Description

i have been putting this together over the last 2 years and think that i'm almost there. unfortunately space, money and a wife prevent me from starting along the vinyl journey.

any thoughts or comments?
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Components Toggle details

    • VPI Industries Aries Scout
    turntable
    • VPI Industries JMW Memorial
    JMW 9"
    • ZYX R100 FS
    ordered, but not yet arrived... should be a considerable step up.
    • Graham Slee Elevator EXP
    Head amp.
    • Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 SE
    MM Phono Pre amp
    • Wadia 301
    cd player
    • Eastern Electric Minimax Pre
    tube preamplifier
    • Valve Amplification Company (VAC) Auricle mk11
    EL34 Tube Power Amplifier
    • Thiel Audio CS-1.6
    Floor Standing Speaker
    • VPI series II
    shielded tonearm cable.
    • RS Audio Cables Silver
    silver interconnects
    • Omiga Audio Deliverance (x4)
    UK specialist company's fabulous power cables.
    • Omiga Audio FooFoo Box
    Omiga Audio uses a furutech e-TP60 chassis with propreitary internals for hydra typ eperformance.
    • Graham Slee PSU-1 x2
    power supply upgrade for the gram amp 2se, plus the elevator EXP comes with one as standard.

Comments 13

Owner
System edited: following an "incident" between my cleaning lady and my dynavector, i decided to use this as an opportunity to upgrade my cartridge. eventually i will upgrade my gram amp 2se to the new graham slee "reflex".

blakeaudio

Owner
System edited: inclueded new photos.

blakeaudio

Owner
System edited: ok, so i took the plunge and bought an analogue front end... and since buying it, i haven't listened to anything else, even though i have a pretty limited vinyl collection! (it is however growing at an alarming rate!!!)

blakeaudio

Owner
System edited: finally got a proper digital camera!!!

blakeaudio

Owner
System edited: switching the nordost cables for the OMiga Audio Deliverance power cords has really lifted the system. there is an amazing sense of presence to the sound, not sure if i'm there or they're here... and in fact that does seem to be more down the the recording! however, most importantly almost everything i've put on has sounded good. bass has tightened up immensely (i fear for my neighbours!) as has the PRaT of the whole system. the foofoo box has now made the results entirely repeatable irrespective of time of day... i'm told that the sound will improve even further after the cables and the conditioner have had a few days to stabilise. i can't wait. now if i could only get rid of the pangs of desire that have been developing toward an analogue front end....

blakeaudio

Owner
System edited: i've now switched the nordost power cables (shiva and vishnu) for Omiga audio's deliverance cables throughout. increased body and sense of presense.

blakeaudio

Owner
System edited: just adding a vishnu, which i expect will end up on either the cd player, or the pre (after a little experimentation!). First it will get a bit of a burn in on the power amp.

blakeaudio

Owner
have now added Eichmann Technologies silver bullets, replacing the stock plugs on the RS Audio silvers. it sounds very nice, but i have to admit that without being able to a/b the change, it's very hard to be sure exactly what difference the plugs have really made.

blakeaudio

Owner
originally i wasn't sure what cd player i was going to go for. i had been thinking i would go for a meridian 507 or naim cd5, or something along those lines. i then demoed the cd5, and the dealer suggested i try the cdx2 as at the same time. needless to say i decided the lower price range items, didn't compete. then i got hold of the 301 to demo at the same time and it was as superior to the cdx2 as the cdx2 had been to the cd5... end of story. i did however get the 301 second hand, so cost less than the cdx2 was going to cost.
because i had started this sort of backwards (leaving the source until last) i found myself long a pre amp. i still use it because often my wife is around and doesn't like the music loud. the 301 sounds great direct at higher volume, but at very low levels, you do start to here those missing bits... the preamp alows a little more flexibility. though i'm not a home theatre kind of guy, it also means i can watch movies with the sound through the system.
i haven't tried the outriggers as yet as my home is a fairly stereo friendly environment at the moemnt with no children or pets, so i didn't really see the point, yet.
as far as a tuner goes, i was thinking about using the digital feed available in the UK from the free to air digital tv system. i just haven't got around to that yet...

blakeaudio

since you only have one source i was wondering why you do not run your wadia directly into the power amp, system looks great, thanks

mkaes

Seems like you have a really nice setup. Have you ever experimented with the outriggers that can be used with those speakers? Also, do you have any plan to add a tuner in the future?

s7horton

Owner
System edited: i realised that the thumbnail wasn't working for some reason, so here goes again. vinyl is unfortunately just not an option, but i have to say that the present system is sounding pretty good. i have never actually heard a "high end" vinyl system, and i think it's probably just as well that i avoid this otherwise i could be a ruined man!

blakeaudio

As for space...you could knock out a wall.....Money?...always get a second job!...Wife??? sorry..your on your own there!

Seriously.. Congratulations!! Very nice rig.The great thing about Vinyl..Is that it doesn't take a bank loan to get started with a decent set up. Check out "audiofankj" 's set up in "Sonic Oasis" here in the system threads. He has put together a very fine analog set up for not big note to spend. Enjoy your rig! and the Music it makes!--Ken

kehut

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