Just sold my 2,60 sq. ft. home and now am temporarily in a 1,100 sq ft apartment. Looking for a large loft to finally have enough room for a true system.
Scheu's statement arm, some German users have equated it with at least the lower Schroeder arms.
Grado The Statement
The STATEMENT utilizes gold wire coils, a boron cantilever and a diamond cut specially for Grado. All this is hand-assembled within a machined Australian jara wood housing.
Cartridge Man Music Maker 3
The 'MusicMaker' Phono Cartridge is a high-performance variable reluctance device, employing a proprietory extended contact diamond stylus.
Denon DL-103D
Considered by many to be the ultimate of the 103 series. No longer produced.
Gram Slee Era Gold mkV
phono preamp Gain - 41.5 db Input Sensitivity - 2mv to 9mv Input Impedance - 47k and 100pF
Gram Slee Elevator EXP
"Transformerless" stepup MC amp Gain - 24 db Cartridge Loading - 23, 30, 100, 840, 1000, 5100, 47kHz
Museatex Bitstream Data II (2005)
The Melior Bitstream Converter has two digital inputs, one fiber optic and one co-axial. Two independent digital sources can be connected to the unit. A front panel membrane switch allows you to choose between the two.
Meitner/Melior by Museatex CD-D
Matching transport to the Museatex Bitstream Data II DAC I have
Stevens & Billington TX-102 mkIII
Transformer Volume Control (TVC) w/ Seiden 20 step attenuator and selector switch.
Art Audio PX-25
Transformer-coupled, zero-feedback, pure Class A triode stereo amplifier. Output Power 6 wpc. Frequency Response 9Hz to 60KHz full rated power. Tube Complement 2 x 6922/6DJ8, 2 x 12BH7, 2 x Mullard CV 378 rectifiers, 2 x KR PX-25 power triodes. This tube has a very similar midrange sound to the 2A3 but much more extended frequency extremes and a lot more power.
Welborne Labs DRD 300B
300B Direct Reactance Drive (DRD)SET Monoblocks using TJ Mesh Plate 300B's and 6N1P driver stage. 7 watts per channel of glorious SET magic and drive.
Audion Sterling ETSE EL34 integrated (mkI)
Class-A, 12 wpc EL34 SET amp. Frequency Response: 14Hz to 35kHz - 3dB. Tube Compliment: 2 x JJ/Tesla Teslovak EL34, cryo'd Russian 6H23n-EB/6922, cryo'd NOS 1950's Tung Sol 5687
Cain & Cain IM-Bens
Fostex FE-168 Sigma 6
Cain & Cain Bailey(pair)
10
Paradigm X-30 Subwoofer Crossover
Built-in active low level high-pass filter Variable 35Hz 150Hz, 3rd order 18 dB / octave Variable 0 180° Phase adjustment
Hafler DH-500
255wpc classic monster amp from the days when Hafler actually owned and ran the company.
Cain & Cain Cryo'd Cardas Magnet Wire
Nothing too special about the particular wire, but it is smooth and detailed sounding. Just plain natural without calling attention to itself.
Hammer Dynamics recommended: Woofers(20ga.)- 10 strands of 30 gauge silver-plated copper solid-core wire with Tefzel insulation twisted into a Litz configuration. Tweeters: 4 strands of the same 30 ga. wire twisted in a Litz config.
Topaz 2.4kVA Ultra-Isolator Transformers
I have six of these wired with balanced secondaries for greater noise rejection. One for both tube monoblocks. One for the subwoofer amp. And one for my dac(filtered) and turntable. Common Mode Noise Attenuation - 150dB @ 100kHZ Transverse Mode Noise Attenuation - 65dB @ 100kHZ
Hey dark. I have been watching the progression of your system for years because we have the exact same full rangers, the Im bens with tweeter. Now that I have two baileys on the way I thought I would check in and see how things are going and maybe seek some advice. The baileys I have are coming from blumenstein audio who took the old c and c stock after lovecraft unfortunately went out of business. They will be the active version. I am planning on setting the up similarly to the wavelength room setup picture here. http://www.wavelengthaudio.com/ces2005.html Have you found your ideal setup with this combo yet? You mention in your last post that you will be making some changes. Any details?
love the system. but please kill that television! it's evil.
That picture is a few years old, I still have that TV, it's from the mid-90's and doesn't get much use anymore except during college football season. I moved out of that house into a much smaller apartment.
i have the same topaz transformer as you. mine hums and it's too audible.
The six that I have are all fairly quite, not noticeable at all. I've wired them for balanced power operation.
I will be making a big change in my system sometime in the next year. First, I have to move out of the apartmentand in to a place that has enough room.
In your Era/JLTI comparison, had the Slee been powered up for 24 hours or more? If not, give it a try after a few days. Although, the price comparison between the two is no longer fair seeing that the JLTI costs twice as much as the Era Gold. I would love to see how the newer Gram Slee Reflex stands up, though. Even if it is still costs 60% less.
The Era/Lundahl was tonally very close, but had a fuller softer bass. It did not come close in resolution the JLTI; there was much more texture and decay to drums. Also the JLTI went much further into the corners with better separation of instruments
I have a feeling the EXP stepup would have helped make up a lot ground in those areas. But, the Era Gold is a far older design and execution, so I would still expect the JLTI to come out on top in an absolute sense.
With the log list of preamps I tried, I should really put together a long review sometime and write things up. The one preamp I still long to try is the K&K or Art Audio Vinyl Reference.
Yep. those two are still on my "must try" list. Though, a lot of the reading I've done on forums seem to indicate that a lot of Art Audio fans prefer the Vinyl One over the Reference in head to head comparisons. At least, they feel the slight benefits do not warrant the extra expense.
What did you think of the ARC PH3SE & Rossner Canofer?
I'm also contemplating a used Sonic Frontiers Phono-1 SE and Line 3 SE+ preamp.
So many choices, so little money & room...
On the headphone end, I've been doing a lot of reading the last few days. Kinda excited to get system up and running pretty soon, I've been without any (real)music for almost 4 months now.
Darkmoebius, very nice description of the Slee - JLTI comparison. Very nice observation about the powering up condition. I noticed some similar problems on the JLTI - it is very sensitive to power requirements and can sound thin and bloodless with bad power conditions or if plugged in only for a short time.
A friend brought over his Slee Era Gold V. However without the Elevator, the only step-up I had around was the Lundahl. The Era/Lundahl was tonally very close, but had a fuller softer bass. It did not come close in resolution the JLTI; ther was much more texture and decay to drums. Also the JLTI went much further into the corners with better separation of instruments (which is where the JLTI really shines compared to any preamp).
With the log list of preamps I tried, I should really put together a long review sometime and write things up. The one preamp I still long to try is the K&K or Art Audio Vinyl Reference.
That's a helluva list. In fact, it's just about every phono I've had an interest in the last couple of years.
I used to own the Gram Slee Era Gold mkV w/ the transformer-less GS EXP stepup amp. Fantastic combo. I mean really fantastic with the carts and system I have/had.
I had the chance to compare the Era w/ the JLTI at the home of Audio Revelation's owner. Man, Jay has a killer system - Avalon Eidelon's, top of the line Airtight preamp/phono, and I think monster Jeff Rowland monoblock amps(or Airtight monos), full Brinkman turntable system, etc.
Anyway, it wasn't just how expensive or exotic the components he used, it was how he integrated the whole, musically, into an unconventional room and how seamless the sound was. Extremely natural with an almost horn-like ease.
We A/B'd the Era and JLTI over a few hours - back and forth, back and forth. What stuck out the most was how incredibly similar they sounded. I mean almost no discernible difference...except an extremely slight hardness with the Era in the dynamic "blat" of a trumpet or other horn in some jazz pieces. It was really, really, subtle.
Funny, because I noticed it, but the effect was so faint and slight in duration that I chalked it up to a side-effect of concentrating too hard on particular parts of a musical whole.
When Jay stopped the music and asked what I thought and I mentioned the hardness. He just smiled and said he noticed it too. We went replayed the parts where each of us noticed the effect and there it was.
Let me tell you, there is nothing worse than discovering a flaw in a well loved, long used, piece of equipment. Once noticed, the minor becomes major. That's probably part of the neurosis of this hobby.
Regardless, the difference between the JLTI and Era were so slight, that it was impossible to justify the expense and effort. Surprisingly, Jay agreed(sign of a really honest dealer).
Of course, I couldn't wait to get home to obsess about the newly discovered "flaw". Two hours of driving with the object of my scorn sitting on the seat next to me. I fired up the PX-25, plugged the GS back in, and cued some Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain"...and there it was, the hardness. Or was it a brittleness? Whatever.
It wasn't constant, just at the leading edge of trumpet transients. The "blat". But, damned if it wasn't there. I must have gone through 10 LP's and it always surfaced.
The unsettling thing was that I had never noticed it in two years. Not the slightest hint. And I pride myself on having a fairly revealing system, sometimes ruthlessly. What other flaws hadn't I noticed in my components?
So, I immediately started doing web searches to see if anyone else had ever noticed this trait of the Era. No real mention of that trait. I ended up calling Gram Slee, himself (he actually answers the phone) to see if there was any solution. Without the slightest hesitation, he said "Leave it plugged in for 72 hours".
He went on to explain that he intends his components to be powered up 24/7. Yes, everyone says that, but he really means it. That there is a discernible difference in performance after 72 hours. At the very least, 24 hours before critical listening.
I did as he said - lo and behold - no blat. No hardness or brittleness on highs and transients. Just to be sure, I unplugged the Era for a couple of days, then listened again. There it was. Left it powered up for a few days and couldn't find anything objectionable in the sections of tracks that bothered before.
So, it just goes to show, that some components do need to warm up before performing their best. Although, I did notice the Gram Slee released the new "Reflex" phono not too long after which promised improved HF performance and smoothness.
Anyway, I sold the Era + Exp about 4-6 months ago intending to make a big jump up the food chain via a tubed unit. But, the apartment change has kept everything boxed up.
I was doing some research on headphones and head amps...high performance isn't all that cheap, either, but hell of a lot better than speakers. AKG K-701's seem intriguing, Grado GS1000 since I love my Grado "The Statement" cart, Senn HD650, etc.
Hey Dark, thanks for your comments on my system. I guess I haven't visited here for while either.
By the way, what phono pre are you using with the Scheu?
I went and compared a couple of phono preamps over the last months (Pass Xono, Vacuumstate JLTI, Graham Slee, Aesthetix Rhea, EAR 834, ARC PH3SE, Rossner Canofer, Sutherland Ph.D.). I ended up liking the Pass and JLTI the most - both have incredible resolution and dynamics.
First off, my Bailey subs are the passive version without the integrated plate amp/crossover, so I need the Paradigm X-30 to integrate them. I am using an IcePower ASP-500 module in summed mono to drive them. I have both the X-20(speaker & line level input) and the X-30(just line level).
Moving the system from the open side to the closed side definitely yielded greater bass output, but I'm not entirely sure that was a good thing. It seemed that bass is cleaner and sound depth is greater in the original position.
When I originally had the speakers on the open side of the room, I tried two Pro amps to drive my subs - Hafler 500 and something else - without realizing that pro amp input is ~7V compared to 2V for home amps. So, that's was probably why I was getting very little bass.
Now, with the consumer version DH-500 or the IcePower, I get bass galore.
Hi, Congrats on owning a lovely system! Can you please tell me the difference it has made qualitywise you are getting from moving your set-up from the 'old' position to the 'new' position? Are the subs not made to compliment your speakers? or did you have trouble integrating them together?, hence the need for the X-30? Has the X-30 been a worthwhile investment for your system? Ps-Nice dog also.
This is going to sound neurotic, but I've actually been thinking about moving the speakers back over to the open side the last few weeks. Unfortunately, I can't remeber clearly what it really sounded like that way.
The main problem I have now is an overall imbalance caused by one side of the room behind the speakers being mostly windows and the other being regular walls with stucco on the outside. It really throws off the bass reinforcement because most of it passes through the windows, yet the other side gets a 6dB boost.
Now, just to make things even more wacky, the middle of the side that gets the bass boost has a 10'x 7' opening into the high-ceilinged entryway. And the other side has a fireplace that sticks out in the middle of the wall. So, that pulls imaging to one side fairly hard.
If I move the speakers back to the open side, at least the walls behind both sides will be symmetrical. Though that causes a bass suckout, but I can compensate with the dual subs.
Good system, bad room - what can you do?
One thing the HE2006 show reinforced for me is the absolute importance of proper room treatments.
Man, your system is all-world!! Avantguards and Audio Note, nice. The 47 Labs fits in perfectly. I love the tonality and texture of my system, but there is nothing the blistering dynamics of true comression horns. And nothing does horns like horns.
Right now, all my love is with the Art Audio PX-25 (should be at ~4x the cost). This is as close as I have ever come to "the complete amp" - rich, textured, revealing, transparent, agile, yet powerful, and always extremely musical. It can lay bare bad recordings, but even that is appreciated.
Next in line would be the Welbornes, they simply do that magical 300B spatial thing so well it's spooky without the common ovverripe midrange most often found in 300b amps. I'd call them "holographic", that "walk around the recording venue" feel.
The Almarro and Audion are fantastic, but proved to be better matches(in my system) with speakers in the 90db range where they get to flex a little muscle. Their tone tends to flesh out more at higher output levels than the 97dB Bens allow before it gets too loud. With my former 90dB/4ohm Jean Marie Reynaud Twins mkII's, both integrateds sounded really good at low to normal listening levels.
John Wright told me that one of the best low-cost transports for the Bitsream would be a used Theta Pearl. Perhaps, even better than Melior/Museatex's own CD-D (which I own) because they are still fully serviceable. Anything goes wrong with a CD-D and it's a paper weight. The same probably applies to the Cal Audio.
I'm thinking about getting a Cal Audio Delta transport for my stock Bitstream. What do you think about that? They'd fit quite nicely next to each other on my rack ;) Also, I've tried to get a hold of John via e-mail in the last few days without much success, but I'm looking forward to getting the Museatex updated. Another option would be a transport that also had SACD support, an idea I'm toying with. Any recommendations?
John Wright, former Museatex/Melior/Meitner engineer, does the mods for for those lines. The standard Bitstream upgrade to lastest specs cost $350, mine has extra power supply mods that bumped the cost to ~$550. The performance is worth every penny. Honestly, it seriously shrinks the performance gap between quality analog and digital. The Bitsream now is just as musical and smooth as my vinyl setup while still retaining detail.
John lists all the different Museatex/Melior/Meitner equipment he mods on his website Museatex.com.
As to dac comparisons, I have to admit that since I got the upgraded Bitsream, I've done none. I have absolutley no desire to look any farther in the digital domain (for now). The addition of a Moray James digital coax cable was the final touch.
The Bitsream is so good relative to my vinyl rig, that it has allowed me to focus time and money on other aspects of my system like amps and room treatments, where there's a far greater performance improvement possible for each dollar.
The only thing that could make me jump from the Bitsream is (possibly) the all new, designed from the ground up, dac JW is suposedly finalizing work on sometime soon.
How much did it cost to get your Bitstream Data II (2005) DA converter upgraded to the newest spec? What other D/A convertors have you had the opportunity to compare this one to?
I don't know. Checkout the new graph of my results.
If I'm not mistaken(and I am a lot), the (double) horn loading is really supposed to work for enhancing the lowest bass, but maybe it's actually tuned for the midbass. That certainly would explain the immediate and huge jump at 70-74Hz and up.
I need to see how far that mega-boost reaches into the midrange and treble. I'll also shoot Terry Cain an email and see waht he thinks of this.
BTW, I am in no hurry to do this by hand again. Tedious and time consuming is an understatement. I will probably buy Rives Audio's $150 ETF software which automatically runs the entire frequency range and records it all. It also provides time decay in it's graphs so you can see how long notes take to die out after they are played.
All you have to do is hit "start" and then come back in an hour or so.
System edited: Added an in-room frequency test from 20Hz-150Hz for my main speakers only, no subwoofers. The blue line is the famous $25 Radio Shack 33-2050 analog SPL meter, it is now discontinued. The Red line is the newer 33-4050 analog meter. There seems to be a semi-consistent 2-3dB difference between the two. I have no idea which is more accurate. The final results were adjusted with using a well known online compensation chart for correcting the 33-2050's famous reading errors.
You think maybe your reading the port and the driver? The driver would kick in some where in the area where the extra dBs show up. I'm not sure where the ports or tuned to take over though.
