Concert at Home

by dmarkov on All Out Assault
Work in progress mess, 2017
It used to be like this
Playing with various digital sources
Lampizator Big7 after DAC 4 and before Golden Gate

Description

The system is more or less finished now, took me years to build it with rigorous process of testing, comparisons, choices, choices.

It's simple, clean, has best value-for-money components I know of with the exception of the amp output tubes, which are simply the best, and maybe the loudspeaker cables: one is a tribute to the genius of Kondo-san who introduced silver to audio, the other is an ultra transparent and ultra neutral all out assault by Shunyata, no longer in production, that allows me to hear any changes I introduce to the system.

There are some duplicate pieces for the fun of it. And I need to update photos. Lampizator Golden Gate, Star Sound, Shunyata Aurora, Antipodes DX server, and Efa Life Sound Modules are relatively new additions. Roksan Attessa, though modded, is long gone.
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Components Toggle details

    • Border Patrol S20 EXD Cryo
    300B tubes, 18 watt per channel in parallel. Dual mono with 2 external heavy power supply units, copper, etc. This is the ultimate amp for normal size rooms while its bigger brother is the ultimate amp overall. I am not aware of any amp that can beat it, none. 18 Watts in SET can drive even difficult loads like Dynaudio with 86db or Wilson Alexandria. Hard to believe but true. Lowest noise floor (read huge amount of musical information) but with bass and dynamics that are just impossible for other SETs. It's the combination of these qualities that make it unique. It's a super powerful beast - as an amp should be - yet ultra transparent and natural as best SETs are.
    • Border Patrol 300B SE
    with external and huge power supply, this makes this SET sound like no other SET, speed and dynamics are nothing like other SETs I've heard.
    • Antipodes Audio DX full server
    To beat this top of the line DX in CD transport terms, I'd have to go Esoteric P02 level or above. And I don't know any better server at any price. I had Antipodes DS Reference before, this one is better.
    • Lampizator Golden Gate
    DAC is super important and Lampizator creates that magic (still being ultra transpartent) that just draws you into music.
    • Lampizator Transport audio streamer
    This is the best quality streamer I found, with proper power supply, tubed output, heavily modded Logitech board, proper caps. I compared it to several CD transports (Esoteric P05, 47 Labs, Woo Audio) on the same material with the same cabling, nothing comes close. And I don't even have a proper server to feed it, so I know it has much more potential.
    • Lampizator Big7 and DAC 4
    Lampizator is unique, which continues to amaze me. But I guess real masters are extremely rare in any craft. Honestly and properly built DACs, not some half baked solutions like 99% of what is out there. There are more great amplifiers and pre-amps than there are great DAC's. If you own a great amplifier, don't settle for mediocre DACs.
    • Coincident Speaker Technology Statement Line Stage
    it's extremely transparent and neutral, true reference piece
    • BD Design Oris Ultra
    110 db sensitivity and high and amplifier friendly impedance, this is the most linear and non-colored horn system that I know of
    • Coincident Speaker Tech Frankenstein MK II
    Amazing SET. Very low noise floor indeed, linear, etc. Many would be shocked what this amp does and especially for this money. There is nothing like this for this money or close to it. And spending even 20 times more will not guarantee such SET will be better. I keep saying SET, since you need to have the right speakers for it. I heard a SET not driving some speakers, it's horrible. Same SET with the right speakers will do wonders. I believe everyone should have speakers that can be driven by a SET amp but that's another story. Back to Frankenstein. To beat it you'd have to look very hard and spend a lot on such research. Is this an ultimate SET? No, I know several better but they are also unique in how rare they are.
    • Sablon Panatella Digital
    The best digital cable I have found, better than its predecessor Audioquest Eagle Eye (beware of too many fakes), which was the best I could find for a long time, miles better than, for example, Stealth Varidig (not Sextet, which I haven't heard but some people did prefer Sablon to Varidig Sextet).
    • Shunyata Aurora
    the best speaker cables Shunyata ever did, super transparent and neutral
    • Takatsuki TA-300B
    the best sounding 300B tube.
    • Kondo (Audio Note Japan) SPz
    legendary speaker cables
    • Kondo Audio Note Japan M7 Silver Sound
    Legendary preamp by Mr. Kondo in his glory days.
    • Sound Cable Ag-5s
    best bang for the buck ultra high end AC cables I found, beats top of the line Argento Audio cables. Amazing bargain.
    • Star Sound rack, platforms, and audio points
    Great improvement and amazing value for money. 3D improvement.
    • Efa Audio Life Sound Modules
    these synchronize the room, the system, and the listener/listeners. Room correction and external clocks become obsolete. The effect is instant tune in into the music and performance. This is the strongest sound improvement device I am aware of. Tripoint or top Entreq may or may not be the only exceptions as no one ever compared. I believe everyone should have it. Couldn't live without it.
    • Roksan Attessa DP3
    Attessa DP3 with modded clock and external battery power supply for that clock. Used as a backup. It beats many transports, while as a full player it's the best value for money there is (used). I know, it's not my first/last transport and player and I know alternatives well. It can't compete with Esoteric P02 as transport, and as a full player it can't compete with Lampizator Transport + a good DAC but it will kill most sub 5000 dollar combos. This piece is modded as described, don't know if the stock unit is equally good. Cost me quite a bit to get it in this condition and then professionally service it. It's big and real joy to use when I have space for it :)

Comments 36

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dmarkov,
I'm also an owner of BorderPatrol - P21.
I used Sophia Carbon Princess and loved the lush dimensional sound.
Unfortunately, I had some problems which resulted in having to ship the amp back to Gary and being admonished for using the Sophia - evidently they are not a compatible match.
So I reverted back to the Electro Harmonix which are fine but I miss the magic of the Sophia.
Since my amp is a push/pull, I'm not sure or educated enough to know if the configuration is harder on tubes in general. Nevertheless, I'd like to know if you would recommend alternatives.
Thanks in advance.
I'm sure your system must sound wonderful!

papermill

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