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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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

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

jperry

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

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

jperry

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

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

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

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

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

Owner
Milpai, I have the speakers placed about 2 feet from the side walls and 3 feet from the front walls. Based on looking at your system the placement I have is similar to yours.

The bass has response into the twenty hz range, based on using a Stereophile test CD, but I had not measured exactly how far down or how much the volume decreased at as the frequency decreased.

The bass has plenty of impact on upright bass, drums and electric bass. I don't really listen to organ music so I can't comment on that.

If you are ever in Phoenix, AZ let me know and you can have a listen.

jperry

Owner
Jerry, great to hear from you, and thanks for the compliment. I have been very busy and have some more changes in early 2015, including upgrading the Aesthetix Rhea to a Signature version, and a new cartridge.

The Vibraplane made a significant difference with the SME TT, but I have not tried it under the Basis as it already has suspension.

I will look you up if I get to the east coast. I would love to hear your system. Glad to hear you are still happy with the Basis Vector tonearm.

jperry

Owner
System edited: I just bought a rack from Timbernation. Great solid walnut construction, I also added a Vibraplane under the SME 10 turntable. The Vibraplane made significant improvements to the sound improving the imaging and clarity of the sound

jperry

Owner
Matt, thanks for your comments. I just saw your comment when I was revising this. Let me know if you are ever in Phoenix, AZ

jperry

Owner
System edited: I have made a number of changes since I last updated this virtual system. The addition of the Aesthetix Rhea and Calypso along with changing from the Proac Response 2.5 to Proac Response D-40r has really taken this to another level. I am considering the addition of a Minus K or Vibraplane platform under the SME 10 TT. I would appreciate comments and suggestions on this system.

jperry

Owner
System edited: Changed the main speakers from Proac Response 2 to the floorstanding 2.5 model. Replaced the Quad 99 preamp with a Rogue 99 preamp. Changed speaker position to bring them further out into the room, and further from the equipment rack. I also added plants in the back corners per "Get Better Sound"

jperry

Owner
System edited: I just changed the speakers from Proac Response 2 (after 10 years) to Proac Response 2.5. In addition to the speaker change I also removed other speakers from the room and added silk plants in the back corners. The changes in the room made a significant difference in the sound. I appreciate all of the suggestions I received and I think I am on the home stretch. I want to change to a tube preamp and I would appreciate any suggestions Thanks, Jim Perry

jperry

Owner
Buconero, thanks for the input. I will give it a try. I am selling the extra speakers so they will hopefully go away soon. The speakers are in front of the equipment, but will try the blanket test.

jperry

Owner
Luckily I am in Phoenix, AZ. I think the Seismic Sink is banned in Florida

jperry

Owner
I had the woofer surrounds repaired on the ProAc.

I thought the Proac was more lively, had better bass, and better imaging than the Harbeth, Amazingly my wife agreed with me!

The harbeth is a good speaker, but too laid back for us.

jperry

Owner
System edited: Pictures added. More to follow.

jperry

Owner
System edited: I just made a number of changes in the past few weeks. Replaced Benz-Micro MC20E2 L with a Dynavector 17D3. Added PS Audio Power Plant Premier. My Proac Response 2 speakers are back from repair and I like them better than the Harbeth Compact 7 ES-2. I would appreciate any comments. Thanks

jperry

Owner
System edited: I just changed from a Cary CAD 808 to a Quad 909 power amplifier for child safety reasons. I plan to purchase a new preamplifier and am considering the Quad 99. Other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for looking.

jperry

Owner
System edited: I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks for your help.

jperry

Owner
Thanks for the input Skim1227. What speaker cables do you use?

jperry

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