Jeff,

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!

Cheers,
Wayne

wrp February 22, 2012 00:56

Hi James,

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.

Cheers,
Wayne

wrp February 21, 2012 14:25

Lapierre - thanks for the compliment.

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.

wrp February 21, 2012 14:00

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:

http://www.positive-feedback.com/issue43/resonators.htm

wrp October 30, 2010 15:13

System edited: New pics added courtesy Matt Rotunda of Pitch Perfect Audio

wrp October 29, 2010 13:28

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?

wrp September 04, 2010 18:12

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^)

wrp August 31, 2010 16:16

Albert,

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.

wrp August 31, 2010 03:07

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.

wrp August 30, 2010 00:28

System edited: I had the great fortune this weekend of welcoming a Shindo turntable into my system. Pics and comments to follow.

wrp August 30, 2010 00:13

System edited: Updated pictures

wrp August 21, 2010 02:13

System edited: Removed HT and multiple-zone components from system description. Updated pictures will be posted soon. HT and multi-zone components will appear in a separate posting.

wrp August 21, 2010 00:05

Maineiac - Glad to hear John Devore was able to provide guidance.

It's amazing how much of a difference small changes in speaker position makes with the Silverbacks. Matt Rotunda of Pitch Perfect Audio helped me dial in the setup recently. At the end of the day we reduced the distance between the speakers by less than 3 inches and increased the distance to the back wall (bookcases) by less than 2 inches, but the results were wonderful. Image lock, more soundstage depth and more seamlessness across the spectrum. They sounded really good before and they sound amazing now.

Enjoy the music!

wrp September 12, 2007 18:29

Maineiac - Thanks for your kind words.

At the moment, I have the Silverbacks 10.5 feet apart and I sit 11 feet back from the front plane of the speakers, about 2 feet from the rear wall. They are toed-in so that the center of the drivers are pointed at the tip of my nose. I have the rake adjusted so the front of the speakers are tilting forward, and I can see about 1/4 of the top of the cabinet from my listening position. Soundstaging is wide and deep (source material permitting) while maintaining a strong center image.

BTW, congrats on your system as well. I'm sure the VAC is a very nice match with the Silverbacks!

I gather from your Audiogon name that you're in Maine. My wife's parents live in Sweden, Maine near Bridgton and Lovell. We love that part of the country.

wrp September 11, 2007 20:14

System edited: Recently traded the Cortese for the Sinhonia F2A push-pull monoblocks. Thanks to Matt Rotunda of Pitch Perfect Audio! The Sinhonias have the transparency and extension of the wonderful Cortese plus a more "palpable" midrange and greater drive in the bass without giving up any control. Solo voices and instruments sound incredible!

wrp September 10, 2007 02:31

Chadnliz - Thanks for the kind words. I'm really happy with the VRS server. I've owned it for over two years and just had it upgraded to version 2. It has all of the audiophile qualities I was looking for in a digital front end, plus the convenience of having all of my CDs stored and cataloged in one place. By the way, I can also archive vinyl to the VRS at 24/96. The files are big, but it's a great way to "backup" your vinyl collection.

There are a number of music server products out there in the market. I encourage you to do a little research and take a listen. You may find that the combination of great sonics and convenience are hard to resist, as did I!

Best - Wayne

wrp August 17, 2007 13:19

Streetdaddy,

Great to hear from another Shindo fan! Matt recommends running the volume controls on the amp wide open. They're primarily used for gain matching with non-Shindo preamps and/or high efficiency speakers.

Best - Wayne

wrp August 17, 2007 00:54

System edited: The Sonos zone players provide whole-house audio via in-wall speakers (kitchen, media, living, dining, master bedroom, guest bedrooms and home office).

wrp August 16, 2007 13:40

Hi Bigamp - Thanks for the compliment. My compliments to you on your system and room as well!

The Silverbacks are very dynamic speakers for both music and HT. It may seem hard to believe, but I have no trouble driving the Silverbacks to very loud levels with the mighty little (10w/channel) Cortese. The Silverbacks (and the Gibbon 7.1) strike a perfect balance between detail, dynamics and tone to my ears. The Giscours does not have HT passthrough. My dealer, Matt Rotunda of Pitch Perfect Audio, spoke with Ken Shindo about this. Ken recommends setting the volume control to the 12 o'clock position to achieve unity gain for HT passthrough. That works perfectly for me.

I plan to upgrade to Nuforce amp for the center channel to V2 or V2SE level soon. This should bring the tonal quality of the center channel closer to the left and right mains.

Best,
Wayne

wrp August 14, 2007 15:57

System edited: Just added the home theater equipment to the component list. I'm really happy with both the 2 channel and home theater performance so far. Time to dial everything in and take care of room acoustics.

wrp August 13, 2007 19:12

System edited: Well, we finally moved back into our home after a protracted remodel. Here are some initial pictures of the media room, adjacent to the kitchen. More details to come!

wrp August 13, 2007 17:47

Hi Aaron,

Our remodeling project continues...

My guess is that we'll be back in our home by the end of August. I really miss listening to my Silverbacks, but I keep telling myself that good things come to those who wait. In the meantime, I do have my entire front end set up in our temporary home driving a pair of Dali Ikon 6 speakers. These speakers are obviously not in the same league as the Silverbacks or Zu Definitions, but the produce satisfying sound.

I'll post pictures sometime in September once we've moved back in and the dust has settled.

Hope you're enjoying that wonderful system of yours!

Best,
Wayne

wrp June 10, 2006 13:55

Hi Aaron,

My pleasure! My decision to go with the Monbrison has less to do with being dissatisfied with the sonics of the ZYX and the PRE-T1 and more to do with the desire to go to a one-box solution. As you know the Artisan is a truly wonderful phono stage, and equals or betters any other phono stage I've heard including my Thor and the Zanden. The Monbrison phono stage is also at or near the top of the heap. The build quality is exceptional and the selection of each part is based solely on how it sounds versus audiophile "standards".

I'm fortunate to have two of the best "Artisanal" dealers I've ever met here in the Bay Area. Mehran at Sorasound has been an excellent "audio sherpa" and we have become fast friends. He epitomizes the highest levels of service, taste and aesthetics.

I met Matthew Rotunda of Pitch Perfect Audio at the beginning of the year and he too has proven to be a wonderful "guide" on my audio journey. Matthew's all Shindo system is a must hear! Matthew also epitomizes the highest levels of service, taste and aesthetics.

My only problem with these two great guys is that my wallet my not be able to withstand long-term relationships! (Cortese Amp?, Amazon Reference?, etc.)

I will post pictures once our remodel is complete (May???) and we're back in our home.

If you find yourself in San Francisco, please get in touch. It would be my pleasure to be your "audio sherpa" on a Bay Area "expedition'!

Best,
Wayne

wrp March 14, 2006 17:18

System edited: Updated 2/27/05 - The addition of the Shindo preamp has taken my system to another level. There is a "density" to the images that did not exist with the TVC based passive preamp that preceded the Shindo. This system should really come into it's own when we finish our 24 X 14.5 x 8.5 media room!

wrp February 27, 2006 22:37

Aaron,

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I have the low output (.24mv) Universe cartridge and do employ the +6db option on the PRE-T1. The additional gain results in a slightly higher noise level with my ear in the driver, but is completely silent from any distance greater than 2 feet.

It sounds like you've put together a wonderful system! Your Basis turntable combined withh the ZYX cartridge and phono stage should bring out the best in your vinyl collection.

Enjoy!

wrp February 25, 2006 00:51

Rottenclam,

Since you're here in SF, you should stop by and hear for yourself! Email me and we'll get together over the Labor Day weekend.

Wayne

wrp August 29, 2005 03:10

Semi - I found out about the Devores at 6Moons. I originally was considering the Gibbon Super 8s (looking to downsize), until I read Jules Coleman's review of the Silverbacks. I contacted John Devore and Jules Coleman and really liked what they were saying, so I took a GIANT leap of faith and ordered a pair. They are more dynamic and more transparent that the Vandy 5s. My room is relatively small, so I wasn't really get the benefits of phase and time alignment that the Vandys offer. I'm still burning the Silverbacks in, but I really like what I'm hearing so far!

In Living Stereo, in New York City, carries the whole line. If you're ever in NYC, you should take a listen. If you're in the Bay Area, you're invited to take a listen at my place.

Best,
Wayne

wrp August 29, 2005 03:07

System edited: Lots of changes; new speakers, new digital source, new preamp new phono preamp and new amps. I am amazed at how good these components are at reproducing MUSIC!

wrp July 26, 2005 23:06

System edited: Major upgrade to my vinyl front end. Experimenting with chip-based amplification and crossover-less speakers. So far all of the changes have been very positive as far as connecting further with the music. More changes (media server, new speakers, new amps?) to come...

wrp May 09, 2005 03:14

System edited: System edited 11/13/03

wrp November 14, 2003 03:26

System edited:

wrp September 04, 2002 03:59

System edited: Just added the Thor TA-1000 for 2 channel. WOW! Incredible imgaging, soundstage depth, transparency, timbre ... I could go on and on. Finally getting what I was looking/listening for in 2 channel sound.

wrp July 22, 2002 02:26