Zavato's final system

by zavato on Opinions PleaseWhat do you think?
Current Set-up
Linn LP12 Turntable
McIntosh MR 78 Tuner
Bricasti M1 DAC
Auralic Aries G1
Sim Neo 260D Transport
McIntosh PS112 Subwoofer
Bottlehead Single Ended Experimenter's 2.1 Headphone Amp

Description

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Room Details

Dimensions: 18’ × 12’  Medium
Ceiling: 8’

Components Toggle details

    • Linn LP12 Turntable
    A legendary turntable worthy of its acclaim which has been in my system since 1998- 26 years!  Though may not be the very best by current standards, yet still provides incredible heights of musical satisfaction. In many ways my most satisfying source component. Given a good recording, a deep black background, startling dynamics, and organic 3D soundstage are all present. This is a final purchase! Outfitted with an Ekos 2 arm, Kandid cartridge, Karousel bearing, Keel subchassis, Trampoline 2 base and Radikal 2 power supply, in a fluted walnut plinth. What remains from my original purchase in 1998 is the plinth, top plate, outer platter and dust cover.
    • McIntosh MR 78 FM Tuner
    Legendary tuner that lives up to the hype and made better with Richard Modaferri's current updates. Very sensitive, but not just for DX'ers. Very musical and quiet when fed a good signal and very flexible to boot. Hard not to be thoroughly satisfied with this classic vintage tuner. I can see why this is considered one of the 3 greatest tuners.
    • Auralic Aries G1 Streaming Transport
    This very engaging streaming transport, connected to my DAC using Audioquest Carbon AES cable produces a vivid, bold, nuanced and alive sound that has a stable soundstage that is wide, tall, and relatively deep, all as the recording permits. A massively impressive ability to be detailed and yet without any hint of being harsh or grating. The user interface, using Lightning DS is fine, but not the ultimate in flexibility.  This streamer and any streamer is the golden ticket the discovery of new music. I still love my LPs and the sound of vinyl, but I would not begrudge anyone who decides a streaming platform  with a good streamer/DAC combination is the way to go. Makes me wonder what an Auralic Aries G2.2 or G3 is capable of.
    • Sim Neo 260D CD Player
    Nicely made CD player/transport which I use solely as a transport. The internal DAC, which I’ve tried a few times, is also quite capable, producing both detail and warmth without being bright or harsh. Offers a lot of versatility but admittedly, nowadays, I don't use this component much. Connected to my DAC via an Audioquest Carbon SPDIF cable. I wish Simaudio had provided a BNC audio output (a common omission among CD players).
    • Bricasti M1 DAC
    An astonishingly good DAC, updated with Bricasti's MDX board and latest firmware. While I am not going to say it  sounds "analog" I will say it just sounds like music with no need to add a qualifier such as "it sounds good for digital"- it sounds great- period! This DAC never disappoints and since its introduction many DACs have come along, but for someone looking for a great DAC that does complete justice to the music, this is a final destination. Bricasti offers excellent customer support to boot.
    • Pass Labs XP15 Phono Preamp
    Quiet, flexible and dynamic. Does the job very well, and surpasses my prior phono preamp, a Pass Aleph Ono. Cartridge load and gain settings on the back are inconvenient but in all fairness, it is a "set it once and forget it" thing.
    • Pass Labs XP20 Preamplifier
    Simply the best preamp I've ever owned- I like this preamp better than a Conrad Johnson Premier 17LS2 I owned in the past, and that was a great preamp. Very flexible, quiet, dynamic, and has enough inputs for a typical stereo setup. It really is true- a great preamp can make or break a system.  Yet another final purchase.
    • Pass Labs X250.8 Power amplifier
    Power and subtlety- says it all. I ran tube amps for many years (Conrad Johnson and Rogue)- with the Pass gear I don't miss the tubes. On a side note- this amp has the best binding posts I've ever seen. Solid connection, impossible to over tighten and never loose. Only one caveat- won't readily accept spades over 14mm wide (I filed the outer edges of my spades a bit to get them to fit properly). Best get someone to help you move this amp around as it's very heavy. It may sound tiring to hear- another final purchase.
    • Revel Studio 2 Speakers
    Beautiful full range speakers. Solid, delicate, full range and great imaging. Really does not need a subwoofer, but a friend gave me a subwoofer (McIntosh PS112), so of course I'm running a subwoofer. Never tried bi-wiring the speakers. I know some people knock Revel speakers for not having much 'character'. Good! I prefer a speaker that speaks the truth and does not editorialize and these speakers do not suffer from any dynamic compression at any realistic listening levels. Offer great microdynamics as well.
    • McIntosh PS-112 Subwoofer
    Old school sub gifted to me by a friend, lacking any auto setup features; new high performance subs are better, but this does the trick for me, and the price was right. Dialed in just right, this gives my Studio 2's the illusion of an even firmer grip on the bass. I don't think my Revel Studio 2's need a sub, but adding this sub has made a very good speaker system that much better. Plus it's fun.
    • Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) Copper cables Interconnects and speaker cables
    OCC copper cables are to my ear the most natural sounding cable material available. If your system is very resolving, it's worth it. My interconnects between sources, preamp, power amp and headphone amp and speaker cables are  exclusively OCC, from Audience, Acoustic Zen and most recently, Neotech. The only non-OCC analog cables I am running are Blue Jeans interconnects to my subwoofer. I am not convinced OCC cabling to my subwoofer would make a difference as I've never noticed the performance advantages of OCC interconnects are at the lower frequencies.
    • Digital Interconnects Audioquest Carbon AES/EBU and SPDIF
    I run an AES/EBU cable from my Aries G1 to my DAC and a SPDIF cable from my Neo 260D to my DAC; both are Audioquest Carbon cables.
    • Bottlehead Single Ended Experimenters headphone Amplifier 2.1
    Built this up from the kit- not my first Bottlehead build, and none of my Bottlehhead builds are quite stock. This is a very good headphone amp, and easily capable of sweetly driving a pair of power hungry Hifiman HE560 planar headphones. Can also be used with no modification as an integrated amp for very high efficiency speakers (I've tried it that way and am convinced the real forte for this piece is as a headphone amp). A satisfying build and terrific sound. Not used much as predominantly, I don't listen through headphones.
    • Solid Steel, Sound Organisation & VTI Equipment Racks
    I have two Solid Steel racks and one Sound Organisation rack all from the 1990's. What these racks have in common is that they are one piece all welded structures. They have served me well for decades and come from an era predating 4 and 5 figure racks. My amp sits on a nice VTI amp stand which was reasonably priced and is perfect for what I needed.
    • Stack Audio AUVA EQ equipment isolators
    Based on the many favorable comments I have read I decided to buy a set of 4 to give them a try, and with a 30 day return policy, there was no down side. Well, these really work in my application. I experimented using them under my streaming transport and my DAC, and I found that the results were highly positive under the streaming transport, but ambiguous under the DAC. What did they do? Increased focus and seemingly, provided greater low frequency dynamics that are readily palpable.
    • Room treatment GIK & Acoustimas
    Last year I added some room treatment; spent under $500 and it was money very well spent. I put some larger panels behind my listening position and some smaller panels at the front of the room.

Comments 52

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Owner
Ah- that’s a Bottlehead SEX 2.1

zavato

Owner
Hi Jeff- I’ll address the CJ preamp first- yes, it was ‘syrupy’. Glad to hear CJ has moved to neutrality. 

The Auralic, for me, is a game changer. First, it’s definitely a sleeker integration into my system. It images superbly, more so than the Mac based setup, but by no means is the Mac anything less than very good. While I didn’t perceive any noise with the Mac, there is a slight pervasive ‘grunge’ that the Auralic lacks and the result is a greater ease. What’s interesting is that often detail comes at the expense of warmth or warmth comes at the expense of detail. The auralic offers warmth and detail which I find remarkable. The G1 is another piece I intend to keep indefinitely. 

zavato

Owner
@chorus - thanks- and it sounds quite good. I'm in the USA. This is a carefully put together system that aside from streaming, has been stable now going on for 7 years.

zavato

Owner
@spiritofradio - Thank you- and you understand! Nothing here was an impulse buy- everything was carefully thought out and I am pleased to say the effort paid off- and yes- the budget is now for records. 

@ejr1953 Thank you!! 

zavato

Owner
@slaw - I am extremely pleased with what I’ve put together. It took a while but it’s been a fun journey and it’s been worth the trip

zavato

Owner
Pattie Boyd is the highlight; the rest is pretty good. Thanks!!

zavato

Owner
Thanks! My system has at its core remained the same now going on 7 years as I hit on a winning formula. It provides constant enjoyment. And it’s so rewarding to be off the circuit of looking for other gear to get me to some poorly defined and elusive goal. What too many forget is that while the gear is fun it’s all about the music

zavato

Owner
Thanks Jafant- I am plenty pleased. That I've not changed a single component in 6 years and have no intent to change anything (aside from my phono cartridge- which I have anticipated for a while) is a clear indication that this system is a final destination. I am so glad to be off that merry go round.

zavato

Owner
Hi Jeff- so as a result of your question - digital vs analog, I played an LP I have which I also have as a high resolution download. The LP was warmer, wider soundstage and it digs deeper into the bass region. Maybe all this folks who say a MacBook Pro is a suboptimal way to play back digital files are into something.

zavato

Owner
Hey there Jeff- I think my digital and analog playback, given good quality program source, are both terrific. I have no clear preference of one over the other, however, a friend who is quite familiar with my system has a strong preference for my analog playback. I will tell you, though, digital can produce better very low frequency .  That said, vinyl is awfully fun too- looks like you built a very nice analog front end. Enjoy!!

Nate

zavato

Owner
Thank you! The Pass X250.8 with my Revel Studio 2's is a great combination. The X250.8 is a stereo amp so no bi-amping and I don't bi-wire. I have no desire to make any significant changes to my system and it's been that way 5 years now. I'm truly satisfied.

zavato

Owner
Thank you for your kind words. It’s definitely a very good system. The center rack is from England- Sound Organisation. The outer racks are both from Solidsteel in Italy. On either side of the Solidsteel racks are some ikea units- Kallax- which store some of my albums

zavato

Owner
Hi pdreher- thanks very much. It's a mix of gear made in the 70's, 90's, 00's and 10's that happen to work very well together. If you throw in my Zerostat, the 80's are represented too.

zavato

Owner
Hi Liszt458- thank you! I love my system. There may be better but I really have no desire to explore that. 

Obviously, you have great choice in equipment. I’ve never routed the M1 direct to my amp, but if digital were my only source, I would definitely forego the preamp but as I also listen to vinyl and FM, I do need a preamp or at least a way to switch between sources. 

I’ve owned a number of preamps over the years- Bryson .5b and BP25, CJ17LS2, Pass Aleph P and XP20. The XP20 is the finest pre I’ve ever owned. Next best was the CJ17LS2. 

zavato

Owner
Thank you for your kind comments. I don’t listen much to headphones these days, however, when I do, I listen to Hifiman HE560’s

zavato

Owner
Thank you Jafant!

zavato

Owner
Hi Iceman-  the rack in the middle is a Sound Organization stand. From England, and I bought it close to 30 years ago. These stands we ubiquitous at Linn dealers decades ago. 

Thanks for the nice comment!

zavato

Owner
Hi Jeff- the Bricasti is the 2nd DAC I’ve owned. I used to have a Wyred4sound DAC. A friend had a Bricasti, and after hearing it decided I wanted the Bricasti. Really didn’t listen to anything else as I simply concluded the Bricasti sounded great, not just “great for digital”.  And yes, the Pass with the Studio 2’s is fabulous. At insane levels, I can get the needle to move, but that last happened when a friend came over and insisted on listening to something at eardrum busting levels. I’ve not made any changes to my gear since buying the Bricasti and have no intent or desire to make any upgrades. I am forever mindful that my cartridge is old and can’t last forever and eventually will go to cartridge heaven. 

Nate 

zavato

Owner
Thanks wloeb!

zavato

Owner

Thanks Hamr.  If you contact Mark at Reno Hifi, I'm sure he could arrange for an in-home demo for you. I am very satisfied with the Pass electronics.

I've had good gear in the past, and I can say without any doubt the Pass amp, pre-amp and phono stage that I have now are the best I've ever had in each respective category.

zavato

Owner
Hi Jeff- can't comment on the newer CJ preamps. The last CJ preamp I ever heard was my 17LS2. The 16 series is excellent too. I don't consider myself a detail guy overall, though detail is important. Ultimately, I found the CJ too much gold. 

I can honestly say I don't think there's anything the 17LS2 did better than my XP20. It has inner detail in spades, but no harshness. It has excellent micro dynamics which gives the music life. In a way, I think the pass is more neutral. 

Plus, the Pass gear has a lower noise floor which I think is important too. 

Bottom line is I am thrilled with my Pass gear. The CJ was quite good, but I also came away feeling I liked Rogue tubed gear better than the CJ gear. 

zavato

Owner
Yes, I do have experience with the x150.8's. The x150.8's have enough power for my Revels, and initially, that's wha was driving my Revels. I later switched to the more powerful amp not so much becuase of the power, but becuase I thought it sounded better. I happen to think Pass is fantastic gear. 

Thanks for the kind words

zavato

Owner
I used to have tubes driving my speakers but no need with the Pass gear.

zavato

Owner
Yes, of course it's a subwoofer between the speakers. Works well when occasionally watered

zavato

Owner
My LP 12 started out with an RB300 arm, Rega cartridge, and Basik power supply. Over the years I went to the Lingo power supply, Ekos 2 arm, Arkiv B cartridge, trampolin bases, silver t cable and I added the Kore subchasis in 2015

zavato

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