The system has evolved over a 20 year period and will probably continue to evolve. It is in a dedicated room that is approximately 19' by 27' by 10' with oak floors and oriental carpets. I also use a minimal number of diffusers on the wall behind the speakers and eight of the 16" ASC Tube Traps. The room has 5 dedicated circuits for the audio.
There have been a number of evolutionary changes over the last year, primarily with respect to the power cords, speakerwire and interconnect and one rather dramatic change, the replacement of the EMM Labs XDS1 with the Esoteric P-02/ D-02. This yielded lower noise and increased detail and bass control while maintaining the musicality of the EMM Labs. I would consider the Esoteric pieces breakthrough products. Funny how you sometimes deviate from your plans. My system seems to go through extended periods without major changes, then have a number at the same time. I do have my eyes on a new cartridge and perhaps a new preamp.
I purchased an early Sirius from Andy Payor thinking that I had purchased the ultimate turntable, only to spend the next five years updating. The updates have included the air isolation base, a series of different motors and tonearms, an outboard power supply for the motor, a 50# platter, new arm wiring and a variety of different belts culminating in a custom aramid fiber belt. As currently constituted, I think that it combines the high definition of the Sirius II without its tendency toward coldness.
Einstein The Tube Mk II
Similar in many ways to the CTC Blowtorch but harmonically richer and more complex with greater dynamics and significantly better image density. Phenomenal bass, ultra quiet, very extended upper octaves.
Yamaha CT-7000
Ebony with black faceplate. Particularly nice top end coupled with an ability under the best circumstances to recreate a three dimensional soundstage. After owning a number of Magnum Dynalabs, this has been a real eye opener.
Acapella Triolons
The Triolons are an imposing sight. Two woofer towers, each 14" by 28" by 7' tall, each weighing 650# plus a cross piece holding a plasma tweeter attached to the woofers and a sword bearing two horn loaded speakers, one horn 30.5" in diameter, the other 18.5" in diameter. The Triolons can be driven by a single amps of 18 watts or higher power but must be triwired and have an efficiency of 97 db. Each side weighs 850# total. The crossover points are 200, 700 and 5000 hz. The sound from 200 hz up to 40,000 hz emanates as a spherical wavefront. The Campanile Highs are similar but crossover to their woofers at 700 hz, use the plasma tweeter plus a single horn and are much lower in efficiency (92 db). The Triolons are typically a 6 ohm speaker but have an impedance at 30 hz of 28 ohms. The same is true of the Campaniles. Neither is a particularly easy load for an amp to drive; however the greater efficiency of the Triolons does open up the possibility of driving them with the right low power amplifier. Unlike the ribbon tweeter of the Magnepans, the Acapella's tweeter does not over shadow the other drivers. Extremely dynamic.
Jorma Prime
The Jorma Prime, either in balanced or single ended configuration is superb, particularly between amp and preamp but also on other inputs. I still use the balanced 7N Mexcel on the X01 and the Valhalla on the TT but otherwise have switched to the Jorma Prime.
Finite Elemente Pagode Master Reference
5 shelf version installed as well as the amp stands. Again a nice and very audible improvement. Amazing the things that you blame on the equipment until you solve the resonance problems. Basically a no brainer. More improvement than changing a major piece of equipment.
Jorma Prime
I have been mildly dissatisfied for a number of years with my JC-1 amps when used to drive the Acapella speakers but have yet to find something that combined the ability to drive the speakers and give me the other characteristcs that I desired although I have been much taken with some tubed amps (small, single ended or OTL within their power limits. Let's just say that the insertion of a combination of Bi-wire and single wire prime has cused me to re-think the amp question. The Primes are simply the most musical natural top to bottom cables that I have ever encountered.
Unlike Fred I think the Pagoda Master Reference stand is fairly ugly, but don't know many stands or systems that can be incorporated into a room and disappear....The big thing is the thin maple shelves as have done some playing with 3/4" maple shelves versus the 3/4" MDF and feel the improvements at Fred's were on account of the maple more than the design of the stand, but more work has to be done to be certain. Fred also went back to the stock feet on the bulk of his gear getting rid of Mana frames and Neuance shelves......Thin maple shelves seem to add life without brightness to most anything and allowed Fred's system to open up to the point that the monoliths known as Accapella speakers disappeared completely, a real trick......In looking over the stand I noticed a clamp-on ferrite bead on the umbilical to the power supply to the Lindemann and told Fred to get rid of it. Five minutes later it was history (it just clamps around the umbilical) as was the cold and lifeless sound of the Lindemann.....It still reminds me of the other top of the line CDP that incorporate SACD with redbook, such as the EMM Labs, but not having any hardness in the upper midrange is probably a good thing for digital reproduction......I just like a little more bite in the upper mids which I hear with real instruments......Bottom line is the Pagoda stand is a worthwhile addition to a big system for those with a free standing turntable.....
Finally, Fred's system is coming together and the horns have all but disappeared....It took different speaker wire and interconnects to fill in the middle....The Lindemann is an acceptable high end source and never thought it would get there, but it was all in the isolation and interconnects used....The Titan cartridge just plain does everything right and looks like I need one.....Damn!
It has been almost a year since Fred received the Acapella Campaniles and they are starting to work pretty well, but have not disappeared yet.....Closest they have come to a proper stage was with the Nordost Quattrofil ICs between the preamp and amps. The Valhalla that replaced the Quattrofil is much cleaner and will not allow a proper stage to replace two huge monoliths at the other end of the room there.....This is about to be cured and have great expectations that the system will come together nicely in the next couple of weeks....
The Lindemann CDP has been a nightmare to isolate properly....The entire character of the unit can be changed with different feet from horribly dull to unlistenably bright....Fred has detailed what works there so no need to go through that again....After five months of messing with the unit I can say that it can now be considered a high end source....
More to come in a couple weeks when the new interconnect arrives and is inserted into the system and we'll see what occurs, but expect Fred will be done for a while....
The Titan reminds me of the Clavis DC as respects dynamics.....Nice cartridge and wish I could afford one as will go with the Helikon SL when my Clavis DC goes to it's reward....Sound at Fred's was very good the other night, but still don't think he has solved the isolation thing for the CDP.....
