After searching high and low for the right cord for my Capitole I tried this one on the suggestion of a friend. It only cost 100.00 bucks, but I like it more than anything I've tried overall
Audio Magic Matrix
CD player and tube amps plugged into it
Elrod Power Systems Statement II
for the matrix conditioner
Audiopax Model 88
30 watt SET
Grand Prix Audio Monaco Amp stand
One each for the Audiopax 88s
Grand Prix Audio F1 formula carbon fibre shelf
one for each amp stand
Grand Prix Audio Apex
for the amp stands, unbelievable improvment
Argent Pursang
8ft single wire run
Elrod Power Systems EPS 2 Signature
2 of them for the amps
Avantgarde Duo 2.0 mkII
White ABS (no paint)
Grand Prix Audio Apex
replaced stock feet on the Duos with Apex
Elrod Power Systems EPS 3 Signature
for the powered subs
Argent Jaden Signature jumpers
replaced stock Avantgarde jumpers with custom built Argent Audio jumpers
I never did. I sold off this system quite some time ago. I personally like high powered solid state with dynamic speakers. I've owned every type of speaker out there and that is my personal preference at this point.
Owl, the GPA footers make quite a noticable difference on the Duos. They do just what the other GPA stuff does but to the sound of the Duos. They really open things up and give a more natural sense to the sound. They bring clarity and focus to the images, but not by brightening things up, if anything they give a calming effect to the sound. Get them for your GPA racks too, they are expensive but really worth it
Ejlif, curious how much of a difference the GPA Footers made in your Duos. Are they worth the ticket and what specific areas did you find changed/improved on the Duo when you added them.
System edited: added F1 carbon fibre shelves and Apex feet to the amp stands. These tweaks really take the performance of the Monaco amp stands up a notch. Also added the Apex feet to the Duos.
Ron- Yeah for some reason the Audience power chord did sound rather special on the Capitole. Though I'm sure there is room for improvment there. I tried the EPS 2s on the capitole a number of times, but after getting the Matrix conditioner it just sounded right with the EPS 2s on the Matrix and the Power Chord on the player. I should ring up Ric sometime and get a demo on the Brujo, I'm sure it's great.
I'll get around to putting up some pics sometime soon. Speaking of, you need to list your system.
Amazing how one can improve a great sounding system. I know nothing of the Audience power cord that you are using on your CD player, but given the "heavy hitters" you are using everywhere else, is the Audience a special match? Have you considered an Argent Audio Brujo? It is wonderfully musical like the Pursang interconnects - a tone and timbre champ.
Congratulations on the state of your system. You have a right to be proud. Any possibility of some pictures?
System edited: Changed from the Acoutic Zen cabling to Argent Audio Pursang and added the Grand Prix amp stands. These 2 changes have brought out major improvments in this system.
Yeah nice system. If you have it set up well, you should be getting some marvelous world class sonics. Those horns w/acitve woofers sre dynamic! I think only all "active" speakers give the kind of dynamic efficiency you get from the horns. Infact I think the vast majority of other speakers designs suffer from a huge lack of "dyanamic transparancy". In this regard, the Avantgard's do supeb for sure. My only complaint with the horns was you gotta sit right infront of them to hear em properly!...otherwise they drop like a rock off axis. Always trade off's with gear...But there you are... Nice!
I agree with you that with speakers as big as the Duos and having the bass integration issues that the Duos have, room acoustics are extremely important. I also have no doubt that the Acoustic Zen cables you have sound very good. My only reason for making other cable suggestions was that if you ever get restless (as some of us can't help but get), I think you might realize more bang for the buck with cabling, especially since your system is so sensitive. I would add this to my prior post: I'm not particularly fond of Coincident interconnects, although they represent good value for the money. However, the Coincident TRS speaker cables are a different story. Really good. Ric Cummins' cables - speaker cable and interconnects - may be better still, but I have not heard them on the Duos. I use Ric's interconnects in my system (Ayre D-1; Groove phono stage; First Sound preamp; Art Audio PX-25 amp; Beauhorn Virtuoso speakers with add on Visaton tweeters and REL subs), and they are outstanding.
My inspiration for this system mostly came from my dealer. He has it and it's incredible. Diffrent rooms make more diffrences than anything though and I'm still trying to tame my room so I'm not experiencing the level that my dealer has.
I did a lot of cable comparing and settled on Zen wires, although it was before I got this system. I should check out some more cables, I just got kind of burned on it and was very happy with Zen quality and value. I get a lot of flack from some members for speaker highly of Zen cables, but they are the best I have heard, and I'm sure that if the doubters heard the cables in my room and my sytem they would have to agree. Really personally I think the room acoustics are far more important than the equipment in the system, an awesome system cannot be without great acoustics.
I'll keep the cables you mentioned on my short list if I ever get back into cable evalutations again. I did have a set of the Coincident interconnects in a previous system and while I thought they were a good cable they just weren't what I was looking for, maybe they would sound great on this new system.
Quite a set-up, much of which I have heard before, although not altogether like yours. The Duos and Audiopax showed together at CES this past January. Was that a part of your inspiration in putting together this system?
May I be so bold as to make a recommendation on possible cabling changes? I listened to the Acoustic Zen speaker cables on the Duos quite extensively , and I have also listened to the Acoustic Zen interconnects at some length (although not with the Duos). While the "airiness" of these cables is initially impressive and might seem to be a good match with your set-up, I think they lack the drive and dynamics to really make your Duos do what they do best (sorry for the lingo!) - that is reproduce the great dynamics of music so as to make the performances sound fantastically immediate (where appropriate). Everyone who heard the same set-up I did (about 8-10 people) felt that Coincident TRS speaker cables really did great things with the Duos - certainly much more than the Acoustic Zen. They're not cheap, but not as expensive as your Acoustic Zen speaker cables -significantly less, actually.
Another speaker cable and interconnect line you might consider is a new silver based cable (recently named "Jaden", I believe) manufactured by Ric Cummins of Argent Room Lens, Rosinante Dark Matter and speaker fame. They have the incredible detail that just about all well made silver cables have, but the dynamics and tonal balance of these cables is superior to any other silver cables I've heard. Again, not cheap in absolute terms, but really not that much relative to the beautiful and expensive system you already have. If interested, contact Ric Cummins at [email protected]
Ejlif, Before you spend another couple of thousand on wires, you might want to try the 47LABS OTA wire kit. I use it for speaker wire and interconnect in my Avantgarde, Levinson390S, Sun Audio 2A3 system. The stuff is amazing for the price. The kit retails for 600.00 and you can get it from Audio Odyssey. The kit comes with a mile of wire and enough connectors to make 3 pair of interconnect. You can use it for speaker wire and make Avantgarde jumpers from it.
