This all in one works great for me. It has a 500 gig hard drive and a coax S/PDIF out, which I used for quite a while, until I got my Off-Ramp USB working again. I use cMP2 playback software. It is sonically far superior to Foobar2000, and Media Player 15 on my system. < I have about 500 CD's ripped full bandwidth to the hard drive.
- Empirical Audio Off-Ramp Turbo USB to S/DIF
This is the original Turbo, not Turbo 2. I finally got it working with my music server which is running Windows 7, 64 bit.
- Musical Fidelity TriVista 21
Stock TriVista 21 tubed output DAC with DIY 6 awg power cord. I upsample the 24/96 input to 24/192.
- North American Products P-12R (X8) - H-CAT (update 8-09)
H-CAT (Holographic Cloning Amplifier Technology). {currently used as a single ended level matching section between TriVista21 DAC output and Sunfire tube pre input. Allows Sunfire volume control to be in the more linear tracking last bit of the pot} Totally analog, no contacts input to output. Remote switched, mute, display brightness level, inputs, WTC adjustment, and volume. True balanced and single ended outputs, single ended inputs only. You can see my DIY interface and Absolute Phase (as used to be available in most gear decades ago, but now is mostly found on only the most esoteric) switch box just behind the H-CAT. The H-CAT has been updated to version X8. I now use the H-CAT for its WFT aspect and as a signal attenuator. This keeps the potentially very large signal for the DAC from overloading the tube line amp and allows more transient headroom. Lots of fun.
Koetsu NOS Rosewood, early signature. It doesn't get better.
Older Japaneese made damped unipivot. Probably the oldest piece in my system, with the exception of some of my NOS tubes. Manufactured in the late 70's. It is mounted with a Pete Riggle VTAF (Vertical Tracking Angle change on the Fly - while playing).
Pete Riggle VTAF, pronounced 'vee-taff' for 'Vertical Tracking Angle on the Fly'. The VTAF allows smooth and easy VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle) adjustment on the fly and other benefits; Improved nuance, inner detail, air, sound staging, dynamics, pace and rhythm compared with the original mounting system! This is above and beyond the VTA adjustment benefit! Raises performance of tone arms to the highest level! Smooth and easy adjustment of VTA on the fly! Continuously variable VTA adjustment... infinite resolution! High resolution: Each full turn of the adjuster wheel results in only .025 inch (0.635mm) height change VTA is easy to measure, record, and reset! After VTAF installation, the arm can be removed from and restored to the turntable in just moments! Easily remove tone arm for transport, for cartridge maintenance and cleaning, or for cartridge replacement. OTHER VTA ADJUSTERS, ORIGINAL OR AFTER-MARKET, DO NOT CLAIM OR PROVIDE THE ADVANTAGES LISTED ABOVE. http://www.vtaf.com/
Linn Sondek Ittok. I originally bought it with Ittok mounted in 1984 from Gene Rueben. There have been a few mods like the three cone feet, damping and a second layer of acoustic isolation, a bike inner tube.
- Sunfire Classic Vacuum Tube Control Center
Sunfire Classic Vacuum Tube Control Center, with phonoboard, and remote options. It is so nice to be back to a full function preamp with balance and tone/contour controls. This preamp tends to be rare, when fully optioned. The six (6) tube phono board was an option. It will soon be updated to an eight (8) tube board. It could be user installed. It has provisions for MM, MC (the additional two tubes will be added to the MC pre-preamp), and a reverse RIAA input for CD that can then be run through the MM section to tame bright/hard sounding CD players. Remote control became available later in the production run, as an additional option. It was only available factory install. Other than a pair of 12AX7 (Amperex Bugle Boys) in the phono section, the other 7 tubes should be 6922/6DJ8s. Four (4) of the tubes are 6DJ8/6922 (on the phonoboard), with three additional 6H30pi-DR in the line section. The preamp is very flexible and pretty much bullet proof. It is a tube roller's dream. I have currently rolled NOS from the late 50s to the late 70s into all positions. . I am still playing with the tube complement in the MC section and the final position on the phonoboard. The MM section uses the pair of Bugle Boy 12AX7s. The line section has three (3) NOS 6H30pi-DP for the singled ended and balanced output. It is a really sleeper. Much better than many would guess and most even know.
- Van den Hul The First - etc.
1 pr of the orignial THE FIRST. 4 pr of THE FIRST Ultimate Mk II. 3 pr THE FIRST ULTIMATE. (The First Ultimate original, best of the lot in my system YMMV). Carbon fiber, the only metal is in the RCA connectors. I had tried some of both the copper, the alloy, and the silver expensive spread. I ALWAYS return to my VdH with great joy and aural relief.
- Manley Laboratories Neo-Classic
Dual mono, all tube amps. 10 EL34's per side! Neo-Classic Design for 2000! (this pair was built in May of 2003) Same great ballsy sound, new chassis design to fit in those HUGE new transformers! 250 watts per channel in tetrode/100 watts per channel triode. NOS GE JAN 12AT7WA (1965), NOS Sylvania 12BH7A's, and NOS RFT (1981) EL34's.
- Manley Laboratories Neo-Classic 250
What I see as I listen in a darkened room, in triode mode. The price is per pair. They look amazing in the dark.
Four foot pair Volcano, upgraded to 144v dbs
- Zero Impedance/Anti-Cable Zero Box
I am back to the Zeros. I had two pair of the naked zeros a couple of years back. As I upgraded the system it was less revealing with the zeros in and I sold them.
As I have continued to upgrade the system Zeros have made their way back in with GREAT sonic improvements and none of the veiling I heard before.
You can see them to each side of the amp. Usually there is one on each amp, but one is out for repair.
Very old 1 meter pair of top of the line. Thick as a snake.
Ribbon super tweeters. At $300 ea. in 1980 they were 1/2 the price of the T1's at the time. After seeing a later generation 180 degree Sequerra design with 3 horizontal ribbons, I decided to try mine on their sides. Much better!! You can see one here sitting on the custom solid Oak tweeter perch I built for it. Martin Logan to the right. Van den Hul hanging off the self below and to the left. Nitty Gritty to the left, and DIY tube trap behind.
Martin Logan Prodigy. Bought dealer demos shortly after they were discontinued. What a buy. What a sound.
This is a pair of depths, bought from a dealer on the web after the depth i superceded it. Amazing subs!
A very inexpensive copy of ASC's acoustic flags. These flags are simply in-wall fiber glass insulation from Home Depot with the paper backing removed and then sewn between two pieces of fabric. Very inexpensive and works great! If you can't sew just cut out a rectangle, fold it diagonally, put the fiber glass triangle inside the fabric, and staple together the two edges. Use two push pins to secure them to the ceiling.
Another ASC DIY copy for a small fraction of the retail price. You can see one of my low noise bathroom fans on the ceiling for removing tube system generated heat. I built a lot of these tube traps but only have a few in the room right now. Top cap and end cap is MDF, a layer of wall fiber glass rolled around the inside of a cage of hardware cloth. One half of the circumference is covered with mylar used for window sun block. Avery good friend with a great deal of "real" tube trap experience, made a couple of simple repositions and the differences were jaw dropping. You absolutely should either buy, or build some!
Square D surface mount box with one 30 amp breaker. 10/3 AWG solid core wire.
- Tice Audio Power Blocks & Titans
Four of the Power Blocks with three Titans, wired in parallel on a dedicated 30 amp circuit. Huge, heavy, isolation tranformers. Almost 500 pounds of square cross section 12 AWG single strand wire, and iron. About 10,000 watts of reserve for transient peaks and music foundation. Transient current delivery of a 75 amp circuit! Probably $15,000 worth in todays dollars.
- Weiland/Tice Power Station
Here is a picture of my four Tice power blocks, and three Tice Titans (off to the left, under the Linn garage system speaker). There are four (two duplex) outlets supplying the power blocks from the 30 amp dedicated circuit. The wire from the secondary (isolation filtered) side of the transformers is 6 AWG going through the wall to 14 duplex outlets of the other side for the audio system. This power station has the short term transient current delivery ability of a 75 amp line!!!!! Originally, the Power Block/Titan combinations were $2,250 per pair. Of course they can be found for less now. The $15,000 is a pie in the sky number based on 1988 dollars, and currently available audio power conditioners/filters.
- Hubble 20 amp hospital grade
I have mounted 14 hubble hospital grade 20 amp duplex outlets in my audio room, in two banks of four and two banks of 3. A run of 6 AWG solid core wire supplies the first bank and the other three are connected with 8 AWG.
The BC68 is essentially a BC62 power cord with a built in line-conditioner equivalent to two BC86 MKII noisehounds. It was developed for use with electrostatic loudspeakers. The background low level noise just went away. BLACK, BLACK, BLACK background. Worth every penny.
- Virtual Dynamics - Kinda David 2.0 Series - Kinda
I have built 6 VD type cords, so far. (I need to build at least 5 more.) The first after watching their video on how to build a power 3, but instead of 14 awg I used 10 awg. I built a 12 awg version, then moved on to this 10 awg. I now use only 6 awg. Here is a link to the DIY power cord http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&1242155869&read&keyw&zzdiy=power
- Virtual Dynamics - DIY Master Series w/ 6 awg copper
This picture of my 3 foot 6 awg DIY power cord dwarfing my 10 awg Element Basic cable. Well worth the effort, both in improved sound and thousands of dollars saved. Link to DIY power cord project http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&1242155869&read&keyw&zzdiy=power
