My present system: Overall the system has a very natural sound. The midrange is deep, colorful and as rich as many SET based systems. The highs are airy, open and extremely effortless with no glare or harshness. Bass is extremely well defined with no bloat or bloom but solid and deep. The system is easy to listen to for five or more uninterrupted hours with no fatigue and never losing interest. Imaging is pinpoint with a deep and wide sound stage. I've back my toeing by a very tinny amount to keep the imaging from appearing artificially etched. In my opinion the tonal quality is as accurate and life like as any system I've auditioned. I go to a lot of live performances in small clubs, 1000 seat theaters and two world renowned orchestra halls. I for the most part find my system more enjoyable to listen to than live. It's impossible to duplicate the energy of a live show, but in sound quality I believe I have surpassed most venues.
Room: This is the most overlooked and yet important component in an audio system. Sadly most of us must use the room that came with our house and don't have the luxury of designing a perfect room. I am part of the masses, I use a separate room that was a livingroom in another life. It's size is wrong and it's finishes are suspect. The room is 17'-6" x 13'-4" x 8'-0". I have set the speakers on the long wall as recommended by the speaker manufacturer. The tweeters are placed 2'-8" (approx. 1/5 the 13'-4" dim.) out from the front wall and 3'-11" (a min. of 1/3 greater than the front wall) from the side walls. This means they are 9'-8" apart and the speakers are toed at 31 degrees. My head is set 4'-5"(approx. 1/3 the 13'-4" dim.) from the back wall which in turn leaves my ears at 8'-0" from the tweeters. This is a bit more "near field" than what is usual, but the recommended alternative of my head against an acoustic panel on the back wall is not possible in my room. The front wall has a large window with full length wool curtains. The window is treated with 9 Margo Audio Labs dots and I have two custom 15 lbs steel/rubber anti-vibration plates leaned against the glass. The back walls are full height book shelves filled with books set at varying depths. One side wall is a fireplace and the other is a french door. These are both very bad surfaces and I use acoustic panels (only when I listen) at the reflection points. The ceiling/wall corners are treated with corner tunes. The floor is hardwood with a large 14' x 10' wool rug. I have two wool throw rugs on top of the overall rug. I continue to focus my attention on my room and plan to try some other DIY project.
You may have seen that my speaker cable, interconnects and power cords equal almost 50% of the value of my system. This is far above what is the "recommended" budget but after testing more that 50 interconnects and 20 power cords I've found this is an extremely important aspect of getting the most from the equipment. Most of the cables I own are used and were purchased at considerable discounts off the retail price. I advise everyone to consider finding good prices on the best cables they can afford.
You may have also figured I'm very big on tweaks and vibration control. To learn more about my experience with tweaks, power and other stuff see "winter lessons" on Audiogon.
Sony SCD-1 SACD/CD player with full Audiomod (Richard Kern) modifications. ($5000 standard unit, $4900 modification) The modification includes all VSR4 Vishay resistors and Black Gate capacitors along with modifications to the power supply and an upgraded audio board op-amp. The second round of modifications include Black Gate capacitors to the transport board, Super Clock 3 and Super Clock 3 power supply, Audio Consulting Silver output transformers, Cardas RCA, along with new motors and laser pick-up (as preventive maintenance) The sound is wonderfully full, dynamic, transparent with excellent depth and superb PRAT. The standard 16 bit (red book) playback is as good as any I've tried to date. The SACD is extremely smooth and non fatiguing, better than all digital source I've auditioned including up-sampled, DVD-A and other SACD source.. I wrote a full review of this unit here at Audiogon.
Plinius SA-102
Plinius SA-102 Class A, solid state 125 watt. This amps is extremely revealing, smooth with pinpoint definition, great depth and a huge sound stage. They have the warmth and color of a single ended tube amp with the slam and definition of the best solid state. I wrote a full review of this amp here on Audiogon.
Aesthetix Callisto
With NOS tubes
Custom made belt drive Empire 208
Tri-planer arm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge
Aesthetix IO
with NOS tubes
Dunlavy Audio Labs SC-IVa
($8495) These speakers are the heart of my system, I built my entire system around them after auditioning as many high-end speakers as possible. The bass definition is excellent with full extension to 20 Hz. The high end is detailed, smooth, open, and completely grain free. Midrange has always been the strength of Dunlavy speakers, it is full, rich and warm with excellent definition and depth. For vocals and jazz these are the best most natural sounding speaker I found under $18,000, the final bass slam is lacking for loud rock and roll, but for all other musical situations these are a great speaker and a real value in audio. In my application I removed the bases and set the speakers on #3 Black Diamond Racing (BDR) pucks and BDR cones. This tightened the base and midrange definition with no affect on the overall voicing of the speaker. 3-way, 91 dB, 5 ohms impedance, 190 lbs ea.
Jade Audio Reference Solid Gold
XLR between Io and Callisto. RCA for remaining
Jade Audio Vermeil
bi-wire speaker cables
Dream State Dream Catcher power cords
Dream Catcher power cords throughout
Running Springs Haley power conditioner
six outlet conditioner
Power supply
20 amp dedicated circuit using 10 ga. Solid cord wire and Hubble outlets ($60). These tweaks each remove a layer of noise and glare in the signal. Combined the sum result is a relatively cheap
Apollo/ Nuance Aria - 455/ shelves & O.B. cones
Lightweight rigid metal stand with spiked feet and adjustable upturned spiked shelf supports. Very easy to assemble and expandable. ($110 per section, 7 sections used in my system)The Placette's Alpha uses it's factory footers placed on a Nuance shelf (approx. $300) that sits on three Orchard Bay brass up-turned cones ($200) that rest on a MDF shelf that then sits on the Apollo rack. The SCD-1, with it's factory footers, sit on a Nuance Beta shelf (approx. $350) resting on a separate Apollo base unit. This unit is then spiked to another Apollo system below. The Plinius SA-102 treble/mid-range amp uses three Orchard Bay titanium cones with titanium pucks ($600) sitting on a custom Nuance shelf (approx. $500). The Plinius bass amp uses three Orchard Bay titanium cones on brass pucks ($500) sitting on a custom Nuance shelf. ($500) The Hydra sits on EAR footers ($1.50 ea.) and a BDR
Marantz 20
One of the best tuners ever build. Note the Oscilloscope on the right side of display. this is my original High School tuner, and better than most!
I'm searching for a Preamp to " take the next step"
I am trying to improve the detail resolution; keep or improve soundstaging and have a sweet high end for the rock junky that I am. I am a believer in 1st order crossovers that, I think, the Dumleavy's are based.
I've thinned it down, I think, to an CJ et3 or the Aesthetix Calypso in my price range
You appear to buy something and then really work to make it better!!
So, I'm really leaning towards the Calypso and was wondering your opinion?
I'd appreciate your opinion on the SC-IVA vs the SC-IIIA if you're familiar with the latter.
I'm considering purchasing a pair of IIIAs and my question relates to concerns I have about a downfiring woofer in my sunken listening room. One speaker will need to be within a foot of an 8" edge, and since the room itself augments many long wavelengths (big room, vaulted ceilings from 8' to 24') I think even the IIIAs might be too much.
If there was any one question I would ask you, it's how do you feel the midranges compare between these two? I have yet to hear any opinion that the strength of the IVA is that midrange has been improved over other models.
The holes in the bottom do go through, so I closed the holes with wooden plugs. Otherwise I turned them into (small) ported speakers instead of sealed ones.
I tried the Stillpoint Five under the Dunlavy SC-VI. Both I and an audiophile friend listened A-B-A and did not like the effect. They sound better, in my system and room, with the BDR mk.4 puck-cone-puck combinations. With the Stillpoints there was a shift to higher frequencies, a shortening of harmonics, and decrease of front attack of piano notes. We tried adjusting the positioning of the speakers, but the BDRs always sounded better. So twice, I took the stillpoint 5 out (all eight of them 4+4) and I am back to the BDRs.
The holes are left open. I do not believe they go through.
I'm nor using BDR cones, I use Arios under the speakers, I have not tried Stillpoint, but I have thought about it and believe the Stillpoints would be perfect, I just can't afford them.
Removing the bases made the biggest difference in performance.
System edited: Long overdue update of my system. Gone is the Aesthetix Calypso, added Aesthetix Callisto pre-amp and Io phono stage. Added custom turntable. Gone are Kubala Sosna Emotion cables, added Jade Audio interconnects, speaker cables and Dream State power cords.
Hi JD, I'm an audiophile from The Netherlands. I own Dunlavy SC-V's and would like to upgrade the crossover filter parts. I've read you also did some modifications on your Dunlavies. What are the results of these modifications? Can you recommend a place for Dunlavy X-over filter modification? Have you heard of Cicable? This company is also specialized in X-over filter modifications. They have an awesome outboard X-over for the BBC/Spendor LS-3/5a. Maybe I could let them assemble an outboard X-over for the Dunlavies. Thanks in advance.
System edited: In order to show my DIY Interconnects as discussed [url=http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?rcabl&1150905409&openusid&zzJadem6&4&&]here[/url] I am using the My System thread which allows me to attach pictures. I have posted them with captions.
Thanks Bill, I need to hear I'm not too far gone. If you look at the picture that is face on to my fireplace you'll see a large brown bear who looks like she's sitting on the other bears head. (on the hearth) Her name is Leone, and she is actually sitting on a box to get the higher reflection spot. She was made locally by a friend of my mother and was presented to me as a birthday present. Her name comes because she is made from my Grandmother's old mink stole. Grandma's name was Leone, so... It's really a very cool idea for those old furs that have some sentimental value. My cousin was in town this past summer and she could not stop hugging Grandma Leone, now reduced to a bear, but she felt the presence, very cool!
I had not hear about John Dunlavy. Sad news indeed. I have had many long phone conversations with him over the years. He was always willing to take large amounts of time to help educate and share his experiences. I have found I often do not agree with his opinions, but he was a fine speaker/cross-over designer and brought value into a hobby that needs more men of his integrity and love for music reproduction. I will certainly include him in my prayers.
"Yes, I am a hopeless bear lover...Yes, I am a very strange man, but Im happy."
I, for one, am willing to bear with you. OK, that was bad. On a serious note, I know a person who's an extremely talented maker of fine teddy bears, and she presents at shows, etc. She uses mohair (spelling?) and real glass eyes, among other things, I'm told. She's apparently rather well regarded among bear collectors. So, it's not so far out of a hobby as some people might think. Being an audiophile is kinda wierd, though...LOL!
On a somber note, I presume you've heard by now about Mr. Dunlavy's declining health. I don't know too much more about it than that. Obviously, it's some very sad news.
Hi William, Yes I am a hopeless bear lover. The white Polar bear is a true music coinsurer and enjoys every form of music. The bears by the fireplace have sacrificed the listening experience for the job of reflection absorption off the brick. The deep firebox is a great trap for breaking up standing waves. Behind my listening position are the true music loving bears. I have about thirty that sit in the sweet spot, and they also break up reflection off the back wall.
Its sad I know, but teddy bears just have a way of making me smile. I will attached a picture of some of my smaller bears posing for a photo I use as my desktop. Yes, I am a very strange man, but Im happy.
Very impressive stands and gears; however, something popped my eyes was not your audio but those Bears! Are you a bear lover as well an audiophile? I only can count 11 bears sitting in your audio room, do I miss anyone?
This is a very hard question to answer because its so subjective. Having said that; I will try to describe my impressions.. The Nordost Valhalla were my interconnects and speaker cable for many years. I defended them fiercely as the reference cable. Their speed, definition, slam, and soundstage were beyond anything I had heard and I tried most of the high end cables before I decided on the Valhalla. The major weakness of the Valhalla is the top end is thin, as if too transparent. This made instruments like violins and steel string guitars sound edgy and shimmery. Another complain in hind sight was they were so exact and detailed, sounds often had no body or seemed suspended in space rather than grounded to the floor. The thinness is what I was aware of over the years, but overall no other cable I had tried did as much right as the Valhalla.
I then had an opportunity to try the Kubala-Sosna Emotion. I first only heard my system with one pair of KS Emotion interconnects. I was immediately taken with how blacker the background was and how much body now existed in comparison. The speed did not appear to lessen and the extension was full in both directions, but the violins now had a resonance to the body of the instrument. I later had the chance to add one cable at a time into my system. First we swapped power cables from Electraglide Epiphany, NBS Statement and Elrod EPS-2 to the Emotions. Each cable was easily distinguished as providing more of what the first emotion did. Blacker, more body, more extended this experience continues when the interconnects were swapped, and still another major step when the speaker cables were swapped. The KS cable can best be described as neutral. This was also the way I described the Valhalla, but in comparison the body of the notes as heard through the Emotions seemed more real, more like natural music. I guess I could describe it as less manufactured and more acoustic. After this demonstration I ordered a full set of cables, including one to the Hydra (original) power conditioner.
I should say I have heard these cables in five systems now, and in every case the experience was the same. These cables are very natural, and to my ears brought more of all the audiophile adjectives, without giving up anything.
A couple local audio friends and I began trying out a number of different cables, and the Purist cables came up. None of us had heard the Dominus line, so we borrowed a number of cables from Albert. He included Opus, Venustas and Dominus. We were not able to try all one line of cables, but we had enough to get a feeling. To my ears these are excellent cables, with a full warm bloom. The Dominus was the only one that was an improvement when used as an interconnect in my system. Sonically, the KS and Purist are very similar. Both have great body and a rich resonance brought to instruments from a triangle, cymbal or violin to the piano and horns. The base is strong and focused with both; the KS may be slightly less bloomy, leaving the base notes very tight with a quick leading edge.
One thing was significantly different when I use the Dominus between the pre amp and amp; and that was size, both the soundstage and individual instruments. Im talking about the overall presentation. Because of room constraints I sit about 8 ½ feet from the speakers that are on the long wall. The speakers are around 12 ½ feet apart. This puts me in time phase with the speakers, but leaves me in a near field situation. The presentation is therefore from the third row with the stage slightly elevated. This relationship to the soundstage has been consistent over the many years and different cables I have used.
The Purist Dominus changed this to the degree that it seemed like a different system. With the Dominus in place the images appeared to shrink, and the perspective went from looking up to looking down slightly. The images seamed like they were closer to accurate size. ( I should clarify one thing, my comments could be miss interpreted as a smaller soundstage. This would not be accurate, the width is still fully across my room, the scale is like I moved back twenty rows. I believe the soundstage is deeper with the Dominus, but this is hard to verify in that the two presentations are so different.) I tried both the Rev. B with fluid and Rev. C with ferox. The Rev. B tended to bloat and thicken the notes. They create a warm rounded sound, much like a tube amp. Some degree of resolution seemed to be lost, but not bad. The Rev. C was much more neutral, much more like the KS, but still had the re-imaging of the scale. I remain mixed on my opinion of the Rev. B, in that Im not sure I want to lose the resolution I have worked so hard to get.
For my taste, one Rev. C is perfect. Adding a second Dominus (the Rev. B) was nice, but again its the resolution. I think an all Dominus would be too much for my taste. Two pairs of interconnects would be very nice, but I can not see spending the additional money for limited benefit (if the Purist is considered a benefit) So for right now Im going to stick with the Emotion cables throughout, with one Dominus Rev. C interconnect to gain the scaling they provide. All this could change as I begin experimenting with footers and other tweaks over the winter. The imaging may be a footer thing, I just dont know yet.
So in my mind, the Valhalla is no longer the neutral bench mark. I now see the Kubala-Sosna Emotion as the benchmark product. The Dominus is equal to the Emotion but the scale issues and lose of resolution is something I need to understand more before I could say where this cable ranks. Clearly it is in the top cables made, and for some its the best. Jafox, with his all tube system and electrostatic speakers loves the Purist, and that makes sense to me, in that he likes trying to add more bloom and body without losing detail and imaging. This is where taste and system matching comes into play. Having heard the KS in five systems and the Purist in three allows me to start understand the characteristics of these two cables. I think its fair to say sonically both are excellent. Tonally they are both neutral and natural. The difference is in body and weight, of added bloom.
So far I have compared without pricing as a variable. When price is added into the equation the benefits of the KS come forward. (Assuming normal one meter interconnects and 2-3 meter speaker cables) The KS in full retail is still almost half the discounted or used price of the others.
System edited: This is an update to my system after selling off a third of the value. The major changes were going from two amps to one and changing cabling from Nordost Valhalla to Kubala-Sosna Emotion (about half the cost) I lost a slight amount of dynamics in selling off on amp, but gained a great amount of body and realism from the cable changes.
JD - that would be great. I'm in Seattle, do contact me off-line if you are here. We would love to host you. Wakana is a wonderful cook (she won't allow me to reciprocate!), and enjoys listening to music as much as me. Would also love to talk about architecture with you. We'll do our best to see that you leave contented.
Skushino, some day we will meet, I'm sure of it. either I'll be there or you'll end up here. I look forward to playing stereo with you in that we can't ski together. maybe we can go out for dinner first and tell skiing stories and settle into the music afterward. untill we meet my friend!
JD - Beautiful looking system! Like you, after experimening with different ICs, PCs and speaker cables, I was surprised by the differences. Sometimes I wish I never learned this, as my cables also account for a disproportionatly large amount of the total system cost. It sounds like you reached a point of satisfaction with your system, and simply enjoy listening to music. Thanks for sharing.
JD - LOVELY system. I had the chance to sit down for a few hrs of musical bliss at JD's house. Those Dunlavy's - while looking impossing, as if they were going to kick my ares all over the street, had tremendous finesse and delicacy. Of course a lot of it is due to synergy and the high quality of items around them, but wow, those sounded great.
. J.D., . For what it's worth, I have gone through quite a few iterations of the BMI power cords and am by far most happy with the Whale Supreme. The Shark's are all good and the Whale Supreme trounces the Sharks. I prefer the Whale Supreme over one of their newest called the Orca. . If you do give the Whale Supreme (remember do not get a plain "Whale", that is a much older and lesser model), please let us know here. . If for some reason, you don't like the Whale Supreme, let me know and I will probably buy it from you. . Rgds, Larry .
