Cain & Cain, Custom 300B, Digital Source

Description

This is a living room system with a digital source. Currently a streamer with cd transport removed. The amp is a 300B SET circuit by JC Morrison, modified and built by Blackie Pagano, with one half of a 6SN7 direct-coupled to the second half in the driver stage. There is a cap in the signal path. Right now, I have an Audio Note silver cap in there. My current tube compliment: Side Getter Short Bottle RCA 6SN7 GT, Takatsuki TA-300, and RCA 5R4. The amp has Tango NY15 3.5S output transformers and strong, choke-filtered power.

The speakers are Cain & Cain IM Bens with 6.5" Fostex drivers and super tweeters. Bass is augmented with two Cain & Cain Bailey subwoofers each powered by a Dayton plate amp.

In 2015 I went from a dedicated, very small room, to a much larger living room. This has its positives and negatives. It is not always convenient finding opportunities to listen to loud music in a shared living space but the system sounds better now than it did in that tiny room.

My source is an Emm Labs DCC2SE with a blue sound node 2i as a transport and a streamer.

When I am not listening to speakers, I listen to headphones. When I am not listening to the large system, I also have a smaller desktop system in an office. The speakers are very old Klipsch KM2, in need of upgrading. I use a Moon Audio Dragon IHA-1 for headphones and as a preamp with a Peter Daniel Patek Gainclone for power. A Cambridge Audio DacMagic output to the IHA-1.

Room Details

Dimensions: 25’ × 30’ X large
Ceiling: 9’

Components Toggle details

- Cain and Cain IM Ben + Bailey
Backloaded Horn 6 inch Fostex 168E Sigma driver plus super tweeter. This is the intermediate size double horn by Cain & Cain. For bass duties, there are two Bailey Subwoofers with two Dayton SP250 plate amplifiers. The Bens are running full range through the plate amps.
- Custom Amp 300B SET
Dual mono custom 300B SET built by Blackie Pagano. Tango NY15 3.5S output iron, separate power and signal chassis.
- Tubesville by Blackie Pagano Duality
Another shot of the signal chassis
- Tango NY15 3.5S
Output transformer upgrade installed by Steve Berger.
- Emm Labs DCC2 SE
Signature Edition DAC/Preamp
- Emm Labs CDSD SE
Signature Edition CDSD redbook/SACD transport
- 47 Labs Ota
Single strand copper
- 47 Labs Ota
My favorite interconnect.
- ATS Acoustics Acoustic panels and bass traps
2' by 2' panels and bass traps. I suppose the artwork is a kind of diffusion...
- ATS Acoustics Acoustic panels and bass traps
2' by 2' panels and bass traps
- Audio Note Silver/Mylar Capacitor
%99.99 pure silver capacitor.
- Audio Sector Patek SE
50 WPC Gainclone built by Peter Daniel. A nice solid state backup/alternative.
- Oppo BDP-103
Disc player used as a transport and music streamer.
- Moon Audio Dragon Inspire IHA-1
This is tube preamp/headphone amp. I really enjoy it in my desktop system.
- Cambridge Audio Dacmagic 100
A general purpose DAC with lots of switchable inputs. Desktop system. I am using three out of the four inputs, USB from Mac Mini, SPDIF from Direct TV box, and TOS from Xbox.
- Sennheiser HD800S
I love these headphones. They sound great with both the Moon Audio IHA-1 or the Tubesville amp. Paired with a Kimber Axios Copper cable.

Comments 95

Showing all comments by lapierre.

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Thanks Tjkurita. Still playing around with the placement of my system. Should be updating my thread with new pictures.

The high low filter should be on the back of the unit displayed as Analog Level.

SR powercell in my system displays more soundstage depth. Speakers are placed 18" from back wall. Instruments have more separation in the soundstage.

lapierre August 26, 2013 19:48

System looks great. Congrats on the new room.

15 x 9 is not too bad. I think it's a lot better than my previous 12 x 12 room.

I improved my soundstage and upper end details using Synergistic Research Powercell and power cords. You may want to start there and see where that leads you.

lapierre August 26, 2013 02:48

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