These speakers use a double tweeter array to produce the midrange. The Be tweeter between the arrays is used as the actual tweeter. Then two big ass woofers are added. Extremely well reviewed and high value speakers!
Mr K Passive Preamplifier PPA01
This is an extremely high quality autoformer based passive preamp. There is absolutely no noise but with with excellent soundstaging and dynamics.
Aria Audio Aria Signature MK2
This is a beautiful hand-built amplifier that puts out100 watts of Class A power with very high current capability. A extremely seductive yet authoritative sound with the Moabs.
MHDT Orchid
The Orchid DACs are legendary. They use the TDA 1541A R2R chip for a a realistic and natural sound. This Orchid was Bill Dion's (grannyring) personal DAC which he highly modified by doing the following:
- Upgraded the output capacitors to a custom made set of 2.2uf copper foil in beeswax, flat stacked design caps from Jupiter Condenser. Chris of Jupiter does not offer these out as they cost too much to build and takes too much time to manufacture. They are a sonic cut above the fantastic round Jupiter copper foil caps. - 4 Miflex KPCU-02 0.1 micro farad copper foil caps in other key positions. - 10 carefully selected resistor types located though-out the DAC
Innuos PULSE
Network Streamer internal with a RECAP2 power supply by Dr. Sean Jacobs built-in. Uses the innuOS 2.0 and Sense software. It's the best sounding streamer, OS and control software I've ever used. Here is more info:
⦿ Medical-grade filtered IEC
⦿ Audio-grade toroidal transformer with an epoxy-filled center for dampening vibration, magnetic screening with coated SYN-SHIELD copper tape between windings and wrapped in black Mylar Tape
⦿ Over 40000 µF of high-end Mundorf Capacitors
⦿ Coilcraft Inductor
Inakustik Referenz LS-2404 Air Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Inakustik Referenz LS-2404 Air Interconnects and Speaker Cables. These are meticulously made open-weave copper cables. Each strand is separated to insure an air insulation between the strands. It makes for an open very natural sound with the best bass I've had in my listening room. Expensive but worth it.
Network Acoustics Muon System
This is a complete digital cable system (filter, LAN cable, USB cable). This at a higher level than the famed EVO system.
Cayin Audio Mini-CD MK2
This is an excellent little CD player. I mostly stream but I still have hundreds of CDs.
DIY Power cables
DIY power cables. They use multi-strand copper, an open weave, cotton cord in the center and ERS cloth at both ends. It's the formula Danny Richie uses for his power cables. They have an open, airy yet very solid sound. The key is to break them in for hundreds of hours.
Synergistic Research Powercell 12 UEF
This is a classic power conditioner. It's UEF/EM based and compliments every component plugged in to it!
Synergistic Research Galileo SX Grounding Block
The Galileo SX Grounding Block makes the system absolutely silent at idle and creates very black backgrounds for music. I made my own "high definition" grounding cables.
Synergistic Research Black Box
The Black Box is a Low Frequency Resonator Array that works in conjunction with the Subwoofers, Atmospheres and FEQ X4 to solve bass node issues.
Synergistic Research ART System
This is Synergistic Research's older acoustic system that's based on resonators. It works very well with their current UEF system and provides excellent results. Complete ART systems are getting hard to find.
The UEF Panels, UEF Dots, Black Box, Risers, ECT and GCT are all types of sound resonators. I use an Atmosphere XL-4 (green ATM), Atmosphere (red ATM), FEQ X4 (2) (red ATMs) and Mini-Atmosphere (green ATM) - when used with the Synergistic Research control software they generate various frequencies of Schumann Resonances around the room. Bottom line they work: create a huge/realistic listening experience!
Townshend Audio Seismic Isolation Podiums
These decouple and "float" your speakers on a spring-loaded metal base. It opens-up the sound and adds solidity to the bass but doesn't make the sound harsh like most metal speaker bases.
Akiko Audio Tuning Stick; Kemp QA Plug (2) and Zero One (2)
The Akiko Audio, Kemp and Zero One products treat the signal and power in my system keeping the electrons spinning around the electronic signals as uniform as possible or by adding more standard frequency Schumann Resonances. These products are excellent at making your system sound more "natural".
Synergistic Research Tranquility Bases and Tranquility Pod
I use original MIGs under the Tranquility Bases.
Puritan 156, ADD-Powr Sorcer and ElectraClear EAU-1
The Puritan is an excellent line conditioner. The ADD-Powr and ElectraClear devices actually add electromagnetics (EM) to the AC line using an active circuit and algorithm. Contrary to popular belief not all EM is bad for sound quality in stereo systems. The proof is in the listening.
Puron AC Line Conditioner
I use this in the first outlet of my Synergistic Research power conditioner. It gives a more realistic presentation of vocals and reveals a little more texture and impact to the bass.
Stein H2 Harmonizer system
I have 4 Stein H2s in my system.I went with one in each of corner of the room with a Stein stone at each and a Stein diamond on the ceiling in the center of the room. They add layers and layers of depth with each vocalist/instrument being in their own separate but integrated spaces.
Tombo Audio Lotus Harmonic Enhancer
The bell on the top gives high resonance frequency while the tip on the top of the bell performs as a wave guide streaming high frequency up to the ceiling.
Swiss Digital Fuse Boxes
The Swiss Digital Fuse Box replaces the fuse in your component with a pure copper "sluggo". The "sluggo" comes in various types depending on what coating, if any, is applied to it. The bottom line it allows much more current to flow into the electronics which is especially important with high current power amps. Every part of the sonic presentation is enhanced. I now use one on my power amp, DAC and streamer.
This company has now closed because the owner has passed away. These products work to achieve a uniform and consistent RF/EMI and electron treatment around my components which greatly helps the sonics.
Audio Magic Pulsed Electron Alignment
The PEAs are battery powered. Spintronics is the ability to control or manipulate how electrons spin. Electrons spinning around electronic signals carry audio information. The goal of the PEA devices its to get the electrons spinning as uniformly as possible. It opens up the sound and makes subtle cues in the music even more real.
Timbernation and Bright Star Audio Platforms
Solid maple platforms stained cherry for electronics and Bright Star platforms for the subs.
Hi David - I'm building the grounding box myself and hope to get it done tonight or tomorrow. I'll get some pics of that and the Akikos up in the next couple days.
Last night I added another Akiko Triple AC Enhancer to my outlet extension. Wow! These things really do work. The effect truly is cumulative. I've been told adding a Grounding Box when used with the Akikos takes it to yet another level. So, that may be next step!
When I was rearranging my system I decided to put all my Akiko Audio products on the same circuit by using an outlet extension. The effect is supposed to be cumulative so I thought it was worth a try. I thought I'd have to do some careful listening and change the various Akiko in/out of the outlet extension. As it turned out, it was immediately obvious they sounded much better together. Its seems like overkill to have a Triple AC Enhancer, Tuning Stick and E-Tuning Gold MKII all on the same circuit but it really does work. I'm guessing it's much like having a Corelli in your system!
@sbayne I see Bill's work that is very cool indeed and those are some awesome caps! I am stunned he sold his speakers so fast but also cool his wife actually wanted a pair of speakers. I am sure your system sounds more and more amazing as it breaks in I had a cap upgrade done to my amp years ago and it was utterly transformative. Cheers and happy listening!
Thanks jond. I've added some pictures of the updated equipment. My amp is now a 30 watt triode thats been heavily modded with Duelund CAST caps and a Bybee music rail. The preamp is a Decware CSP3 with the Jupiter cap upgraded. I've got well over 100 hours on each of them now so the sound is really coming together and will get even better with more hours. Grannyring heavily modded my Impact Monitors earlier in the year. The change in sound quality was so good I decided I wanted a preamp and amp with similar upgrades. It was much cheaper to find equipment that already had what I was looking for than have my existing equipment professionally modified with Jupiters or especially Duelunds. Some may think the cost of these caps is crazy (and yes they are expensive) but the proof is in the listening.
I’ve changed out my preamp and amps. The equipment I had before was very good and I was a little nervous to let it go. I’ll be posting soon on my new equipment but for now I will just say it seems crazy when the caps in the component cost more than the component! But I’m learning it’s not crazy at all..........
The T+A is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I have never had a component of that calibre and pedigree in my system. I's hard to imagine how the sound quality can improve but I continued to be surprised. I'm one of the few going the SS route, so this will be a very interesting audition. I will post once I have a grip on it.
Thanks @david_ten. Yeah, professional musicians obviously have very good ears and know what live acoustic music should sound like. It was really interesting talking with them about my system. That T+A PA 3100 HV you are demoing is a very nice piece and should go well with your DI SE. I'm sticking with tube gear for the time being but good SS is always an option.
We had a great collection of professional musicians over last night. The group included a conductor, a concertmaster, a composer and various orchestra members. After dinner, drinks, piano playing and conversation we ended-up in my listening room. I've had a few of these people over before but the majority had never heard my system. They were truly shocked that this level of reproduced music was possible. They understood immediately why attention to every little detail in a system is important. Much like how a musical instrument is made, setup and played.
The consensus was dynamics and soundstage were limited as a compared to a live orchestra (this is undoubtedly true) but the overall tone and emotion of the music was spot-on - which I took as a big compliment. It was simply a great evening!
After weeks of 24/7 break-in of the upgraded crossovers I inserted my Impact Monitors back into my main system. These speakers have been transformed! They were excellent before but now they are simply amazing! There is layer after layer of textured natural sounding music. They remind me of the Shindo Latours. The music "breathes" meaning dynamics are effortless, there is no specific soundstaging or defined treble/mids/bass there is just music! Its like the speakers aren't even there.
Well, the saga of break-in continues. I'm guessing I have about 200 hours on the new crossovers and they have taken a step back again - I think. Problem is my music server stopped at some point so I'm not exactly sure how much signal passed through the crossovers. Also, this pure Class A amp I'm using for this task I'm pretty sure wasn't fully broken-in so its been going through sonic changes. Finally, I've added some Western Electric wire that Bill recommended which is also breaking-in. I'm going to let everything keep cooking and then finally insert the speakers back into my main system. I probably should have done this differently but that's where I'm at for now.
It's been a wild ride as these upgraded crossovers break-in. The caps are obviously huge, there is 18 meters of new Duelund wire and lots of new soldier joints. When I first got them back from Bill they sounded spectacular but around the 48 hour mark (I've been playing them 24/7) the soundstage constricted and the highs became edgey. This went on for at least another 2 days. Now, I've got about 130 hours on them and they are back to sounding glorious.
Bill told me this would happen and indicated they will be most of the way at the 300 mark but not fully broken-in until 500 hours or so. I, of course, have not been using my tube amps for this so when I put those back-in the sound will, hopefully, be even better. I've been using a 25 watt pure Class A amp and I'm starting to think that amp wasn't even fully broken-in!.....so, it's been a fun but tedious process - with much more to come!
As some of you may know, Grannyring (Bill) did some extensive upgrading of the crossovers in his pair of Double Impacts. After talking to him about those upgrades and seeing pictures of the quality of his work I asked him to upgrade the crossovers in my Impact Monitors. He graciously agreed. I've added a picture of a completed crossover in my system photos. He was able to use the excellent (but huge) Jupiter VT caps. I'm still in the break-in phase but I can say they are improved on all levels. I'll update this page as the break-in period proceeds. All I really have to say at this point is: Wow and thank you Bill!
I've now added Iso-Pucks under the F8s - another improvement in sound quality. The big news, however, is yet to come. I'm convinced there is even more sound quality to squeeze out of this system. This change is not in place yet, but if it doesn't take it to another level I'll be shocked!
I installed the Aurio Pro's and had very similar results as you. Low price for a huge improvement in sound. Great tweak for people that feel uncomfortable upgrading drivers, caps and wire.
Well, the Iso-Pucks are keepers! Pretty much every area of sound quality was improved. I'll probably get some for under my F8s or some other IsoAcoustics product if the F8s are too heavy for the Iso-Pucks.
