Sound Lab A3 PX electrostatic speakers, Ayon CD35 player, TRL Dude preamplifier, CAT JL1 Signature Monoblock Amplifiers, Wireworld solid core silver interconnects,speaker wires,power cables, 28 quadratic diffusers, dense lime stone stands under all componets, Sound of Eden brass footers under all components, Tripoint Troy ground unit and PS Audio P20 power conditioner.
Thanks Grannyring. These amps do spoil you. When I listen to other systems at the shows I find myself wondering why these high end manufacturers don't get it. I guess if they built something like Tube Research they couldn't come up with a new model every so many years. Once you designed the best whats next?
Booboobear, funny typing in your username. Love your system Boo and lust after your amps! Very nice system indeed. The Dude with those amps and wonderful speakers must make sweet music in your home.
Indeed. The thing I always look for is longevity. I am always impressed with the philes who dial in and stay there for 20 years. That tells they are into music and not equipment....
Thanks Andrew! These things bring tears to my eyes. I'm not kidding! What a blast! This is how it is supposed to be. Like a kid in a candy store. The longer I have them the more I want to listen to them. When was the last time you made an upgrade that eventually did not get old?
Wait did you finally get a camera? 250 thousand dollar system to cheap to buy a camera. All kidding aside your system is one of the best I have ever heard. The dude will take it to the next level cannot wait to hear it.
The stands are 5 inches thick and are 27" by 27". The stone supplier calculated them to weigh 250 pounds each. They are made of Ohio limestone and do a good job of decoupling the speakers from the floor. Also they suck the cabinet resonance or mechanicaly ground the cabinets to the stone. The speakers are on tip toes designed by JM Labs. Dialing in the sweet spot was more difficult than I had hoped. Originally the speakers had a wooden plate on the bottom so I would just slide them around on the stone experimenting with the toe. When I got them close to being dialed I then put on the spikes. The bass drivers are so fast you cannot see them move!
I have read about the Utopia in Stereophile. For years now I have heard that it is as close to a panel in regards to speed as a dynamic speaker can get. Also that the bass is very tunefull..articulate. I listen to a lot of classical and piano in particular. I wanted more dynamics. I found that on some music the Sound Labs needed to be louder than I liked to sound real, or close, you know what I mean. Now I can listen at much lower volumes and still get great detail. These things layer so deep it is uncanny.The imaging of musicians is most solid. A friend got a good deal on these and loved them but could not hold on to them so I took the leep. As far as favorite music I would like to know ones that move you.... you know discs that you cant get enough of because the performance is so touching. Some of my favorite discs are not always the best engineered.
Hi Booboobaer, Congrats on the new speakers! Sounds like you're enjoying the new speakers - what prompted the change?
I do take rudimentary room measurements (Freq & SPL)everytime I move or change an acoustical treatment to note the objective and subjective differences, if any.
By top 5 CDs are you referring to playback quality, favourite artists or something different?
System edited: Recently changed speakers. Were sound labs, now JM Lab Utopia!I did not think I could go from a panel back to a dynamic speaker. I was wrong!
Kevinzoe, just wanted to say that I saw your room and I bet it sounds great.I would like to take sound measurements of my room someday and see how it pans out. Have you ever measured yours? If you don't mind, would you say what your top 5 cds are? Take care.
The trees when removed takes away a little focus. Technically it should not make an improvement but it does!I find it hard to believe the wavy stands by Shakti (i believe they are Holograms or something)make a difference but some people swear by them. I have not heard them nor will I because of the price. The bass tube traps are not visible by the photos but are in the corners behind the trees. At times I have removed the trees and put in another room. I don't like it without them.My Audiophile friends agree. I use a heavy decoratvie carpet on the back well since it is right behind my head. No diffusors on the back wall,...too close. And no I am not offended by thinking or questions froms friends. Thanks for the interest!!
Thanks for the clarification about that chair in the corner - it's a bass trap in disguise ;)
Do you feel that your trees really offer diffusion? With all due respect, only the very highest of frequencies (meaning smallest wavelengths) MIGHT be affected due to the thin and lightweight leave structure. They look good but I have my suspicions they don't act as diffusers. If anything, sound waves crashing into the leaves may cause them to move thereby acting like a pseudo diaphragmatic sound absorber, but there again only at higher frequencies. Their lightweight mass means mid to lower frequencies won't "see" the plants. But they look good . . .!
Are you using diffusion on your rear wall too? Where's the bass trapping as I can't make it out in the pixs.
You can click on "System" by my name (Kevinzoe) to view pics of my room, should you wish.
Again, great set up Doug. Hope I haven't come across too strongly or negatively.
