets my attention. But for now, the RS products serve the system well.
As an experiment, I tried the preamp with an X20 power cord directly into the wall and much magic was lost. So back into the Dmitri it went.
- CH Acoustic (CHA), Dream State Power Cords
I went through the NBS Statement, Purist Audio Dominus, Kubala/Sosna Emotion, Stealth Dream, but upon trying a few Dream State products, this became my long-time (15 years) power cord brand. My music system was fully loaded with these. But I have recently auditioned some CHA power cords to determine where these might work well at various links in the Music system.
