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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

Showing all comments by paulfolbrecht.

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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

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