Modern and Classic - Not Quite Done Yet

by jperry on Opinions Please
From Seating position
Rack with Equipment
Seating area
Akira, Listening Assistant
Garrard 301 w/Ikeda tonearm and Cartridge
Ikeda tonearm with EMT cartridge
Ready to play
A few cartridges
Rosewood finish and ribbon tweeters
Caged
Without Cage
So beautiful
Stock Luxman tubes
301 with Shindo Platter
301 with Audio Grail platter
Stock v. Shindo bearing
Wall with framed albums incl Luxman CL-35 III
Record rack in back of room
Records in closet rack with libations above
Record cleaning dept with VPI 16.5 & Audio Deske US cleaner
Cleaning dirty records
Dynamic, quiet and detailed

Description

I recently added some ceiling and side sound absorption panels from GIK. They made a real difference. I plan to make some additional sound treatment updates to improve the aesthetics  and the sound. It's a very good start. Before my room was too lively. Now the soundstage is bigger and deeper with a more defined and stable image. I wish I would have done this sooner.

The tonearm cable was upgraded from Nordost Valhalla 2 to Odin 2. The improvement was tremendous.

I just added a Nagra Classic Amp to my system. Great sound and the only SS amp to work in the mix.

The most recent change to my system was replacing the stock platter and bearing with a Shindo platter and bearing. The build quality of the Shindo platter and bearing is amazing resulting in a significant improvement in sound quality. The platter and bearing upgrade results in blacker backgrounds, more detail, and more dynamic sound.

Some other recent changes to my system are:
Tonearm replacement: Ortofon RS-309D replaced with an Ikeda IT-407 CR1 incl. VTA base
The addition of an Ikeda 9GSS phono cartridge.
Updating the digital front end to an Innuos music server and Line Magnetic DAC.

Planned future changes are addition of an outboard turntable power supply for the Garrard.

I can sit and listen for hours. This system excels with vocals, but can play rock and full scale orchestral music with ease at volume. I listen primarily to vocalists with small groups and some classic rock or jazz on occasion.

Any thoughts or suggestions please.

My listening room is about 12X17 with 10 ft ceilings.
Read more...

Room Details

Dimensions: 17’ × 11’  Medium
Ceiling: 10’

Components Toggle details

    • Garrard 301
    Cream colored Garrard 301 with Shindo platter and bearing.

    Mounted in Woodsong plinth with Indian Rosewood veneer and Nordost SortFut underneath sitting on a Vibraplane
    • Ikeda IT-407CR1
    IT-407CR112 INCH ARM Price:$7,400


    Type:Dynamic Balance

    Overall Length: 388 mm

    Effective Length: 307 mm

    Overhang: 12 mm

    Stylus Force Range: 0g - 5g (in 0.5g steps

    Pivot to Spindle Distance: 295 mm

    • Ikeda IT-VTA-06

    IT-VTA-06

    IT-VTA-06 is an arm base with built-in elevation mechanism that allows you to easily adjust the height of the tone arm. The housing is machined from stainless steel, and the arm fixing part has a hybrid structure of stainless steel and brass. The height can be adjusted smoothly with a single dial operation even record play.

    Height adjustment range: Vertical 10 mm


    • Ikeda 9Gss MC Cartridge
    9GssMC CARTRIDGE Price:$10,500

    Product Specifications:

    Output Voltage:
    0.3 mVrms (1kHz 35.4mm/sec. at 45°peak)

    Coil Impedance:
    3.0 Ohms (1kHz)


    • EMT Audio JSD S-75
    JSD S75 75 year Jubilee Moving Coil cartridge is the latest addition to EMT‘s award winning line. Diamond stylus on white Sapphire cantilever.
    • Benz Micro LP-S mr
    The newest Benz LP-S with micro ridge stylus
    • Kiseki PurpleHeart Sapphire

    This cartridge uses purpleheart housing, but instead of the aluminum cantilever used in the standard purpleheart, white sapphire from the Lapiz Lazuli is used for the cantilever.

    Specifications

    Cantilever: 0.3mm sapphire, length 4.5mm

    Stylus: line contact, 0.14 x 0.6 mil

    Stylus polish: super polishing by pieces of hair

    Output: around 0.4mV

    Impedance: 42 ohms

    Compliance: 20 x 10-6cm/dyne

    Tracking force: 1.6 to 2.2g

    • Luxman CL-38uC
    Luxman preamp including MM/MC phono preamp
    • Luxman MB-3045
    Luxman mono amps originally sold with the NEC 8045G triode tube.

    This pair was factory modified to use the 6550 tube in triode. About 50-60 wpc

    This is as quiet as any tube am I have ever heard, including Shindo
    • Proac Response D-40r
    Floor standing with ribbon tweeter, 2-6.5 woofers and Nordost SurtFut instead of factory spikes
    • Nordost Odin 2 tonearm cable
    Used with the Garrard turntable and Ortofon tonearm
    • Nordost Odin Interconnect
    Interconnect cable between preamp and power amps. A significant upgrade from the Tyr 2 used previously
    • Nordost Valhalla 2 Speaker Cable
    3 meter pair used with Nordost Reference Jumpers
    • Nordost Valhalla 2 Power Cord
    Used for QBase to wall, Qbase to preamp and power amps
    • Nordost Tyr 2 interconnect 1 meter
    Used between CD plater and preamp
    • Nordost QBase 8
    Used for all AC Connections in concert with a Valhalla 2 AC cable
    • Nordost Sort Fut
    Nordost SortFut used under the ProAc D-40r speakers
    • Nordost Sort Kone TC
    Used under preamp, power amps and Nordost QBase.
    • Vibraplane 2210-01-13
    Passive 20x24 vibraplane placed under Garrard 301 turntable
    • Audio Desk Systeme PRO
    Ultrasonic Record cleaner, Get great sound from record cleaning dirt you did not know was there
    • VPI Industries HW-16.5
    Reliable record cleaning machine
    • Innuos Zenith Mk III
    Black
    • Line Magnetic lm 32 dac
    • My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum phono cartridge

    Internal impedance: 1.4Ω
    Output voltage: 0.5mV
    Compliance: 10x10-6cm/dyen
    Weight: 13g
    Recommended tracking force: 1.9-2.2g
    Recommended loading: 100-800Ω (ideal is around 400Ω)

    The Preeminent Culmination of Decades of Cartridge-Building Expertise: Japanese-Made My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum MC Phono Cartridge Delivers Indescribable Transparency and Purity

    The Japanese-made Signature Platinum, the least resonant of any My Sonic Lab MC phono cartridge, stands as the preeminent culmination of master-builder Yoshio Matsudaira's four-decade-plus expertise. Unreal transparency and perfectionist neutrality combine with indescribable purity in an inimitable boron-cantilever cartridge that seemingly knows no power, dynamic, or frequency-extension limitations.

    • Nagra Classic Amp with VFS base

    Power:100 W RMS per channel into 8 ΩSensitivity:1 V or 2 V RMSBandwidth:10 Hz to 80 KHz, +0/-3 dBCrosstalk:>70 dBSignal-to-noise ratio:Typically 110 dB

    ASA “A” weightedTHD+N:< 0.05%Input impedance:>100 KΩ

Comments 52

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I am sure that is some welcome change! Looks like you might be glues to the chair very late into the night. At some point I want to get a MIC and use REW for my room.
Thank You for the offer @jperry . I extend the same to you if you are in Cleveland, OH.

milpai

Owner
The first thing I noticed was that the room was much more quiet. The ceiling treatments and side panels were both put at the first reflection points using mirrored mylar film.

For lack of a better word the chatter in the room was gone. I didn't really understand how noisy the room was until I installed the treatments.

I plan to do some more treatment next year and improve the appearance as well.

Thanks again for your comments and checking in with me.

Let me know if you are ever in Phoenix, AZ

jperry

Thanks @jperry . I like that you added the ceiling treatments. It made a big difference in my case, since I have that soffit going through the ceiling. I am sure the first reflection panels also helped. What do you think about the overall changes now?

milpai

Owner
@milpai I added some updated pictures. Thanks again for looking.

jperry

@jperry, looking for updated pics :-)

milpai

Owner
@lak Thanks for the nice comments. It is really sounding good now, especially after adding some room treatments. I will get some updated pictures posted

jperry

Very nice looking system and room. I'll bet the music it creates sounds wonderful!

lak

Owner
Thanks @tomic601. You have some great great systems. I always look forward to seeing your thoughtful comments in a thread

jperry

lovely, just lovely

tomic601

Owner
Spencer,

Thank you for the kind comments. If I had room I would get Sound Labs.

The Purple Heart and LPS are both great. Right now I am trying to get enough hours on the Ikeda 9GSS to break it in completely. 

jperry

Wow, Jim, lovely system. The Purple Heart and the LPS are two of my fav carts of all time. As a former vintage SP-10 owner, I appreciate all the love and care you are giving to the Garrard. 
I grew up in a home with a Garrard and I remember nervously using it as a young child with my parents LPs...will always have a soft spot for them, although theirs wasn't anywhere as nice as yours. Cheers,
Spencer

sbank

@jperry the difference between my 301 and 401 is minimal.
When I received my 301 from eBay UK, I was so impressed that a 50+ year old turntable could look so good, the original paint and badges were like new so I left most of it as is. My 401 has a few aftermarket parts, mainly a newly machined platter, new idler wheel and new pulley. I would say the 401 is slightly more balanced sounding. Using my wow/flutter phone app, the 401 measured slightly better.   

scar972

Owner
Dan,

Thanks for the comments, and as I mentioned your 401 is beautiful.

I found the cartridge display case on e-bay. Type “EMJ Zelkova headshell cartridge keeper” in the e-bay search and you will find a number of them in different variations. They usually ship from Japan.

I am sure you have a great sounding system. The big Tannoys are very cool.

Best Regards,

Jim Perry

jperry

I admire your system greatly, since I have a Garrard 401 I overhauled and built the plinth for, and mounted a Dynavector 501 arm on (which I also overhauled).

I use custom built Tannoy speakers with 150 liter bass-reflex enclosures, in a rather large room, and I'm also able to enjoy most anything I care to listen to. Mostly classical and jazz with a bit of R'n'R and blues in the mix also.

I must admit, though, your system is very easy on the eyes as it must be on the ears. 

I am very curious regarding the beautiful display case for your head shells and cartridges. Never seen one like it before. Nice.

Best regards,
Dan











 

islandmandan

Owner
@scar972 

Thanks for the comments. I have been working on this for a long time and am finally getting the turntable (I think) completed to my satisfaction. 

What do you think of the differences between your 301 and 401?

jperry

@jperry I really like the collection of vintage and modern equipment you have. The Garrard 301 with Ikeda arm and Shindo bearing makes me jealous...not to mention the cartridge you have in your collection. Congrats on a great setup!

scar972

Owner
The most recent change to my system was replacing the stock platter and bearing with a Shindo platter and bearing. The build quality of the Shindo additions are amazing and the improvement in sound quality is amazing. I have no idea how a platter and bearing upgrade results in blacker backgrounds, more detail, and more dynamic sound, but it does.

jperry

Owner
Thanks for the kind words @milpai 

I was looking for a smaller lighter amp (the Atlas is 80 lbs) and ran into a deal on a pair of Luxman MB-3045 mono amps (60 wpc), which I had always wanted. Brought them home to try and liked the sound better than my Aesthetix Atlas (200 wpc). These Luxman tube amps have as low a noise floor as a Shindo amp.

They came with a Luxman CL-35III, all were from the original owner with original boxes etc. I upgrading this to the new Luxman CL-38Uc which has a lower noise floor. This is a great combination with the Proac D-40r. 

I still have Nordost cables, but now have V2 Power cable for the Q-base, both amps, and the preamp. I upgraded the interconnect between the preamp and amps from Tyr 2 to Odin 1.

jperry

Jim,
That new pic of your system is looking awesome. Those ProAcs will never go out of style or class. Congratulations on the new gear! So what prompted you to go back to tubes? I am guessing the ouput from this new Luxman is lower than your previous amp? How are the ProAcs behaving with the new amp?
BTW, I remember that you always had Nordost cables. Which cables did you change?

milpai

Owner
So a few recent updates:

I added an Ikeda tonearm and cartridge to my Garrard 301 and it was a great change taking my system to a new level

I also added some digital capability with an Innuos music server and Line Magnetic DAC

Any comments are appreciated. 

Thanks

Jim Perry

jperry

Owner
Thanks to all for past comments. I am now back to tube amplification. 

I recently changed my amplification to Luxman, and upgraded my cable loom, all with very positive results.

I also added a Bag End Active bass trap, which allowed bass improvements without adding corner traps etc.

Any comments are appreciated.

Best regards,

Jim Perry

jperry

Sweet looking system-I have the d48r with all Naim gear in a room about your size but about 3ft longer-how far back from plane of speakers are you sitting?

Mine are toed in heavily so that from listening seat I only see the front fascia of the speakers and back of speakers are about 5ft from wall and 2ft or so from sidewalls. So further into room and much more toe in. I might have to try less toe and further back to wall but I settled on this position bc felt it gives most even bass response. In my room the ceiling is flat in middle and slopes down to 6ft on sidewall. Further back towards wall seems to bloat the bass on some recordings. Proacs are amazing and best sound I have ever had in this room.

Enjoy.
Gary

gbrow

Beautiful setup with your D40R's! That rosewood is beautiful - not too red at all. I'm shortlisting this speaker as I am looking at finding my "final" pair of speakers. Also considering the Joseph Audio Perspectives, Magico A3's

freesole

Jperry,
Looks like you moved up to the Valhalla 2 speaker cables from the Tyr 2's. I had the Tyr 2 speaker cables in my system for about 3 months (on loan from a dealer friend) until I found a great deal on the Valhalla 2's. With my system (Classe and Proac d30r's) the jump was more than I expected. I recently added an Odin V1 power cable that I use to power my Qbase. That was another huge upgrade for me. Your system keeps looking better and better, bet is sounds great!

ron17

Nice. Has the 301 bettered the SME? Try pulling your speakers out another few feet.

noromance

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