- Wolf von langa wvl 23239 Chicago
Field-coil-dipole bass/midrange drivers with 1608cm2 cone area / dipole silk paper field-coil midrange driver / custom mundorf dipole air motion transformer / adjustable stereo base width and time alignment at listening position / 95db sensitivity / 35hz to 25khz frequency range.
- Wolf von langa wvl 12639 SON
Field coil bass/midrange driver with passive cone and dipole air motion transformer / 93db efficiency / 25hz to 25khz frequency range / Townshend podium isolation.
- Tellurium Q Black diamond speaker jumper cables
For speaker binding posts of the SON
- Cube Audio Nenuphar (retired)
stock single driver full range TQWT floor standers - 92dB sensitivity / 30Hz to 18kHz frequency range / custom isolation frame. An amazing speaker that was ultimately surpassed.
- Tekton Design Moab (retired)
With beryllium tweeter.
- Townshend Audio Seismic Isolation Podiums
Size 3 / E cells for WVL Chicago
Size 2 / D cells for WFL Son
- IsoAcoustic gaia isolation feet with customised speaker isolation platforms IsoAcoustics GAIA (retired)
The speaker isolation platforms had to be customised because the cube nenuphar speaker employs passive downward pointed port for its lowest frequencies, tilted back for greater bass impact to the front of the speaker - with clear gaps of 40 to 41mm at the front and 5 to 6mm at the rear of the speaker base to the floor, it was not possible to use any isolation products just off-the-shelf: regular OEM feet would have just raised the speakers a standard level height off the floor, and something like the Townshend podiums would have had a damped platform itself right where a solid floor surface had been designed for the downward exiting low frequency waves. The customised platforms are made of 6mm thick stainless steel and plate, cut and welded to design in order to be lift each speaker to it’s designed angled height off the floor surface, in tandem with three Gaia 1’s for each speaker, calibrated and matched by weight of speaker to Isoacoustic’s specifications. The jump in sound quality, of natural and dynamic timbre throughout, nuance of bass, and fleshy rather than ‘wet’ realism, was unexpected and bordering on shocking.
- Siltech Cables Royal triple crown speaker cable
Arguably the most significant change to the realism of sound in my system - as though a bottleneck had been cleared to allow everything upstream to finally come through. I have never heard such a change to sound quality in any cable regardless of cost, as I have in the siltech triple crown cables.
- Tellurium Q silver diamond speaker cables (retired)
stock banana connectors with custom plastic cable lifters made from flexible subsoil drainage piping and zip-ties.
- Rythmik Audio F12SE subwoofers
Four F12SE servo-assisted subwoofers in an asymmetrically configured distributed bass array. Fed from pure silver power cords from lavricables and supra subwoofer signal cables split wired from the high level signal path of the speaker binding posts. The subwoofers sit on basic douk audio spring isolation feet for the high amplitude vibrations experienced by low frequency excursions inherent in subwoofer drivers.
- Arya acoustics Revopod isolation
six in total for isolating the base mass damper the amplifier sits on.
- Lavricables Grand line power cables
For each of four subwoofers.
- darTZeel NHB-108 MKII amplifier
With CMS 2m isolation.
- Line Magnetic AS125 tube amplifier (retired)
18W 211 SET power amp - NOS RCA 211 power tubes / NOS Sylvania 6SN7 drivers (80s) / NOS Telefunken 12AX7 input tubes (80s) / / Hifi Tuning supreme fuses
The amplifier that began and tuned the journey of my second system was also ultimately what held it back, it’s western electric based hand-wound transformer insufficiently coiled to deliver the highest frequencies for timbre and air.
- Kinki Studio EX-M7 power stereo amplifier
This amp may not be in current use in the system, but of all the tube and solid state amps tested and demoed in my system, it represented the powerful equation between value and cost so well, it stayed while others were returned. In relation to everything the best amplifiers do, which is to get out of the way of the signal in merely amplifying it, this little black box may lack refinement in the mid and higher frequencies as compared with the Dartzeel NBH-108 model2, but I almost all other aspects, walks among the best. Armed with its internal fuse replaced with a solid rod of graphene, equivalent in a sense to the magnetic circuit breaker the Dartzeel amplifier employs, the kinki amp takes a leap up in sound quality very, very close to levels usually the domain of Pilium and the Swiss amp army.
- Western Electric NOS RCA pink-sleeved twin-braid cables
with ETI research silver link banana RCA connectors and pink cotton dielectric between preamp and amp.
These affordable interconnects brought balance of midrange realism, nuance of low frequencies, fullness of bass depth and an uncanny sense of space to the soundfield, over and beyond the zeel 50ohm interconnects, uncomfortable as it sounds.
- darTZeel 50ohm interconnect (retired)
sitting between the preamp and amp.
Aside from a very high level of performance in the realism of midrange and soundfield, these interconnects bring a high degree of nuance to the lower frequencies, trading off only the final bit of grunt to bass depth.
- darTZeel NHB-18 NS mk2 preamplifier
With CMS 2m isolation.
- Line Magnetic AS129 preamplifier (retired)
tube preamplifier - NOS RCA 6J7 amplification tubes (70s) / NOS RCA 274 (5U4) rectification tube (80s) / Hifi Tuning supreme fuses
This preamplifier, cost for value, was easily one of the best components in the system, doing everything preamplification is supposed to do. Everything else levelled in my listening space, it came close to equalling the Pilium Ares preamplifier at close to five times its cost, with A/B listening required before the strengths of the Pilium could be identified over the LM129.
- Siltech Cables Royal triple crown XLR interconnects
Together with the siltech triple crown speaker cable; an amazing lift to realism of sound in my system.
- Western Electric NOS RCA braided cables (retired)
with ETI research brio rhodium-plated banana RCA connectors between DAC and preamp.
A component level of an interconnect cable in this specific system, specifically between the DAC and preamplifier. It elevates sound quality to realism in body and air. Its effectiveness between the preamp and amp varies depending on specifications of each, working qualitatively better for solid state rather than tube amplification.
- Ansuz Acoustics P2 RCA interconnects (retired)
Between DAC and preamplifier.
current reference DAC with CMS 2m isolation.
Compared in the same listening space with a large variety of other DACs of multiple price points, the wadax atlantis possesses a degree of realism unparalleled by almost all others. It is more realistic than the stock MSB select II DAC in every aspect of timbre, soundfield, mid range, nuance and control of bass, bettered only in the highest frequencies and finest details. The select II exhibits better soundstage when running on XDMS, but even so, is unable to keep up with the depth of realism with the wadax on roon, which it’s architecture was built around and upon as a foundation.
- Holo Audio May KTE DAC (retired)
stock - previous reference DAC.
- Computer Audio Design CAD USB filter (retired)
Connecting laboga USB cable to DAC.
Connecting taiko extreme server to DAC, the laboga ruby is the most balanced USB cable heard in the system. Coupled with its mid range frequency nuance and magic outdid the others, including range topping cables from black cat, jorma, salon audio, argento, and siltech.
- Siltech Cables double royal crown USB (retired)
The monocrystalline silver double crown replaced the laboga ruby USB for a month, until it became apparent its gains in nuanced bass and heightened air was too marginal to make up for lack of overall balance and loss of realism in the mid range.
- Sablon Audio Reference USB Cable (retired)
Connecting between server and DAC.
- Computer Audio Design USB II-r cable (retired)
Connecting between server and DAC
- Tellurium Q Silver diamond USB cable (retired)
Connecting server to DAC.
- Tara Labs Digital ism AES cable
Connecting PS Audio transport to DAC.
- PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream Memory Player.
with CMS 2m isolation. Fed with the Furutech v1 power cable, the transport performs at a shocking high level, even if not with the same refinement or realism as the extreme server/wadax DAC combo.
- Taiko audio SGM Extreme server
With CMS 2m isolation.
- Critical Mass Systems Centre stage 2m footers
For server, DAC and power supply, preamplifier, amplifier, and transport.
- Auralic Aries G2.1 (retired)
stock wifi streamer - much better externally streamed with ASus mesh satellite router with Farad super 3 linear power supply. No difference in sound quality hardwired, with or without audiophile switches and Ethernet noise reduction bandaids.
- Taiko Audio Switch and network card
Connected between Taiko router and extreme server with 0.5m DAC cables.
- Laboga Ruby Ethernet cable
Connecting satellite router to taiko router, and between taiko switch and taiko extreme.
- Taiko Audio Router / dc power distributor
connecting between ASus router and taiko switch with 1.2m sablon audio ethernet cable and 0.5m DAC cable.
- Laboga 5.5/2.5 dc power cables
Feeding taiko switch and router.
- ASUS Computer International Zenwifi ax6600 satellite and mother routers
Each fed by Farad super 3 linear power supplies with custom silver power cabling and sablon audio Ethernet cables to stock network supplier modem.
Twelve groundaray bullets plugged into the unused terminals/ports of various pieces of equipment - three into LAN ports of modem and two routers; two into USB ports of server; three into BNC and RCA ports of DAC; and four into RCA and XLR ports of preamp. The groundarays plugged into source equipment make the greatest difference to sound quality, removing the haze and all the edge that characterise noise. Are passive grounding solutions such as the CAD grounding boxes and these groundarays better than active solutions with their connections to power outlets? Time will tell.
- Sablon Audio Ethernet cable
For connections between modem and ASus mother router.
- Computer Audio Design GC3.1
One each for signal and earth ground cables, with a combination of CAD and Bibacord ground cabling.
- Swiss Digital fuse box 240V - 10A / 4A / 3.15A / 2A / 0.8A / 0.5A
The little device that will fundamentally change how electrical protection systems for audiophile equipment are designed, has replaced the traditional fuses in my server, DAC, and all farad super3 linear power supplies for my modem, routers, and switch. Another serves the power supply for the field coil drivers of the WVL speakers, with four more for each subwoofer in the distributed bass array. The swiss digital fuse box is the single greatest value for cost addition to my system.
Prior to the final configuration of fuse boxes in my system, they were tested on all downstream equipment which employed fuses that could be replaced. The effect on these yielded better sound quality than any power cord change, but not as dramatic an improvement as with their effect on source equipment, meaning from the DAC and everything else before that, including linear power supplies for switches, routers and modem. The effect on the modem and mother router was almost equal to that of the server.
Above and beyond power supply being the most vital part of any sound system, the swiss digital fuse box has shown it is specifically on power supply to source equipment that creates the greatest difference to the dynamics, timbre, and realism of sound depth, more than any other part of the signal chain in a digital audio system, with just one significant exception. The preamplifier in my system is the Dartzeel nhb18ns, which employs an external battery power supply. This being the case, I did not think the replacement of its fuse with a sluggo would be of any consequence whatsoever. I was wrong. From initial belief that source equipment benefitted most from the digital fuse box, I was stunned to hear the tremendous effect on the sound depth and timbre of realism brought by the graphene sluggo in the mere battery power supply of the preamp. The fuse within the pre has not been replaced with a digital fuse box and sluggo because it’s battery supply is hardwired to the pre, and the fuse within will require opening up the pre to replace - leading to more difficulty than I am willing to currently endure. But the experiment would indeed be one to attempt some day.
The set up currently has graphene sluggos in the server and DAC, the external battery power supply for the preamp, all linear power supplies for the modem, routers and switch, and rhodium coated tellurium sluggos for the subwoofers.
- Farad Super 3 linear power supplies
With custom level 2 silver cabling and upgraded synergistic research orange fuses, for power feed to taiko dc power distributor, modem and mother/satellite routers.
- Puron 240v line conditioner
These are plugged into three sets of power distributors - five into the distributor powering two Farad super3 linear power supplies for the modem/mother router front end; two for the first shielded and unfiltered distributor for the subwoofers and Farad LPS for the satellite Wi-Fi router; and three more into the last shielded and unfiltered wall outlet feeding just the single power cable to the SA-TT7 power distributor.
- Furutech Project v1 cables
Connecting single dedicated line of Furutech shielded wall outlet to power distributor with C19 20amp connector, and between distributor to server, DAC, and CD transport.
- Inakustik Reference AC-4004 air power cable
Between distributor and amplifier. I have found the best power cables to work best between distributor and source equipment of server, DAC and transport. The inakustik reference air power cable gives best balance feeding the amplifier.
- Ansuz Acoustics C2 power cable
stock power cords between distributor and transport, linear power supply for satellite router and power supply for field coil speakers.
- Shunyata Research Alpha NR V2 power cable
For connection between Furutech wall outlet and preamp external battery power supply.
- Lavricables Grand power cable
For power connection to all subwoofers.
- Synergistic Research Powercell SX (retired)
With all components previously connected except for the power amplifier high voltage input and the preamplifier. This power distributor was disappointing.
- Synergistic Research SRX power cable (retired)
Connecting the powercell to the Furutech shielded wall outlet.
- Sound Application SA-TT7 240v
Almost everything we speak about in reference to the sound from our speakers, be it timbre, nuance, pitch, accuracy and balance of frequency range, ‘air’, soundstage or ‘musicality’ is due to one thing only - completeness of depth of field; from a global sense of what is perceived in width or placement of voice and instrument in a quartet or entire orchestra, to the smallest detail of human voice in its journey from throat to the particular way it emerges from the space of each unique mouth, or the specific character of fretwork a guitarist executes on his or her instrument - accuracy and completeness in the reproduction of depth of field in audio playback is what characterises realism in sound quality. Dynamics is one of the only characteristics of speaker delivery that sits apart. In both depth of field and dynamics, the SA-TT7 does it better than anything else I have ever heard my system plugged into.
- Furutech #1 and #2 e-TP609 NCF unfiltered AC Power Distributor
with internally rewired CB10 cabling enhanced with NPS1260 contact fluid, installed as a six plug wall power banks with Furutech NCF booster bracing for all outlets; and hardwired to the house mains distribution panel with Furutech CB10 10 gauge wiring to a 50amp circuit breaker.
- Wellfloat Delta isolation base - 20mm height
Four isolation bases for each leg of the tower audio rack. The one kiloton capacity of the deltas have replaced four Townshend seismic isolation corners that were barely holding up to the extreme load of the rack.
