Thanks, Saint. Yes, the 20th Anniversary Cables + the current analog and digital sources have improved the system to the point you can almost think it is real instead of reproduced.

cipherjuris April 25, 2013 21:35

Bert, I replaced mine with Lamm M1.2 mono blocks, which I love.
Ed

cipherjuris April 08, 2012 05:48

I have forgotten the amps. When I had the lab power supply, I set it at 10 amps, but the Mac never drew that much. I will have to ask my engineering friend about the amperage the next time I see him. The Mac Mini requires 12-volts, and the power supply is set at 12.5 volts (slightly better sound) - there is a dial on the front of dt1732t to adjust the volts. An engineering audiophile friend did the mods to the power supply - not sure which caps he used (not Blackgates however).

cipherjuris December 17, 2011 09:42

Vn101606,

After testing several, we went with a DT1732T and modified it with upgraded caps. I'm powering it with a Shunyata Sidewinder, which I would like to upgrade as well as the umbilical from the power supply to the Mac Mini.

In any event, it was the best of the group before the mod and much better than the others after the mod.

Ed

cipherjuris November 26, 2011 08:55

Hi John. Thanks, and yes, I have never heard music in my home sound as real as it does with a good LP played on the MK3. It is simply stunning. My dealer and friend here in Tampa, George Liu, owner of Audio Visions South, helped me set it up in his store and then move it to my home. George has been in the business since he finished college in the early 1980s and has a lot of experience with analog and digital sources and performance modifications to both. The first time we played an LP on his store system (Ayre phono stage, Ayre KXR (alternating with ARC Ref 5) and McIntosh MC2KW Monoblocks (Alternating with Ayre MXR monoblocks) and Wilson Sashas, George said "This is the best source I have ever had in the store."

My modded Mac Mini/Ayre DX-5 is so good it was challenging my 20/2/Graham Phantom I/Koetsu Coralstone and pretty much forced me to try to upgrade my analogue system.

What Albert has accomplished is simply awesome.

cipherjuris June 05, 2011 11:41

System edited: Replaced SME 20/2, Graham Phantom 1, DV XV-1S with Technics SP 10 MK3 with completely restored and upgraded electronics, Porter 2-arm plinth with Stillpoint Ultras, Micro Seiki CU-180 Mat, SME 312S and Koetsu Coralstone cartridge. Replaced original Allnic H3000 phono stage with the new H3000 with the larger transformers.

cipherjuris June 04, 2011 18:57

Paul, my audio dealer did the mods. Most anyone can swap the RAM and the hard drive for an SSD. The only part of the mods that are delicate are removing the switching power supply and soldering in the leads and afixing a restraint for the umbilical cable to the external power supply. I'm just using a laboratory instrument linear power supply now - 10 amps (the Mini seems to draw anywhere from about 0.50 to about 2.00 amps) and an adjustable power supply. The 2010 Mini is designed for 12 volts. I am running 12.6 volts with no problems and I get better sound quality than with 12.0. Eventually, I will have a custom power supply built with specified parts, but must wait until the holidays are over to find the right guy to do it.

You will not believe the difference the mods make. Also, the Ayre Wave app is much better than iTunes and copying the files into a RAM disc also greatly improves the sound (and that's why you really need 8 GB of RAM.

cipherjuris December 18, 2010 17:49

Jfrech,

Good questions. Amarra is good, but to my ears, Ayre Wave is slightly better. Both are much better than iTunes.

The engineer my dealer and are working with on this project has a 2009 Macbook Pro with 8 GB Ram, a hard drive and the same Ayre Wave software. He ran his in Ram Disc just like mine and through the same system at my dealer's store. The new Mini with the SSD and the linear power supply that he has bought a Mini and is molding the same as mine.

The next step is to build a hi-end power supply for the Mini yo further improve the SQ. We have already established that upgrading the power cord on the power supply improves the SQ.

I don't have direct tv. I have road runner / bright house. But blu-Ray and DVD is noticeably better than the Sony and very much faster.

I think if you get a new Mini (much better SQ than the prior we found) and do the same mods and play through the ram disc, you will be surprised how wonderful the SQ is.

Let me know.

Ed

cipherjuris November 28, 2010 20:27

System edited: I have replaced my Ayre C-5xeMP and my Sony Blu-Ray player with the new Ayre DX-5 and added an SRA VR series isoBASE designed specifically for the DX-5. The DX-5 is significantly better than the C-5xeMP on all audio discs and even better than my Exemplar Denon 5910. I also added a modded Apple 2010 Mac Mini with 8 GB of SDRAM, an SSD, and an outboard linear DC power supply in place of the stock inboard switching power supply. It feeds the DX-5 through a Locus Design Nuclear USB cable. Music files are played through Ayre's Ayre Wave software (instead of iTunes) and a 4.5 GB Ram Disc. Altogether, this is the best digitally reproduced music I have heard in my system and narrows the gap with analog considerably.

cipherjuris November 26, 2010 13:59

System edited: Recently upgraded to Purist Anniversary speaker cables, so now most of my cables are Purist Anniversary. Improvement was awesome. Seems to have been the link that created the synergy that brought the system to the level I have been seeking.

cipherjuris March 13, 2010 22:06

Ryder,

Thanks for the system compliment. It is lightyears beyond anything I have had before. I love your system setup. Beautifully done. Blends in nicely, so that it's all about the music

"Last" is a vinyl preservative that is useful on new records but is even better on old records because it has vinyl restorative properties. Use if after cleaning a vinyl record.

Ed

cipherjuris August 30, 2009 19:27

Thanks Timztunz and Glenfihi for taking the time to look at my system and for your compliments.

Timztunz, I took a peek at your system. Beautifully executed system! I envy your room setup. Unfortunately, the typical "Florida" plan leaves only one wall to place speakers, screen and rack of components and restrictions on how far you can bring speakers into the room. Wilsons, however, do setup nicely not to far from the front wall and are easier to place than most speakers. Even with the rack between the speakers, however, I do get a fairly deep soundstage as well as a wide one.

Enjoy the music!

Ed

cipherjuris August 29, 2009 22:51

System edited: Newest updates to system: Updated Ayre C-5xe to C-5xeMP and Purist Anniversary Balanced XLR interconnect. MP upgrade made CDs & especially SACDs much, much closer to vinyl sound. Installed between the Ayre C-5xeMP, the Purist Anniversary made the background much blacker than the Stealth Indra and the sound much richer & fuller (whereas previously, my one criticism of the C-5xe was that the sound was a bit thin compared to the analog system & the Exemplar Denon 5910.

cipherjuris July 25, 2009 08:47

Just got my C-5xe back from Ayre with the MP upgrade installed. I ran it in for 24 hours, then had a listen.

The improvement in low level resolution and imaging was immediate and dramatic. Ditto for tonal textures. Separate musical instrumental lines were more clearly delineated and followed. Overall, presentation was more relaxed and the music seemed to flow more like the real thing.

cipherjuris May 23, 2009 08:29

Audiotomb,

I went to the Craz and the Ohio isoBASE amp stands from an old set of Sound Organization stands, so the improvement was mesmerizing.

If you do get a chance to compare with and without the vr, I'd love to hear your assessment of the difference.

I'm very happy with the SME 20/2 & Graham Phantom, but I wonder what the Galibier would sound like in the system. Tom is such a great guy, too.

We have a great room and that's where we hang out as well as entertain, so the combo works fine. I'm hooked on the sound for video concerts and movies and could never afford 3 systems at this level. If I could upgrade the Sophias to Maxxs and I'd be set.

Ed

cipherjuris February 23, 2009 22:07

Audiotomb,

Thanks for your post. Looks like you bought the Craz! Great system you have! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the difference it made in your system. Also, did you listen to your system with just the Craz and compare it to Craz + VRs? I would like to know what difference the VRs make with the Craz.

Love your Galibier. Almost bought one myself but it was too tall and cast shadow on the screen so I went with the SME 20/2.

Best,

Ed

cipherjuris February 13, 2009 21:48

System edited: I have updated the video part of the system with an InFocus IN83 1080p 1,600 lumen projector, DVDO iScan VP50 Pro video processor, Sony BDP-S2000ES Blu-Ray player, all connected with Honeywell Genesis Crystal 7000 Series Class C HDMI 1.3 self-correcting cable for the video; Purist Aqueous Anniversary RCA interconnect, and Purist Aqueous Anniversary power cord for the projector and Virtual Dynamics Master Series LE 2.0 power cord for the Blu-Ray player. I'm very happy with the resulting upgrade in picture quality.

cipherjuris January 31, 2009 16:19

Papajohn,

They are a matched pair of custom-sized Silent Running Audio Craz Reference isoRacks Plus. Kevin Tellekamp is the brilliant owner-designer of SRA audio isolation systems and as fine a person as you will find anywhere.

They were expensive and I understand that Kevin has been forced to increase his prices for the Craz racks to avoid discontinuing them.

I could go on and on about them, but better you should read Frank Peraino's 2006 review for Soundstage at the following link:

http://www.ultraaudio.com/equipment/sra_craz_4_reference_isorack_plus.htm

Best,

Ed

cipherjuris April 26, 2008 09:18

No, Mert, the Stealth Indra is connecting Io Signature phono stage to the K-1xe preamp. I may try it on the C-5xe CD player soon.

But the Transparent ICs connect the TV cable box and the Tuner to the preamp, so the Indra and the Transparent are never feeding a signal together. I have found that the Purist Dominus ferox Rev C balanced and the Virtual Dynamics Revelation 2.0 balanced, while they have some different nuances are more similar than different in sound. Which I prefer really depends on my mood.

If you are interested in discussing cables further, send me an email.

Best,

Ed

cipherjuris November 23, 2007 17:30

Thanks, Cello. I will do that this weekend. Just got back from a trying trip to Chicago. 4 hours on the plane instead of a little over 2 because of flying around bad weather.

Ed

cipherjuris July 19, 2007 21:19

Photon46,

I really appreciate your post and thoughts. Room acoustic treatment is next on my list, too. But I confess I have been hesitant to get into it (a) because it is such a black art and I know next to nothing about it, (b) because as you say they are hard to integrate aesthetically, and (c) they cause non-audiophiles to think you're weird.

I guess I will have to look into Rive's Audio since I would definitely feel more comfortable with some sort of a plan based on some kind of an analysis by someone who is supposed to have some expertise in this black art.

cipherjuris June 27, 2007 13:39

Thanks for the nice comments. You are the first who noticed and identified the Stackhouse. My wife and I do really enjoy the system. The Exemplar 5910 has really changed things for us because now we play our DVD video concerts because the sound is so great.

You also have a nice system and room and an eye for decor, color and arrangement. The fan's a really nice touch. Rug too. Can't identify the art from the photos.

Our rooms appear to be similar. Our walls are not symmetrical, our ceiling is cathedral and it opens into other rooms especially the kitchen. One positive though is that it breaks up standing waves. However, I'm curious about the room tunes next to your speakers. I've never seen them before.

I see others have been encouraging you to go to projection. We went with a ceiling mount and found that it's unobtrusive with a small projector. The 92" screen and great sound make going out to the movies less of a draw. We stayed with 2-channel sound and do not miss surround sound at all.

Ed

cipherjuris June 26, 2007 21:41

System edited: I have been seeking a DVD player with sound comparable to the Ayre C-5xe universal CD player and better video than my aging Pioneer DV-47A. I more than found it with the Exemplar Statement Denon 5910 with balanced XLR audio output, Teflon V-Caps, tube output stage with NOS Amperex Pinch Waist E180CC and Sylvania 5670 tubes. This unit has a wider, deeper & taller soundstage than the Ayre. It has powerful, deep base as the Ayre, though not as tight, seems as dynamic as the Ayre but fills the room with richer, fuller, more emotional sound rather like the Aesthetix Io Signature. It does not sound digital. The video is much improved over the Pioneer and seems almost film-like. The Exmplar Denon 5910 allows us to really enjoy our DVD video concerts. We have also been experimenting with cables. The Purist 20th Anniversary PC has become our reference power cord. In our system, it has all the strenghts of the Virtual Dynamics Revelation & the Transparent PowerLink MM, but it contributes to more 3-D imaging and separation in a wider, deeper & taller soundstage and seems to contribute to a more natural sound. The Stealth Dream for preamps is cooler and more laid back than the Purist 20th Anniversary, but very transparent and detailed. The Virtual Dynamics Revelation 2.0 XLR IC has everything, a warm but dynamic sound, deep authoritative base, great tonal balance, exquisite low level detail and imaging within a wide, deep & tall soundstage -- not that it should not have all those things at its ridiculous MSRP. The Purist Dominus XLR IC is almost as good as the Revelation 2.0 in most areas but is warmer with a more liquid mid-range and is somewhat less detailed. The Stealth Indra is a single-ended RCA IC and because of that perhaps unfair to compare with the others that are balanced. I have not had this cable long enough to take its measure in my system, but it does not give up anything in imaging and soundstaging. Lastly, I have added an Integra NVS-7.7 media center, primarily for slide shows and occasionally recording a something from TV, and a new Zektor component switch, which provides a big improvement in picture quality over the old switch.

cipherjuris June 26, 2007 05:28

Hi Larry,

Thanks for the compliments on the system and the suggestions.

Alan did finally get the phono cable adapter to me. I had a struggle keeping a solid connection with the cartridge clips on the tonearm wire, but Colleen Cardas was kind enough to make an adapter for the adapter that solved the problem. And you're right cooking the tonearm wire and the phono cable helped a lot, especially because the Aqueous Anniversary seems to take about 700 hours to fully break in.

Your thought about gilding the lilly by adding an Ohio stand under the SME is intriguing. I have a space problem though. If the TT is raised even an inch it will obstruct part of the projection screen behind it. I would have to raise the screen maybe four inches which would mean that I would have to raise the projector which would be a real undertaking. When I replace the projector I will have to re-engineer the entire hanging support for the projector, so I'm going to put the Ohio/SME project on hold until I have to re-engineer the projector support anyway.

My current projects include adding an Integra media center primarily to run automated slide shows of our trips to Ireland, Italy, Australia etc. set to appropriate music; replacing my old Pioneer DVD player with an Exemplar 5910 and rolling cables.

But mostly my wife and I are really enjoying the music!

Best,

Ed

cipherjuris June 07, 2007 20:10

Thanks guys (Velocityofhue & Stiltskin)!

Before the Wilson Sophias, I had Thiel 3.0s for about 16 years. Loved them. Velocityofhue, how do you like you VTL preamp?

Ed

cipherjuris May 07, 2007 20:30

John,

The MSRP for the PI8 is $2995. You're correct, Transparent has quit producing the PI4 and in the 4 now makes only the PIR.

For power cords in my system, I cannot detect much difference between the Virtual Dynamics Revelation (which some believe is the best PC) and the Transparent PowerLink MM which is hundreds less.

Best,

Ed

cipherjuris February 14, 2007 18:13

Thanks for the compliment. I have not heard Vandersteens in years, but, of course, their reputation continues. My previous speakers were Thiel 3.0s, and not surprisingly, the Sophias are light years better than that generation Thiel. If your Dad gets the Sophias I am certain that both of you will be very happy with them -- but you can't go wrong with the Vandys either.

Best,

Ed

cipherjuris February 05, 2007 11:54

Johnadlertech,

I'm happy to hear of another audiophile who values his system enough to protect it with these great PowerIsolators from Transparent.

However, Transparent did not discontinue to the PI4; they just added the PowerIsolator Reference, which shares technology with the PowerIsolator MM rather than the PowerIsolator XL. The Reference was not yet released when I bought my 2 PIMMs, PI8 and PI4 last February.

I consider these to be perhaps even more important than any of my other components since not only do they help provide perfectly clean power to the system but also protect it from surges and spikes in the power company's grid system.

Best,

Ed

cipherjuris February 04, 2007 09:45

Elgeroth2,

Thanks. Yes, the SRA bases made a much bigger difference than I could have imagined. The focus of the images on the soundstage, air around voices and instruments, depth of the soundstage, low level details, especially decay of notes and voices, all improved dramatically. The sound of the music is also richer and fuller.

Ed

cipherjuris February 01, 2007 08:02