My objective is to duplicate the sound of a good jazz venue as best I can. I'll never match it but getting close is fine. I've had various audio components through the years and tubes particularly DHT tubes/ASSET have gotten me the closest. So this is where I will settle down and appreciate.
Balanced AC power is fantastic !! 1800va balanced isolation transformer/conditioner. All aspects of music reproduction are improved for every single component.
Tripoint Tripoint Troy.
A wonderful grounding box component. When added to my system it increased the sense of natural sound quality and emotional engagement. The Troy has a humanistic and “soulful “ quality to it.
Coincident Speaker Tech Total eclipse 2
This wonderful speaker is transparent,open and involving. It`s large yet completely disappears as the source of sound within the room. Very easy to drive,94db and 14 0hm impedance (Minimum 10 ohm). I replaced the stock Solens capacitor with the Duelund CAST in the crossover.
Coincident Statement linestage
Superb performance. In my opinion , a masterpiece by Israel Blume. As would be expected, a wonderful match with its sibling the Frankenstein MK II.
Coincident Speaker Tech Frankenstein mark 2
A terrific 300b SET amplifier that is the foundation of my system. The EML XLS 300b tubes are a superb match with this amplifier.
Acquiring these 300b SET mono blocks changed the course of my music listening experience. They elevated the emotional engagement, tactility and “breath of life “ realism.
Yamamoto YDA-01
Wonderful music lover's DAC that has a very natural/organic sound quality. Duelund CAST addition(output coupling capacitors) makes it sound even better. It has a very minimalist circuit/design that was implemented well.
Ocellia Silver Reference IC
Very natural and pure sounding with excellent tone and timbre preservation.
Ocellia Silver Reference Speaker Cable
Same qualities/ comments as the IC.
Star Sound Technologies Sistrum Apprentice component platforms..
These Star Sound platforms are mandatory in my system. Effectively managing resonance and vibration leads to a very noticeable sound improvement with every component and especially the speakers. Excellent product.
High Fidelity CT1 Ultimate Digital cable
A highly impressive digital cable that mates beautifully into my system. Contributes to the natural sound presentation.
Pro-Ject Audio Systems CD Box RS2T
This is a superb Redbook CD playback transport. It’s both high resolution and impressively natural.
. I’m using the excellent Fidelizer Nikola II LPS. Splendid pairing.
Lavricables Grand and Master series Power Cables.
Pure silver wire and unshielded power cables. These are used with all of my audio components. They are very open, transparent, high resolution with beautiful natural tone and timbre presentation.
Abbas Esoteric Audio 3.2SE
Built by renown Ukrainian Abbas Zulfugarov. NOS DAC utilizing the classic Phillips TDA 1541 multi bit chip. Two 6080 tubes in the analog stage. 5 various rectifier tubes in the power supplies.
3 separate toroidal transformers (And 2 chokes ) for the power supplies.A very serious and successful upper tier DAC implementation. Using with the Abbas SPDIF and power cable.
Agear, I didn't know Dale Pitcher was still around. His big speaker in years past was one cabinet stacked onto another one and each one was smaller than the next one, I think there were about eight boxes in all. They were called Essence Speakers.
Agear, You`re going to have a world class "music reproducing" system.I`ve heard the Viva SET amplifiers and I love their sound.As long as you match the right speaker you`ll be very happy and listen for long sessions and often.
SET+Tripoint Troy+Lampizator= musical bliss. I look forward to your system pictures and listening impressions when you have the time.Your specially prepared room(mechanically grounded) with these well chosen components should be fabulous. Charles,
Thanks for asking Charles. Things are in limbo for the following reasons:
1. Speakers: I sold my Intuitive Design Gamma Summits due to baby safety issues. I am awaiting a floor stander from Dale Pitcher as a surrogate. I am currently using a Vietnam era pair of Pioneers I bought on Craigslist for $75! If you put your nose up to the drivers, you can see THC crystals. I have them on Apprentice stands, and it is amazing how good they sound for what they are. Just silly. Those stands work. Robert heard these things before he left not too long ago.
2. Front end: I will be getting a Lampizator dac once my little startup is no longer hemorrhaging. Late fall maybe? It will have DSD functionality, so I will use a Mac mini for hi rez duty and my wifi unit for streaming rebook.
3. Amp: This is my most exciting news at this point. I missed my TRL ST-100 and missed tubes. My new speaker from Dale is 8 Ohm and 93 dB efficient, so I thought it was high time to demo a SET. I had dabbled in the past with less than ideal speakers. The Kora 50W Galaxy was excellent but a menace to bias and chewed up tubes. I sold my Neodio, which was a fabulous amp, and stumbled onto a great deal for a Viva Solista. It is fabulous in that it combines the speed and dynamics I loved about TRL with that inner SET glow. I love classical music but always leaned away from it due to the substandard recordings, etc. The Solista renders classical music beautifully. It is a real treat. So, I have you to thank for fanning the SET flame allow with Calloway and Clayton Oxedine, my local speaker guru and former Kora dealer.
4. Tripoint: $$$. Hopefully will have a unit in the late winter/new year.
5. Room: finishing touches pending. mechanically grounded sconces in progress. The ionic ground and subpanel were screwed up a little and need to be redone. We are also awaiting parts from SS to ground the subpanel.
So, the formal thread will most likely appear when the leaves are off the trees.
Charles, the UK distributor of Entreq Silver Tellus states that his product and Troy work on different principles. Troy works on grounding direct to the mains and individual components' chassis' (ie the electronics directly - which is why the Troy ground leads fix directly to the screws on the chassis'). Whereas Entreq connects via the rca/xlr/phono jacks directly to the signal's ground plane.
I've spoken with Miguel about this issue. That is misinformation. The Troy also works on the signal level. There's much more to the Troy than grounding...:)
Hi Agear, There's actually little tube "glow" with my Coincident components. The 101d tubes of the linestage have a very subtle light output (translation, dim). My choice of 300b, Takatsuki and EML emit very little light. Doesn't matter once you hear them, you become completely engrossed in the musical emotional experience and sink right in. There's plenty of aural illumination and life energy that will fill the room and bring the space alive (I'll take that trade off) Now about that halogen floor lamp.... Charles,
Sure, Charles. Troy is a moot point for me anyhow, NO chance of a trial, no UK distribution. The UK rep for Entreq is one of the nicest guys I've had the fortune to meet in audio, and I've really been happy to spend my hard earned $s/£s with him and Entreq. Agree with you, it's totally transformative, for me taking the best that the quantum leap balanced power affords me to another, ahem, quantum leap!
Hi Spirit, I'm not in a position to compare the merits of theTripoint Troy and the Entreq Silver Tellus. I dont doubt that they have different approaches and it's clear you are very pleased with the Entreq in your excellent system.
All I can say is that the Troy now in its second week in my system is insanely good! The level of 3 dimensional quality, pure organic tone, harmonics, along with superior dynamics and fluidity has simply surpassed my rather high expectations. I don't know how anyone could ever go wrong with either products given what they've done for our respective audio systems. I'm convinced that the Troy does "settle " into a system over a period of time and just improves. A quick A/B demonstration probably doesn't reveal the full impact it truly has to offer.
Charles, the UK distributor of Entreq Silver Tellus states that his product and Troy work on different principles. Troy works on grounding direct to the mains and individual components' chassis' (ie the electronics directly - which is why the Troy ground leads fix directly to the screws on the chassis'). Whereas Entreq connects via the rca/xlr/phono jacks directly to the signal's ground plane. But it is possible to get the best of both worlds - connect an Entreq ground lead from the distribution block (which is connected to the mains) to the Silver Tellus. Now we're simultaneously grounding at the level of signal plane AND mains. And then like Agear states, one can ground the rack itself to create a Faraday cage effect. I personally like the fact that Entreq allows grounding to a greater extent than Troy, and am really glad I've gone down this route. I can tell you're ecstatic with your Troy voyage.
Elescher, nice system. I see the YGs were replaced by Vivds. I believe those are made in SA correct? My Dad was born in Capetown and my Mom in Zim. We still have lots of family in SA but I have not been back since 2003 due to my crappy work schedule.
Interesting observations about the Troy. Did you try grounding the xover? I am unsure about the value of grounding alumimum and/or a class D sub amp? Maybe Migeul could address that....
Charles, I have been a pretty accomplished amateur photographer since 1987. Your recent offerings are a little lackluster. Please, ditch the cheap halogen floor lamp that blisters the corneas in that one shot and take some lowlight pics with all your tubes aglow. You are doing Coincident a disservice here....
Hi Agear, I think the Troy sitting between the Coincident Statement line stage looks stately and refined, you can even see Miles Davis reflection on the CLS. Hey, that's down right artistic.
When I had my YG Anat's I grounded the aluminum cabinet as well as the amplifier that powered the woofers in the speakers to the Troy. Can't say I heard much difference one way or the other.
Some shelf products because of material selection and fasteners would lend themselves to grounding of the component and then the shelf to ground.
Absolutely! I plan on grounding my Sistrum stands. Robert, Miguel, and I have banged around this idea for a while. Grounding the stand rather than simply the chassis establishes a bigger, better grounding plane so to speak. We also toyed with the idea of grounding my actual room or at least the rods in the walls. Time will tell.
Okay Charles, your system has evolved significantly in the last year or so. However, your pictures have not. You have gone backwards in that department.
Charles, Hallelujah Brother, I may join your choir when I move on to my better system's sanctuary. I do have plans, but need a larger place. Perhaps the grounding is your final frontier.
Agear, The principles of grounding are proven in my recent experience and now I've found religion and have joined the congregation. I'm glad there are good grounding options that are effective and affordable for a wider population of listeners. The Troy is a Rolls Royce product (both in cost and quality) that will be out of reach for many folks with good ears and good systems. The marketplace needs and offers alternatives and thus more can benefit from utilizing these products.
Agear I know that once you get the Troy Signature you'll be utterly pleased and consider it money very well spent. In the context of your special room constrution and system I'd agree. Charles,
