Albert Porter's System | Virtual Listening Room

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

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

Koetsu Blue Lace

Mutech Hayabusa

Soulution 725 preamp

Soulution 755 phono

Soulution 760 LEEDH DAC

Soulution 701 Mono Block

Aurender W20 Special Edition (silver)

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.

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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I'd love to come and visit, Albert.
First, I have to get the house done, and get married.
That should all be done by around early May.

Then I can ditch the wife for a few days and come over for some real Scotch drinking and music appreciation!
Only kidding! I'd have to bring the wife with me.

Until then, I WILL be at CES, and my ticket has been bought, and I will be in Vegas from Jan 2 thru Jan 11.

Very much looking forward to seeing you there.

twl December 03, 2004 09:36

Albert, if those amps are "air tight", how do you seal them back up when you change tubes?

I couldn't use that on my amps because they are Berning up when I play them.

Hardee har har!

Hey, I might bring Magnum to the CES, and let him stay in your room. Okay?
I'm almost sure he wouldn't chew on your camera.

:^)

twl December 02, 2004 18:01

Ahhh! Analog, tubes and single-drivers. The true pathway to Audio Nirvana. I do love the access door for the equipment too. One day I'll flop myself down in that big comfy couch and listen to some Rickie Lee Jones! Albert, you will have to play DJ, because I'm not touching that high dollar rig!

twl March 27, 2003 19:17