this room and system is the result of 10 years in High End audio. my
system has been stable for a couple of years (except for transport and
amplifier upgrades within the same brand). the room has been in the
planning stage for about 18 months and i actually moved in a little over
a month ago.
my audio philosphy is to have the system get out
of the way of the event. i like as pure and simple a signal path as
possible and, at this point, prefer passive to active gain stages. i
love all the formats and enjoy having lot's of music.....vinyl is my
favorite but i listen to at least 60% digital. the new room really
reveals the benefits of SACD over redbook.
the system and room
truely allow the event to be recreated before me. i love the way the
speakers disappear and i am transported to another place/time.
i have choosen my cables, sources, amps, speakers to have as little of their own sound as possible.
recently, i upgraded my digtial transport from the modified Philips
SACD 1000 to the new emmlabs CDSD.....this was a significant step upward
in performance.
i have written an article in Positive Feedback regarding my room building experience.....here is a link;
new version of these cables, a big step over the amazing TRSC model i have used for 10 years. fantastic performance.
WADAX SA Reference DAC
Wadax Reference Dac----state of the art dac with 2 separate power supplies. the best dac i have heard by a good margin. below is a link to a thread about my Wadax experience.
Arya RevOpod isolation footer (32 used under the 5 Wadax Chassis).
height and tension adjustable. the Wadax dac, server, and server power supply chassis all use 8 footers, so it's critical to be able to adjust height and tension to have an even support for optimal performance. RevOpod's are unique in those attributes making them ideal for this use.
https://www.arya-audio.com/revopod
CS Port LFT1 turntable w/arm
air bearing platter and air bearing linear tracking arm; string drive with zero feedback dc motor, low pressure, low flow air system with zero noise air box.
world class musical flow, nuance and delicacy, combined with authority and ease. serves the music completely.
Esoteric T1 Turntable
magnetic drive/rim drive idler turntable with torque adjustment.
with the deletion of my NVS turntable, i was able to move the Taiko Tana active isolation shelf to under the Esoteric T1. this has upgraded the performance of the T1 significantly. objectively small changes, but musically quite profound up tics in realism and immersion. more nuance, greater music focus, better bass articulation.
https://www.esoteric.jp/en/product/t1/top
Esoteric G1X Master Clock
Master Clock Generator for speed improvement for the T1 turntable. significant improvement in music realism.
https://www.esoteric.jp/en/product/g1x/top
Durand --Tosca tonearm.
gimbal bearing design. Tosca is on the Esoteric T1 turntable
Primary Control 12" FCL tone arm
Field Coil Loaded uni-pivot tone arm. with power supply. mounted on the Esoteric T1 turntable. amazing natural and very high resolution tone arm. link below.
12 inch tonearm, stainless steel. used for the Sumile mono cartridge.
https://glanz.tech/e/collection/mh1200s1000s900s/
Experience Music/Intact Audio phono corrector + silver wound MC Trio SUT combo for three different tonearms.
bespoke tubed phono preamplifier. silver wound, with custom dual power supplies.
https://myemia.com/LR.html
LFD -3- Phono Cables DIN to RCA
3 sets of very high performance phono cables. amazing performance. built by Dr. Richard Bews in the UK.
one cable uses a DIN to RCA short Dongle + an RCA to RCA interconnect. the Dongle improves the performance of the DIN connection. details at the link below.
two Etsuro Golds, ---a pair of Reference MC Phono Cartridges.
duraluminim (A7075) body, 24 carat 'Kinpaku' Gold Leaf finish, diamond cantiliver. .3mv output, 4 ohms. these are both special versions of the Etsuro Gold.
one is mounted on the CS Port linear tracker.
one is mounted on the Primary Control FCL arm.
finest cartridge i have heard by a significant margin. WOW!
Audio Technica MC-2022 60th Anniversary cartridge
uses the unified stylus cantilever design. which results in extreme lack of distortion and linearity. remarkable neutrality and ability to dig out detail and keep it natural and musical.
https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/at-mc2022
Murasakino Sumile Mono phono cartridge
MC cartridge for mono records, .04mv output. tracking force 3gms. finest monaural cartridge i have heard. competes on musical refinement with the top stereo cartridges.
Ampex twin ATR-102----one 1/4" and one 1/2" reel to reel master recorder
hot rodded by ATR Service Inc----Andrew Kosobutsky. significant upgrades over stock. each interfacing with hot rodded Ampex MR-70 preamps. the new tape deck performance standard in my opinion.
active isolation under 5 separate components: (1) the NVS turntable, (2) the MSB dac, (3) the darTZeel preamp, (4 + 5) both darTZeel mono block amplifiers. custom modifications by Taiko Audio add a linear power supply plus panzerholtz top layer + Daiza platform to provide full frequency resonance attenuation to each platform.
Taiko Audio Daiza isolation platform--22 used in the system
Panzerholtz Platform with spiral cutouts reducing mid and high frequency resonance while retaining life and energy and not changing tonality.
22 Daiza platforms in the system of various sizes under every piece of the signal path.
Evolution Acoustics 'system' power cables
a new version of the TRPC model i used on my darTZeel 468 mono blocks for the last 10 years. a big step up.
Sablon Audio King power cord
used on the Wadax Reference Server power supply.
https://www.sablonaudio.com/power
Absolute Fidelity power interfaces
power cords specifically designed for either motors (tt and tape decks), amplifiers, and components. 11 in the system.
Tripoint Audio Troy Signature
Grounding box for chassis grounding the darTZeel 458 mono block amplifiers + grounding the passive main towers of the Evolution Acoustics MM7 speaker system.
Tripoint Audio Elite
Tripoint Elite grounding box. this does chassis grounding for my sources. it uses a a pair of Tripoint Thor SE Master Reference ground cables for my dart preamp and the MSB Select II dac. there are also 4 Signature Silver ground cables to the two arm boards of the NVS tt, the power supply of the NVS tt, and the SGM server.
Equi=tech 10WQ
10kva balanced Isoltion transformer and distribution panel.
Furutech GTX-D NCF Rhodium duplex outlets
10 in the system. used with 10 Furutech covers and frames. uses NCF (nano crystal formula) material to reduce noise by emitting negative ions.
Wave Kinetics A10 U8 decoupling footers
8 sets-of-4 in the system for individual tuning of each piece of gear.
Auralex T-Fusor diffusers
i use 20 of these. 6 each on the front side walls, and 4 each front ceiling and rear ceiling.
Klaudio Record Cleaning System
automatic record cleaner
Acoustic Revive RL-30 mKIII CD-LP demagnatizer
for demaging any disc.
Furutech DF-2 LP disc flattner
will remove warps from Lps
Audiodharma Cable Cooker, Anniversary Ed.
will cook any cables
Winds ALM-01 Stylus Force Gauge
easy accurate, repeatable, measurments.
i-Tower by Koncept LED floor lamp
(3) are used. best audio light ever. 2 'warm', 1 'cool'.
Quietrock THX 545 drywall
specialized drywall with a 1/4" metal layer. used in my front sidewalls to establish proper room boundaries.
Mike, Is it possible that the effects you are hearing might have something to do with getting your digital device further from the sensitive electronics of your pre-amp?
The Garrard can sound amazing. The Kokomo MKII bearing update made a huge improvement in my system, I wish I understood why! It consists of what the inventor calls a "fly disc" and he sent me the part at no charge (as a registered owner of the bearing). The one thing I must admit I don't like about the Garrard is the "crudeness" of operation. That's something nobody wants to mention. I much prefer the user friendliness of my SP-10 mkII, which I'm sure your new table has in spades. Touching a button and having it be at the correct speed instantly means I can get back to my seat faster..................
I appreciate your excitement over the sound of your beautiful new turntable, new toys are always the best. Can you describe the sound compared to your Garrard (using the same arm/cartridge combination)? Has your Garrard tech updated your Kokomo bearing to the latest MkII configuration? I recently did mine and it was Jaw dropping. Good listening......
Mike, A while back you spoke of Ekornes furniture and I remembered being interested in a Stressless chair. I went to my local dealer and "tried on" the dozen or so styles and sizes he had, paid my money and waited for delivery. It is one of the biggest improvements to my system in quite awhile! I don't move around in my seat every few minutes or "figit" around. I sit, relax, take off my glasses and fall into the music. I can highly recommend their furniture to any old arthritic audiophiles.
Mike, Funny that the analog/digital debate rears it's ugly head once again. I read a report of a listener in your room as to how he preferred your Garrard on Brubeck's Take Five. Not having listened to this for a while I dug out all my different copies from a well loved original to a Japanese pressing that is so bright it makes my eyes hurt. I have not yet acquired the Classic records version. I love analog, my CD player hasn't been turned on for weeks, but even so the SACD version of Take Five was clearly better than the other half dozen I listened to. Which just goes to show that the particular software can have a bigger effect than the medium. I still don't believe I sat and listened to an entire SACD!
Mike, Not to argue the point but every thing in the room will affect the sound. Whether you can percieve it, or if you decide not to hear it that is something else. When doing critical listening I have learned that taking your eyeglasses off can make a dramitic change in what we percieve. I remember on a project listening to "flocking" on a baffle to determine which application sounded better, and then someone came into the room and the sound changed! I made the radical suggestion to get people thinking. Every piece of equipment and furniture acoustically effects the sound you might percieve. An ideal listening environment (as you are attempting to create) would have no equipment in it, just the listener. Of course it's always fun to look at the blinking lights, and I admit leaving the room to change a record could become a real drag. An interesting thought to ponder when considering an "all out assault" on Hi-Fi. I think your room is beautiful and I imagine sounds the same, just be careful when making changes and take it slow.
Mike, One additional,very radical idea for condideration; It has long been a dream of mine to "dig a hole" in the listening room floor to hide the big lumps of metal that interfere with sound comming from the speakers. Have you ever noticed the change in sound when you move an amp 6"? Of course the radiation pattern of the speaker and reflections from the boundries play a major role, but when a speaker designer goes to great lengths to control reflections from the side of the cabinet it makes you wonder why we think putting a rack full of equipment between the speakers or even a large amplifier on the floor won't screw up the sound....
Mike, Sounds like a plan. Making major changes to your listening environment sounds like fun! It's also far easier than what seems to be my recent history where I just move to a different home, in a different state. But either way it's an adventure! Remember "It's the journey not the destination"
Mike, Remember any measurements are of the Loudspeakers you presently are using in a specific location in your room. When you change speakers your room might take on a completely different character. Another way to think about this is that the loudspeaker (drivers) are actually in TWO enclosures; the one they're bolted to and the one they "play" into! This might seem pretty basic but it's sometimes easy to overlook as we chase the "perfect" loudspeaker and the "perfect" listening room. The best we can hope for is an acceptable synergy between them, therefore your idea of moveable panels could have merit if you think there might be further system changes. Looking at your photo again I can't help but notice the two huge bass traps in the form of windows, are you doing anything with them as far as tuning?
After my last comment I decided to be quiet, so I turned on my record player and listened to an old Harry Partch record "Delusion and the Fury". Do you have this in your collection? If you haven't listened to this in a while put it on and see how how the soundstage and balance is in your room. If you can listen to the music (many can't) the sound can really draw you in. It also has some extreme low frequencies that you might not be aware of until you stop playing it.............
Mike, Sorry, I must have misunderstood. I thought you were stiffening the wall on one side so its low frequency characteristics would be balanced with the other. If you are changing the cloth on both sides that's a different story and I'll be quiet now............
Mike, Looking at your room pictures and reading back in your blog, I see you have "RPG" type skylines that a friend made for you. I have been thinking (always dangerous) that I might like to try building something like this for my room. Do you know the math used to bulid these or the dimensions? I'm getting to old and lazy to re-invent these myself.
The Gas Main story was really one of resonance as opposed to pressure. I was testing a new design (golly time flies, about 35 years ago!) with the thought of marketing it with a disclaimer that "the manufacturer would not be responsoble for structural damage to the users home" well, while doing response and impedance testing down below 20hz we found the resonant frequency of the house and amazed at all the vibration and noise of pipes banging in the floors and walls............when the Fireman banged on the door to evacuate the neighborhood due to Gas spewing out of a hole in the middle of the street, I was glad the test had shut down and followed orders to get out of town..........
Sounds like a good plan! What your designer is saying is that you have a huge bass trap on one side and none on the other side. Low frequencies (long wavelength) will pass through anything unless you either disapate the energy or create a mass so great that it reflects it. This of course is the problem with all rooms and I'm shure your designer has made all the appropriate calculations, he most likely didn't dream that you would be generating such large volumes of low bass. I'm the guy of legend that once broke a Gas main in the street while testing a Sub-Woofer system!
Glad to hear you're taking a step back to verify you're "on the right path". A couple of thoughts if I may: The sound must satisfy you, not your friends! (easy trap to fall into, we all crave acceptance). When you were listening to the Colibri you loved were you using the same associated equipment? Remember that your Hi-Fi system is made up of many smaller systems that all must work together (I used to refer to this as "complimentary nonlinearities" but with the high level of gear you are using some might take offense at the thought that there might be some form of distortion) tonearms,(cables) turntables and cartridges really should be "matched" to give top performance. The Rockport starts out with two of those matched by the designer. What are the designers thoughts on cartridges and cables?..........
Mike, I have found my "Mono Turntable" to be a great pleasure. I can enjoy the Jazz records that I purchased when new,(and played many times since) with less ticks and pops, and a solid non-wandering image. The fact that I don't worry as much about destroying a high dollar cartridge lets me relax a little when the evening wears on. Replacing a $100 stylus is far better than a $1000 one! Remember sometimes we play records for the music not just the thrill.............
I'm glad to see you are taking your time making any changes to your beautiful room. It can be very easy to wander down "the primrose path" and loose all sense of direction when making too many changes to quickly (I know it's fun). Try to understand what your system is doing before satisfying the urge to spend money. You mention a Mono cartridge, try a Grado (eliptical). I installed one over a year ago and am so pleased with the sound of my old Jazz LP's I have no thought of "up-grading" it. I don't remember the exact price but you're talking under $200! (I have no financial interest in Grado).
Mike, just recieved "Julie is My Name", it gave me goosebumps! At times her voice is so real it's startling (except for the added echo on "Laura" which is on the original) this is one fine mono recording.
Mike, Speaking of FM, I wonder how long it will be before the government stops FM multiplex broadcsting in order to make more "saleable" airwaves available?
With all your tt testing (I might have missed it) are you using the same record mat on each table? I do know they can have a drastic effect on the vinyl performance.
Mike, I must add I think your turntables are beautiful and I compliment your builder. Isn't it interesting that with the resurgence of vinyl records we have gone back in time, past the AR and Linn eras to the high mass, high torque, fasten the table to the center of the earth strategy of commercial (radio station) turntables? Hmmm reel to reel tape, who would thunk it..............
Mike, The problem was not with the "power supply" but the drive, logic and control circuitry in the table itself. These are mounted on 3 seperate boards. Now days it would be done on 3 seperate IC's. There are something like 16 logic IC's and 40 or 50 discrete transistors. The availability of any antique semiconductors is questionable with the industries change to disposable electronics. Barring unforseen physical damage modern capacitors should be good for decades and as I mentioned I have been using a mkII since about 1982 with no problems. Just be careful of the provenance of any used turntable
I have been following the turntable threads for a while and thought this a good time to add to the reliability question. I was building massive plinths (we called them basses then) for technics SP-10, SP-10mkII tables and did come across a couple of mkII's with electronic problems. One of them took me several days to diagnose and repair. That was in the 80's and I ended up owning the table (the customer found another for his custom base) and it has been in regular use until recently. The mkII has very early, "crude" digital circuitry, so do not buy one with problems! But note that once sorted mine has been going 20 years.
