The Amazon Refernz rekindled my love for vinyl after a 20 year hiatus. The VRS server wrings soul and beauty out of digital media. The Shindo Giscours and Sinhonias have brought me to the end of a long journey in search of my reference electronics. The Devore Silverbacks simply let the music come forward.
Update: Thanks to Matt Rotunda, I just upgraded to the Shindo turntable. Pictures to follow.
Update: Mach2/Amarra software/Amarra DAC replaces the VRS/JRiver/Lynx/Antelope Clock digital front end.
Wayne, it would be interesting for me if you have done those mentioned serious listening to those nice speakers, especially the O96 and several Petite Latour versions. Can you comment it please?
I'm using a Sherwood Newcastle R-972 receiver for center/surrounds/sub. I set the Giscours volume knob to 12 o'clock for unity gain which functions like HT bypass for the L/R channels. L/R channels are powered by the Sinhonias. All other channels are powered by the Newcastle. The Newcastle uses the Trinnov room correction EQ which is very effective.
The center is a Devore Gibbon 7.1 speaker designed specifically as a center channel. The surrounds are Theil PowerPlane in ceilings. The sub is on older down-firing Gallo. Multi-channel audio sounds great and dialog is crystal clear for movies and TV.
I upgraded the projector to an Epson 9700 about a year ago to take advantage of 1080p material. I don't have complete control over ambient light and the Epson is a good compromise with respect to brightness, contrast etc. under varied lighting conditions.
I haven't figured out how to update my system under the new Audiogon site, so I've resorted to including updates in my posts.
With regard to the Orangutans, I have heard them under ideal conditions at Matt Rotunda's salon Pitch Perfect Audio. They did sound great. More "palpable" than the Silverbacks but not quite as extended at the frequency extremes. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm planning on doing some serious listening to the O/96s, Shindo Lafites, LM755s and the Latours. The good news is that I can listen to all four at Matt's shop!
Wayne, How do you integrate your home theatre into your system? I'm assuming that it is a hybrid system as there is a projector on the ceiling.
Also, be careful if you audition the Orangutans .dont bring you check book if you hear them, youll buy them. I heard them at CES and they were profoundly musical and smooth. Magic with the Shindo gear.
It has been an interesting journey since returning to audio in 1998.
I completely understand your "tale of two systems" dilemma after listening to the Shindo/Devore and ARC/VAC/VPI systems. I find that I'm drawn to systems that fall into two categories, broadly defined as 1)"You are there"and 2) "They are here".
I find that the "you are there" systems focus on reproducing the recording of the musical event. I can hear the difference between types of reverb, proximity to mics, precise placement of images within the soundstage, etc. These systems are aurally exciting. I find myself marvelling at all of the recording nuances I can detect. The overall sonic presentation is more "holographic" than "corporeal" to my ears.
I find that the "they are here" systems focus on reproducing the performance of the musical event. These systems sound closer to what I hear at live performances (amplified and unamplified). I exeperience a greater sense of dynamics and drive when listening to systems in this category. The overal sonic presentation is more "corporeal" than "holographic" to my ears.
I chose my electronics with a bias toward the "they are here" category. I hedged my bets a bit by choosing the Devore Silverbacks which are slightly in the "you are there" camp to my ears. My hope was that I could strike a balance between these two audio "points of view" and end up with a system that I really enjoyed.
Given your username, I'm going to guess that you're here in the Bay Area. I'm in San Francisco and you're more than welcome to drop by for a listen.
I've recently added a Mach2 Music Server,running Amarra, and an Amarra Model 304 DAC. I plan on A/B'ing this setup with my VRS server. So far I really like the Mach2 system, but I haven't upgraded my VRS system to the latest version of JRiver. Should be able to post listening impressions in a couple of weeks.
Nothing else on the roadmap at this time. I plan on listening to the Devore Orangutans, LM field coils, Shindo Lafites and of course the Shindo Latours this year to see if there is a compelling reason to replace the Silverbacks.
I'm pretty impressed with your music room. It looks quite lovely. I can only imagine the work it took to bring it all together.
I'm at a crossroads, of sort. I'm actively engaged in replacing an old lp-based system. The crossroad part seems to be the direction I want to head down. The two predominant systems-think in the Bay Area seem to be: limited production, NOS, handcrafted by Japanese fairies (Shindo, AirTight, et al) and rebuilt classic idler wheel turntables; or, modern manufacturers such as ARC, VAC and VPI. I've had an opportunity to listen to a nice Shindo/DeVore system. Matt Rotunda put on a shockingly beautiful demo for me a few weeks ago. It's been a long time since a dealer's demo moved me, so I'm taking him and his product offerings pretty seriously.
I also heard a Audio Research Corp/VAC/VPI system put together by Bob Kehn,of Audio Image, over in Oakland. The ARC Phono Ref 2 phonostage was astonishing.
The conundrum is that each system was so gorgeous, yet of such different character. The "absolute sound" theology doesn't work in this scenario. Now I know why some audiophiles simply can't let go of certain components. Sometimes you want a nice meaty cabernet;sometimes you'd rather have a classic, stony pinot. Baseball;stickball. Redheads/blondes. Handguns;hand grenades. You get the picture.
I've only heard Matt's Garrard/Shindo Masseto/Cortese,Corton-C.s/DeVore Orangutan system once, and briefly at that. I definitely need to arrange another visit. Less talking and more listening this time. I'm still trying to get my head around the sound+cost. Lovely, but a very dearly priced system. It's not Matt's fault about the price. I walked myself up the Shindo line. The entry level wasn't going to cut it...but the sound got significantly better very quickly as we scaled the Shindo offerings...but so did the price. Well, we want what we want.
Would it be possible for you to share some thoughts on how you arrived at your current music system? You've obviously had a number of pieces come and go through your music room in order to bring you to your present state of satisfaction. I hope this isn't an unreasonable or intrusive request. Any perspectives you could share would be appreciated.
Wow! What a beautiful room and set-up. So very tasteful, simple and elegant. I hope to have a set-up like this someday. The music from it all must sound heavenly. Phenomenal job all around.
Samac - thanks for the kind words. My wife is an interior designer and I benefit greatly from her expertise.
Roxy54 - I couldn't have said it better. Our goal was to create a beautiful, welcoming space to enjoy music and movies with friends and family.
Jeff1225 - I've been using the resonators (Basic, Gold, Silver, Special Gold) for about three years now, with great results. The Basic resonator at the bottom of the cabinet tightens up bass response, whic also seems to have a positive affect on the midrange. The Special Gold on the wall between the speakers primarily affects soundstage width, height and depth. The silver at the top of the wall between the speakers primarily affects treble response and soundstage height. The Gold at the top of the wall behind the listening position affects diffraction off the rear wall. Combined, the four resonators allow me to strike a nice balance between a "live" and "dead" acoustic response in the room. Of course, my decision to use the resonators was also driven by the need for very high WAF!
Here's a link to a good review in Positive Feedback:
Mapman - afraid not. I actually stopped archiving vinyl a while ago mostly due to lack of time. Thinking about pickup up where I left off. Have you had any experience with Pure Vinyl? Any other options you would recommend?
Albert - I'll pass your compliments on to my wife. I couldn't agree more with your assessment of her talents! She definitely does listen with me. She is more attracted to visual stimulus as opposed to aural stimulus (no surprise there given her occupation), so I'm on a quest to heighten the "you are there" factor in my system to increase her listening pleasure. Of course, I'm also a beneficiary of this quest as well! 8^)
Good description of what you hear with your turntable, It's obvious you're a music lover.
Sorry I did not see your system earlier, it's an embarrassment to have skipped over it when it's so nice. Sometimes the new Audiogon format causes me to just glaze over rather than read everything :^).
Your wife did an incredible job with the design, does she like to listen with you?
That is indeed very high praise coming from you! I have admired your hifi journey and your system for the last 10 years. Your knowledge, love of music and helpfulness to your fellow audiophiles has been a welcome constant over the years. I'm intrigued by your recent foray into the turntable business. As much as I loved my Amazon Referenz, I am really enjoying the sonic quality of a direct drive table. There just seems to be more "flesh and bone" to the music which allows me to connect at a deeper level.
Aaron - Thanks for the kind words. I noticed your system has taken a few turns as well. I assume your room is looking and sounding wonderful as well!
Audiowoman - My wife is an interior designer and had a lot of input as far as the aesthetics of our room are concerned. It's a beautiful space to listen to music or watch movies.
Artk - I am a very lucky person. Music has been important to me for my entire life. I spend a lot of time listening to old jazz, blues and pop records from my dad's collection. In fact, my memories of listening to his collection on the console stereo as a child was my inspiration for getting back into hifi after a 25 hiatus.
Maineiac - As a fellow Silverback owner, I'm sure you know better than anyone how wonderful it is to be able to experience music through John Devore's statement loudspeaker!
Arthursmuck - The other side of the wall is the kitchen. The cutaway area has an 80" dropdown screen for movies and tv.
