this room and system is the result of 10 years in High End audio. my
system has been stable for a couple of years (except for transport and
amplifier upgrades within the same brand). the room has been in the
planning stage for about 18 months and i actually moved in a little over
a month ago.
my audio philosphy is to have the system get out
of the way of the event. i like as pure and simple a signal path as
possible and, at this point, prefer passive to active gain stages. i
love all the formats and enjoy having lot's of music.....vinyl is my
favorite but i listen to at least 60% digital. the new room really
reveals the benefits of SACD over redbook.
the system and room
truely allow the event to be recreated before me. i love the way the
speakers disappear and i am transported to another place/time.
i have choosen my cables, sources, amps, speakers to have as little of their own sound as possible.
recently, i upgraded my digtial transport from the modified Philips
SACD 1000 to the new emmlabs CDSD.....this was a significant step upward
in performance.
i have written an article in Positive Feedback regarding my room building experience.....here is a link;
new version of these cables, a big step over the amazing TRSC model i have used for 10 years. fantastic performance.
WADAX SA Reference DAC
Wadax Reference Dac----state of the art dac with 2 separate power supplies. the best dac i have heard by a good margin. below is a link to a thread about my Wadax experience.
Arya RevOpod isolation footer (32 used under the 5 Wadax Chassis).
height and tension adjustable. the Wadax dac, server, and server power supply chassis all use 8 footers, so it's critical to be able to adjust height and tension to have an even support for optimal performance. RevOpod's are unique in those attributes making them ideal for this use.
https://www.arya-audio.com/revopod
CS Port LFT1 turntable w/arm
air bearing platter and air bearing linear tracking arm; string drive with zero feedback dc motor, low pressure, low flow air system with zero noise air box.
world class musical flow, nuance and delicacy, combined with authority and ease. serves the music completely.
Esoteric T1 Turntable
magnetic drive/rim drive idler turntable with torque adjustment.
with the deletion of my NVS turntable, i was able to move the Taiko Tana active isolation shelf to under the Esoteric T1. this has upgraded the performance of the T1 significantly. objectively small changes, but musically quite profound up tics in realism and immersion. more nuance, greater music focus, better bass articulation.
https://www.esoteric.jp/en/product/t1/top
Esoteric G1X Master Clock
Master Clock Generator for speed improvement for the T1 turntable. significant improvement in music realism.
https://www.esoteric.jp/en/product/g1x/top
Durand --Tosca tonearm.
gimbal bearing design. Tosca is on the Esoteric T1 turntable
Primary Control 12" FCL tone arm
Field Coil Loaded uni-pivot tone arm. with power supply. mounted on the Esoteric T1 turntable. amazing natural and very high resolution tone arm. link below.
12 inch tonearm, stainless steel. used for the Sumile mono cartridge.
https://glanz.tech/e/collection/mh1200s1000s900s/
Experience Music/Intact Audio phono corrector + silver wound MC Trio SUT combo for three different tonearms.
bespoke tubed phono preamplifier. silver wound, with custom dual power supplies.
https://myemia.com/LR.html
LFD -3- Phono Cables DIN to RCA
3 sets of very high performance phono cables. amazing performance. built by Dr. Richard Bews in the UK.
one cable uses a DIN to RCA short Dongle + an RCA to RCA interconnect. the Dongle improves the performance of the DIN connection. details at the link below.
two Etsuro Golds, ---a pair of Reference MC Phono Cartridges.
duraluminim (A7075) body, 24 carat 'Kinpaku' Gold Leaf finish, diamond cantiliver. .3mv output, 4 ohms. these are both special versions of the Etsuro Gold.
one is mounted on the CS Port linear tracker.
one is mounted on the Primary Control FCL arm.
finest cartridge i have heard by a significant margin. WOW!
Audio Technica MC-2022 60th Anniversary cartridge
uses the unified stylus cantilever design. which results in extreme lack of distortion and linearity. remarkable neutrality and ability to dig out detail and keep it natural and musical.
https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/at-mc2022
Murasakino Sumile Mono phono cartridge
MC cartridge for mono records, .04mv output. tracking force 3gms. finest monaural cartridge i have heard. competes on musical refinement with the top stereo cartridges.
Ampex twin ATR-102----one 1/4" and one 1/2" reel to reel master recorder
hot rodded by ATR Service Inc----Andrew Kosobutsky. significant upgrades over stock. each interfacing with hot rodded Ampex MR-70 preamps. the new tape deck performance standard in my opinion.
active isolation under 5 separate components: (1) the NVS turntable, (2) the MSB dac, (3) the darTZeel preamp, (4 + 5) both darTZeel mono block amplifiers. custom modifications by Taiko Audio add a linear power supply plus panzerholtz top layer + Daiza platform to provide full frequency resonance attenuation to each platform.
Taiko Audio Daiza isolation platform--22 used in the system
Panzerholtz Platform with spiral cutouts reducing mid and high frequency resonance while retaining life and energy and not changing tonality.
22 Daiza platforms in the system of various sizes under every piece of the signal path.
Evolution Acoustics 'system' power cables
a new version of the TRPC model i used on my darTZeel 468 mono blocks for the last 10 years. a big step up.
Sablon Audio King power cord
used on the Wadax Reference Server power supply.
https://www.sablonaudio.com/power
Absolute Fidelity power interfaces
power cords specifically designed for either motors (tt and tape decks), amplifiers, and components. 11 in the system.
Tripoint Audio Troy Signature
Grounding box for chassis grounding the darTZeel 458 mono block amplifiers + grounding the passive main towers of the Evolution Acoustics MM7 speaker system.
Tripoint Audio Elite
Tripoint Elite grounding box. this does chassis grounding for my sources. it uses a a pair of Tripoint Thor SE Master Reference ground cables for my dart preamp and the MSB Select II dac. there are also 4 Signature Silver ground cables to the two arm boards of the NVS tt, the power supply of the NVS tt, and the SGM server.
Equi=tech 10WQ
10kva balanced Isoltion transformer and distribution panel.
Furutech GTX-D NCF Rhodium duplex outlets
10 in the system. used with 10 Furutech covers and frames. uses NCF (nano crystal formula) material to reduce noise by emitting negative ions.
Wave Kinetics A10 U8 decoupling footers
8 sets-of-4 in the system for individual tuning of each piece of gear.
Auralex T-Fusor diffusers
i use 20 of these. 6 each on the front side walls, and 4 each front ceiling and rear ceiling.
Klaudio Record Cleaning System
automatic record cleaner
Acoustic Revive RL-30 mKIII CD-LP demagnatizer
for demaging any disc.
Furutech DF-2 LP disc flattner
will remove warps from Lps
Audiodharma Cable Cooker, Anniversary Ed.
will cook any cables
Winds ALM-01 Stylus Force Gauge
easy accurate, repeatable, measurments.
i-Tower by Koncept LED floor lamp
(3) are used. best audio light ever. 2 'warm', 1 'cool'.
Quietrock THX 545 drywall
specialized drywall with a 1/4" metal layer. used in my front sidewalls to establish proper room boundaries.
i've been married 32 years to my wife "Saint Pam" . she is very understanding and supportive. i have put together my system and software over the last 12 years.
i work 55+ hours/6 days a week and this hobby fits my time.
i look at my level of involvement in this hobby like a summer home or sailboat (neither of which i would have time for anyway).
btw; there was a time i was thinking a $150 power cord was too damn expensive (and a silly concept to boot).
First off, your system is insane. I can't imagine what it must sound like in that room. Second, my wife would like to know if you have a significant other. She can't imagine that any partner would agree to all of this. I'm currently pulling all the stops for the ok to purchase a 150 dollar power cord!
silly smiles are exactly what it's all about. sometimes i'm in the middle of a cut and i will realize just how much the dart combo is making the music more alive and it will give me that silly grin too.....even after 9 months.....it is still fresh and special.
personally; i did not notice a great deal of initial breakin on the pre other than the phono stage...which did noticably open up after 100 or so hours.
thanks for the music recommendation......that is what it is all about.
Hey Mike finally got my dart combo. Christ, right out of the box its amazing...and everyone seems to of an opinion that they take longer than usual to fully broken in...can't wait. Last night I was listening to Nicolas Payton's "Payton's Place" (highly recommended) first track zigaboogoloo got me up, nodding my head with big big silly smile on my face. Listening to music is fun again.
what a surprise that a competitor of jtinn would attempt to compromise my integrity.....NOT! i guess all's fair in love and the High End. that is one good reason why i steer clear of the business side of this hobby. too many small thinkers with big egos.
to be honest, i have yet to ever have any problems with any transaction i have ever had (except no warranty coverage after a manufacturer went out of business....once). $19k would get me a bit upset; sorry to hear about that.
Thx for the offer. So difficult to hear quality gear in an optimal setting. I learned that at the CES show.
No offence was intended. I have been looking at pre-amps and cartidges and it was suggested I visit with you regarding the Dart as you had the room to demo them and were a 'Partner' in Chambers. I guess I got strange info from a distributor I sure dont wanna get caught up in industry wranglings. Thx for clearing it up.
FWIW I'm real careful with purchases now and call and check on dealers/distributors as I was just ripped off for $19,000 on a purchase from a legitimate dealer. When I called to check with the distributor it turned out he was a known thief they just ommitted to tell me the first time I called.
you would be welcome to visit my room if you like. e-mail me and we can work out the details. the dart pre is the real deal.
to be clear; i am a good friend of jtinn of Chambers Audio/Blue Light Audio but 'no' partner. i have 'zero' business interest's in High End Audio of any kind. i am a good customer of many of jtinn's products as we share similar sonic biases. sometimes i agree with jtinn on gear; sometimes not. in every case.....i pay for the products (and jtinn makes a profit). as a very good customer i do get the good deal that my business has earned. i have a similar relationship with a few other High End dealers that i have done lots of business with.
in the last year my (questionable) status as a (sometime) reviewer has earned me some 'accomodation pricing'.
if your 'partner' comment was made 'in jest' then just ignore my 'reaction'......when you post something like that on 'my' thread.....i kinda am forced to clarify things.
i took no offense in your comment (assuming offense was not intended) and look forward to hooking up with you soon.
Hi Mike, I'm pretty interested in the Dart Battery PreAmp. It tough to hear in a well set up Room/system though. As your a partner in Chambers Audio would be ok to get a listen in your (great) Room or would you prefer to go through Chambers ? Thx Rumney
Hi, I was reading your review for the VR9, can you please comment on why do you use bi amp on your VR9? I thought the active woofer with 1000W amp is more than enough.
Hello Mike. Is there any specific reason you have decided to use Transparent speaker cables with your Von Schweikerts? I ask this because I have ordered VR-7 SE's and I'm wondering which speaker cable is best for those speakers. My plan is to try Transparent reference (mm) cables with them. At the moment I use Shunyata Orions with my Acapellas. best, Mika
Thanks Mike that sounds pretty encouraging about the V-7se and since you have used the levinson gear years ago ,do you think the ML32/ML33H will gel with the V-7se?.... your thoughts on this combo when you have some time. when are your V-11`s coming in and are you planning to run them with your current dartzeel set up? best regards sam
second; relax....you made a perfect choice with the VR7SE's.....fantastic speaker. really on the same level as the VR9SE's but with a bit 'less' at frequency extremes. it may (or may not) even do a few things better.
later when i have more time i will get into more detail and post some pictures. i will just say for now that my system has never sounded better.
hi mike how s the session with the VSA VR7se going.( phenomenal audio set up- especially your dedicated Hi-fi room) Your honest opinion about the VR 7se would be most appreciated. I have just placed an order for the Vr 7se and its the first time I have placed an order absolutely blind ( without an demo- I am based in the south of england.UK and the local dealer does not have the VR 7se for demo)- I am getting a little tired of my current setup and hope to get a better pace and attack/drive at a lower listeninig volume ( late night listening) from my system which comprises of Mark levinson 32, 33H with the esoteric x-01 CD/SACD player and B&W 800N speakers with NBS blacklabel cables ( room size 14 X 30 feet). your opinion would be most wellcome. any new photos of your set up with the VR 7se bye for now sam
. Mike, . I am guessing that we can take your post as an abbreviated review and that you recommend the quality of the Zeppelin set and think it is worth the price ? . Did you get it from Acoustic Sounds ? . Rgds, Larry .
Got my Led Zepplin 45 RPM box set on Friday......48 one-sided Lps. i stayed up till 2am Friday night enjoying it. It was all i expected it to be.
some of the Led Zep music is a little rough and that comes thru even more on a 45.....but for the most part it was hearing 'the music of my youth' as i have never heard it. a few years back Classic did the box set with the first 4 Led Zep Albums and the 45rpm test pressing......and i bought 3 sets to get a life-time supply of Stairway 45's.....so i already had that one.......but every one of my fav's were magnificent.
this is really what this hobby is all about. my favorite music fully alive in my room.
. Mike, . I for one, am glad that you have your priorities in order. . I have always appreciated all of the time and effort you have put into sharing the progression of your system and the logic that has gone into all of the well thought out steps. It continues to be enjoyable, educational, and inspiring. . Thanks, Larry .
after the room, speakers define a system. since i already know how well my amps work with the 11's it was an easy choice that they would be a performance upgrade compared to the I.C.'s.
regarding $$$'s. in fact, i have not spent a dime on speakers (until now) since i upgraded from my Wilson WP6's to the Kharma Exquisite's (back in 2001)....and then not that much.
i will just say that my wife makes sure that keeping the dollars reasonable is always an issue. my room investment was considerable....but my home value was increased by at least that much. many spend much more on a Home Theatre than my room cost. other than my Grand Prix racks last year almost all dollars have been revenue neutral. 4 years ago my purchase of the used Rockport was expensive; but the net dollars was not that much after selling my other gear....and i could easily sell the Rockport for more than i paid.
my audio investment is considerable but i have spread it out over 12 years and always been able to trade up reasonably....and have not just blown thru a bunch of gear.
in any case, money is an issue and i don't just throw it around.
BTW, i took no offense at your comment even though my response may lead you to feel that i did.
I would have thought you would go for the Transparent Opus ic's before the upgrade ... next move perhaps?
Can't wait to see the updated pic's with the new 11's, I think you are now the 3rd or 4th owner in North America ... along with Lakefrontroad, Jtinn and Albert, am I correct in my assumption?
Hi Mike...having ordered them still waiting for my dart pre+ pwr to arrive...ah its looooooong wait when u are sooooo longing for them. In the meantime I've been discovering some new music....if you like modern jazz: highly recommended are Manute Katche's Neighborhood (w/ Tomasz Stanko, Jan Garbarek) and Steve Khan's The Green Field (w/ John Patitucci and Jack DeJohnette).
the VR11's are 7 foot, 6 inches tall (90 inches). my room is 11 feet tall. so no problem with size. in the opinion of both my room designers (Richard Rives and Chris Huston) and the VR11 designer.......my room is ideally designed to take complete advantage of everything the VR11's can do. my ceiling is particularly capable of dealing with all that bass energy and dynamics so high in the room.
