My De-Compression Chamber

by mikej on Ever Evolving

Description

Welcome to my De-compression Chamber. This is where I go to relax and enjoy music or movies when I can find the time. 

*MUSIC comes First, with stereo being my primary listening mode. Surround and movies are secondary...but not by much. The system is better for movies than any theater I've ever been to. The system was designed with a few primary goals in mind. I've listed these goals below in no particular order as they're all critical to me.

Audiophile Criteria:
*Full Range Main Speakers
*Very good Pace, Rhythm & Timing
*Zero Listener Fatigue
*As upgradable as possible wherever it makes sense
*Even, natural sound. Meaning, no parts of the sound or imaging are emphasized over others unless that's how the recording was mastered.
*The entire system had to be time and phase aligned. (Yes, it makes a big difference.) This is a much bigger deal to me the more I listen. Non-Time Aligned speaker systems have a leading edge to the highs that I find fatiguing and un-natural.
*Precise imaging without exaggeration or loss of micro or macro dynamics.

Cheers,
Michael
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Components Toggle details

    • Levinson No 37 CD Transport
    CD Transport
    • Brown Electronic Labs D-1 digital cable x3
    1 and 1.5 meter cables
    • Theta Digital Casablanca 4a
    • Brown Electronic Labs P-1 interconnect
    various lengths, used throughout system.
    • Brown Electronic Labs 1001 Mk V x4
    50w x 2, class A, 200W Mono. Using 3 monoblocks for FL, FR, CC. RR, RL are handled by a BEL in stereo mode.
    • Vandersteen High Pass Filter
    Custom version with BEL "The Wire" dual RCAs for balanced operation on the amp end.
    • Brown Electronic Labs x3 S-24 Speaker Cable
    BEL Speaker cable and jumpers for Model 5s and VCC-5
    • BEL Jumper Cables
    Jumpers for Vandersteens (or other speakers that require Bi-Wiring. This is the current version in a white jacket. The original was in a black jacket.
    • Vandersteen Model 5A
    pr, 7in, 12in woofs, 5way. Gloss Black
    • Vandersteen VCC-5
    CC speaker designed to match the Model 5s. Gloss Black
    • Vandersteen VSM Signature
    pr, 6.5in woof, 1in twtr
    • Vandersteen V2W
    8in, 12in woofs, 100 lbs , Gloss Black
    • Shunyata Python x3
    Multiple cords in front end from wall to Hydra and Hydra to PSE, Theta.
    • Shunyata Hydra x2
    6 outlet conditioner, One Python powering Hydra for Front End. Regular cord for Hydra on amps and TV.
    • Rear Wall Sound dampening tiles
    Entire rear wall treated to create a
    • JVC D-ILA
    4k Projector
    • Schiit Audio Yggdrasil Analog 2
    • OPPO 203
    Blu-Ray Player
    • Screen Innovations Zero Edge Black Diamond Screen
    • Symposium Acoustics Ultra Platforms
    • Symposium Acoustics Svelte Plus Platforms
    • Symposium Acoustics Rollerblocks 2+, Double Stack
    Several
    • Symposium Acoustics Rollerblock Jr+ with Grade 10 Bearings
    Several
    • Symposium Acoustics Rollerblock Jr HDSE with G2.5 balls
    • VTL TL6.5 Series II

Comments 81

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what's up with the eggcrate foam around your DVD player? You getting a weird resonance there or something?

With your front wall treated, and the sides apparently bare, and in pretty close proximity to you, do you think this is causing any problems with imaging accuracy? I'm not familiar with most of the Vandersteen speakers, so I'm not sure how their particular foibles fit in here-- just curious about it since I need to get my room taken care of- just moved from a nice rectangular space to an open on one side uneven vault nightmare of a room...

pmkalby

I have a similar system except that I don't have the 2 channel gear you have because I am on a 2 channel strike until there are digital outs for sacd for the cb II :).

I mentioned this in another system post, but try getting 2wq's for your rear VSM's, they really make a difference...

Have you ever tried phantoming the center channel? I do when listening alone and I find it to be much better than the VCC-5 (which I own as well by the way). Let me know what you think...

I have the xtreme dacs btw and I like them very much, but I never compared them to the superiors because I needed exactly 8 channels and the price difference wasn't that much (3 superiors vs 2 xtreme) -- so I cannot tell you the difference unfortunately, but from what I heard, it is moderate in movies and more significant in music.

[email protected]

Owner
I tuned the bass on the Model 5s last night and the result was as expected. The bass is now +/- 3db in room at my listening position. The results of this leveling are widespread though. Essentially, it cleaned up the bass, mids and highs. Everything is cleaner and clearer without any muddiness or haze. Also, the imaging is a bit clearer and much smoother as things pan around. All in all, it was a very worthwhile tweak! This is one of the major things that sets thes speakers apart from the rest.

Now all I have to do is save up for the 5As...

Cheers,
Mike

mikej

Owner
System edited: I just got done moving the Model 5s to a much better position on the room. The original location had great frequency response (+or- 3db in room at my listening chair) but it wasn't great for imaging. So after months of experimentation I'm going to recalibrate the bass tonight. The imaging is already spot on. You know you get it right when all of the out of phase tracks are actually out of phase and doing strange things like moving through your head, around the back or sides and then up over your head... The frequency response is good, but will be much better once the bass is calibrated. I'll post the results, hopefully with the in room frequency response graph as well.

mikej

Owner
Thanks! Richard has actually been over to hear the system when I hosted a Vandersteen seminar several months ago. He certainly liked the system. Luckily, so did the guests who came to meet Richard and listen to his systems set up in my home.
The 5s are truly amazing in this home theater. Having stereo subs plus the .1 channel helps, but the main improvement is in intelligibility and imaging. They're perfectly matched with the VCC-5 which sits on a wall mounted TV stand an inch or so above the TV. The normal image height is right where the VCC-5 sits so it all blends perfectly with no trace of the Center Channel being out of place or localized. Having the coaxial drivers in all of the speakers except the 5s free you up to place them in some non-optimal locations too since they image better off-axis than normal driver arrays.
Anyway, if you have any questions feel free to ask! Suggestions are welcome too. ;- )
Cheers,
Mike

mikej

Mike,

A truly wonderful system that I bet would even make Richard
Vandersteen thrilled. How do you like the 5's in an HT set up as I have only listened to them in dedicated 2 channel systems?

rjones

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