i'm frustrated with the slow progress on the costruction project for my new room. there has been progress on the ceiling so i have posted new pictures that show how the ceiling will act as a bass baffle. click on the link below and look at the bottom 5 pictures in the gallery.

http://gallery.audioasylum.com/cgi/view.mpl?UserImages=4961

mikelavigne August 28, 2004 20:50

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your response. I think you are probably right on the money. My current system is full ARC reference gear with Vandersteen 5 speakers. With Tubes and full sound of Vandersteens, the DCS seems to work well.
Based on your recommendation, I am definitely going to give emmlab a listen.
I am also thinking of upgrading to Avalon Opus or eidolon, more organic sound of emmlbas may work just great.
fyi, my analog rig is lingo linn/ekos, koetsu rsp, ARC ref phono. Sounds great...but hopefully one day I can get the rockport!!!

I hope I am on the right track.

Thanks,

Frank

flying August 28, 2004 14:49

thanks Hooper, this damn room project is really kicking my ass at the moment.....i see light at the end of the tunnel....and it is the damn train about to run me down.

the windows came in wrong (it took 6 weeks to get them), the doors aren't completed yet, the cabinetry is not even ordered yet (maybe today this will be handled), etc. etc.

today hopefully i'll post more pictures.

i'm glad it is entertaining to SOMEONE.....

i am anxious to hear about the VR-9's......they should be pretty special.....i'll look forward to your impressions. i know Lakefrontroad really loves his VR-11's.

mikelavigne August 28, 2004 09:04

hi Frank,

yes, i have tried the dCS in my room but it was a couple of years ago. i have heard the dCS's current top level more recently in shows and in friends systems so i think i have a fairly good feel for that sound.

i prefer the emmlabs DAC6/modified Philips SACD 1000 to the dCS. to my ears, the dCS is more mechanical/flat sounding. we are talking small degrees here.....not night and day. also, system context.....if someone's system uses a warm tube amp and warm speakers the dCS might be the perfect balance. i try to stay very neutral thru my system and the emmlabs gives me all the resolution of the very best digital but also that orgainic and natural sound, it also fills the soundstage more similarly to my Rockport tt than any other digital.

it has been explained to me by those that (are supposed) to know that the pro-audio ST Optical interface that emmlabs uses is jitter-proof.....whereas the firewire interface that the dCS uses is jitter-prone. this proprietary interface of the emmlabs is it's performance advantage. i am no expert on these things but my ears tell me that it makes sense. the fundamental 'flatness' of digital is absent from the emmlabs sound compared to any other digital (unless a tube output stage is coloring the sound).

the new CDSD transport takes the emmlabs to another level with a lower noise floor and more weight and presence.

i hope this helps.

mikelavigne August 28, 2004 08:58

Mike,

very nice system...by the way, have you tried DCS for digital?
I am considering them, but have not heard the emmlabs/philips.
your expert knowledge here would be hightly appreciated.

Frank

flying August 27, 2004 13:09

thanks Skip.

mikelavigne July 31, 2004 01:25

Mike,

Way to go! Keep the pictures coming. You da man, one lucky man. Congratulations!

Skip

shventus July 30, 2004 14:52

the barn had no heat except a small electric unit in the 3/4 bath. i have radiant floor heat in the main house....but decieded to go with an electric heat pump (which is dedicated for just this room) in the barn since i will be doing serious listening with everything closed up. it has 4, ceiling mounted, input vents and 2 returns so the velocity is minimal and there is ZERO noise. the main unit is in the attic but not above the listening room.

the HVAC was designed into the room by Rives Audio and the return air duct work you see in the front corners also act as bass baffles.

mikelavigne July 30, 2004 11:42

Looks great Mike. How are you dealing with HVAC? Did the barn already have a system in place? I see large duct work in one of the photos (speaker end).

BTW, the photo of the outside of the barn looks like the property is spectacular! Congratulations, please keep us posted on your progress.

slipknot1 July 30, 2004 11:25

thanks Tim. and all is well except the glacial progress on the room. but i am happy with the attention to detail i am getting.

yes, the HT room will be staying in the main house, in a room that was intended to be the Home Theatre in the original plans for the home. in some ways i am as anxious to get my 2-channel gear out of the HT room as into the new room as the HT room is very crowded. all my media (3500 Lps, 3500 cds, 500 sacds) are 'everywhere' in the house and i am looking forward to getting it all into the barn and 'freeing up' the space in the house.

mikelavigne July 30, 2004 09:07

Its looking good Mike! Is the HT getting its own building or is that still going to be in your house, if it gets a barn it will be known as a Barn theater and not a home theater :^) Hope all is well!

tireguy July 30, 2004 07:22

i am building a new room in my barn (which came with a new (to me) home i moved to 6 months ago). the home is on 4 and a half acres in the mountains east of Seattle. much of my motivation to move came from a desire to have a bigger more purpose built dedicated 2-channel room. this new room will be 29'L x 21'W x 11.5'H. it will have a concrete floor and is designed by Rives Audio http://www.rivesaudio.com

below is a link to pictures of the new construction. at the top of this picture gallery are pictures of my old room.

the contruction should be complete in about 30 days.

http://gallery.audioasylum.com/cgi/view.mpl?UserImages=4961

mikelavigne July 30, 2004 02:16

Thanks Mike. Enjoy the music.

speeddeacon July 02, 2004 06:01

yep, the DAC6 isn't going anywhere. i might recommend that you look for someone that wants to switch to the DCC2/CDSD combo from the DAC6/Philips combo. i was going that direction until my new room allowed for the possibility of properly doing multi-channel hirez.

a month from now there will be enough Philips SACD 1000's for sale that you won't have any trouble finding one. the new transport is shipping 5 or 10 a week and almost everyone of those guys will be selling their Philips. just make sure the Philips you purchase is working properly.

mikelavigne July 02, 2004 02:11

So Mike, now that you sold the transport are you for sure holding on to the DAC6? I've just now learned about the Meitner gear and would be interested in the old transport/DAC6 combo as I won't spend 7k on a transport likely and someone has a transport for sale.

speeddeacon July 02, 2004 00:34

Jayctoy, thanks for the kind words. since God gave me a wife that allows my indulgence.......i figure i shouldn't abuse that privlidge by getting too 'full' of myself. but sometimes i confuse owning with knowing and i get carried away.

you just have to count your blessings.

mikelavigne July 01, 2004 23:11

I wish all audiophile are like you,I read all your
response on this thread, they are all full of
HUMILITY,with what you have, a man can easily
become prideful,but you stay balance and happy.
I salute you.Enjoy.

jayctoy July 01, 2004 21:45

no....nothing (digital) better.

and no, i'm not replacing it. i was just selling the Philips to replace it with the new Meitner CDSD transport.

i decieded to offer the DAC6 for sale since i thought it might be easier to sell the combo. then i could just get a new DAC6 to replace it. it was a bad idea. i have answered 10 e-mails this morning from the Meitner faithful wondering what i'm doing. the transport sold this morning and i deleted both ads so i wouldn't get anyone else's shorts in a bunch.

mikelavigne June 27, 2004 19:43

mike,
I noticed you have your Meitner digital gear up for sale. What do you plan on replacing it with? Found something better? Just curious.

jayarr June 27, 2004 15:27

Haha. Ya I know. I'm just poking fun at how "different" your HT room is compared to your 2ch room. Hey it was you that described it as a cave :D But ya I've heard revel home theater setups before they sound great. And dark walls are definitely the way to go with HT too bad I only have one room and I can't paint it a darker colour.

I'm describing as life changing cause I haven't really heard a great setup before I don't think. The store demos I've been to have not been carefully setup (nature of the local dealers here). And oh ya it'll definitely help me figure out a lot as to where my system is at and what a properly setup system should be. It'll be very educational experience for me and I can work towards achieving a good sound.

howie August 02, 2003 04:12

understand that i am only in my HT room when the lights are off......so the visuals are simply not a priority. it actually sounds pretty good and the 7 foot wide screen is glorius on HDTV or video.

after breaking the bank on the 2-channel room the HT room is a big 'bang for the buck' room. for Home Theatre having the ability to isolate the sound and eliminate light was more important than style.

i appreciate your expectations for my 2-channel room.....but life-changing might be a bit much.....maybe 'pocket-book' changing might be more correct. it will probably move your reference point aways out there. and also may tell you that the performance in your room is closer than you think.

mikelavigne August 02, 2003 00:04

Hi Mike. After bothering you with so many phone calls and emails I can't wait to finally hear your system. It'll be my first experience with many things. I know my life will never be the same again.

Even without thinking of how the system sounds like I just love the pictures of your room. It's so beautiful and has such class (a complete opposite to your HT room :P)

howie August 01, 2003 03:02

It goes without saying that this is probably a fabulous-sounding system. All I wanted to add is:
I heard the DAC6 / multi-channel pre-amp combo in Montreal with giant Kharmas (names escape me) and the new Tenor 300 monos. Digital on this system was mind-blowing. I've never heard anything close--including my GamuT CD-1 (which I love dearly and prefer to nearly everything else), the top-line dCS separates, the Audio Aero Capitole mkII ...

cyounkman May 26, 2003 17:10

Oanhu, thankyou for the comments.

i did have an experienced local electrician install (4) dedicated lines. they are each 'home runs' of equal length 10 guage Romex, each 20 amp and on the same leg of my panel, and using Jena Labs deep-immersion cryo'd duplex outlets. i have 2 for my amps and 2 for my sources. this was a performance upgrade......lower noise floor, better dynamics, slightly bigger soundstage......the best dollar for dollar performance increase i have done.

i have 1" fibreglass panels on my sidewalls and ASC tube traps for absorbtion (i turn the tube traps to their reflective sides) and the bookshelves behind my chair and the Duette window coverings behind my speakers act as diffusers. i experimented for 3 years before i got the room balance where i wanted it. with a small room i needed more 'control' of reflections than a bigger room would need.

i believe that 'less is more' when it comes to room treatments; but my 12 foot wide room required treatment to be able to handle the dynamics of my system without overdriving the room.

there are companies that can help with acoustic design that i might recommend that can save you time and frustration. one company that a few of my friends have used and have been very happy with is Rives Audio ( www.rivesaudio.com ).

btw, your ARC VT-150SE monoblocks are great amps, they must rock on the Mezzo Utopia's.

mikelavigne April 02, 2003 20:59

Mike,
I do enjoy your system as much as your knowledge about audio.
Your system is simply one of the best in the world.
Did you build the dedicated circuit lines? Is there any improvement? And how about room treatments did you install absorbers/diffuser? Thanks.

oanhu April 02, 2003 19:59