I have moved to a fully computer based set up as a source. No transport and none of those shiny disks any more.
The system has an open, huge soundstage, with very clean, tight bass that dives deep into two figure Hz.
The sound is very powerful and dynamic. Extremely detailed, but still warm, musical and believable and easy to listen to. With the right recording a reach out and touch holographic image and soundstage is possible.
I have been through quite a lot of equipment. I am and was a huge Audio Research fan for years, and I used their tube monos/preamps with great happiness.
I have pretty much always had planar speakers until recently. So I needed powerful amps to drive Magnepan2.6R/3.6R and Apogee Diva/Duetta sig etc.
I have moved to high sensitivity speakers in the form of the Avantgarde Trios now. This has enabled a move to very low powered SET amplifiers which has been great fun.
I have been searching for equipment that keeps the music free of colour and true to the recording. I believe you choose your source for its sound. The rest of the equipment should let the source do its magic as much as possible and get out of the way of the music.
This unit is modified with Mundorf silver/gold in oil caps, Mundorf tube cap, and Duelund VSF Cu caps. I use Emission Labs mesh plates 45 power tubes. A very refined and beautifully natural sounding amp. Very transparent.
DCS Scarlatti clock
Finest player in the world
Avantgarde Trio
19 ohm 109db/watt with 225 subs
DCS Scarlatti
State of the art number crunching.
PS audio Premier Power Plant
Power regenerator.
Analysis plus Golden oval XLR
Beautiful cable. Amazing detail and still warm and life like
Audio Magic Stealth XXX oyaide
Specially made with Oyaide XXX sockets and furutech input. Much more detailed than the Hydra it replaced
Apogee Duetta signature2 Heavily modified
These have the latest Graz ribbons both tweeter/mid and bass panels. I have external cross overs with mundorf silver/gold in oil caps and Alphacore foil inductors. Caddock resistors and all solid core silver wired. All suspended and vibration free. These apogees take much more power and go way louder and have much better dynamics than the original. Not only that but much improved sound quality. Simply stunning! I have had many planars magnepan etc but these really are the best in every way now. Long live Apogee and Thank goodness for Grazs search for perfection!
Virtual dynamics Revelation 2
This must be one of the only cables I have heard that when compared to cables that seem to "do nothing" or just pass signal untouched this cable does lots but in a good way! A staggering solid detailed sound, but a nightmare to plug in due to its size, weight and stiffness.
Virtual dynamics Master LE
Very nicely focused cable with very low noise floor. The best bass I have heard and startling dynamic speed
Oyaide SWO XXX/SWO GX
Its own spur and conditioned with various filters along the way before reaching the Stealth
Acoustic Revive RR-77
Sends out a very low frequency into the room which disrupts RFI EMI and makes you feel relaxed! Very odd but works well Seems to focus the mid range
Sonic studio Amarra
Bolt on for itunes
Auralex Lenrd Bass traps
I have 8 of these traps placed subtly in the corners of the listening room. They have done a very good job in a room that had quite tight bass anyway.
Weiss Medea plus
Latest super DAC. Volume control on Firewire input. Variable output voltage to match amps. stunning DAC
Esotheric my man, if i had to be buried I think 2 DM88s laid end to end may not quite do it. Unfortunately i would need 3! You might get a deal on it as there need not be any electronics inside, The question is weather I need the wooden feet too?
Its funny to mention NAD in these pages. Although judging some of the guys on here they might be better of using NAD...oh the midrange is so life like and suddenly my ESL63 hits 120db
and NAD av has to be the most unreliable piece of gear in history .you know that chad ,opened the 4th 775 on the row and its dead ,what a lot of bullshit ,stayed till 10 pm with the client .considering my saisho alarm clock worked flawless from the begining and is still working 14 years on makes you wonder where nad makes its gear the uk sales manager told me that "these are complex machines to program "???? ,done crestron for 8 years ,including fingerprint recognition and timed events on video streaming ,isf calibration etc etc ,what abunch of cowboys anyway .stop denying the truth ,agent mulder ,scally ,rumsfeld and einstein all agree .if you had to be buried in style .it would have to be inside a pair of halcro dm 88 .what you do is remove the top and bottom plate ,get the ps out ,remove th output stages blah blah blah blah
Hi Gallant diva, Audio research is one of my favorite amps. Very musical, and have soul. But in comparison to the Halcro and the Bel canto its bass is not as lightening quick or defined in the lowest registers. Then there is the noise floor! Nothing can compete with these digital switching amps for low noise and power delivery especially the Halcro. They are mind bendingly good! My Bel canto has had quite a lot of work done to it and out performs the standard one by quite a bit, but either way the Ref1000 is a bargin. Most manufacturers should be ashamed when they hear what it is capable of. What I would say though is if you dont want to really hear your source as it is, stay away from the BC and the Halcro. The Halcro is the finest amp I have ever heard bar none.
Chadeffect: Nice system, wow, you got some decent collection of audio gear. I would be interested in hearing your account of comparison between the Halcro, Audio Research, and Bel Canto.
Hi Muralman1, the duettas ribbons were made by Graz in Austrailia. They are built to much higher standards and use the latest developments in glues and laser cutting. They are lighter and stronger than the originals. Then the surrounds are made from a new material which dampens the panel much more effectively and will not rot in ultra violet light. The ribbons were then fitted by John Oakey. The cross over, which is now external, is my work with lots of help from many sources including all the original Apogee sources. The subs are the icing on the cake. These are just the ticket and add some foundation.
Oh 42". Love your Scintillas by the way. I have heard the Synergy which is an improved Scintilla with 98db sensitivity!
I bet your system does sound spectacular. I like the way you integrated subs. Who did the Duettas? They look like Richard Murray's work. I will be picking up some Scintillas from Rich in the near future.
My main speakers are some rebuilt and pimped up Apogees Duetta signatures with external cross overs and Audio physic subs. Subs are active and have 600watts/side. Apogees driven with 1000watts a side monos
