Albert Porter's System

by albertporter on All Out Assault
Focal Grande Utopia EM
Soulution 701 mono block with Focal Grande EM
LPs, tape, Soulution and Studer A820
Current system Nov 18, 2022
Older photo of our music group.
A different (old) image of Tuesday night music group
Photography for Basis Audio
Focal Grande Utopia EM
Construction view
Studer A820
MK3 Rosewood with twin Kuzma 4 Point 14"
MK3 Rosewood with Micro Seiki MAX
MK3 Ebony with SME (old image)
TTM Stainless Steel mat and Oil Damped weight
Rare TTM three piece stabilizer
Air Tight Opus
Koetsu Blue Lace
Mutech Hayabusa
Soulution 725 preamp
Soulution 755 phono
Soulution 760 LEEDH DAC
Soulution 701 Mono Block
Aurender W20 Special Edition (silver)
Vibraplane
New Degritter MK2
ORB-DF03 Record Flattener
Degritter Ultrasonic and Orb LP flattener
Commercial Power drop to my home (240 3 Phase)
Porter Port Cryo outlets
Purist Audio Design Focal EM Power Supply Cables
Purist Audio Design 35th Anniversary XLR
Purist Audio Design 35th Anniversary Bi-Wire
Purist new 35th Anniversary AC cable on amps
Purist new 35th Anniversary AC cable preamp, phono and Focal
Tweak, super measuring tool
NCF Cable Booster

Description

Speakers are Focal Grande Utopia EM in black finish

Analog music sources, Technics SP10 MK3  with two Kuzma 4 Point 14" arms.  Koetsu Blue Lace on one and Air Tight Opus One in the other.   Studer A820 half track tape machine with three sets of cards, each rebuilt by Studer electronics experts so I can compare upgrade performance.

Digital music source is Aurender W20 Special Edition into Soulution 760 LEEDH.  THe best input for music so far is Purist new USB cable and AES/EBU close second place.

Soulution 725 preamp, Soulution 755 phono stage Soulution 760 LEEDH and Soulution 701 mono block amps for electronics.  See image posted Nov 18, 2022 to see how it looks.

Cable is 100% top tier Purist Audio design.  All latest 35th Anniversary,  all ten AC cords are the new Purist 35th Anniversary AC.

My space is 18 X 31 and acoustically treated with RPG panels, tube traps and fiberglass acoustic treatment over triple reinforced walls and ceiling. The floor is lamination beams over steel plates to concrete pier and beam.  Two sheets of 5/8 epoxy lamination sheets make up the floor with two inches of concrete topped with India multi color slate.

Whisper Wall rail system and fine textured acoustic cloth covers the work, making  everything appear as a normal room of painted sheet rock or decorative cloth covering.

The room acoustics were conceived by RBDG and the entire space was torn out to bare dirt under the foundation and bare studs in the walls.  The combo of all new electrical and acoustical treatment resulting in best sound I’ve ever had.
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Room Details

Dimensions: 31’ × 18’  X large
Ceiling: 12’

Components Toggle details

    • My Photography http://www.albertporterphoto.com
    Commercial + Advertising Photography, Dallas, TX.
    • Focal Grande Utopia EM
    The best offering from Focal, shown with Stillpoints Ultra 5. Ultra 5 was an amazing upgrade for the speakers !
    • RPG Acoustics QRD 734 (variation)
    On front wall, now obscured by acoustically transparent cloth, is floor to ceiling RPG (similar to QRD® 734) in foam, so it's partially absorptive.
    • Studer Studer A820
    Found a near mint A820 at a production studio in Illinois.  I was so excited about it's condition I had it driven here in the back of an SUV, covered with moving blankets.

    Head block sent to John French and all cards at Soren Wittrup who worked for Studer.  This is the machine I spent more than a decade searching for.
    • Technics SP10 MK3 Rosewood with Stillpoints Ultra 5
    Technics SP10 MK3 Panzerholz + Rosewood shown with Stillpoints Ultra 5
    • Technics SP10 MK3 Panzerholz + Ebony
    Technics SP10 MK3 Panzerholz with African Ebony lumber (no Veneer). This is the original design by John Semrad and myself, copied to death now.
    • TTM Stainless Mat and Oil Damp Weight
    Japan, TTM Stainless mat (6.61 pounds) plus TTM oil filled record weight.
    • TTM record stabilizer TTM three piece set
    Very hard to find, grateful I was able to purchase this last week.  Three piece TTM record stabilizer replaces my previous single piece unit.
    • Air Tight Opus
    Air Tight top of the line phono cartridge
    • Mutech Hayabusa
    Excellent MC cartridge, retail about $4500.00
    • Koetsu Blue Lace Platinum
    Top tier stone body Koetsu, perfect alternate to Air Tight Opus One
    • Soulution 725 preamp
    725, Soulution best preamp, shown in system
    • Soulution 755 phono
    Soulution best phono stage, unbelievable amount of adjustment for cartridge including channel balance to 1 DB
    • Soulution Soulution 760 LEEDH
    Soulution top tier DAC, really pleased with performance of this DAC.  

    I still prefer analog but many recordings that were digital to begin with (and vinyl cut from CD master) are better on Soulution than on turntable.
    • Soulution 701 Mono Block Amplifiers
    Soulution top tier 2KW solid state amps from Switzerland
    • ORB-DF03 USA version DF03
    Excellent LP flattener, simple to use and so far perfect result
    • Aurender W20 Special Edition
    Aurender music server, model W20 SE with 16TB solid state storage on board.
    • Vibraplane 2212-01
    Under my Technics MK3,  powered by Silentaire DR-150
    • Degritter MK2 Ultrasonic LP cleaning machine
    From Estonia, very powerful ultrasonic LP cleaning machine.  The MK2 version is better than the original which was already the best I’ve heard
    • Degritter and ORB LP flattner Degritter and ORB LP flattner
    View of two important pieces to maintain LP collection
    • Milbank Transocket three phase 750 amp
    750 amp meter base. Pass through design, three phase power is a huge benefit in conjunction with our dedicated transformer.
    • Porter Port Cryo outlets 20 Amp
    14 of these in my system, each to a dedicated breaker in copper based electrical box
    • Furutech NCF Booster
    New NCF Booster added to majority of AC cords in system.  Easy to see against light colored wall, arrow points to NCF Booster to my (previous) owned Allnic M-5000 amp.
    • Purist Audio Design Focal EM Supply cable
    New four conductor cord, replaces stock Focal supply cord from EM drive box to back of speaker. Amazing upgrade
    • Purist Audio Design 35th Anniversary XLR (4 total)
    (1) Soulution 755 phono to Soulution 725 preamp
    (1) Soulution 725 preamp to Soulution 701 mono blocks
    (1) Soulution 760 LEEDH DAC to Soulution 725 preamp
    (1) Studer A820 to Soulution 725 preamp
    • Purist Audio Design 35th Anniversary Bi-Wire
    1.5 meter Bi-Wire, Soulution 701 mono blocks to Focal Grande EM
    • Purist Audio Design 35th Anniversary AC Cables
    New STUNNING cable from Purist Audio, silver and seven stage network box.  This cable brought so much dynamics, resolution and transparency to my system it qualifies as a main component.
    • Leica Disto D2
    Super laser measuring tool. Indispensable for setting distance and alignment of your speakers

Comments 4740

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Albert did you do any triode vs. tetrode comparison using the stock input tubes? Wondering if the kind of input tube has a significant influence on which mode you ultimately prefer. Right now using stock input tubes i prefer triode mode but believe if using the more liquid sounding Telefunken 12AT7 input tubes I will definitely prefer tetrode

mejames

I have also noted the same changes as Albert describes when comparing triode with tetrode mode additionally I hear more precise image placement and just quicker transients in tetrode. Believe the power difference is addictive once you hear tetrode you learn in triode you are actually occasionally hearing some power overload compression type artifacts on some demanding passages the extra tetrode power completely eliminates this in my system. The compression artifacts really aren't noticeable until you hear the difference. I think speakers actually need more power than their specifications would suggest. the midrange of triode does have a sonic advantage over tetrode definitely but overall tetrode is best for me currently running triode until I get a pair of Telefunken 12AT7 input tubes the tetrode midrange needs made a little bit more liquid sounding something triode mode has already. My system in triode is on the verge to too revealing currently in tetrode its too revealing with the stock input tubes so hopefully the Telefunken's will be the solution to allow a permanent switch to tetrode mode.

mejames

hello Albert nice thorough informative review eagerly awaiting part 2.

mejames

downunder the 750 is a overall better sounding amplifier than the 450 having owned both and still have the 750 ,one obvious advantage of the 750 is the added power allowing you the option of running it in triode mode which many people prefer especially with vocal type music for it's closer more intimate more present type of presentation. the 450 also is triode switchable but maybe not enough power configured this way as its 1/2 the power as in regular tetrode mode. I would definitely get the 750 if you could swing it financially

mejames

my observations regarding the bass are as follows the upper bass on the 750 is absolutely amazing you hear it the first time your reaction is like "oh that's what the upper bass is supposed to sound like" I didn't realize it should have this much authority and weight. it's one of the major difference between the 450 and 750. The 450 is really good in upper bass authority but the 750 is much better.

mejames

hello Albert could you elaborate on your comment below? Thanks much
"Sylvania drivers for my VTL's"

mejames

hello Albert any update on your system configuration changes?

mejames

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