My tech and I installed new V-Caps into my 7Se's yesterday. We ended up putting 5 additional bypass caps on the tweeter, supertweeter and ambient rear driver crossover, with 2 additional on the midrange crossover. Took us about 4 1/2 hours to do the first speaker when we were figuring out the best ways to do things, and 2 hours for the 2nd.

I have recently done a number of things in my quest to improve the low level resolution of my system. First, my Super-DAC prototype finally opened up after about 475 hours, lifting a veil or 2. I also got a new preamp several weeks ago - Vac Signature IIa, which now has about 100 hours on it (4-500 to really open up, I'm told) and added a better powercord for the preamp yesterday when we had the speakers all moved (Synergistic Hologram A into an all SR system)).

This combination, along with the change the new caps have made, has left me pretty speechless. Its very difficult to apportion responsiblity for the significant increase in low level detail, airiness and imaging. I would guess 50% caps, 40% preamp and 10% PC, leaving aside the DAC. I'm pretty surprised that I'm hearing this big a difference this quickly with the new caps, as they are brand new and should take 4-500 hours to fully open up. My tech, the Skiing Ninja, says if I leave the system on 24/7 for 3 weeks, the caps will be broken in. I laughed.... not going to happen.

My 7's sound like new speakers after only about 5 hours! The mids and highs are considerably more open, detailed and extended and I know they are just going to get even better! Low volume level detail is there in spades - I've been listening to a Keith Jarrett CD while reading the Sunday paper this morning and I had to put the paper down. I had never heard this CD sound like it now does.

If I can just snap my fingers now and have 500 more hours put on the system immediately.....

System reconfiguration put on hold until at least summer - I really don't want to mess with it since its only going to sound even better over the next several months as the preamp, PC and additional V-Caps break further in!!

fplanner2010 February 14, 2010 11:46

New VAC Signature Mk2a preamp replaces Phi 2.0, which I was very happy with. Didn't really want to sell it, but economic realities set in. Way too soon to compare, but seem to be getting a slightly fuller sound with better bass, and even improving a bit on the famous VAC midrange. I'll report back after a few hundred hours, if anyone's interested.

Next upgrade will be piggybacked V-caps on mids and highs of my speakers, probably in a few weeks. After that, I expect to rearrange the system to more easily get to cables, etc. The active SR cabling is a jumbled mess right now - it needs straightened out, but 1 thing at a time....

fplanner2010 February 01, 2010 08:31

After measuring cables, etc., looks like a System reorganization as described above is probably in my future sooner rather than later. First want to let the new preamp break in more and probably upgrade the VR-7se midrange and tweeters with some additional caps.

The "new pictures" which are probably 3 months away, will show a markedly different setup, if all goes as planned.

fplanner2010 January 30, 2010 14:07

Upgrading preamps this weekend. System due to be reorganized with TV table used for amps and probably preamp. Won't happen until summer at earliest, since it will be lots of brain damage and some additional cable expense, neither of which I have to deal with now. Since the cabling is SR active, there are 4 cables connecting each component, not just 2. It looks like several digital cables would need to go from 1M to 2M as well as several pairs of interconnects. That will get expensive very quickly, even when offset with the cables I would no longer require. So far this is not in the "budget"

There is also the canine consideration - not sure about the wisdom of putting those amps at snout/tail level out in the open for the pooches. Currently, even though the system looks just thrown together, the amps are pretty well protected from the dogs. Also, this is my living room and I'm not yet convinced it "needs" to be re-worked. It will look a lot nicer, but might not be as functional. Any brilliant input is always appreciated, as well as contributions to the "new cables" fund.

fplanner2010 January 27, 2010 21:12

To be honest, I no longer use the DD-15 for 2-channel. My speakers are full range to 17hz(according to the spec). What I've discovered is that with the addition of the 2nd VAC amp, the additional power gives me plenty of bottom-end for 2-channel listening. I do still use the DD-15 for movies, however, and it works extremely well for that.

Before the 2nd VAC amp, the DD-15 worked well for 2-channel, but I had inadvertantly allowed my crossover settings to be set at 80hz, a huge mistake, Therefore, the speakers never played below 80 hz for almost a year, so all I heard was the sub below 80hz. WHen I fixed the crossover, I discovered with the addition of the 2nd amp I no longer needed the sub. Getting much better imaging, etc from the full range speakers than the sub, obviously.

Thanks for your question.

fplanner2010 January 27, 2010 10:28

how do u like the dd-15s on 2 channel?

ajackson1 January 27, 2010 06:13

APL DAC has FINALLY opened up after about 450 hours - the "magic" has finally happened. I now have a very good idea of why the APL owners with NWO-4.0SE do not sell their players - WOW is about all I can say. It will probably still get a bit better, but right now its quite impressive.

I actually have a few more upgrades planned which I initiated during and right after CES (the DAC hadn't gotten to the "magic" stage eyt). They still make good sense to me, so I will proceed with them and update this and my other system accordingly.

fplanner2010 January 22, 2010 22:16

Oh i see that was unfortunate, its a great feature, with very good sonics.

I looked at the sooloos too, my local deal think i should have one. The interface is very nice with lots of info compiled. Problem as i see it it doesnt handle .wav. Sonically i think youre overpaying for what you get, for that money you can build an exceptional server soundwise. And you can get something that sounds a lot better for a lot less, ive already done it.

Very nice impressions by the way:-)

perrew January 19, 2010 08:22

Perrew- I do not have the wifi option yet, as Alex was scrambling just to get me the DAC before I imploded. I am also not using a music server, yet. I talked at length to Enno of Meridian at CES, who filled me in on the Sooloos system, which he invented and sold to Meridian. I may end up with one of those after a while.

I've just posted a few impressions on the APL forum as well.

fplanner2010 January 19, 2010 06:12

Fplanner2010,

nice to see you are starting to hear what the APL dac can do. Do you have the WiFi option on it or using some other music server with it?

perrew January 18, 2010 23:24

Thanks - I appreciate it!

fplanner2010 January 18, 2010 20:22

Thanks for the current update. I hope the cap upgrade for the speakers does what you're hoping, to particularly bring forth the music at lower volume levels. I'm sure the combination of the caps and the new preamp will just add to the betterment of your already great sounding system. Enjoy!

sherod January 18, 2010 19:52

Sherod- I won't be getting the preamp for another week or so. However -

- In the meantime, when I got back from CES, a VSA dealer on a forum told me there is a cap upgrade for my 7's!! I asked AVS about this and he gave me the cap values and told me where to place them. It won't be replacement, but a "piggyback" on top of the existing Hovland caps. According to both AVS and the dealer, the upgrade yields noticeably more detail, air and 3D imaging, especially at low volume levels, which is exactly what I am seeking. I've already bought the caps and have a few pros in the area that should be able to do this upgrade quite easily.

Hopefully, the combination of the new VAC preamp (even better detail and imaging, according to Kevin at VAC) and the speaker cap upgrade should preclude any desire to change speakers, at lest anytime soon.

The other thing that has been happening with my system is that the 32-bit APL Prototype Super-DAC is finally pretty well broken-in at about 450 hours. The sound has gotten incredibly better, in spite of the speakers' apparent shortcomings, to the point that the upgrades might now actually be overkill. However, that's never stopped me before....

To answer your first question, the tubes have solid plates - didn't see any holes.

fplanner2010 January 18, 2010 18:45

Hello Fplanner2010. Could you tell me what power tubes VAC uses in their Phi 300.1 amps? I'm going to guess that they are cherry-picked Shuguang KT88, but when you look closely at the tubes do they have the 3-hole plates or are the plates solid? Thanks for your input. Also, I've been following your threads and noticed that you're upgrading to VAC's newest Signature preamp. I would love to hear your impressions of this new preamp. Is it good enough to make you want to keep your current speakers? Thanks.

sherod January 18, 2010 17:31

Mribob - Thank you for the gracious compliments on my system.
I haven't found the need to use the Velodyne at all, even for movies, as the 7's pretty much go down low enough for me after adjusting the crossovers(long story, but happy ending).

The next thing you need to know is that the 7se's are no longer being made, so the only way you could get a pair would be to find them used. They rarely are seen on Agon, but as luck would have it, there is actually a pair there now as I write this, for a ridiculously low price. The 7s have often been called the "purists'" 9Se - in other words, lots of the performance but no artificial sub-woofers. The 7's have a lot more "authority" to my ears than the 5's, which I'm sure comes from the bass integration and cabinet size of the 7s.

Wilson, MBL and Magico have recently focused on their larger, more expensive speakers, which is NOT where Albert has chosen to focus thus far. People are constantly searching for the "latest and greatest" which is what generates buzz and causes comparisons. I understand the new 5 Annis and several of his new smaller speakers are also achieving that same buzz and collecting good reviews.

My 7's didn't really start to sing until I added a 2nd VAC amp about 6 months ago and fixed a crossover setup issue in October. They love power and I'm partial to tubes. Now with 300w of tubes going to each, the sound is really nice as you can imagine, and as I said above, there is really no longer any need for the Velodyne. I tried my McCormack DNA-500 with the 7's with some success, but didn't come anywhere near the musicality, finesse and ease of the VACs. The VACs with the 7s are truly an "iron fist in a velvet glove" and very impressive, at least to me. VAC and VSA actually used to show together until recently. To my ears, the tubes just sound a lot better than solid state, in my system. The performers sound like they are literally in the room with me, which was my goal when I started all this years ago. There is no listener fatigue, ever. Just really nice sound.

Also, FWIW, I NEVER HEARD the 7s before I bought them either!! I had heard the 9s and 5s - the 7s actually turned out a bit better than I thought they would - a lot closer to the 9s than the 5s. You might at least check out the pair on Agon, if its still there and you're interested...
Good luck, thanks for your comments and Happy New Year!!

fplanner2010 December 31, 2009 14:40

Fplanner; never saw your prior system posts; but you do have a sweet set-up. Could you please comment on what you feel the differences are between the Von Sheikert VR 7se; adn the vr 5 anniversary? I know there is s steep step up in price; what is the difference or improvement? Most of my knowledge of the VS line is from the lower end 4 sr's..the reviewers never list his best speakers, the vr 5, 7's, or 9's in the same category as Wilson Maxx v 3, MBl, Magico, etc; yet they are neighbors in price and specs...What type of sound do you achieve with the tubed amps vs ss; do you use the Velodyne mainly for home theater; as the vr 7's do put out fairly robust base on their own. never heard the VR 7se's; but was always intersted...especially the way you have your system configured...seems like perfection..congrats on great set. thanks for your thoughts; happy New Year.

mribob December 31, 2009 09:17

System edited: Pics added

fplanner2010 December 13, 2009 11:35

Replaced my APL modded Denon 32-bit DAC a few weeks ago with as APL stand-alone SUPER-DAC-SE prototype that has 20 second generation AKM 32-bit dac chips, double tube Class-A output stage, etc., etc.

Only have about 100 hours on it, but its already a bit better than the Denon in Dynamics, depth and musicality. Apparently the "magic" won't really start to happen until 400-500 hours. As it is now, its still better than any other DAC I've heard, so this should be interesting.

For some reason, my semi-identical post yesterday did't get posted....

fplanner2010 November 30, 2009 09:11

I had been growing increasingly perturbed at my VR-7s because for the past year, when played without my Velo sub, I had very little bass, despite adding a 2nd VAC amp. I went to RMAF looking for some speakers to replace the vr-7's since I couldn't manage to get any bass or dynamics out of them without the sub. When I heard a number of speakers pretty much blow mine away (espec the newest JBL K-2's's with the horns), I got annoyed and decided to do a bit of sleuthing on my system.

WHat I discovered - The Velo sub had been crossed over, for the past 12 months, at 80hz!!! AVS had come over at RMAF 2008, tuned my sub to the speakers and I never touched any of his settings. I didn't know where the crossover was set, obviously. I lowered the crossover to 15hz and now don't need a sub, as the speakers spec to 17hz, supposedly.

Now instead of getting all sound below 80hz from the 15" Velo, it comes from the 4 11" woofers of the 7's. Needless to say, imaging, dynamics and musicality have improved tremendously and its like having new speakers. I'm now getting everything I was missing and am finally able to take advantage of the extra power from the 2nd VAC amp.

I'm posting this as a notice to others with subs in their systems to be sure your crossovers are set where you think they are and not to assume ANYTHING!!

fplanner2010 October 18, 2009 14:32

To all my friend on A'gon - thanks to a bit of a problem with Audiogon, my username has been changed from Fplanner2000 to Fplanner2010. That is the way to reach me for comments, e-mails, etc. I'm not going to re-invent the wheel by reposting my system, etc. Thanks.

fplanner2010 September 25, 2009 16:13

Micward - Happy to answer your questions. Send me a PM. Thanks.

fplanner2000 May 19, 2009 19:14

Fplanner. I am looking at the Von Schweikert VR7 SEs and the Joule-Electra VZN300 Destiny mono blocs and the Joule-Electra LA-300ME preamp. Did you try other tube amplifiers with your VR7-SEs? Are you convinced the VR7-SEs deliver the best overall realistic presentation? Have you tried other speakers with your VAC amps? How much have you spent on all of the connections? Not counting power cords. I understand these are many questions, but I am considering buying before an audition as it is difficult to get the components I want to audition together. Your opinion is very much appreciated.

micward May 19, 2009 17:54

Thanks for the compliment - its taken a while and I know there are a lot of more expensive systems out there, but this is what works for me. After a lot of trial and error, I discovered that its not always the most expensive nor the newest "gee whiz" component that is the best fit sonically. I've been very fortunate to be able to achieve a really nice synergy that sounds great without having to win the lottery (although that wouldn't hurt, right?!) It also helps to be working with really good dealers and great manufacturers. Their support and knowledge has been critical throughout my journey.

I discovered lately that MORE POWER is almost always a good thing, especially if its clean, fast TOOB power. A second amp took my system to a completely new level, quite unexpectedly. Its made a huge difference and I now highly recommend this to others, regardless of system level.

fplanner2000 April 19, 2009 10:24

whoever said money cant buy happiness,very nice!

beachbum007 April 17, 2009 11:44

Sounds like a deal, Art. Excellent advice btw re:tripod - I also played around with shutter speed, etc. As you can see, I have a bunch of gear "shoehorned" into my living room. No way I could stack the digital if I lived in Cali - it would be in pieces first minor quake...

I got the proper matching SR Hologram A pc for the 2nd amp and its making a difference, although maybe in my mind more than anywhere else......

fplanner2000 April 12, 2009 13:16