Simple,...Just rebuilt the Garrard 301 oil, from my Dad, he bought it from Singapore in 1966. This Garrard is a gem. Remind me of my Chevy Impala 64 project. Amazing result, I was shocked. Well I am not alone on this road. Its getting cheaper for the money but the sound is just getting better. After all I have decided plywood and Triplanar arm combo. The DIY plinth was built with balance and not over kill the sound of Garrard, was set for 7 layers of plywood but end up with 6. Thanks for all the guys from Vinyl Engine, Analog Dept.....well my next step would be the Loricraft PRC 4 and Audio Note Ongaku. Enjoy.
All tube preamp, mod by Fred on Dec/2006 and 2010 with step volume, Teflon caps. Nice and sweet.
TENOR OTL 75iw
A classic. I am using them like an integrated, sounds just so much fun. though I changed the origin Teslar 12AX7 for NOS Telefunken, trust me, the sound is something.
4 Fi 300 B mono blocks ( Bi-amp)
4 mono blocks, bi-amp. 9,5w SET.
Fi Yp
Nice phono amp.
KHARMA EXQUISITE REFERENCE 1D
Its just sound right to my ears. and love the Art Deco look too.
SHUNYATA Hydra
The best for the money and the looking too.
DIY DIY
MIL Spec. Wires use in missile. The best, these cables sound so good that forced me to sell my entire cables(Transparent Ref., MIT Oracle V2.1, NBS Omega...)
Garrard 301
Oil bearing, DIY plinth 6 layers of plywood. Art works done by myself.
Hi Streetdaddy, you might want to try some mil specs. wires also, they really good too, compared to those brand names cables. The Sira is fantastic, I knew Fred at the time he started design the pre. the amount of tubes on it can tell you the sound, however I like the 6900 and 7119 tubes on it. have fun!!
Linkoping, 1A has Diamond tweeter, and crossover box outside. The cost for them is around $125,000. My is around $85,000. I am using two Fi 300B mono blocks for each speaker. (Western 300B for mid and high, Tj300B for bass). Does the 274b rectify tube improving Sira sound?
Mark, The Fi is truly wonderful SET amp, the sound stage is deeper, and the bass is unforgiving, they are driving the Exquiste night and day with no problem. Thanks for the tranny 030 Magnequest output transformer, there are plenty head room for the Sira. With all respect, Don's design is really capture my musical taste. The OTL Tenor is the best sounding in terms of human voice, unbeatable midrange. I did send them back to Tenor for converting them back to pure 35w class A to drive Lamhorn 1.8 in my second system. Enjoy the music :-)
very nice system. The photos are artistic too. Great job! Just wonder, what's the different between the 1A and 1D and... how did you bi-amp the Kharma with the Fi?
HI, Jack, very nice to hear from you, the Exquiste is a wonderful speaker as you can see, it reproduce the sound of music in a full scale( Thanks to the 500lbs box). Glad to see you go with Kondo gear. Try to get some NBS cable Omega or Black label level, it will sound like you have a Steinway & Son piano right infront of you. Enjoy Holidays. Lobnik, yours room and system is quite wonderful, bet you enjoy very much. I am in the process to design a concrete bunker (WWII Germany style) for my system, your room will give me a good idea for it, enjoy.
After a bit of struggles and listening to a few tube setups, I made the move.
I got rid of my Goldmund Millennium Power amps after using them over 5 years. In comes the Kondo Ongaku.
It is still too early to say how good but it is so different to what I heard before. Full, warm and seductive are the words that come off my mind. With 27 W, my Kharma is singing without any sign of stress.
Just to share this with you and wish you a Merry X'mas.
Jack, Your system is quite scary( I mean gooooood) It up to you, I did have Goldmund amps before, love theirs sound but that was ten years ago. As I see, the Exquisite is easy to drive with SET(92 db, simple three ways design). Many people pair them up with Lamm ML2 amps and got beautiful sound. I am curently set up four mono blocks FI 300b amp(300B Western for mid and high, TJ mesh plate for bass), pre amp is Emotive Sira(6990, 7044, 7119, 5687 tubes), Wadia 861 se mod. For the cables, I just sold all of them included the belove NBS Omega. Reason why, a friend of mind gave me a roll of wire using in missile. I DIY a few cables and compare them with Transparent Ref, NBS, Nordost, Mit Oracle, Jena Labs...so far my DIY cables are far beyond all of them. Go back to the SET amps, I think by using tubes I have more options, every tube I change, they have their own sounds, it a never end journey, sometime I look back and remember the borring sound of my solid state amps, don't get me wrong, Rowland, Levinson, Pass used to be in my room. I have learned my lesson, and I would never look back. Their a few amazing SET designer like Komuro san, Kondo san, Wavac, Fi Don, Lamm...who dedicated their life for SET. Try it and you will understand. I'll post some more pictures. Enjoy.
I like the B&W pics you posted here. I am also a user of Kharma speakers, same model as yours but not the latest version.
I have been using SS amps to drive Kharma and wonder if SET has enough to drive the big drivers. Really keen to try SET to experience the magic of tubes.
Feel free to visit http://www.aca.gr/pop_cheung.htm about my setup.
System edited: I put more some photos of my recent system, I have decided to stay with SET, now that I can hear more music, I also did change the Mit V2.1 for NBS Statement II interconnects. The Fi 300B is putting my system at a level that I could not imagine and only Don Garber can done that. What I love about SET is allow me to explore and hear different sounds, by doing so I involve with the sounds of the system.
System edited: AAAhhhh, SET,SET and SET. I start to explore more with the Kharma, and it turn out the Fi 300B is so strong, it can drive the 92db kharma easy, and the sound is so clear, I can hear so many things more. The sound stage is larger with the dark background. I wonder a 9.5w SET can be this good, it sound like they are 95w. and look at the design, well I am words less!!!!
WOW! Love it. The person I bought my vaerity's drove them with Tenor OTL's then went on to the Karmas - ' a match made in heaven' was the term he used to describe that pairing. ENJOY!
beautiful ... from one artist to another. Great to hear there is someone else who is apt to play more than just classical or jazz through their Kharma's. I am a big alternative (indie) rock fan, along with lo-fi folk, freak-folk, and alt-country and they all sound sweet on my Kharmas. Enjoy.
Thanks for the promt respond, I am sorry for the delay. Ray, the system sound vivid, its render the sound stage deep and accurate with details. Relax and natural without mechanical sound. For the music I do listen most of the musics, for example: Lou Reed or Fugazi in the morning, some Bill Evans or Dave Brubeck for lunch, Death from above 79 or Nebula in the rush hour, Chopin or vivaldi for dinner, Isao Suzuki or Yamamoto for the night and a few quite tunes of Qin or Erhu solo will help me relax late midnight. Adamg, The Exquisite is filling my little room nicely, this is half of my living room. I am planning to build a sound chamber with double concrete wall, the size will be 18'W x 25'L x 9'H, will post the picture when the project beggin. Luke, both systems are sound nice, the Eggleston is superb in vocal or solo instrumental, meanwhile the Kharma is so natural from all kind of musics. Albertporter, with all respect I love your system, and the reel to reel is very sexy too. All the systems up in Gon are so nice, I have found they are will portrait very good music too.
What a beautiful and simple system!Ive allways been very impressed with the looks of the Kharmas,maybe one of these days i will get to hear a pair!Please describe how your system sounds and types of music you enjoy!Do you have any room treatments,or feel the need for any?Thanks,Ray
