Jazdoc's "Not Off The Rack" System

by jazdoc on All Out Assault
System
Equipment rack
Line Stage signal box
Love the blue glow!
Vinyl
Found-Music Blade AMp
Kosmic/Furutech Power Strip

Description

My current system reflects a heartfelt appreciation for some of the smaller manufacturers in our hobby and the importance of resonance control, hence the "not off the rack" moniker.

Theodore Leavitt famously told his MBA students that "People don't want a 1/4" drill. They want a 1/4" hole." Don't get me wrong, I like shiny toys. I view my audio system as simply a tool; a means to the end of enjoying music. My philosophy is to "buy and hold". I try and buy the best, not only because it only hurts once, but in the long run it costs less money. I am fortunate to have a small, dedicated listening room, specifically designed for audio. 

Ironically, it was the purchase of a new CD player, the SimMoon Andromeda, that rekindled my love affair with vinyl. At the time, I had been listening primarily to CDs. After purchasing the Andromeda as my 'final CD player', I was shocked to hear how better digital sounded when compared to my trusty Linn Sondek and realized that it was time to consider a new analog path. After auditioning a number of other fine turntables, I got to know Galibier's Thom Mackris and purchased my 'last turntable'. Thom has been been a terrific 'vinyl mentor', incredibly giving of his time and expertise. Through Galibier, I have met a number of like-minded music lovers, including Joel Durand, a composer at the University of Washington. Joel is one of many of the wonderful audiophiles I have met in the Seattle area where I am blessed with many friendships that have resulted from our listening sessions. Music is always more meaningful when shared with great friends.

I recently added a Durand Telos tonearm for stereo paired with the Benz LPS. I use a Durand Talea with a Miyajima mono cartridge. If you are interested in pre 1970 recordings and haven't heard a well recorded mono record with a good mono cartridge, you owe it to yourself an audition. I currently own ~200 mono jazz records and an equal number of mono classical LPs. Now they don't all sound great (especially if recorded prior to the early 1950's), but the tonal richness and lack of stereo artificiality are quite seductive to my ears.

The Experience Music Pre-amplification has brought things to another level. After auditioning a number of highly regarding and often expensive line and phono stages, I fell hard for Jeffrey Jackson's equipment. Jeffrey is a true music aficionado. During the audition and purchasing process, our conversations would always dwell on music, rather than the equipment. He customizes his designs to tailor to the individual's tastes. Since this is my 'end of life' amplification, I went all out; mercury rectification, separate power supplies, and LCR phono stage. (I did pass on the uber-expensive Western Electric tubes.) The Experience Music equipment simply reveals a degree of tonal richness, harmonic complexity and dynamics that I've never 'experienced' with other electronics. They are the 'fastest' electronics I've ever heard. Tube rolling can tailor sound to taste and IMO, WE rectifiers and Sylvania triodes are heavenly.

Amplifiers are Found-Music's "Blade" tube amps.  Each amp uses two EL34/6AC7, and single 6SN7 and OD3 tubes.

My speakers are the Daedalus Ulysses. Daedalus had not been on my radar until I heard them at 2008 RMAF. After talking with Lou Hinkley, I auditioned at his workshop and arranged an in-home audition. The sound was so natural and dynamic; so life-like...I was smitten. Best of all, Lou is delightful and like Thom, one of the great people in our hobby. Lou continuously makes small, but significant upgrades to his speakers which always provide excellent value. I have found that the Einstein Light-In-Dark amplifier has great synergy with the Ulysses. Currently I am using Amperex Bugle Boys and hope to try either Siemens or Telefunken CCa's in the future. 

Last but not least: equipment racks and cabling.  The SRA Scuttle rack and Ohio Class amp stands not only look great but lower the noise floor, clean up treble and produce deeper, richer bass.  I have yet to find a bigger bang for the cable buck than the Found-Music products...highly recommended.

My jazz/rock vinyl collection:

http://connect.collectorz.com/users/jazdoc/music/view
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Components Toggle details

    • Galibier Stelvio I
    Thom Mackris' belt drive table.
    • Durand Tonearms Telos
    For mono
    • Miyabi Fuuga
    Stereo cartridge
    • Durand Tonearms Tosca
    For stereo
    • Miyajima Zero
    Mono cartridge
    • Loricraft PRC-4
    Record cleaning machine. I use Audio Intelligent Solutions
    • Sim Audio Andromeda
    Two box system
    • Experience Music Kahn Phono Stage
    Separate power supply with mercury rectification. Big improvement with Fivre 56 and Mullard 7788 tubes. Custom wound Intact Audio step ups in the signal box with separate mono and stereo inputs. Variable cartridge loading. Stainless chassis by Jeff Kahn at Ferra Design weigh in at 90# each.
    • Experience Music Kahn 71A Line Stage
    Separate signal and power boxes weighing 90-100# each. Mercury rectification. Big upgrade with Sylvania JAN 71a tubes. Intact Audio autoformer volume control with remote and interstage transformer
    • Daedalus Audio Ulysses
    With all-poly crossover
    • Found Music N/A
    Custom interconnects.
    • Found Music Speaker Cable
    Killer speaker cable for the money.
    • Silent Running Audio Scuttle
    Three level rack.
    • Found-Music FiNeSS
    Killer Power Cords.
    • Found-Music 2012
    Single-ended interconnects
    • Found-Music E+
    Tremendous speaker cable value
    • Found-Music Blade
    Mono amplifiers using Sylvania NOS OD3 Voltage regulator tubes, Ken-Rad VT 231 NOS 6SN7 driver tubes and Genalex KT77 power tubes.
    • Silent Running Audio Ohio Class Amplifier Stands
    Beautifully made and actually improve the sound.
    • Kosmic/Furutech Custom 5 Duplex Power Strip
    5-Pack Power Distribution unit included 5 Furutech GTX-DR NCF duplex receptacles, 104-D Cover plates (carbon fiber over stainless steel) and Wall Frames (CNC Aluminum with damping coating). All of the Furutech components are great by themselves, but in this product they are mounted on a carbon fiber sandwich plate which is further mounted to an acrylic enclosure (high molecular weight), resulting in a three-layer damping system.
    • Urishi Bordeaux
    Stereo Cartridge

Comments 157

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was lucky enough to be able to join jazdoc Thursday night for a listen to his new Etsuro Bordeaux cartridge. jazdoc had 20 or so hours on this beauty so far and is working on fine tuning the set-up. as i came in he had been doing some serious VTA adjusting in a wide range, but thought maybe he was getting close.

i am lucky to be a fairly frequent visitor over the years to his room, and it's always a treat. great sound, and always superb music. his moniker is not 'jaz' doc for nothing.
---my first impression was this was quite a bit more energetic and boggied on a whole different level than his Miyabi Fuuga. denser tones. more compelling and engaging. powerful.
----with further listening that idea of the vdH sort of profound detail and texture became evident. lots of information, nothing held back. nothing rounded or smoothed. open. airy. but not even a touch of edge or roughness. natural. tonally complete.
----jazdoc was concerned that the bass was still a bit full and lacking that last degree of articulation. what he had been working on when i came in. my first impression was that it seemed right. as we listened to more familiar cuts i could hear what he was concerned about. then he paused and adjusted the VTA a few mm's. then everything became supple and more articulate. overall the top to bottom balance was much better. this was really good.
----as i left i think he was thinking he should go back the other way and split the difference on the VTA to add a bit more heft.

congrats to jazdoc for his new sweet sounding Etsuro Bordeaux.

from what i heard tonight the Bordeaux is an amazing cartridge that seems to hit high levels of detail, get that tonal weight, and really boldly boogie too. this is a very-top-of-the-heap cartridge. :-)

mikelavigne

last night after work had had the considerable pleasure of visiting Jazdoc's home for a bite and listen to his fabulous system. i had not heard his system with all the parts all together until now, and when i say 'all together' i mean that his system is in great harmony. his new Experience Music Khan line and phono stages are not only works of art, but sound supberb. the Telos/Benz on stereo and the Talea II/Miyajima on Mono fully express the music in all it glory. and with Jazdoc the music is always memorable and educational and last night was no exception.

i've always enjoyed listening to music in his system; but his system now has world class detail and imaging, and a natural vivid presentation which i loved. he played music from the most intimate to quite large scale and it all synergized and engaged us......holographic and microdynamically alive.

bravo Jazdoc and thanks for another enjoyable evening and making me feel so welcome.

mikelavigne

thanks for posting the 'new Lp' list here; i won't have to bug you for your recs. :)

please keep it current for us needy.

Jazdoc has the most amazing collection of Lps, exceeded only by his knowledge and drive to find even more of the best pressings. when (if?) i grow up i want to be like him.

you set the bar high, my friend.

mikelavigne

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