Description

All suggestions and comments are most welcome. In addition to the general comments below, I've added specific comments on set-up and tweaks for most of the components which you can read by clicking them individually in the list above.

The overall strategy is to take a great speaker and put the best possible components and set-up behind it, all subject to real world space and cost constraints.

1. The seating position is in my Manhattan apartment living room which has some unusual characteristics. The speakers, main amps and video system are at one end of the long wall of the living room, which is irregular in shape such that, with minor exceptions, no two walls are parallel to each other and there are no right angled corners except on the wall behind the speakers. The set-up is severely space constrained with the rest of the audio components in a closet in the foyer with a 7 meter interconnect that runs in the next room and comes through the wall behind the amps. The negative of this of course is the long interconnect; the positive is that the preamp and audio source components are isolated from the amps and speakers.

2. The sound is sensitive, revealing and very solid with no sense of strain or congestion. A very transparent midrange with good highs and fantastic detail that is absolutely non-fatiguing (no tolerance for that). Also serious bass and imaging. After years of trying, I think I've finally got the setup right on the Quatros. Upgrades to the SE versions of the ARC Ref 5, Ref Phono Two and 3D printed arm tube on the VPI have been a revelation. In addition to a vastly increased soundstage and greater resolution, analog bass and dynamics now equal those of digital, including my ARC Ref CD-8 and everything else I've heard, which is a first in my experience. I can honestly say I've not heard better vinyl reproduction anywhere else (better in some respects and just as good perhaps, but not better overall).

3. FM sound is easily the best I have ever heard; on WQXR (classical) imaging and performance nuances come through clearly and Q104.3 rocks for real. Believe it or not, at the end of a GEICO radio ad (the one that ended with the line "do only dogs hear dog whistles?") the soundstage expanded way beyond the speakers - as good or better than the Weavers at Carnegie Hall. CD sound is excellent but digital still is not my thing (analog keeps getting better too - see #2 above).

4. Sources are 60% vinyl, 30% tuner, 9% video and 1% CD. 5,000 LP's, including orginal pressings of most of the mono Blue Note catalog and more than half of the Impulse, Shaded Dog and Living Presence catalogs; 100 DVDs and Blu-ray (mostly music video), a few CDs, and cable TV.

5. Video is still just an add-on to the two channel audio system. Video sources are wired straight into the screen but the front channel sound from the processor runs back to the preamp through another 7 meter interconnect and then returns from there through the two channel system to the main amps. The five satellite speakers are connected directly to the ARC M150.5 amp with in-wall speaker wire. I have to turn off both the M150.5 and the processor whenever I play vinyl because leaving on either one even in standby mode noticeably degrades the sound.

2/25/14
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    • Vandersteen Quatro
    It took me years to figure out how to set up the Quatros, even with a good start from my dealer. The key was seeing Richard Vandersteen set up his new Model Sevens in person - and then going back and reading the Quatro set-up instructions and following them to the letter. Two tips: the set-up description in the TAS review of the 7's is almost exactly the same for the Quatros (except you only need a laser pointer instead of the jig); and you must set the height of the speakers in relation to the listening position exactly as specified in the instructions (use the graph provided there). I originally put the Marigo Audio Bear Feet under the speakers in order to decouple the spikes from the floor, but it turns out that I also needed the extra 2 inches of height they provided in order to get the set-up right for my room. (I'd love to own the 7's but I've always preferred the Quatros to the Fives.)
    • VPI Reference Super Scoutmaster
    The table sits on a Black Diamond Racing Shelf for the Source which in turn is on Nordost Pulsar Points which are screwed into the Target TT5F stand. The tonearm design is incredibly convenient for switching back and forth between different armwands to run both stereo and mono cartridges. I've recently upgraded the arm tube to the 3D printed version - incredible improvement in soundstage and overall resolution. There is an issue with speed stability during warm weather - I suspect that may cause the belts to stretch.
    • VPI 3D Tonearm
    A revelation as an upgrade. Vastly improved bass, soundstage and dynamics.
    • Benz Micro LP S
    .34 mv output.
    • Benz Micro LP S Mono
    Still burning in, although it already sounds great. One thing that is already very apparent is that scratches, crackle and other record defects on mono records are much quieter with a mono cartridge.
    • Audio Research Reference Two SE Phono Stage
    It only has 350 hours on it as of October 2014 out of the 600 hours it reportedly needs to break in. So far, combined with the Ref 5 SE, it already looks to be a huge improvement over the non SE versions. It has a Nordost Valhalla power cord and sits on a Black Diamond Source Shelf, which is on their cones, which in turn are on a laminated plywood shelf that is suspended on shelf clips.
    • Audio Research Reference 5 SE
    Up to 500 hours as of October 2014 out of the 600 hours it supposedly needs in order to break in. As reported It certainly is a huge improvement over the Ref 5. It has a Nordost Valhalla power cord and sits on a Black Diamond Shelf for the Source resting on their cones which in turn are on a plywood shelf suspended on shelf clips.
    • Sansui TU-919 Tuner
    1980 vintage, modified by Antenna Performance Systems. Even with the ARC Ref 3, more than one audiophile friend mistook the sound of this tuner for that of my CD player. With the Ref 5, I hear better dynamics and more nuance and detail at half the volume I needed with the Ref 3. This is the first time I've ever heard an over-the-air FM tuner throw a soundstage that is wider than the speakers (in this case, much wider).
    • Audio Research Reference CD-8
    Just upgraded from the (upgraded) CD-7. Still burning in but sounds promising. As usual, I've rolled the tubes.
    • Audio Research VM-220 monoblocks
    After 1500 hours I replaced the stock 6N1P input/driver tubes with a milspec NOS version called 6N1P-EV. Doing so incrementally improved the dimensionality of the sound. I've also done quite a lot of tube rolling with the 6550's notwithstanding the disapproval of my good friends at ARC. Regardless, NOS tubes improved retrieval of detail, imaging and, above all, the density or continuousness of the sound. I also replaced the amp stands with Black Diamond Shelves for the Source which are sitting on their cones and pucks on the floor. Finally, after much experimentation with both the standard top plate and the optional tube cages, I think these amps sound best without either one.
    • Wireworld Gold Eclipse interconnects
    Most are version 3+, some are version 5. 7 meter balanced from preamp to amps; .5 to 2 meters balanced for the rest except that the Ref Two phono input is RCA. I've lifted the interconnects that run on the floor with Cable Towers.
    • Nordost Valhalla speaker cable
    1.5 meter; z plugs to spades
    • Nordost Valhalla Power Cords
    Several in the system, but not on the Quatros.
    • Nordost Thor
    Two in the system; one on the front end audio components and the other on the video system and the Quatros.
    • Oppo BDP 83 SE
    Still burning in.
    • Outlaw 990 Video Processor
    The reviews are true - a steal. That said, I also have to turn this off when I'm listening to two channel audio.
    • Fujitsu 55 inch Plasma
    Obsolete, but still good enough for now; every time I think about getting a new screen the technology changes again
    • Audio Research M 150.5 5 Channel Amp
    Updated to 8th Factory revision.
    • Sound Dynamics RTS-3 Surround Speakers
    HP was right about these; sitting on the floor on Black Diamond cones. The in wall speaker wire is Kimber 8TC.
    • Various Hagerman, Black diamond, etc.
    A lot of tube testing gear including a Hagerman Technologies curve tracer that enables 8 point matching of 6550 power tubes in pairs; all 16 of those NOS Tung Sols are matched together within 5% in terms of both transconductance and current. I'm also a huge fan of Black Diamond Racing; seven of their shelves, with 5 Shelves for the Source, including amp stands under each source component; plus their pucks and cones. I've also lifted all of the cables with Cable Towers on the interconnects and Dark Field Cable Elevators on the speaker wire and the Vandersteen crossovers. VPI HW-27 Typhoon record cleaning machine. VPI Magic Bricks and the Acoustic Sounds record brush. Disc Doctor record cleaning fluid and brushes.

Comments 26

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What a great system! I know how it sounds, fantastic, I have 3A Sigs & 2Wq's similar but not as "fast"!! I'm in the process of breaking in a new ARC VS 115(22 hrs) the sound is painful, I want to push a magic button and be at 400hrs!! Thanks for the tube rolling info I've searched for this and not had much success your experience is encouraging as every time I've rolled tubes in components I found a sound I liked better than stock!!

samhar