Sunroom System

by p59teitel on Done For Now
Closeup of palm tree tweak
From 2012 with my late pal
Guts of Symphonic Line Kraft 250 mono
Symphonic Line gear and Ayre CDP
Straight on view
view from French door
View of Star Sound Sistrum Apprentice XL upper points supporting amp

Description

The new room deserved a new system. Starting in fall 2011, I replaced an old Kenwood carousel CD player, Yamaha receiver and Cerwin-Vega speakers system with Ayre C-5xeMP SACD/DVD-A/CD player, Plinius M8 pre-amp, Plinius SB-301 power amp, and Revel Salon 2 speakers.

At first I was extremely pleased and had no intention of upgrading. But the more I read on Audiogon about the synergy potential between a good tube pre-amp and SS power amp, the more curious I became. My two audio gurus - Scot Markwell of Elite A/V and Deadhead buddy David Minches - also suggested I might want to try doing this.

So after some research in came the Symphonic Line "The Enlightenment" tubed pre-amp, which I bought after confirming with Symphonic Line's USA rep and importer (and Odyssey Audio impressario) Klaus Bunge that it was a good addition and had been completely rebuilt. This brand intrigued me, if for no other reason than those who bought it seemed to hang onto it for a long long time.

Once I got some noisy tube issues resolved (UPS pounded on the box during shipping), it absolutely shone in my system, providing a more detailed while simultaneously more relaxed and more dynamic sound than the Plinius M8 pre-amp had done.

While speaking with Klaus about the pre-amp, he also told me about an available pair of Symphonic Line Kraft 250 monoblocks that he had imported for a customer. The customer's wife did not like the amps' appearance, and so after a couple of weeks back to Klaus they went. Intrigued, I bought them at a significant discount and they are now continuing to break in as the new cornerstone of my system. Even through break-in fluctuations, they are simply outstanding. If I had to pick four attributes, they would be as follows: very revealing and detailed without fatigue; incredible macro and micro-dynamics; accurate, tuneful and weighty bass with slam but no bloat or boom; and just a general ability to render music as music and, in so doing, disappear. I don't think calling them world-class is unreasonably gushy.

None of the above praise, however, should be taken as a criticism of the Plinius SB-301 power amp. It remains a fine product and it really showed off what it could do when paired with the Symphonic Line tubed pre-amp. If I had to assign a numerical value to the difference, I'd say it provides say 85% of what the Symphonic Line monos can do. Pretty impressive for something that costs a third as much.

So that's where things stand at present (Sept. 2012): I am a happy camper and can now simply listen to music without worrying about hi-fi issues.
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Room Details

Dimensions: 28’ × 16’  Large
Ceiling: 16’

Components Toggle details

    • Ayre C-5xeMP
    Finally arrived! Component assembly phase of system-building now complete and it's Tweak Time.* *edit 9-3-2012 - or so I thought six months ago! Symphonic Line tube pre-amp external power supply sits below the Ayre player, as it creates noise when placed under the pre-amp.
    • Symphonic Line Belcanto
    Two-box top of the line CD-only player, with 300VA transformer and 280,000µF capacitance. Detailed, dynamic and musical! Now it just needs a permanent home on a rack...
    • Symphonic Line Die Erleuchtung (The Enlightenment)
    Used tube pre-amp made in 1999 but completely reconstructed last year to current specs with current caps etc. Super dynamics, super musical, detailed across the tonal spectrum without any fatigue, and great synergy with Symphonic Line stablemate Kraft 250 monos. And all that with plain old inexpensive Elektro-Harmonix 6922 tubes!
    • Symphonic Line Enlightenment Power Supply
    As it is separate from the pre-amp itself, I felt it deserved its own entry. Contains 400 VA transformer and 70,000 μF capacitor (the 2013 model Symphonic Line power supply for this pre-amp is 300 VA transformer and 56,000 μF capacitor). No shortage of balls here!
    • Symphonic Line Kraft 250 Monoblocks
    Deep, powerful bass without boom or muddiness, clarity in the mids, and detail without glare in the highs. Dynamics both macro and micro are incredible. Forget the putative 250 watts designation: these are extremely powerful high current amps that effortlessly drive my large and inefficient Revel Salon 2s to concert SPLs without negative effect upon dynamics, tonal balance or detail throughout the volume dial. Per Klaus Bunge, the Symphonic Line USA importer (and Odyssey owner) who brokered my deal for these substantially new amps, the Kraft 250 monos bested even the vaunted Kraft 300 stereo amp he has in his personal system. I can't speak directly to that comparison, but I can say that I'm pretty sure I'm all set for the next decade or two.
    • Revel Ultima Salon 2
    Full range speakers that are very detailed across the tonal range. Highly integrated sound notwithstanding the multiple drivers. Soundstaging is excellent, as is dispersion that grows the sweet spot size and makes them perfect for large rooms. They handle dynamic shifts with aplomb - simply put, a drum hit sounds like a drum hit. Feeding and care with properly-matched amplification is key - they are not very efficient and so benefit from powerful SS amps. The beryllium tweeters are super-detailed and resolving and do not need any further help in that regard from your amplification. They sounded very very good with the Plinius gear. They sound even better with the Symphonic Line gear and IMO are of a quality to justify amplification that costs twice as much as they do. In the end it sounds silly to describe something that lists for $22K as a bargain - yet it really is.
    • Furutech Alpha S14 cable w/ FP-203 spades
    Custom 3-meter PCOCC-alpha copper speaker cables, assembled by Scot Markwell of Elite A/V. Nicely detailed without sounding etched, they excel in the low end.
    • Furutech Custom RCAs from Scot Markwell
    FA-220 PCOCC-alpha copper audio cable with FP120 F(R) rhodium-plated screw-down RCA pins.
    • Furutech Custom Power Cords
    Custom 1.5m 240V power cables assembled by Scot Markwell of Elite A/V in Los Angeles.

    FP3TS20 Power Cable with FI-11(G)
    IEC connectors and FI-E
    11(G) SCHUKO connectors. Used with Symphonic Line Kraft 250 monos.
    • Furutech FPSWSD (G)
    Schuko duplex wall socket; fed by separate 10/2 gauge electrical wires via 30 amp breakers (sheetrock repair TBD). Currently feeding the Symphonic Line Kraft 250 monos.
    • Furutech Absolute Power-18 power cable
    Stock Furutech alpha OCC power cables with rhodium-plated plugs
    • Furutech GTX-D (R) Duplex 120V Outlet
    Rhodium-plated duplex outlet that will replace existing Leviton 120V outlet feeding Ayre C-5xeMP and Symphonic Line tubed pre-amp.
    • Plinius M8
    No phono stage. Currently on the bench after being replaced by Symphonic Line tubed pre-amp, it served me well for 10 months. Very good bass in particular.
    • Plinius SB-301
    Class A/B with heavy Class A Bias; 310 wpc into 8 ohms, 470 wpc into 4 ohms. Currently on the bench after new Symphonic Line Kraft 250s entered system. An excellent stereo amp that performed admirably in all aspects, and really showed its stuff when mated to the Symphonic Line tubed pre-amp for a few weeks. It took world-class monos that list for over 3X as much to knock it out of my system.
    • Furutech FA-220, FP-601M(G) , FP-601F(G)
    FA-220 cable w/XLR interconnects. Currently on the bench because new Symphonic Line gear is single-ended only.
    • Star Sound Apprentice XL Platform
    The Apprentice XL Platforms recently replaced Star Sound's Audio Points that had resided under the Salon 2s for six months. Without getting into a two-page dissertation about what they do, I'd summarize that they put even more meat on the musical bone (tonal richness and heft) while simultaneously removing even more film from the window into the music. I have no idea how this stuff works...but it does! And now I have a pair under the amps too, also working to good effect.
    • Furutech Custom Power Cords
    Custom 1.5m 240V power cables assembled by Scot Markwell of Elite A/V in Los Angeles.

    FP3TS20 Power Cable with FI-11(G)
    IEC connectors and FI-E
    11(G) SCHUKO connectors. Used with Symphonic Line Kraft 250 monos.

Comments 37

Showing all comments by frozentundra.

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One beautiful system.
I Would love to hear the symphonic line components.I have heard the odyessey component & they sound good.

I have noticed your conversations on room issues.You should try a free go at DIRAC room and impulse control.
I am using computer audio and amarra with Irc(DIRAC)

It made a HUGE difference for me.

The Palm looks wonderful.

Jeff

frozentundra

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