Hi Arnie, since you've had your vinyl set up for awhile now, how much are you listening to lps vs cds?

I am still about 80% lps. Although I do enjoy digital, especally well recorded sacd's.

jfrech April 15, 2011 11:12

System edited: I received the latest version of the Allnic Puritas MC cartridge to compare to the production version that I have been using. This new version makes 2 changes - first it lowers the output impedance of the cartridge and second it makes some changes to help reduce static electricity buildup within the cartridge. I only have about 20 hours on this cartridge so far - which isn't even close to the 60 hours that it needs to really blossom but what I am hearing is very impressive. There seems to be more life in the music across the frequency spectrum with even more high end energy and wonderful highs than the previous version - but no hardness, glare or edginess that I can hear. I felt that I was hearing more of the recording venue ambience and more space around performers than previously. Bass is better with more texture. Overall background noise is reduced. It was just thrilling to listen to the music. All this with just 20 hours of play time. I am looking forward to hearing what it does as it continues to break in.

babybear April 14, 2011 18:54

Hi Darren,

Thanks very much.

I highly recommend the upgrade of the VTL 7.5 to the Series 3 version. It's expensive for an upgrade, but it is a significant improvement on the Series 2 version. I was fortunate to be able to compare my dealer's upgraded Series 3 to my Series 2 before I went for the upgrade and I was very surprised by just how big an improvement the Series 3 actually was.

And, if you are ever headed to Texas, please let me know - you are more than welcome to come by for a listening session.

babybear March 09, 2011 04:44

Arnie,

Nice meeting you off line. Thanks for the information about the VTL 7.5 mk 3. Seems to be a nice difference. Also, nice to hear about your tube impressions. I have actually heard about you from a few people. Enjoy a great room and great system. Would love to come for a listen one day. I am in Aruba with a slightly similar system.

dgad March 09, 2011 01:42

System edited: I just got my VTL 7.5 preamp back from VTL after having it upgraded from the Series 2 version to the new Series 3 version. From what has been described to me, this is a very extensive upgrade of both the control chasis and the audio circuitry chassis. I have been listening with my dealer's Series 3 while mine was at VTL.

babybear February 17, 2011 20:44

Thanks very much Mark.

babybear February 06, 2011 00:56

That is one very amazing system and room...well done!

zephyr24069 February 05, 2011 20:43

Thanks very much Glenfihi.

One of these days I will have to have one of my friends who has a better camera and better technique than me to take some higher quality pictures of the room. I can't quite capture what the room really looks like with my sub compact camera.

babybear January 22, 2011 15:48

Viewing the pictures my first impression was, what a fantastic space. Going over your list of components, I can only say wow! Enjoyed reading your comments on the construction of the room. You have put much into all aspects of the room. Superb gear, in a great room to enjoy the sites and sounds. Well done.

glenfihi January 22, 2011 14:57

System edited: I've made a couple of changes in the past few weeks. 1. Replaced my Echole Obsession speaker cables with the new Echole Obsession "Signature" speaker cables. The "Signature" cables from Echole use thicker conductors compared to the standard Obsession cables and the improvement is easy to hear - harmonically richer across the frequency spectrum with improved resolution. 2. I am using my dealer's newly upgraded VTL 7.5 Series 3 preamp that VTL recently introduced at the 2010 RMAF while my Series 2 is at VTL to be upgraded. As good as the Series 2 version was in my system, the Series 3 preamp is a very significant improvement. The Series 3 is more transparent, has much better bass, mid bass and mid range presence, is richer in the high frequencies and has a more airy and relaxed sonic presentation. Its also very nice the VTL preamps are upgradeable as improvements are made.

babybear January 19, 2011 15:30

System edited: I've made a few changes to the acoustics in my room - additional bass traps as well as some additional acoustic panels around my projection screen. As a result, I've adjusted the position and gain settings on my 2 Rel Studio 3 subs and all of this has resulted in a very nice improvement. I've tried to take some better pictures, but I obviously need a much better camera.

babybear December 04, 2010 17:54

Hi Jeff,

You are very welcome and thanks for the kind words about what you heard here last week.

I am in the process now of tweaking the acoustics in my room as well as breaking in the new Allnic Puritas cartridge that Steve provided me when he was here. Hopefully I can improve the sound a little more - I should know soon.

You are always welcome to come by whenever you are in town and hopefully I will make it out to your place one of these days.

See you soon.

babybear November 23, 2010 23:57

Hey Arnie,

Thanks again for letting me hear your fantastic system last week. I have been trying to sort out what my experience was like since then, and here's what I have come up with so far:

1. When I first heard your system a few months ago, you had the Dobbins Garrard 301 and the Allnic h-3000 phonostage. The rest of your gear was pretty much the same that you have now.

2. Although your system sounded really good to my ears, there was something a little analytical about it that I did not like. I attributed the problem to the Magicos, which I was not that enamored of, or the preamp.

3. When I heard your rig last week, you had added the REL sub and replaced the Garrard with the Dobbins/Kodo "The Beat" table. You had also upgraded the Allnic phono with the new Steve Dobbins-installed transformers. I am pretty sure those were the only gear changes, unless you added a tweak or two like shelves, footers or different room treatments.

4. The system I heard last week sounded completely different. In a word: "Wow!." In more words: it was totally involving, had a huge soundstage, and explosive dynamics. It was as revealing as before but had completely lost its analytical edge.

5. I can only conclude that the turntable made the biggest difference and the transformers in the Allnic the second-biggest. Steve's "The Beat" is an extraordinary turntable, a fact that I confirmed after I came back home and listened to my own Dobbins-rebuilt SP-10 Mark III. As good as the Mark III is, the "Beat" is better in every respect- it's ability to project the music in perfect time is truly remarkable. The music just jumped right off the grooves and into your incredible room.

5. You have taken a really, really good system and turned it into a great one! I'm coming back for more as soon as I can get back to your town- if you'll let me.

Thanks a million, again.

Jeff

sverdlov November 23, 2010 21:20

Hi Lee,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you could make it and meet Steve Dobbins. I knew you were really enjoying the music since you were the first to arrive and just about the last to leave - I think you were here for about 9 hours - that must be some kind of record. I look forward to visiting you next week and hearing your system as well. Thanks again.

babybear November 16, 2010 21:57

Hi Arnie,

Thanks for inviting me over for a great musical experience. Your system is now one of the best I have heard for your music. The sound stage is enormous. The presentation is very big and full and very revealing. Coming back to my system made me order new cables. It had that much impact on my musical soul. I look forward to further auditions of your great system.

Lee

coxhaus November 16, 2010 17:49

Hi Ish,

It was a pleasure meeting you and I am very happy that you were able to drive down and join us. We all had a great time visiting with you. And thank you so much for your gracious and kind thoughts and comments about what you heard while you were here. Thanks so much for introducing me to some very good music. That's always one of the best parts about having new music lovers over for a visit in that they introduce you to new music that you might not ever hear otherwise.

I guess I will have to find someone who has a better camera than me and more importantly more skill in using a camera to get some better pictures of my room.

I have already been giving some thought to slightly modifying the acoustics in the room. Steve and I discussed it after you left and he gave me a few suggestions to try along those same lines so we will see what happens.

I'll let you know when I am headed up your way so that I can come by your place and do some listening with you. I very much look forward to hearing your system.

Thanks again for the kind words and again, it was great meeting you.

babybear November 16, 2010 13:48

Arnie:
I absolutely enjoyed visiting your place, meeting you and Steve, and listening to your great system. When I say a great system, I mean it. It sounds gorgeous and I also mean that.

The things is that the details of your system posted here at audiogon (pictures, and description, etc.) do not do justice in depicting the true nature of your system. In reality, it is far more advanaced and sophisticated. First of all, it is totally musical. Second, it is hardly missing anything, and thus being a stronger contender for one of the four or five best systems (including mine) I have ever heard . Third, you have put in tremendous efforts (and capital, but well spent) on it, which is not being reflected from the decsription.

For instance, your room is quite advanced, and in my opinion is in the same league as Mike Levine's, but it does not show here. You need a better camera and lens perhaps. The room is very impressively made and tuned.

The Beat turntable is a knockout in every way. I congratulate Steve for building this work of art. Indeed, he is a vinyl guru and I have learned many things from him. I am sure the Beat is on its way to becoming a benchmark. I cannot afford it for now.

Do the Magico speakers live up to their reputation or "hype". Oh yes, they do. Out of the dynamic speakers that I have heard, they are one of the best three. The addition of the two REL Studios complements them seamlessly.

You have done most things right and have used "audio intelligence" quite well. There is not much to criticize, although if I were you I would make the room marginally less damping and would tamper with or try out different pre-amps. But that is me.

Overall, you have got a world-class system. When are you coming over to my place?

gallant_diva November 15, 2010 23:53

Hi Dev,

I have not compared the Adona rack that I use for my analog front end with any other racks. I like the Adona rack - it solidly built, very stable, easily adjustable for the spacing between shelves, much heavier than it appears and I like the way it looks. The Appogg platforms work very well for every component that I have them under. In each case, using the Appogg platforms have had the same sonic improvement - more air around performers and more ease and refinement to the music. For each component that I use them under, I have had a demo platform under that component for about a week, and then I removed the platform and you can easily the improvement that the Appogg platform made. In addition, they are quite attractive and compared to other high end passive isolation platforms, very reasonably priced.

babybear November 14, 2010 14:30

Hi Babybear, sounds like you are enjoying which is always a good thing.

In relation to your Adona stand which you have your table on, what are your thoughts of this product? have you had a chance to compare to anything else?

I noticed you have a Appogg placed ontop and then your table ontop, what differences have you noticed sonically with and without. I thought Adona's selling feature was this specially designed platform married up along with the stand design.

dev November 13, 2010 13:27

Hi Dev,
Thanks very much.

I haven't had a lot of critical listening time yet with The Beat as we had a quite a few folks over the past few days to meet Steve and to do some listening to the table as well. But my impressions so far of what I have heard compared to my Dobbins Garrard 301 (which is also a wonderful tt as well) are:

1. The noise floor is significantly lower. This strikes you almost immediately and it was startling at first hearing how quiet The Beat is.
2. Dynamics and resolution are better (due to the lower noise floor)
3. Percussive instruments such as cymbals and high hats (while very, very good on the Garrard 301) are simply stunning with The Beat.
4. Bass is more powerful, tighter and more resolute.
5. The soundstage is a good deal wider. The Beat also provides better front to back layering of performers within the soundstage.
6. The overall presentation, especially with complex music, is so effortless and relaxed sounding.

I would say the above are what I have learned so far. I listened to The Beat with my Reed 2A arm and Allnic Puritas cartridge so the differences that I heard were from the table. I think its important to keep in mind that Steve's Garrard 301 is also a world class table and is so great to listen to as well. But "The Beat" is even better. I am very fortunate to be able to own one. Oh, I forgot to mention that The Beat is simply stunning to look at.

Hope that helps.

babybear November 12, 2010 13:53

Hi Babybear, you have some world class pces, very nice!

Your latest pce "The Beat" can you provide some further comments compared to your previous table.

dev November 12, 2010 11:25

System edited: System Update: After having Steve Dobbins here for the past 2.5 days and listening to his wonderful "Beat" turntable, I went ahead and purchased it. Steve also did the transformer upgrade on the Allnic H3000 phono stage while he was here.

babybear November 12, 2010 03:15

Hi Ish,

"The Beat" and Steve arrived yesterday afternoon and we had a wonderful time last night. Quite a few local folks came by to meet Steve and hear The Beat. I look forward to meeting you later today.

babybear November 10, 2010 15:35

Arnie: I am looking forward to meeting you and Steve, in great anticipation.

gallant_diva November 09, 2010 20:31

System edited: I have made a few additions to my system in the last few weeks. First, I've added 3 additional Appogg Breve Reference Platforms in piano black. I had 3 of these previously and now I have the 3 new ones under my Dobbins Garrard 301 turntable, the Allnic H3000 phono stage and the outboard power supplies for the Garrard and the H3000. In addition, I have added a second Rel Studio III sub bass system. Finally, in the next few weeks I am greatly looking forward to having Steve Dobbins visiting me and bringing his new "Beat" turntable for me to hear and to compare to my Dobbins Garrard 301 turntable as well as to do the new transformer upgrade for my Allnic H3000 while he is here. This should be a very fun and interesting couple of days.

babybear October 27, 2010 19:33