Hi rez achieved while maintaining decor...

by dcstep on Done For Now
In playing position

Description

I'm a serious musician and audio has been important to me since the 1960s. This system is my third major upgrade in the last 40 years.

You can see that it's important for me to integrate my system into our apartment living space, that I share with my wife of 39-years. It was important for the speakers to be physically attractive as furniture and, most importantly, be very musical.

The analog front end is incredibly revealing. When I'm seriously listening I pull the speakers out to the positions that you see, which was determined using Sumiko's Master Set technolog. Rod Thomson of Soundings set mine for me. Believe it or not, that table to the left is no problem for either imaging or frequency response. The narrow set is defined by that short wall and the opening into the hall and foyer. The image goes out past the speakers and centered vocalists are about 3/4 the way up the armoire in the center and depth goes back to the back wall. You'd be amazed at the bass from this system, particularly given the wonderfully open and textured midrange.

At other times the AKG headphones and incredible Woo Audio amplifier provide a great alternative for listening without moving the furniture around.

The Korg MR1000 is used for live recording and archiving vinyl using 1-bit DSD at 5.6 mHz.
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Components Toggle details

    • Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grand
    3-way, full range, floor standing speakers.
    • Jeff Rowland Continuum 500
    1,000 watts into 4 ohms, stereo, integrated amplifier, with phono stage
    • Playback Designs MPS-5
    CD/SACD player that upconverts redbook CDs to DSD. Claims no jitter.
    • Project RM10
    Hi mass, belt drive turntable with 10" carbon fiber arm.
    • Soundsmith The Voice Ebony
    .6 mV moving iron cartridge, with ruby cantilever and medium compliance tracking at 1.4g
    • Pioneer DV-58AV
    Univeral CD/DVD/SACD/mp3/etc. player, modded by Ric Schultz. Used as a DVD-A transport with digital into the MPS-5's DAC.
    • Korg MR1000
    1-bit DSD recorder with sampling rate up to 5.6 mHz with 40GB of onboard data storage.
    • Woo Audio WA6
    Single-ended, class A, tube headphone amplifier
    • AKG K-701
    Headphones with incredible midrange. Modified with 12', dual entry Cardas cable by Soloz Audio.
    • Sumiko Speaker set
    Perhaps the most important component, properly setting the speakers by a master technician using Sumiko's Master Set methodology.
    • Analasis Plus Solo Crystal Oval 8
    Great. See full review here: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?rcabl&1200714157&openmine&zzDcstep&4&5#Dcstep
    • HRS M3 Isolation Bases
    17"X19" isolation bases under RM10 and MPS-5
    • Furman Elite-15PFi Power Conditioner
    This 13-plug added to the solidity of the bass and overall performance. This is a great value.

Comments 136

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Hi Mapman,
Maybe I imagined the use of the word "better". That will teach me to read and listen at the same time!

There is a performance level in Hifi that is very confusing. I have been through it and hope never to fall back into its clutches.

It is the point where the equipment itself fools you into thinking thats what the source sounds like. It is easy to be fooled too. It robs you a little in every area. Lets say dynamics slightly muted with bass puffed up and a slightly rolled off treble. Suddenly a mix takes on a very different character. Timing is effected, soundstaging altered and so on.

I have heard master mixes played in the studio they they were recorded and then played back on various reasonable HiFi systems. I was shocked at how different the same music sounded.

I dont mean that every new box is better than any old one regardless. I would say good manufacturers like Bel canto, Audio research or Krell etc would make it easy to hear. If you put their old stuff next to their new counter part, you would not go back.

In fact to push the idea a little too far, take the ipod and the sony walkman...! Anyone remember tape hiss?

chadeffect

Hi Mapman,

I have to disagree with the idea that the old gear is better. My experience is that the old gear covers and smears the gems on the disc with colorations. It may for a short while seem enjoyable but gets annoying to live with.

I would agree that newer gear can be more demanding of other equipment in the chain and needs to be properly set up to truely step forward and make the most of the investment.

When I have gone back to old gear I have wondered how I listened to it. Though there is sometimes an element of meeting a old friend.
But things like the lack of grain or noise and the transparency at frequency extremes and control are difficult to live without once lived with.

I bet if you bought a $2000 cd player from now vs a $2000 player from 1999 would soon show you.

chadeffect

I have seen the Korg but never used it. Most of the stuff I get from the studio is just run off as files so I dont really have an "in between" medium . So if I want to play back mixes at home I either send it from my lap top to my DAC or convert it to 44.1 and burn a CD.

It is a worry to me that most people seem unconcerned about data compression, band width/sample rates. Although the Blue ray disk seems to be offering nice quality for Home theater.

I dont know of any recording studios that are not at least 24bit, though I think most are using 44.k or 48k still unless really top end where this may be 192k on pro tools.

We are at the point where we seem to have fixed many of the other problems in the chain.

In general i guess speakers or microphones are the weakest link in the chain now.

chadeffect

I wish I could have found a one box solution myself. The Emm labs sounded very good.

The new DCS Scarlatti just has so much staggering detail. All aspects hanging together without a thought. It never feels forced or unmusical. Its completely devoid of grain or a sound.

That last trace of reverb tail that would slide into a players nose floor may be right on the edge of your perception, but with the Scarlatti it captures it utterly. The space and layering presented by each instrument with its own volume and texture is complete.

It is only when you hear the DCS Scarlatti then go back to your old player, that you notice what an amazing piece of kit it really is. And my old player was serious too.

With the DCS you just get transported to the time and place where the recording was made, no romance, no euphonics. What is on the disk comes off the disk. Its kind of creepy what is on there! This is why I have gone away from tubes. At this point there is no need to hide or color your CD collection. Hopefully the professionals have already done that for you.

I would say it has got us ready for the final assault on perfect digital playback. All that needs to happen is for that kind of performance to be made cheaper. Maybe thats what you have?

chadeffect

Hi Dave,
I had a look around for the playback design. There is not much, but enough to get an idea. Let me know how you get on with it. The though of changing players again would be very depressing for me!

chadeffect

I know it is very dangerous. The last time I posted my feelings towards valves I had hate email for weeks!

I had the ICE power JR monos, but changed them for Bel cantos version. I have always liked JR amps including their ICE power versions.

I found the presentation of the BC Ref1000s was deeper, larger and wider in my set up.

All sorts of audiogoners were telling me they were rubbish, stripped timbre, and were not highend.

Poor people, I bet they have never tried them, or if they did all that happened was ICE power showed them what their system was doing.

I have replaced some very fine amps with these and I dont miss them. Well some of the tube euphonics for the first 2 hours I guess, but I gained in every other place. The simple mods I have had done to mine just refined their sound even more. Maybe not quite Halcro DMs but very very close.

I dont know the MPS-5 SACD player. I will look it up.

Regards

C

chadeffect

Hi Dave,
I didnt want to mess up the speaker for classical music thread. So I figured here was better to say I whole heartedly agree with you regarding the valve amp discussion. While valves are useful and can sound nice and musical, they cannot be used for serious hi end playback.

I have noticed as you, that they do tend to sound the same. Obviously some better than others, but never the less low bass not quite controlled, usually in a "thud" way etc.

I use valves in the studio to create a sound but never to hear one back.

The audiogon seems to be full of people who are covering up their sound with valves for whatever reason.

Regards

C

chadeffect

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