We live in the San Francisco bay area. We are lucky continuing to enjoy live music performances attending 25-30 a year. We are long time season subscribers to the SF Ballet at the Opera House, to the SF Symphony at Davies and to Best of Broadway Series at the Curran, etc. Additionally, there are lots of jazz performances near us Shoreline, Villa Montavlo and at Paul Mason lucky for us. These are at a wide range of performance venues from Jazz, hot groups (pop classification are to many to describe) or soloist, to classical.
We consider music a priority at home. Our music home tastes run from Jazz, Rock, Vocals, and Classical. So a decent music system at home was important priority to us. I must admit I've gone overboard on the music system. I'm sure you have also.
Our living room (21x26) and the slightly smaller dinning room (16x20) are a one continuous space. They share one side (36) full height windows and sliding glass doors. We have vertical blinds on that side. Another challenge was a solid brink fireplace bifurcating where the two rooms join together. There is a cathedral ceiling (15) in the living room. The W/P8s are 8.5 center to center and set slightly forward (3) on either side of fireplace. The Room sounds to dead with all the blinds closed and wonderful when the blinds are open and the speaker grills are off. I placed all the front-end equipment into specially built, solid cabinets in the family room that joins the dinning room. So I have to run 42 of Stealth interconnect to the Lamm amps setting behind each speaker.
Why Wilson? My music pursuit couldnt be obtrusive. We, my wife lived through this, went through stacked Quads, Quads with Entecs, Magnepan Timpani IVs, Infiniti 4.5s, Avalons, and home dozens of demonstrations. We picked Wilson W/P because they gave us the best all round music performance in our home environment. They do a wonderful job into reproducing the wide range of music we like. Then the evolution over time was W/P 3/2s, 7's and now 8's.They are our favorite speakers in our home environment.
This is a wonderful speaker system that is so musical. Since our music room is also our living room these speakers in a Mercedes Desert Silver color fit in beautifully with our decor. Our System had to fit in our normal life style and also produces great music for us to enjoy. The Wilson System 8's meets both criteria. It looks fairly clean because we have all the other front end gear are house custom, design by me and fabricated by a friend cabinet maker, stereo cabinet system with two main areas. An Arcici Suspense stand keeping everything vibration free from the music or movements that occur else where sits in its own custom audio cabinet with in the whole cabinet system. I bring out the 14 feet of Stealth cables to connect the front end to the amps. Additional Amp power and speaker cables are attached when I music on, but often we just leave the cabling out. When dinner guests come over the cabling is put away. A guest could easily trip over the power and IC cables in the pathways to the dinning room. This is a slab-flooring house without any crawl space beneath the flooring.
TW Acustic Raven AC-1
One of the best TT's in the world and is my main TT now. I can't decide if I want one or three motors right now. I will add more arms/cartridges soon. My bad,this photo shows the Graham Phantom MK II and a Koetsu rather than the DaVinci combination. I will correct this later. Note the SRA turntable platform. It is our vibration sucker and offers a wonder surface for the TW Acustic turntable to rest on. I think it really doing two jobs. It is functional and is the aesthetic touch to the turn table home. You may not notice this but all the front end equipment is in adjoining room housed in custom design and built for audio cabinetry system. There are separate 4 ac lines for TV Digital, Turn Table and Analog equipment. In addition the are two PS Audio PS-600s for ac regeneration.
DaVinci Audio Grand Reference
The 12" DaVinci Grand Reference grandezza is a significant improvement over the Graham Phantom MK II in all areas but since I changed both arm and cartridge it is impossible the give exact credit to the arm or cartridge. I suspect the cartridge deserves the credit. I must do a review on this. That will get me to do a better explanation of what improvements I'm hearing.
DaVinci Audio Grandezza 12
Stock photo warning on this arm. My photo shot will come later.The 12" Grand Reference Grandezza tone arm review will come later.
Silent Running Audio Special for TW Acustic Raven AC-3
This piano black turntable platform is staggering improvement in sound stage stability and is a beautiful platform for the TW Acustis Rave AC-1. Love writing this.
Wavestream Kinetics Phono Stage
Scott Franklin designed pre-amp and separate phono unit bettered my Aesthetix Io Signature with two Power Supplies by doing all the great things the Aesthetix does while removing the Aesthetix's darkness veil. Also there's no tube rush when using really low voltage moving coil cartridges - just blackness. I couldn't believe it until I took the Wavestream's Store demos home for four days and compared the two systems. The Wavestream's Products are not well known, but anybody who is serious about music and in their price range should take a serious listen to these products. Besides previously owning the Aesthetix line there were many other, Mare's Connoisseur Model 2.0, CAT Ultimate, Jadis JP80mc modified by Scott Franklin, and many ARC products.
Wavestream Kinetics Tube Pre-Amp
The best of the best preamp I tried. Better than the Aesthetix Callisto Signature with two PS and filled with Alert Porter's recommended NOS tubes that I had. Wavestream Preamp is one one the best out there. Snatch one up if you can. Hand crafted by one technician under Scott Franklin's direction in woefully tiny production run quantities.
Lamm Industries ML 2.1 SET Mono Amps
Great sound with power from this 18 watt SET design.Totally amazing on these W/P8's. For 3-4 years Lamm run these on W/P7's the W/P8s and Maxx 2's. One of the best sounding rooms at CES convinced me to try a home demo. After that home demo I bought immediately.
Stealth Indra IC Pre to Amps
4.5M RCA pair from preAmp to Lamm Monos Amps. May system opebed up once the stealth was tried on a home demo. Bougth them in two steps because they are really budget busting but woth every bit of it.
Stealth Indra
Phono and two other 1M Indra Interconnects
Stereovox 600
Stereovox replaces my Nordost Valhalla because it sounded just a little more musical and natural while keeping exceptional transparency. Tried other that are even more expensive and they were worse, Names have been withheld to not embarrass those products. Stock photo as I have used white sleeve to cover up the big black hose look in our living room
Arcici Suspense stand Suspension Stand
Except for amps and speakers all other equipment is in a specially built custom equipment closet, my design, with 4 dedicated AC lines. My idea was to have two physical vibration free areas separated from the music room.
Cardas Mrytle Blocks
Under Amps, Phono Preamp + PS and Tuner
AudioNut Cable lifter/isolatoers
Heavyweight ceramic lifter that keeps amps' speaker and power cables from contacting carpet
VH Audio Arsine Poer Cables
Power cables used through out system. Compared lots of PCs but these are the best value and performance out there. They are very stiff and do not bend easily. When we normal people, not interested in listening to the system, I remove these cables in order to close back cabinet door and to clean up living room appearance.
I see you are using Stealth cables, great product. You should try their Sakra IC's, the sonic differences is like a pre-amp upgrade. Costly but well worth it, I'm currently awaiting for arrival of the new Sakra V12's so this will be interesting, also have a pair of the new Dream Royale speaker cables coming.
Ballot, you lucky guy. I think it is one of best. Play, break it in. Before you start with nos tubes . It makes mighty fine music right away, but then gets even better. Good luck.
Hi Gerry, I have a similar room to you as far as all that glass is concerned! Have you done anything to treat those sliding doors? I have patio doors as well as large windows in my listening room. I have heard Marigo window dots are a good treatment. I'm wondering what has helped you? Cheers.
Beautiful integration of your system into your home. I'm in the Willow glenn area of San Jose. Would love to hear your Wilson"s sometime as I'm contemplating Sashas. I'm running Lamm monos also. Wonderful sound. Check my system.
One of my favorite concerts at the Mountain Winery last year suprisingly was the comedian Steve Martin on banjo with a bluegrass band backing up. If he comes again this year you should definitely check it out.I guess he's been playing for 40+ years.
Nice system it's great your in the Bay Area too [I'm in San Bruno]. If you feel like checking out a a great place check out Stereo Unlimited in Walnut Creek. They do a lot of modding to speakers, amps, tables, DACs, digital front ends with their own wire called Supernal. Awesome stuff, you could audition some amps or preamps from Viva, to me the best tube gear in the world. They also carry ARC, Jolida, mbl, Primaluna, Wright Sound Company, Nola, VTL. all modified of course. You should really check out your Wilson's with a Viva Linea preamp and a couple of Jolida 211 based mono blocks, great combo. Unreal bass! Plus their pretty laid back about just hanging around and listening to tunes, talking about music.
Don't forget the CA Audio Show is in Burlingame this July for whole $10!
And you live in the Bay Area to boot! Sweet!!!! I guess I missed that at first glance.
We have family in Marin and visit often from Upstate New York!! I call it Mecca!
If housing were ALOT more reasonable, we'd live there in a heart beat. You folks have it all - food, wine, weather and of course, tunes. Love listening to KDFC on my iPhone!
Have some Acme sour dough bread, Cowgirl Creamery cheese, local vino and enjoy good tunes for me! Now, that's living!!!!
Cleaned up all descriptions so that a reader can get more of my point of view rather than just a tittle. Take a read, I'm interested in your comments and pointers to other interesting music, products, your system or even music suggestions or any improvement to try. It is just enjoyment. No music gives me quiet blissful moments. Takes me to away from any care in the world and I just live the music's emotional draw. I love music and the equipment gets me a little closer to the what music sounds like to me. I heard many better systems than mine, but they are usually cost prohibitive for me to buy. Sometimes damn near perfect is as far as one should go.
System edited: Cleaned up descriptions on all current items. I felt a reader should get a little more descriptive personal point of view rather that just a tittle.
System edited: Added photos of DaVinci Grand Grandezza MK II Cartridge and 12" tone arm. Beautiful sounding cartridge and arm that costs an arm and leg. Still its worth it.
System edited: Decided to add the Colorado condo system in Virtual Systems. It is for the extended times that we spend in Colorado visiting family and friends. Now that we have decorated the condo, we got to have some decent music. We have a little money left over to build a listenable dual zone system for the great room and master bedroom. We need to have vinyl, iMac, DVR-Blueray and FM capabilities. I have a section of LPs and CDs that I send there from our home collection. Now the fun begins.
System edited: Deleted the Graham Phantom MK II and Dynavector DRT XV 1T and moved up to the best sounding cartridge/ arm comdination I have ever heard the DaVinci Audio Grand Reference "Gradezza MK II" Cartridge and the 12" Gradezza Arm. The music from this combination is the most natural real sounding music I have ever heard. The balance between all factors is wonderful. Nothing is overly emphised while everthing is there in true music tibre, tone, PRAT, and sound staging.
I happened to notice your system while scrolling through Audiogon tonight. I have lots of experinece with your DV cartridge. Be sure and load it at least 250 ohms!
I built a contemorary house five years ago and had the luxury of being able to design a dedicated music only room with non-parallel walls and ideal dimensions (32' x 19 x 12) with a built in area for the equipment.
I have been serious about this hobby since the 1970s and since moving into my new house have moved from Avantgarde Trios and great triode amps to MBL 101s with MBL 9008 amps and finally to Kaiser Kawero speakers with Berning OTL amps and ARC Ref. Anniversary preamp.
Use SME 30 with Breuer arm and the XV1T cartridge (my third DV in the last 11 years).
It warms my heart to find another music lover / audiophile who also appreciates a great contemporary house. Mine was based on Richard Neutra's work. Lots of glass, stucco, open areas, etc. let on the side of a hill overlooking a large (forest) nature preserve. The left wall of the music room, all 31' of it, is floor to ceiling glass overlooking the forest. Deer often walk up to the window and look inside. I have powered drapes, much like yours, that I can use when needed. Also use 9 real traps in critical areas. They look nice when used properly. The room is a killer! Send me your email address and I will send you a couple of pictures.
System edited: Deleted Technics SP-10 MKII turn table because I decided not to pursue the TT project after geting the TW Acustic and hearing its great performance in my system. The TW can handle up to four arms. more than I'll ever need.
System edited: Forgot to add my Technics SP-10 MK II. Looking to do a Steve Dobbin's plinth and full PS upgrade. I'll keep my eye out for a SP-10 MK III just in case.
Awesome system. I have always wanted a set of the Watt Puppies. Looks great. I used to go down to the Bay all the time to catch the live jazz shows. It has tapered off, but still try to hit the ones I really want to go to. There was an amazing run of acts that played at the now closed Jazz House in Berkeley. Did you ever go there?
