I've made three significant changes to my system in the last year: Jim Smith voiced my system. I added isolation to the components. And I upgraded my entire analog front end.
Jim Smith, author of "Get Better Sound", voiced my system to my room resulting in a much better room/speaker/listener relationship. The equipment disappears and I am left immersed in the music. Tone, Dynamics and Presence reached a new level.
Isolating the equipment resulted in much improved resolution, quieter backgrounds and greater extension. Music sounds much more natural.
The new analog front end extracts information that I did not realize was in the medium. I have a new respect for the importance of the source component.
I listen mostly to acoustic, small-scale classical and jazz on vinyl. Ray Brown, Shirley Horn, Chet Baker. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.
I listen about 12 hours a week and just get lost in the music. I'm now working on growing my collection of records and learning about classical music.
Wonderful cartridge. Replaced my Air Tight PC-1 Very quick, detailed and extended. Excellent dynamics and body. Natural timbre.
SME Series V-12
Replaced the SME V. This 12 inch arm is more detailed, has better extension and less distortion than the standard SME V. It is an extremely solid and controlled tone arm.
SME Model 30/12A
This replaced my SME Model 10/A. The table and Vibraplane (everything black in the photo) weigh a total of 400 lbs. The added mass, isolation and newly designed power supply for speed accuracy and stability are a significant upgrade. Refined, detailed, and extended, the SME 30/12 with V-12 arm sets a new standard in analog playback for me.
Pass Labs XP-25
Upgraded from the Ono, then XOno. More refined sound. Excels in tonal density, timbral accuracy and spacial layering.
Pass Labs XP-20
Replaced the X-1. Lower noise, more detail and air. Better dynamics. Extremely neutral and low in distortion.
Pass Labs XA160.5
Had to go with monoblocks because of speaker location on each side of fireplace. Upgraded from the XA100.5. The Mini II's need the extra power/current. Wonderful control, transparency, timbre and sense of effortlessness. Best amps I've had in the system.
Magico Mini II
Replaced Eggleston Rosa. Incredible transparency, lack of distortion, and coherence. Scale, dynamics, timbre all very natural. Demanding load. Very appropriate size speaker for my small room. The room/speaker interface works very well.
Transparent Audio Reference PowerIsolator
Noise suppressor, surge protector and line conditioner. Replaced an Equi=Tech Q650
JPS Labs In-Wall AC
Three 15' cables terminated with Furutech IEC's are directly connected from the AC panel to each of my amps and to the Equitech unit bypassing outlets.
Transparent Audio REF XL
Phono cable DIN to RCA, 3' IC RCA from phono to preamp, 20' XLR from preamp to amps. These replaced Harmonic Technology Magic Link 2.
Transparent Audio REF XL Speaker Cable
8' mono cables. These replaced Harmonic Technologies Pro Nine Plus.
Vibraplane 2210-01-13
This is the passive 24
Townshend Seismic Sink Model 2
I have three (5) of these on my rack. They are the older version with air bladders and LED lights to indicate level of inflation. I use them under my TT motor controller, my phono amp and my pre amp. They isolate the electronics from floor born vibrations resulting in increased clarity, focus, more apparent detail, particularly in the bass frequencies. Bass is more articulate, defined and has more weight. Along with the Vibraplane under my TT, the added isolation is a significant improvement.
Loricraft PRC4 Deluxe
Replaced my VPI 16.5. Cherry finish, very quiet. Works exceptionally well, especially with Audio Intelligent 3-step cleaning solutions. I follow this with a demag sweep and new MoFi inner sleeves. Startling improvement in detail, clarity and dynamics. The only down side is cost and the 20-25 minutes per side cleaning time.
Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions #15 plus 3-step formulas plus rinse
Very effective cleaning regimen. I use five steps in total and it takes about 30 min. per LP side, but the results are worth the effort. With super clean records, more information is extracted and the noise floor is lower for increased details and dynamics.
Mint LP Best Tractor
Arc-type protractor for extremely acurate alignment. Patience required, but results are well worth it. Clear audible improvement.
Mint LP Protractor
Custom made arch-type protractor. Note the flatter arch for the SME V-12 arm versus the SME V arm and the shorter overhang. Result is lower distortion.
Acoustic Revive RR-77
Shuman Resonator. Positive effect on sense of space and depth.
Acoustic Revive RWL-3
Diffusion panels. Increased stage width and made sound seem more natural.
ASC Tube Traps 16
I have these in the four corners behind my speakers. They help tame bass nodes resulting in increased clarity and coherence. They also help with stage depth and imaging.
Acrylic Custom Dust Cover
Custom made acrylic dust cover for SME 30/12.
DIY Custom Rack
I designed and built this custom birch-ply and cherry rack for front end equipment. 17-ply birch selected to match speakers. Extremely strong, heavy and rigid. Replaced Zoethecus four shelf rack. The top shelf alone needs to support the 400 lbs of black steel in the Vibraplane and turntable. It can't be moved or rocked by hand.
Thanks John. I had the Pass XP-25 here for audition for three weeks. I installed it next to my rack and had both phono stages plugged in and ready to go. I only had to switch the phono cable from one to the other. The Xono sounds better with a single-ended output cable to the preamp. The XP-25 sounds better with a balanced output cable. So Transparent made me a balanced 1M REF XL cable configured for my phono and preamp to audition while I had the XP-25 in house. I just switched the phono cable from one phono to the other and switched the input on the pre.
It took two weeks to get a handle on what the differences were between the two phono stages. The XOno has a more forward, immediate sound. It is more aggressive and dimensionally flat and at first sounded more dynamic as a result. I also owned the XOno for about eight years so I was very used to its sound. But the more I listened, the more I realized that the XP-25 is more refined and overall a better performer.
The three areas at which it excels are: tonal density, timbral accuracy, and spacial layering. At all frequencies, there is more information. The sound is richer with better texture and color. String tones are more beautiful. The bowing on the strings and wood resonating is more clearly heard. Piano transients are cleaner and clearer, sustains have more nuance and decays are better defined. Voices sound more natural. I use the Sheffield Drum Track as a reference (acid test) for dynamics, ease, spacial cues and overall resolution. With the XP-25, the image and dimensionality of the drum kit was better defined. The wooden drum sticks hitting different surfaces sounded more distinct. Wood, metal, brass, skin, brush, hand/finger flesh all sounded slightly more distinct and identifiable.
The differences were not great, but easily heard and significant enough for the cost to upgrade. I had already made my decision to switch phonos when I invited an audio friend over to listen. I played for him three familiar cuts and switched randomly between the two phonos. He had his eyes closed and first said that he could hear a distinct difference. He then proceeded to correctly identify each of the six samples describing which was on which phono stage. Finally, he described for me the difference in sound in terms very similar to what I wrote above. That test with a guy whose hearing I trust confirmed for me the decision I had already made.
The cables are a different story. The balanced Transparent cables are twice the cost of the single ended versions. For my REF XL level, that means that even with a favorable trade in of my RCA cable, the cost to upgrade to the XLR is the same as the upgrade cost for the phono stage itself.
Reno HiFi sent me a balanced Burley Wire IC to audition. Its retail cost is 1/20th the cost of the Transparent REF XL. Interestingly, the Transparent is better than the Burley in all the ways that the XP25 is better than the XOno and it adds some frequency extension. But the difference is more subtle. I don't know if it is worth the price to upgrade. I would like to stay with one brand so we will see. I'll have to decide soon.
Nice results for the SME 30/12. This is such a finely engineered and built belt-drive table. Could you provide a quick tutorial on the equipment you used to record the video and I will try to post the Sutherland Timeline results with my Technics SP 10 MK3 and Technics SP 10 MK2a (the latter with 20+ pound stainless steel platter and playing two arms simultaneously)?
Also, could you detail the differences you hear between the Pass XP-25 and XOno? The XOno is a very fine phono stage and I am curious about what improvements the Pass team have wrought with the new design. Thanks.
I've just compared the Pass XP-25 to my XOno in my system for three weeks and decided to keep the XP-25. This also necessitates a switch from a single-ended to a balanced IC out of the phono to the XP-20. I'm comparing the Transparent REF XL to the Pass Burley Wire. Photos to follow.
I had a pair of Sigmas and still own Gammas for my TV room. They did not become Magico. I owned Symdex speakers, then Eggleston speakers then Magico speakers. Symdex had an affiliation with Kevin Voecks? of Revel fame. Symdex speakers are no longer being made, but they were fairly advanced for their day with time-alighned drivers and tweeter/mid enclosures placed on top of massive bass enclosures, ala the Watt/Puppy.
Symdex, that's so funny, the store I grew up in, bought from, started working for, then finally owning, and now selling my shares (boy that was a full circle) used to sell them. Think they were called Sigma's. I had no idea they eventually became Magico.
Thank you for the kind words, Royaloak. My original dealer, a fellow who designed speakers called Symdex, first introduced me to Pass Labs, SME and Eggleston. The speakers changed from Symdex to Eggelston and finally to Magico, but the electronics and analog have remained Pass and SME. The combination works very well in my room and with my listening preferences.
The future upgrades that I may someday do are replacing my XP20 with the XP30, the Xono with the XP25 and perhaps the Mini 2 with the Q3. But I am in no rush. I'm still improving things by learning how to better dial in my analog front end.
Thanks for the kind words, Dayglow. As you can see from the photos, this room also serves as our living room, so the chair and lamp must remain. The chair does help to absorb some sound as it reaches the first reflection point at that ASC panel. The lamp serves to illuminate my rack. Unfortunately, I don't have a dedicated room in my near future. That might allow me to get larger, more full range speakers and better room acoustics, but at this point, the room and system sound quite good given the size limitation.
The AR RR-77 is sitting on top of that lamp as it needs to be high off the floor and its effect is very minor. I noticed a positive change about three years ago when I was testing this in my system and at a friend's house, but I have not removed it in a while to see what I loose. There have been a lot of changes since I bought it. I plan to reevaluate its effectiveness.
Very well thought out system that is one of my favorites on Agon! Have you considered moving the copper chair and lamp near your right channel? Lastly, how important is the Acoustic Revive-RR 77 in your system?
Thank you very much for the kind words, Raindog. I really enjoy listening to music now as the system has come a long way in the last three years.
I may upgrade to the XP25 and XP30 someday and perhaps try a different cartridge. I think it would cost a lot to improve the system more unless I go in a completely different direction like high efficiency speakers and tube amplifiers, which I'm not likely to try soon.
HI Albert, I discussed with Jfrech the reputation that SME has for being dull/dark sounding and not able to hold proper speed. Neither of us has ever experienced either of those issues from our respective tables - the Model 10, 20 and now 30/12 with a variety of SME arms.
There are a few videos on the net showing tours of the SME factory. Your friend must have had a great time seeing how the products are made and meeting some of the employees.
Too bad there are no audio shows near Boston. That would give you the opportunity to stop by for a listen. Well, we shall meet someday.
I'm glad you guys got together. I wish Peter Ayer lived nearby, we could all listen together.
I spoke at length yesterday with David K. We discussed the SME 30-12 and how well it worked in your system.
Ken Mc, who's a friend in my local group just returned from GB and somehow managed to get a tour of SME. He was blown away by the care and quality control to produce these hand crafted turntables and tonearms.
I would love to hear your system. Maybe someday that can happen.
Hello John, The pleasure was certainly mine. It was wonderful to meet you too and to also share some listening time. Albert Porter had told me that you are a good and careful listener. I really appreciate your kind words and feedback.
I'm glad you took the time out of your business trip to stop by and check out the big SME. The combination of the SME V-12 and Airtight Supreme, which you know from Albert's system, really has contributed to the overall sound quality.
Hi Peter, it was great to meet you and listen to your system! It sounded FANTASTIC !!
This is one of those examples where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole...really awesome transparency and imaging. I can tell great car went into room and speaker set up...also cartridge set up!
Honestly, one the better systems I've ever heard! First time I've heard a all pass labs system...and it was pretty special! Of course that SME 30/21 is to die for!
Thank you Lapierre. I had the opportunity to tour the Transparent Audio facilities and to hear their reference room with the big Wilson XLFs. It was quite an experience. For demo purposes, they made an entire suite of products calibrated for my specific equipment. Two weeks later, I had it for break in while I went away on vacation. I then spent a month listening and switching back and forth with my Harmonic Technologies cables.
I had also auditioned the MIT Matrix 90 speaker cables for a few weeks prior to the Transparents. I did not really get into comparing individual TA cables to HR cables. I did, however, go back and forth between the Transparent PowerIsolator and my Equi=Tech Q650 conditioner. The PowerIsolater was quieter than the ET and it also did not take anything away from the sound.
In the end, my Transparent dealer offered me a generous trade in for all of my cables and the Equi=Tech if I bought the entire suite of TA. It was the only way I could afford to get cables of this level.
I just figured that because it sounded so much better, I should not try to mix and match the signal cables with the power cords or some other combination.
The JPS in wall cable direct is a nice clean, quite way to go.
Nice pickup of the TA components. Like the direction and latest upgrades to your system. I'm sure you did your due diligence and patiently made the correct decision. JPS in-wall cable directly to PowerIsolator-classic Peter move.
Did you research other competitor products?
Moving in the same direction but leaning toward Synergistic Research components.
I just posted a review of Jim Smith's RoomPlay session that he did for me in April, 2011. Of all the improvements that I have made to my system over the years, the decision to hire Jim to voice my system to my room is of the most value. Relative to the fee he charges, the results are tremendous.
One the moderators approve the review, it can be read by clicking on the "Reviews" tab below.
Thanks for your kind words, Chris. I have the 4-outlet Ref PowerIsolator. I use three outlets for my turntable motor controller, phono amp and preamp. Yes, I know they recommend only one component per bank of two outlets, but I did not want to buy a second unit. I have not tried using only two because I have no place to plug in the third cord.
The PowerIsolator is not plugged into a wall outlet. I run a 15' JPS Labs In-Wall cable directly from a separate 20 amp circuit on my panel through the floor and terminated with a Furutech IEC plug. This goes directly into the PowerIsolator. No wall outlets.
I did do a direct comparison between the Ref PowerIsolator and my former Equi=Tech Q650 conditioner. I preferred the TA unit. The noise floor seemed quieter while listening and with my SPL meter, I measured noise at the tweeter and woofer at full volume and the TA was quieter by about 4 dB. One of the big objectives of the TA products is the reduction of noise.
