Updated and Upgraded. Custom made plinth of Phenolic and aluminum. This is probably one of the best turntables in the world now! I have heard a lot, but I have heard few better!
TriPlanar VII
black and silver. I've never seen an arm so versatile and easy to setup.
Soundsmith Strain Gauge
Not moving magnet or moving coil. The best I have ever heard regardless of price.
Sony SC-D777es
sacd, 1 bit. Modded by Richard Kern in Dec 2005. added new superclock and replaced all caps with Black Gates. The sound is much less 'digital.'
Pursit Audio Design Venustus
1.5 meter interconnect.
Soundsmith (custom made) SG - 400
Phono section with line stage single input. Custom Cocabolo cabinet.
Purist Dominus, 4 meter
4 meter pair of the liquid filled Dominus between the pre-amp and amp. The best cable I have ever heard.
Atma-Sphere M 60 mk III
60 wpc class A OTL mono blocks with V-Cap Teflon caps, power supply boost, Caddock resistor package, and stainless steel front panels.
Purist Dominus PC - 2
Using two Dominus PCs on the Classe amplifier
Purist Venustus
1.5 meter pair
Harmonic Precision Caravelle
Smallish two way with the original stand.
Sistrum SP-1 (?)
I bought five shelves with the solid top for the Sota Cosmos table. This is a great rack. If a person spent twice the money they might be able to get something better, but is it twice as good? The picture is just the top shelf. [url]http://starsound.biz/multiplatforms.HTML[/url] gives more info.
Purist Venustus PCs (2)
On the Sota power supply and the Klyne power supply.
Exact Power EP15A
I don't know what this thing is doing, but it sure does it better than the Tice Power Block...
So far I'm not sure how the Omicron compares to the FPB 700cx. There have been so many changes, and right now I'm not real happy with the sound. I need more time, I guess.
Nate: I know you're running completely different speakers now making direct comparisons pretty difficult, but how do you think the Classe' compares to the Krell amps that you've had in the past? Sean >
I don't know which Wilson speaker you're asking about, and I have never heard the CE2.2 so I'm not going to be able to help you much. The Kharma's are more refined than the older Wilson Watt/puppies. When you compare the newer WP to the Kharma's it's personal preference. Both companies make a very good product.
I have wanted to build my own speakers for a while so this is the best of both all possibilities. Someone else has put together a great design and I get to do some woodworking.
GR Research no longer offers the Alpha line source. They have one pair left, or they did over a week ago, but they are going to two newer models. One a little smaller and one a little(?) larger than the Alpha. Drivers prototypes are currently being finalized with kits available (hopefully) in about two months.
Watch for details... those who are too bored to be content with their own lives anyway?!?! : )
nrchy, I guess the cat's out of the bag! I noticed they no longer offer cabinets for the Alpha and I was unable to figure out through links at their site if someone else does. Will you be building your own? It sounds like a lot of fun.
Albert, I took a look at your system, congrats, it is truly a reference.
I am the one that directed Nrchy to GR Research. Nate and I were speaking on the phone a few weeks ago and I told him how much I liked Danny's designs.
Danny (GR Research) brought a book shelf speaker to my home last Saturday and we gave it a good run. It was an unfinished test model, a prototype that when finished will retail for a very low price. Based on what I heard, it was an strong first showing.
I've heard the large Alpha Line speakers on multiple occasions, twice at friends homes here in Dallas and last year at the Denver Audio Festival. Of the two homes with the large Alpha, one was Gary Dodd (Dodd Audio-amps) and the other is a friend in my audio group that bought the speaker after I suggested it to him.
Danny has two new models that will be much better than what is currently shown on his web site. There is also plans for a super speaker, the prototype will visit me before it goes into production, and I can hardly wait to hear it.
I'm getting the same impression of Danny Ritchie as I got from Jim Aud of Purist Audio when I met him in 1986 (only one cable in his inventory) and Jim White before he got Aesthetix going and still having to be paged at Theta Digital where he had solid employment.
Danny WILL be very important to the high end industry. More so than he is already. His speakers have been garnering praise but he is low profile. That will not always be the case. He will be very famous and successful, I would bet on it.
Sean you are right on both counts. I spent some time talking to Danny Richie from GR Research. They have two new models coming out in a few months. I'm planning to build the smaller of the two. They're only 5'-8" as opposed to well over six feet tall.
Nate: Are you still going to go with a Line Array from GR Research when the time comes? What are you using for speakers right now? If i remember correctly, you sold your Kharma's a while back, right? Sean >
Nate: I hope that both your financial and system problems are a very temporary setback and minute in nature. In the grander scheme of things, "audio" really is a very small, insignificant part of life. I wish you all the best, both in your personal and audio endeavors. Sean >
Tobias, I thank you for your kind words. For all the posts I put on here I wonder if anything I say is really useful. I know I have learned a lot from some of the 'class' members of this forum, but they are far more knowledgable than I.
As of this morning I have purchased an active pair of speakers, accepted an offer on my Krell, and have a friend interested in my Kharma speaker, along with some Purist ICs. This will help with the debt issue, but I might not have a system that would make my comments credible (most of what I say is incredible anyway) anymore, but I'll still stir the pot from time to time!
Nrchy, my system started out the same way. It was supposed to be a budget system. (It's all my buddies' fault things went this far.)
I don't know what brings you to think of going the other way, but your strong presence here has been very helpful to me, and I wish you all the very best.
poilaucul, I had to laugh at your comment. You might not believe it, but this started as a budget system a long time ago. See how things get out of hand?!?
Greg, I have plans for making some corner bass traps. I just haven't done it yet. I guess if I sell my amp and speakers it won't really matter anymore.
I did not advocate the newspaper or fiberglass as a permanent fix. They can however give you a temporary idea of the benefits of tube traps. If it improves your sound them toss 'em when you can get the real thing.
