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by sibelius on Ever Evolving
Hawthorne Audio Trios
Tonian Labs Classic 12
Nottingham Ana-log
Shindo Vosne-Romanee
Shindo Montille and Mr.T
atmasphere S-30

Description

After many years of listening to digital music, I got back into analog end of things a few years ago and have not looked back.

I go to as many symphony and chamber concerts as I can attend. Live, unamplified music is my reference point when putting together a system. At this point in my life, a good analog rig with high efficiency speakers and a SET or OTL amp gets me closer to "being there" than anything else I have tried.

That being said, it's important to note that this hobby is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. One of my vices is collecting tube amps. Do I really need 7 tube amps? Well, does my girlfriend really need a a closet full of shoes?

As I move ahead I can possibly see myself acquiring a second TT -most likely a classic idler to see what all the fuss is about. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with my equipment and concentrating more and more on the software side of things.
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Components Toggle details

    • Nottingham Ana-log
    Very nice TT with rock solid plinth and separate power supply. Has low powered motor (to avoid vibrations) that you need to start by hand.
    • Nottingham 12 inch unipivot tonearm
    • SME 312S Tonearm
    For my stereo cartridge I choose the new 312S tonearm from SME. Excellent tonearm that digs out an incredible amount of detail from the recording. Pairs up well with a rather liquid/warm cartridge and TT.
    • Koetsu Onyx Platinum
    Yes, it's probably a bit colored, but if you prioritize tone over detail, Koetsu's can't be beat. While many will tell you that Koetsu's are bass shy and rolled off, I have found that the Platinum Koetsu's are not wanting in these areas.
    • Lyra Helikon Mono
    Mono only cartridge. Mono recordings really do sound better with mono cartridges. I find the Lyra neutral in color with plenty of detail.
    • Doge six
    CD Player with tube output.
    • Shindo Vosne-Romanee
    Preamp using Siemens C3m tube and Lundahl based phono stage. Shindo believes the preamp is the "heart" of the music system. I agree. The V-R is extremely refined, textured and nuanced.
    • Shindo Montille EL-84
    Great little 15W EL-84 amp using NOS Mullards. Compared to my SET's the sound is bold and muscular.
    • Tonian Labs Classic 12.1 S
    97db, 16-Ohm Speaker featuring a 12" PHY driver and a customized ribbon super tweeter. Incredibably fast, neutral and detailed. It also does a supurb job in reproducing the tone of acoustic instruments. First heard it at the California Audio Show and knew I had to own them. The Tonians are very sensitive to anything upstream. Can take a while to find optimal synergy. I find it works best with my Atma-sphere OTL and Tony's own home-brewed (very minimalistic) cabling.
    • Hawthorne Audio Trios
    A wonderful open baffle speaker custom made by Darrel Hawthorne. One 15" custom coax (Sterling Silver Iris) flanked by two 15" bass augmentation drivers (Augies). Coax is efficient (95db) and loves to be driven by low powered SET amps. Augies are driven by 300W plate amps built into each speaker base. The Trio's are similar to planars and ESL's in that they surround you with a "wall of sound". Less detailed than the Tonians but very easy to listen to and the speakers mate well with every every amp I've used on it. Aural comfort food.
    • EAR 834P
    Heavily modded phono stage by Scott Franklin.
    • Atma-Sphere S-30 ver 3.1
    30W OTL. Fantastic clarity and presence. If your speakers will work with an OTL I can't see any downsides to owning one. Similar in many ways to SET amps but more neutral in tone with good bass.
    • SAC Thailand GM-70 Monoblock
    38 watt single ended triode using the large russian transmission tube. Sound is big, bold and immediate. May not have the nuance of some of the smaller SET's but the sheer musical presence is striking.
    • Tube Audio Lab WE91A 300B Clone
    DIY mono-block clone of classic WE91A amp using (what else) WE 300B tubes
    • Hawthorne Audio SPUD 6CL6 Single Ended Pentode (SEP)
    This is a wonderful flea powered amp. It is a DIY design that can be purchased from Hawthorne Audio. It is a 6CL6 Single Ended Pentode of about 1.5 to 2 Watts. Probably the best bang for the buck tube amp I have ever heard. Sounds very similar to my 2A3 amp for a fraction of the price with inexpensive tubes to boot. Highly recommended
    • Yamamoto A-08S
    2W SET based on 45 tube. Spooky presence.
    • Sean Casper F2a amp
    DIY effort from Sean Casper built around the NOS Siemens F2a tube made famous in German Klangfilm amps of the 1950's. Very Dynamic sounding tube with wonderful bass. Great presence. Missing some of the midrange sweetness and nuance of a 300b but deserves a wider audience.
    • Tube Audio Lab JEL 2A3 Deluxe
    DIY 2A3 from JE Labs schematic
    • Shindo Silver IC
    1.5M
    • Steve Blinn custom adjustable audio rack
    A very well made 4 shelf audio rack. Frame is adjustable and made of CNC machined aircraft aluminum. Shelving is solid Maple. Looks great and provides great support for my components.
    • Clear Day Silver IC
    • MAC Ultrasilver + IC
    Silver
    • Auditorium 23 speaker cable
    3M
    • Clear Day Double Shotgun Silver speaker cable
    • Hawthorne Audio Reference speaker cable
    Copper. Made by MAC for Hawthorne
    • PS Audio Power Plan Premier
    Audio Regenerator. Power Plant 300 only has 4 outlets - needed more. I like the new sleeker style.
    • PS Audio P300 Power Plant
    First generation power regenerator from PS Audio. Had it over a decade and it's still cooking.
    • Shindo Mr. T
    Power Conditioner

Comments 14

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Owner
Just picked up a F2a amp in late November. It was built by Sean Casper who is a DIY builder in Wisconsin. I've been interested in the Siemens F2a tubes for a while as they are famous for their use in old Klangfilm amps of the 1950's that were used in German Cinema.

The roughly 8W F2a has tremendous dynamic punch and very good bass for a SET. It also has wonderful presence which reminds me a little of my much more powerful GM70. What is it missing? Well, in comparison to my 300B amp it is missing some midrange sweetness and a little bit of nuance. However I am glad to add this amp to my stable. It is a wonderfully musical tube that deserves a wider audience.

sibelius

Owner

Yes. I'm content with my one Shindo preamp but love to have multiple amps to play with. Over time I have developed a preference for playing certain types of music with different output tubes. Having just one amp cuts down the options.

sibelius

I see your thing is hooking up a wide assortment of amps.

zeal

Owner
System Edit:

Well, after hearing all the positive comments the last few years on Idler drives I decided to make the jump. John Parker from Choir Audio (wonderful guy) will be building me a Garrard 301 TT. Just purchased the donor 301 (Early grease bearing creme colored model) and tonearm (new 12" SME M2-12R). Will most likely use an Ortofon SPU as cartridge. John will use his expertise in building the plinth and putting it all together. Hope to have something to play with in a few months. At this point am planning on keeping the Nottingham as well. So much equipment, so little time...

sibelius

Owner
Hi Lowens:

I found the move to the VR from the Masseto a big step up (and the Masseto is no slouch!). Read Art Dudley's column in last Novembers edition of sterophile where he compares the two preamps. IMO, he nails it. The VR has even more detail and nuance than the Masseto while having a slightly richer and darker tone. If you can get to a Shindo dealer I would strongly suggest an audition. Wonderful preamp.

sibelius

Very, very nice, well thought out system. Can you describe the diffences you heard when you moved from the Shindo Masseto to the VR? I may do the same thing down the road.

lowens

Owner
System edited: Recently added a Shindo Montille EL-84 to system. Given I have a Shindo Preamp and efficient speakers, I wanted to see if there was synergy with the little Shindo. Am very happy with purchase. In comparison to my SET's and OTL, the Montille has a bolder and more muscular sound to it. The level of detail is not as great as some of my other amps but the little guy really swings. Great rhythm and an a very visceral feel - especially with my 16-ohm Tonians.

sibelius

Hello,
Sibelius, you have a very nice sytem, it must sound quite natural and realistic. I also prefer low power SET amps with high efficiency speakers. I hope to one day hear the Classic 12.1 PHY-HP driven speaker.

charles1dad

Nice system. Wish I knew more about low powered SET amplification with high efficiency speakers. Very Intriguing.

pdreher

you sir have some of my dream components...esp the Tonians...enjoy!

pehare

Owner
Thanks for the Congrats on the Tonians. The older I get, the more I believe having multiple speaker set ups is the way to go. The Hawthorne's and the Tonian's have very different sonic traits that complement each other. Having these two distinct (Yin/Yang) set-ups makes for both enjoyable and varied listening sessions.

sibelius

I can sympathise with with the financial constraints time for us to tighten up our belt and hold on !!

I believe we can have it all.. however not all at once

Cheers
Pat

musicfile

I had Tonian 12.1s on order, unheard, and canceled it (at quite a loss) for financial concerns. (That didn't actually materialize but had panicked me.)

I had never heard them either but owned & loved the TL-D1.

I remain enormously curious about those speakers.

paulfolbrecht

Congratulations on the Tonian's they are really special spekers

musicfile

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