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.
Peter, congratulations on your new upgrades. And thank you for posting your very well-written review of the TA products -- this was helpful as I am moving in the same direction. I have been trying to decide which TA PowerIsolators to go with in my system. Just curious which components you are plugging into your PowerIsolator Ref? TA recommends just 2 components into a PowerIsolator Ref -- are you doing this or are you using it for 3+ and seeing no difference? Cheers - Chris
System edited: Added new photos of system and installed a complete suite of Transparent Audio REF XL cables, a Reference PowerIsolator, and Reference PowerLink power cords.
On the subject, I recently heard cables by a new company called Signal Projects (UK based). Their second from the bottom line Hydra and the one after called Apollo. One has to hear those to believe. Hydra was so much better than other very expensive cables I have heard (no names). When I tried the Apollo, everything was at a different level. It was like changing system. I could hear so many more details, it was like everything was clear and in both cables the stage was amazing and everything was really very sharply focused, in comparison to my previous 6.000 USD cables.... They also do higher lines and I was told by others that their top lines are out of this world. From what I have heard this far, I can only dream.
I've been testing different cables in my system and just wrote a review of a suite of cables from Transparent Audio. They do really make a difference. My write-up can be accessed by clicking on the "Reviews" tab below.
Thanks for the kind words Jason. Though I thoroughly enjoyed my old SME Model 10, the 30/12 is really a whole lot better. It's performance went up another notch when I added the Vibraplane with ballast and isolated the motor controller. The 30/12 with V-12 arm is a real achievement. It simply extracts more information from the groves, and presents it in a very complete and natural way. There is a sense of control and rightness which I have not heard from other turntables (admittedly in unfamiliar systems). Place your order early as there is quite a waiting list for this table. You will really enjoy it.
Peterayer - love your system rack. Thanks for sharing! I'm faced with fabricating a new rack. Wondering if you might be open to a discussion or PM about your design criteria? I don't know how or even if we can contact each other through Audiogon... I'm at: skushino (at) google (g mail) . com (no spaces).
System edited: Updated photos of turntable and amps. New Vibraplanes under my turntable and amps. Three new custom steel ballast plates to preload Vibraplanes. New amp stands. Isolated the motor controller/power supply and moved it away from the turntable motor. The improved isolation results in much lower noise floor for increased dynamics and detail. Clarity and sense of dimension are better. Another layer of fog has been removed.
Ejlif, thanks. The system has really come together and I enjoy it tremendously. I'm sure I'm missing out on some great new recordings because I don't have a digital source. I get my share on the car radio and I do get introduced to new music at friends' houses, but I'm quite satisfied listening to my vinyl and learning about great music, particularly classical. Ebay is a wonderful resource. Someday I may explore hi rez digital downloads.
Wow that is quite the system. I am amazed that you have no digital source. I suppose that there is enough great stuff to keep busy listening on vinyl but it seems like it would be a shame to have to miss hearing lots of great stuff not available on vinyl. Great job I'm sure it sounds incredible.
Hey Peter... would love to chat more off line about your experience with Jim Smith. Would you mind contacting me at eddiesudz at yahoo dot com? Thanks very much!
System edited: Updated photos of Xono and XP-20. I was running the Xono from the power supply of the XP-20 as it is a newer design. But when I installed the XP-30 for testing, I added the Xono's own power supply. Now that I'm back to the XP-20, the system sounds better if each pre amp is powered by its own supply. It adds another box to the rack, but it is worth it for the sonic improvement.
The top is three (3) 3/4" + one (1) 1/4" sheets of birch ply glued together. I was able to find 17-ply per inch sheets to match the birch ply that Magico used on the Mini speaker. Each leg has a 3/4" X 1 1/2" dowel at the top and the top shelf has four round holes, one at each corner. The top is pressure/dry fitted to the legs. The legs have a 3/16" reveal on the outer edges. It would have been too heavy to move if the top was glued to the rest of the rack. It is extremely tight fitting and with the weight of the Vibraplane and table on it, the top can not move. The whole rack is finished with five coats of poly sanded with 220 grit between coats and the final coat is sanded with 0000 steel wool and then hand-rubbed with mineral oil. The finish is ultra smooth and durable.
My only regret is that the rack is just slightly too small to facilitate easy equipment swapping. Everything fits, but it is a bit tight.
Lapierre, There is a straight notch in the cherry legs at each shelf and the shelves have a notch at each corner. The dry fit was very tight. They are glued together using epoxy. The rack is extremely rigid and heavy. With 400 lbs of equipment on the top shelf alone, it can not be moved by hand. The whole concept is that it fits in aesthetically in my formal room and matches the wood of my speakers and also that it is a solid and stable platform for the equipment. I designed it so that there is room for individual isolation devices under each component. The rack is not damped per se. I suppose some airborn vibration does drain down the legs through the brass spikes into the shelf on the floor.
Thanks Andromeda. It is so difficult to compare top turntables in the same system, so I don't really know how the 30/12 directly compares to other great turntables.
I have heard many tables at shows and a few in other systems, and I would just say that the big SME sounds right and very natural to me in my system. I can't identify any area of weakness. In terms of reliability, stable settings, fit and finish, service, and engineering, it is certainly among the best tables available. Though not everyone agrees, I find the 30/12 with the V-12 arm to be very neutral, balanced and ultra revealing. It is great platform for the cartridge.
Thank you John. I'm amazed at what this table can extract from the grooves. I took careful listening notes while I compared it to the Model 10 with the same SME V arm and PC-1 cartridge from my old table. I then switched only the arm to the V-12 with same cartridge and took more notes. Finally, I added the Air Tight Supreme. I am confident that I know what component contributes what to the overall sound of this analog front end. I may get around to writing a review but here are the basics.
SME 30/12 table: Much bigger and complete room filling sound. More musical energy presented. Neutral, controlled and BIG.
SME V-12 arm: Smoother and more extended than the SME V. Like going from a two-way monitor to a three-way floor stander without losing any coherence. Audibly less distortion from the added length for a more vivid sound, detailed and nuanced sound.
Air Tight Supreme: More refined and balanced than the PC-1. Less emphasis on mid bass and low treble so frequency transitions are smoother. Slightly more extended. Very fast and detailed, yet natural sounding.
The combination of all three is basically a much bigger, more complete impression of the recorded event. It simply sounds more real. Very similar effect to when Jim Smith voiced my system. Tone, Dynamics and Presence all improved.
I have a new found respect for the importance of the source component in the overall chain. This massive SME is a marvel both in information retrieval and, engineering design/execution. It addresses the issues of resonance control, (cartridge energy into arm into plinth and platter mass), isolation from outside vibrations with the suspension towers and speed stability and accuracy with the newly designed motor controller.
Hi, oh man, congrats on your new table !! Wow, I bet that sounds just killer! You'll have to post more on what the sounds differences are. I used to have a SME 20/2 and SME IV.Vi, so I can relate to your (now) former SME 10
Lapierre, I'm afraid you won't be able to pry my Minis away. There are a couple for sale now. One, I think, is quite reasonably priced. The only downside I see is the need for very powerful amplifiers. Magico is addressing the efficiency/load issue with their new generation of speakers, though they have abandoned wooden enclosures.
