bugredmachine's Tennessee System 2023

Owner

Now using 100% KS cables on dac and preamp. Considering KS speaker cables although the PAD Venustas I am using are triple run cables for tri-wiring and do not disappoint. It's the curiosity aspect of going to KS on the speakers and how that might complement the sound. Hmmm

I'm doing something crazy by daisy chaining cables. I am doing it with power cables and IC's. It does seem the last 3 feet really do make the difference.

bugredmachine November 05, 2023 13:49

Owner

Using KS Elation PC on the Puritan. Have used many different PC's with equal success on the input side. I don't see anything special about the Puritan cable and for that kind of money I'd look sideways to other brands based on my experience.

Carpeting isn't going to tame the long frequencies at 100 hz. It took about 20 cu ft of OC 703 each side to do that. I only have 5 feet of width at the ceiling height of 10 feet, so mathematically a panel may help, but I did not want the look since I was able to achieve it on the floor.

bugredmachine September 11, 2023 17:30

Owner

Everything is plugged into the PSM156. This unit does not constrain current flow IME. I have tried it both ways and prefer the PSM noise reduction. I have done this in two houses now with similar results.

I'm using Kubala Sosna PC's from the wall to the PSM and all the devices use KS cables (Elation or Emotion) except the Aurender.

I have a KS Emotion IC coming to compare to the PAD Corvus.

bugredmachine September 07, 2023 18:13

Owner

They are 3 inch thick maple (butcher block) slabs. Years ago I had Salk Sound paint them black for me to tone down the look to a more modern gray-black combo. I have toted those things around to many different houses. Ridiculously heavy.

With their mass on small bumpers along the rails and then further isolating components on the heavy mass, it's an attempt to dampen what I can. Much like having double drywall hanging on hat-channel in a room construction.

bugredmachine September 03, 2023 14:07

Owner

I don't believe I ever posted about my DIY cable risers. I made them back in about 2006 out of bowl blanks. A little router work and some lead weights on the bottoms. I wanted to organize power cables away from IS's or SC's and neaten up the systems. They have shown up in all my system postings since. I'll have to post some construction photos.

I made the triangular pieces just recently to hold up the very heavy tri-wired Venustas SC's. Quick and dirty.

bugredmachine August 04, 2023 18:44

Owner

Updated photos. About 99% of where I need to be on IC's. Saving my sheckles for a 3 meter Venustas. Wrapping the cabling around the left speaker is much better, ala original layout.

bugredmachine July 30, 2023 13:57

Owner

I updated my description with a list of the power cables I have bought and auditioned in 2023. Paypal thinks I am a business now due to my volume!

bugredmachine June 25, 2023 11:41

Owner

I am way behind taking new photos. Lots of cabling changes, added an Aurender, etc.

Everything I play sounds incredible. I played a Playlist not spun in 10 years and everything was making me smile.

And thanks to Tom Hankins for letting me audition his Kubala cables. I'm leaning toward KS power cables and PAD IC's as a great combo. I like the detail of the PAD's and the KS power cables are off the hook in the bass and "filling the soundstage".

bugredmachine June 19, 2023 17:27

Owner

Yes. I have way behind in updating my components. LOTs of changes.

The ARC is the best sounding preamp I have ever owned. I have had several very nice pre's like the TRL Dude, which was very clean and musical. The Sachs and Aric are both superb preamps over the last few years.

I chose this model as a value-priced unit after reading every comment and review I could find. The 5SE was highly rated and if you were going for a 6, then why not the 6SE, but now the price is getting up there versus the performance the 5SE was praised for.

Sensational air and presentation by the ARC. The overall smoothness, soundstage width, depth, and delineation of instruments, is absolutely addicting.

bugredmachine May 13, 2023 02:41

Owner

I need to make some updates i.e. power cables and new ARC preamp.

bugredmachine April 27, 2023 21:35

Owner

One night this week I put a 20 foot Transparent pc to the amp and placed the Nagomi and a Studio Master on the preamp and dac. The sound was nice but there was no bass to speak of. And the tone was not quite right w/o a Harmonix in the amp line.

Then last night I daisy chained 2 Aluminatas and a NRG The .1 into the amp. The bass was incredible, but too wooly. It was deep, but loose. The NRG was not up to the task. I digested that for about an hour.

It was getting late but I had to know if I could get some Harmonix goodness into the mix so I swapped out the NRG and Nagomi. Now with the Nagomi on the beginning of the Aluminata chain the sound was crystal clear and bass was tighter and more controlled.

For this weekend I am going to try the Nagomi on the last part of the chain connecting to the amp to see what effect there is being the last piece to touch the amp. Stay tuned.

bugredmachine April 21, 2023 12:55

Owner

I added a third Elrod to the other two in the string arrangement and it was not good. Tubby bass and hazy top end. I'll post a pic of that if I can.

I swapped the Nagomi into the middle Elrod position and it was fantastic. I don't understand how the string of 2 Elrods and one Hijiri could take on the influence of the single Nagomi cable. We would expect the Elrods to overpower the one meter Hijiri Nagomi, but the combination was enough of a positive turn, even over the Tara labs pc, that I now know I should be moving toward Hijiri cabling where I can.

bugredmachine April 17, 2023 18:55

Owner

More changes coming. Have another Elrod to make my daisy chain power cable 3 Elrods long.

Have the ARC Ref 5SE coming next week.

Also have an Aurender X100L coming so I can see if it is an improvement (which I expect) and at this price it is minimal risk to dip my toe into a true music server like this over my PC set-up from HAL.

I need to further evaluate the Nagomi power cable to decide if I should keep it.

I also ordered a Sablon Robusto power cable that I want to try.

bugredmachine April 15, 2023 09:32

Owner

On Sunday I let the system run for several hours while I did some landscaping. I did not notice any changes. At that point I decided to try my experiment of daisy chaining 3 power cables together to bypass the AntiCable 28 foot power cable to see if the higher end cables would make a difference in that crazy configuration.

And it was magic! I put an 8 foot Elrod EPS 3 on the Puritan, then connected an Elrod EPS-2 at 6 feet, and then a 6 foot Tara Labs The One to the Coda amp in a 20 foot run. Wow.

Immediately I was delivered more bass and after about 20 minutes the treble straightened out. I cannot believe the AntiCable was holding me back so much. And, of course, I was surprised that the daisy chaining would not be a total bust by inserting very inexpensive 2.5 inch adapters between cables. My theory was to use the best first and the next best cable of the Elrod brand and finish off with the Tara which I felt was the most neutral of the 3.

Anyways, it was enough of an improvement that I felt the Nagomi could now continue to do its thing and the next 2 hours were a new high at the Aural Enlightenment venue.

bugredmachine April 10, 2023 02:26

Owner

I'm not really sure how to sensibly make an update of what transpired this weekend. I visited Gestalt Audio and was highly impressed with Colin's gear and taste of music. I walked away with a brand new loaner Hijiri Nogami C-19 power cable to try.

I also wanted to try the Elrod power cables on the dac and preamp, but that never happened due to other positive tests I ran today.

Yesterday I inserted the Nogami in place of my NRG The Five cable feeding my Puritan and it didn't suck. At first I did not hear a delta in the music I could put my finger on, but as time went on I felt the music had more body to it. One thing, for sure, was it decreased the tweeter noise even further which was quite a surprise given the NRG's heavy noise filtering employed.

So I waited for Sunday to spend more time with the Nogami.

bugredmachine April 10, 2023 02:00

Owner

I have not gotten to them yet Jeff. I am a weekend warrior and by the time I get a break from yard work or other projects, I'm pretty beat and just fire up the system and listen for a few hours.

Saturday, I am going to have some "me" time and go visit Gestalt Audio in Nashville to check out Hijiri cables and other goodies. Hopefully Saturday night or Sunday I can insert the Elrods and give them a run.

I am on the verge of buying an ARC Ref 5SE preamp to try out as well. We'll see how it stacks up to the Motherlode II. Fun times!

bugredmachine April 07, 2023 20:26

Owner

Thanks Jeff. You brought me another important piece to the puzzle. Now I have Aluminata's on the DAC and preamp. I'll do some further evaluation of the Tara Labs cables before deciding if I jettison them.

bugredmachine March 31, 2023 11:41

Owner

I'm also looking into an Audio Research preamp even though I like my Aric Audio preamp. From the wayback machine, I had a 2 week experience with a 6H30 preamp, a Rogue Hera. I really liked the soundstage and presence it created, but the tubes made a slight ting, ting through the tweeters that I disliked. So, I wrote it off and moved on as I was in my TRL Dude days then.

Having that in my memory bank, I now have an itch to get another 6H30-based preamp.

bugredmachine March 28, 2023 01:32

Owner

The Aluminata out front of the Puritan 156 was not a great experience. It accentuated the treble and the soundstage collapsed.

I then moved it to the dac in place of a Tara Labs The One and put the NRG back on the Puritan. That was very fulfilling.

I have 2 Elrods coming tomorrow and will try them on the Puritan and the sources. I have an idea of daisy-chaining some of these "spare" cables together to see how that might influence the sound versus the 28 foot AntiCable Level 3 on the amp. If I run wire as the crow flies from rack to amp, I could get away with a shorter cable on an experimental basis.

bugredmachine March 28, 2023 01:26

Owner

I have another Aluminata power cable to try this weekend and on Monday I am receiving 2 Elrods to enter into the mix as well. This should be fun.

bugredmachine March 25, 2023 01:24

Owner

Good point on bass trapping. I have an idea to get the room to look like I wanted it to look and still have bass trapping. Those 5 foot walls are really "pony" walls with storage behind them (about 2 feet deep the full length of the room both sides). I'm thinking about venting the walls into those spaces and simply moving the fiberglass into 2 chambers that are sealed from the cold air. I have experimented with moving the traps to the center of the room and verified the corners are key to the trap effectiveness (generally known to be the case). Since the bass would still build up in the corners, I am banking on those chambers to grab it and free up those corners for a more pleasing aesthetic. Not sure when I will get to this, but it is fairly easy to execute.

bugredmachine March 15, 2023 01:34

Owner

I have a JPS Aluminata power cable coming. I'll have to experiment on placement.

bugredmachine March 14, 2023 18:06

Owner

I had my system set up using standard formulas and my experience. Once I had my room responses, I was sure I was good. My assumption was that my Alexia's were dialed in at the midrange and tweeter per their manual appropriately.

But! I kept enjoying the sound even though the center imaging was low. Like no more than 2 feet off the floor. And when I play it back in my weak mind, when I upgraded to JPS interconnects, I felt the sound in the upper registers was rolled off. Then I convinced myself that this must be what it is supposed to sound like with these higher end cables.

I lived with that for weeks, still enjoying the overall experience. Then Saturday I decided to get out my laser pointer and verified that according to Wilson's manual, the tweeters were angled toward my belly and not my ears. Easy enough, I moved the top module down 2 steps so the laser pointer was more at ear level, and whalla, the top end came back in a huge way. And the imaging went way up vertically to the window level. So, I am admitting I trusted my set-up but if I hadn't paid attention to that little voice in my head to check it out, I would have kept on as it were. Feels a little silly, but I am so glad I made the adjustment. Day and night improvement.

Now will you believe me it sounds fantastic? Cuz, obviously I was lying last month!! ha

bugredmachine March 01, 2023 01:47

Owner

Douglas, fantastic to hear from you! Haven't shaken your hand in a decade! Love your reviews.

My source is a dedicated small computer made by Rich Hollis (Hollis Audio Labs) out of Maryland. He has a thread on AudioCircle. I've met Rich and he is a guru of all things electronic. Anyways, the small computer I have is a little dated still on Windows 8. It has a ~80 gb solid state hard drive in it as a buffer. It is small footprint and stripped of non-audio apps.

I rip CD's or download HDTracks and drive the tunes with JRiver. I feed the server with an external hard drive. I purchased an ADD PWR Symphony IO to clean up the ethernet feed that travels 75 feet from my living room and to interface with the USB out of the server before going to the Bricasti. I use an Avanti USB before the Symphony and a Shunyata Sigma to the Bricasti. I found the Sigma to be very clean and it mates well with the Bricasti.

Best to you.

bugredmachine February 19, 2023 01:46

Owner

milpai, I got lucky! I was looking for technologies that made a difference and I felt that reducing EMI/RFI was key to getting that background noise as low as possible. I was looking at all the usual players who have a reputation for lowering noise and before spending a thousand dollars on a used cable I kept looking for bargains. When I saw the NRG I looked at their website and liked what I saw, so I spent a whopping $200 on a used The Five cable and liked it. Literally a week later another one came up for sale and I grabbed it for $180. All I know is they work and I'm thrilled. I like the flat wire tech in the Tara's and I was able to grab 2 of those used and the combo is making me happy. Lesson learned is high dollars aren't always needed to achieve performance.

bugredmachine February 19, 2023 01:26

Owner

Update on AC cables>

I received another Tara Labs The One cable this week. This gave me an opportunity to place it on my preamp instead of the Kaplan HE and put a second NRG The Five cable on the DIY box I made years ago that powers all the "digital" (music server, hard drive, ADD-POWR Symphony I/O). I had a JPS Analog AC on there. The box is built with copper buss bar, various aftermarket duplexes, and filled with Tourmaline and Quartz.

So now I have an NRG The Five feeding my Puritan, Tara Labs feeding the preamp and Bricasti, and another NRG in-between the Puritan and the digital outlet box.

I fire up the system after the swap and head over to the Wilsons and take my usual position at 6 inches from the tweeter and nothing. Check the amp and it's on. Move in closer so the hair on my head is now touching the tweeter baffle and there is a slight hiss. And the hiss is considerably smoother than the oscillating waveform I did have at 6 inches. Big grins and imaginary high five to myself. THIS, is what I have wanted to achieve!

Played music for 2 hours while in heaven (more so after the first hour of warm-up). I purchased the NRG's on a bet after reading their website about their construction when I saw a few up for sale. So for me, they have definitely filtered out noise without diminishing the overall output of music. I'm thrilled I can stop looking for power cables for the time being.

bugredmachine February 18, 2023 14:34

Owner

Probably delinquent in making some comments.

High level, this is the first system I have created where I can honestly say I have soundstage moving outside the speakers. Pretty spooky but highly enjoyable.

I have significantly reduced electrical noise with the incorporation of JPS Aluminata interconnects. They dropped the small nagging hiss from the tweeters to barely detectable. To explain, at 18 inches from the tweeters, my ear could pick up a small electronic hash before the Aluminatas. Now I can barely hear some hash at 6 inches from the tweeter - with my good ear!

Previously owned Sasha 1's and the Alexia 1's are really surprising me with the bass they have, especially exposed by the Aluminatas. I never really had an issue with the inverted Focal dome on the Sasha's, but the dome of the Alexia's is much smoother and blends in very well. I was always so appreciative to have owned the Sasha's. I am amazed by the Alexia's.

I removed so much noise with the Aluminatas, I decided to pursue power cables more seriously. I have never really gained much in the sound department before with AC cables. Now I have gone another step up and am really digging the Tara Labs and NRG cables. I'd like to swing an Aluminata power cable later this year.

bugredmachine February 14, 2023 19:06

Description

Room Details

Components Toggle details

Wilson Audio Alexia 1

Audio Research 5SE

Bricasti Design M1 DAC

Coda Technologies Continuum No. 8 amp

Cardas Audio Clear

Cardas Audio Clear

Purist Audio Design speaker cables Venustas Tri-wired set

BMI Whale Elite

Shunyata Research Sigma USB

ADD-POWR Wizard

ADD-POWR Symphony I/O

Aurender X100L

Cardas Audio Clear

Puritan Audio Labs PSM156 Studio Master Power Purifier

Core Power Technologies Core Power Technologies Deep 1800 AC Power Line Conditioner

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