Description

I listen to a large range of music incl jazz/vocals, opera, symphonies/classicals (western & chinese) and flamengco/acoustic guitars.

Happy for a while now but milking every last bit with ongoing tweaks to room and things that make the sound more fluid & organic (less hifi).
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Components Toggle details

    • AudioMeca Mephisto IIx
    Bespoke transport by TT guru Pierre Lurme. Dec 07 - finally found a pair of the upgraded power cables!
    • Tube Distinctions Soul Mate
    Tom Evans Vibe + Pulse pre with a remote! www.tubedistinctions.co.uk
    • Tom Evans Audio Design Linear A
    Composite EL84 24watt SET. Currently using Harma Military Russian Cyro EL84's
    • Living Voice OBX-R2
    External crossovers. Superbly transparent and musical
    • AudioTekne ARC-500/ARSP-500
    500 strand copper litz. IC & Spk cables
    • BPT PPC
    Superb - direct sound without any edge. Oyaide plugs + ERS upgrade (a must), centre earth point (nice), cones.
    • QRT Symphony Pro
    Brilliant! Wifi power conditioning. Just feed it a with good neutral PC. Alters the sound signifacantly.
    • Audio Tekne & BPT Power Cords
    All Litz construction - all upgraded with Oyaide plugs incl wall socket. Increased transparency, removed top end hardness and quieter.
    • Shun Mook Mpingo, Diamond Resonators
    Divine Wood.
    • Shun Mook Original Cable Jackets
    Fab - wrapped around power cords, they lower noise and add a natural palpability that all SM products seem to do.
    • Symposium Ultra, Svelte, Rollerballs
    These platforms help drop my noise floor without the downsides of using power conditioning ie. losing PRAT/being coloured.
    • Finite Elemente Signature Rack
    Sits on FE mid range feets - Cerapucs. Nice improvement.
    • Machina Dynamica Pebbles & Little Clock
    Pure voodoo but it works and takes my system from just high end to being one that is fluid, organic and musical.

Comments 15

What PC are you using with the QRT?

tabl10s

Being,
That's one hell of a first post. I look forward to your next.

roxy54

I found the best results from putting Machina Dynamica small gem bottles on the cable inputs, with the other three sized bottles (M,L,XL) one each on top of three Mpingo Disks in a forward triangle. They're both resonance control devices but do extra special together, but very sensitive on placement: best tweak I found. Haven't tried the Resonators. The Machina guy says the gems do better in a small plastic baggie instead of bottle, but haven't tried that either.

being

Can you tell me how these work. I hope you know some basic physics and some basic knwoledge in Audio science. I hope not lots of people on this site do not actually believe in Voodoo and magic without some basic understanding of Audio engineer and physics.

dktndh2835

Owner
I now have a special gold and a basic Acoustic Resonator. Have not got around to RTP-6.

boy_lah

Owner
My two big finds in 2008 are the Acoustic Revive BTP-6 and Acoustic System resonator 'cups'. Both pricy, both on my list to invest in.

boy_lah

Owner
Ryder, put the BPT on some symposium roller balls or similar. ie. quality feet. That makes a HUGE improvement. On spikes, things tighen up but can sound hard, on balls, you get lovely top end openess/air. Finally, can't verify improvement as such, but i put my amp closest to the IEC, followed by pre and CDP/digital furthest away/last in chain.

best

boy_lah

Thanks for the response Boy_lah. I have actually ordered the unit from Chris of BPT and have been using it for almost 1 month now. Mine only has one Oyaide R-1 duplex and the Bybee. I find the unit to be good in removing background noise and a slight hardness in the upper registers.

ryder

Owner
Ryder - my BBT PPC is all oyaide + ERS. Mine does not have bybee as i generally don't like them. My friend on the other hand loves them and has them in his unit. The ERS and Oyaide are the 'big' upgrades in my mind.

boy_lah

Hi Boy_lah,

Do you have the Bybee Quantum purifiers as the upgrade option in your BPT PPC? Also, did you replace all stock Hubbell duplexes of the PPC to the Oyaide?

ryder

Owner
hi Lokie,
If you mean the black hollow base - don't. Kevin Scott apparently spent a lot of time building these seemingly simple base. i put mine on roller balls then on some wood base to raise them and off carpets. I find they like to 'breathe' and don't work well on any vibration dampening devices e.g. symposium platforms - kills the sound. Some shun mook mpingo on them does wonders too.

I'm in london mate which means small flats - yes, my speaker are less than ideal distance appart - perhaps 7-8 feet at best but it still sounds glorious.

My impression is the IBX is more immediate/lively with better grip whereas the OBX is probably a tad more transparent but more laid back/sanquine. But cables costs more! Kevin prefers the OBX but the market wants IBX.

best,
Clinton

boy_lah

Very cool room, rack and gear.
It's hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like your LV's are about 9' apart. That's very close to what I found optimal for my IBX's.

Transparent and musical are two words that I would also use to describe these speakers (or in my case the IBX's). I would also describe them as fun. Live jazz has an exctement that I have heard in very few speakers. Most other speakers seem too polite and boring to me now.

I find your speaker bases curious. I have been thinking about replacing the hollow LV bases with a thick piece of maple and spikes. Any thoughts?

lokie

Owner
hi Gary,

TubeDistinctions - You're exactly right re the history. Yes it's commercially available and you can contact Anthony directly here. Let him know Clinton says hi.
http://www.tubedistinctions.co.uk/soul_mate.htm

I've not managed to hear the vibe+pulse in my own system but others i know have and they say it's better. Personally, the 1 box + remote option swung it for me even if it's just as good. But most importantly, my power amp only works with very specific pre's of which the Soul Mate is one of them.

AudioTekne - i have heard better cables but they cost a lot more and since i use double runs for my external crossovers, it gets v expensive if i start going something more expensive.

feel free to write to me directly.

best,
Clinton

boy_lah

Boy lah

Looks like a fascinating system. I am very interested by the preamp. Can you tell me a bit more. I recall the tube distinictions produced the first soul with tom evans and then parted ways. Is the preamp a modification of the vibe pulse or a new unit? It has a remote as I understand, something I wish the vibe did. What is the cost and is it commercially available? Most importantly have you compared it to the vibe pulse and if so what were your thoughts?

I too have used the audiotekne wires in the past, very nice and natural sounding.

Again lovely and interesting system

Gary

gajgmusic

Love the look of the room. Never heard anything personally from Living Voice, but I've read nothing but good things!

What part of London are you in?

jack667

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