1978 vintage horn speaker with rebuilt drivers from Great Plains Audio and Werner Jagusch crossovers. Replaced Harbeth M-40.2 Anni's. Big sound, very dynamic and very enjoyable.
McIntosh MC-30
Purchased from Audio Classics in March 2024. Added GE 6L6GC's from VTS, Tungsol 12AX7's, RCA 12AU7 Cleartops, CBS 12BH7 black plates and Tungsol 5AW4 Rectifiers.
deHavilland Electric Ultraverve 3
Most enjoyable and complimentary preamp I've owned, by a large margin. Responds well to tube rolling. Currently loaded with NOS Tung Sol's in all positions. Exceptional value.
Weiss Engineering DAC 202
Replaced an outstanding Audio Aero Capitole Reference DAC/CDP/PRE. I can't say the Weiss is better than the Audio Aero, but it's more neutral. This DAC is a bargain on the used market.
Roon Labs Nucleus
Roon Nucleus server paired with IFi Zen Stream as a Roon end-point, connected via Black Cat Silverstar SPDIF cable to Weiss 202 DAC. Streaming Qobuz. Surprisingly nice step up in sound quality and enjoyability from my previous Aurender N10 at 1/4th the cost.
KCI Silkworm RCA Interconnect
Gold based RCA interconnect cable. Outperforms the Purist Venustas it replaced by a large margin.
Silent Running Audio VR-2 & 3 isolation platforms
I tired of messing with the various footers on the market. These are the real deal... excellent construction, visually appealing and effective.
Salamander Synergy Triple 20
Cherry Finish
GIK Room Treatments Tri Traps, 244 panels and Alpha 4 diffusion panels
This is the 2nd room I've treated with GIK products. Highly recommended, especially 244 panels.
Acoustic BBQ 12 gage Dueland speaker cables
I've had significantly more expensive speaker cables from Stealth and Auditorium, but prefer these. I also use ja pair of these in my secondary system. Great bang for the buck.
iFi Audio Zen Stream
Acting as a Roon endpoint centered between a Roon Nucleus server and my DAC.
Samhar - Given the high price tag, I would not go out of my way to pursue the 10M gold pins unless you can get them for a very good price (< $500/pair), as the CV 4004's are a great value and provide more bang for your buck when compared to $850 10M gold pins. I'll do some research on the Sorbogel feet... you have sparked my interest.
Thank you!! I had heard the 10M was a premium CV-4004 so the difference was slight but your evaluation makes the 10M seem worth pursuing. The correct spelling is Sorbogel or Audioquest SorboGel Q Feet System. You can find 4 1/2 spheres packages for $34.95 30D consistency (supports up to 50#). If I had to choose I'd go with the Sorbogel first over NOS 6922 tubes. I rolled Amperex US White PQ, 7308 White PQ US, 7308 White PQ Holland(currently installed) and 6922 White PQ Pinched Wast US trying to eliminate that leading edge hash that keeps digital being digital. Now when I want to" flavor" the 12AX7 "base" I get a purer "taste" from each 6922!
Samhar - The difference between the CV 4004's and the 10M gold pins is more one of coloring, in that the 10M's are more neutral, and the CV 4004's are more colored. Both sound great in the Calypso, and I think the CV 4004's are very underrated. Since I paid big bucks ($850) for the pair of 10M's, I feel inclined to use them and have the CV 4004's set aside as dependable backups. I still need to upgrade my 6922's to optimize the Calypso, but my audio budget is on lock-down for the foreseeable future. I've yet to experiment with isolation devices other than the no-brainer, inexpensive DIY variety.
Great system and wonderful room!!!! What do you find the difference is between the CV-4004 and the 10M? I am using Amperex 7308 White Label PQ Holland and Mullard CV-4004 in my Calypso and wonder about the 10M Gold pins and 10M steel pins. I also had the Calypso on blocks until I tried Audioquest Sorbagel "Big Feet" resulting in a huge reduction (elimination) of leading edge hash in higher frequencies. I think the Calypso is extremely sensitive to vibrations, the sorbagel actually made the sound sharper not softer as I had originally feared.
What a lucky guy: awesome rig, great dog, freshwater tank....
I have heard those dynaudios and they blow me away. I'll probably never have room for speakers like that. They rule big spaces. The amazing thing about them is the speed at which they integrate that vast scope of frequencies. Masterfull.
Thanks for your comments. Looks like a major re-arrangement of my room comming up to get additional wall to speaker separation. I am very captivated with the C4 imaging and soundstage size. I will post some photo's for you once complete. Thanks again, Jon
Jon47 - I'll admit I have not tried a more powerful amp than the SA-102 with my C4's... however, I've not felt like I've been missing out when it comes to bass response, or anything else for that matter. If this recession ever runs it's course, I may indulge in some powerful SS monoblocks.. maybe McIntosh MC 501's, Parasound JC-1's or Lamm ML-1.1's.... or other???
If you are considering the C4's, it sounds like your primary concern should be room placement and not whether your SA-103 will provide adequate bass response. You may want to consider different speakers (preferably front ported) if you are limited to placement within 24" of your rear wall. C4's need plenty of breathing room and preferably, a well treated room.
Garryh... Haimoc... & Mapman, Thanks for the favorable comments on my system. Your kind words and compliments are much appreciated ;-)
I have a Plinius SA-103, do you find that your SA-102 has enough power to adequately control the bass. I am also looking at C4's, but worried that I need more power. I cannot place the C4's more than two feet from the rear wall, I have read that this may well be an issue with C4's.
Outstanding equipment and room; it all looks so relaxing and inviting . . . not easy to do with the C4s as they could easily dominate a room. Even Jackson (not-so-browne) fits in perfectly.
System edited: Sold my trusty REL Storm III sub to fund my NOS tube upgrades. I would not hesitate to own this sub again... just no need for a subwoofer with the full range Dyn. C4's.
System edited: Several changes: 1. Added 3 more GIK Acoustic wall panels, for a total of 8. 2. Added a pair of NOS Mullard 10M Gold Pins to the Calypso preamp... A fairly costly upgrade @ $850, but the sound just keeps getting better. 3. Added a pair of NOS Telefunken ECC801S to my Jolida Tuner. Really took my inexpensive tuner to a new level.
System edited: Added room treatments in the form of 5 wall panels from Gik Acoustics. Also pulled my speakers further away from the wall (approx. 5 feet to the front of the speaker baffle). Adding the room treatments and experimenting with speaker placement has really improved the sound exponentially, and has dramatically reduced listener fatigue. I'm kicking myself for not investing in room treatments sooner. I have three more panels left, but my wife pitched such a huge fit, I settled for only installing five. Not only have they significantly improved my sound, but I think they look great.... much better than a bare wall. I also installed NOS Mullard CV4004's into my Calypso... a huge improvement over the stock Sovteks and "new production" Mullard 12AX7's I tried originally. When Uncle Sam sends me my "economic stimulus" check, I think I'll try to help stimulate the economy by investing in NOS Mullard 10M's & some Amperex White Label 6922's.
Ryder - Sorry for the slow response. An atypically hectic work schedule has taken me away from home quite a bit, so I've been unable to listen to my system. My early analysis of the Calypso with the stock Sovtek tubes resulted in my system sounding fuzzy & way too bright.
I'm just now getting my first listen to the Calypso with different tubes (new production Mullard 12AX7's & NOS Tesla 6922 gold pins). After 5 days of burn-in, the upgrade in tubes is paying off in a big way... listening to Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue' & Michael Buble 'It's Time', I'm hearing excellent clarity, extended crystalline highs, and strong microdynamics, attack & decay, however, I'd say the Calypso is still leaning towards sounding a tad bit bright (but I still like it ;). I'll listen with these tubes for a few months, but may try NOS Telefunken 12AX7's (@ Albert Porters recommendation) when my cash flow improves. The Calypso has proven to be a significant & noteworthy upgrade over the Plinius CD-LAD, really adding a new dimension to my systems overall sound... increased clarity, attack & decay, imaging, holistic & natural presentation.
The C4's are proving to be very exceptional speakers. While I really enjoyed my time with the C2's... the C4's build upon the strengths of the C2's, while adding low to mid bass response that fleshes out the soundstage, pronounced instrument seperation, taking the overall listening experience to another level. Upgrading my preamp to the Calypso is also proving to pay-off in a big way in getting the most out of my C4's.
Is there a substantial improvement going from the Plinius CD-LAD to the Aesthetix Calypso? What are the perceived improvements going from the C2 to C4? You must spending countless of hours on your new components now I guess. Hope the double upgrades are taking you into the right direction.
Dpac996 - Thanks for the compliments. Your system is very aesthetically pleasing and oozing with class.
I use the Neutrik connection of the REL which connects directly to the speaker terminals of the amplifier. The REL Storm is the best sub I've owned, in that it fleshes out the sound across a large swath of sound frequency... not just impacting the bass. The REL is highly adjustable, is easy to integrate and does a nice dissappearing act. If I ever try another sub, I'll stick with REL... just move up to the Stadium or Stentor model.
Pdreher, I love the C2's...my dream speakers. I imagine the bass is just totally full range with the c2's AND the sub. The baby brother S3.4s seem to be very extended on the bottom now that i added a pass amp. I took my sub out for good now that the amp has awakened them, but I never had a quality sub such as the REL. How do you control the sub? Line level only? I used to have Contour 1.8MKII's in Rosewood, dyns's BEST color. I settled for Cherry s3.4 cause the timing just was not there.
