Martin Logan Odyssey, heavily modified, Mundorf xover
http://www.martinlogan.com/insiders/index.php?system=1&sysID=425 Heavily modified crossover with Mundorf Supremes and CFC-14 coils, M6 posts; bass attenuation with Caddock resistors. Granite panel pillars, dampened bass cabinets http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?13791-Taming-resonances-in-the-Odyssey http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?12761-Modifying-the-Odyssey-crossover-my-adventure
REL Acoustics Stadium Mk III, heavily modified
It mates extremely well with the Odysseys, smoothing out peaks in the 40-50Hz range as well. A very good sub.
Spectral DMA-500AR monoblocks
Stunning sound; carbon fiber shielding
Spectral DMC-30SV preamp
One of the very best preamps out there; carbon fiber shielding
Spectral SDR-4000SV CD Player
World class player; carbon fiber shielding
VPI Industries Aries 3 TT, heavily modified
A very good tt; see http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?4369-Isolation-materials/page2 for the superb isolation solution I came up with
VPI Industries JMW 10.5i arm Nordost Valhalla, shielded
An excellent arm
Ortofon Verismo
Incredible cartridge
Pass Laboratories XP-25 phono, heavily modified
A stunning phono stage, but stupidly built when it comes to isolating noise and external hum. Heavily RFI shielded; heavily hum shielded; carbon fiber shielding; custom umbilical cord; Vishay power supply diodes
MIT Oracle Matrix 50 and Oracle MA-X phono shielded; Alpha v2 RCAs
Matrix 50; MA-X digital and phono
MIT Matrix 90 Rev1, shielded
What the amp requires
Revox B-77 Mk II
A classic - some tapes still outperform their equivalent LP and CD transfers.
Magnum Dynalab MD-90SE, modified & shielded
I don't know about others, but I am getting incredible sound out of this piece with live classical music broadcast, even floor-shaking bass from organs playing at Sunday masses. Mundorf electrolytic caps; heavily shielded RF section
Zoethecus Custom
A classic. Using a custom granite shelf for the turntable.
VPI Industries SDS speed controller
0.1% accuracy
Shunyata Research Sigma XC/Alpha v2 NR/Delta v2 NR power cords
Have not updated here in a loooong time... Spectral DMA-500AR monoblocks and Spectral SDR-4000SV have been in the system for some time now. Shunyata Everest, Sigma/Alpha/Delta v2 cords reduce noise so much and boost dynamics. Shunyata Alpha v2 interconnects complete the picture.
sorry I don't check my system's page often and just stumbled upon your question by accident. Suggest you follow my hum thread on WBF on noise, which will be updated next week - the XP-25 must be isolated from any other component, or employ the shielding about to be discussed there. In addition, only the MIT MA-X phono (also shielded, as will be shown) can lower the noise floor, and I tried Transparent, Nordost and Shunyata. The drop in noise is dramatic with all modifications that will be shown...
So watch http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?12971-Chasing-hum-Two-great-iPhone-apps-to-isolate-hum-in-your-analog-chain&highlight=chasing for updates the week of Jan 6 2014
Hi curious how you are liking your Pass XP-25. I have very low output Allaerts phono cartridge I really like...but need a phono stage to handle it with lots of quiet gain...
I have recently switched to the CLX power cord. It is shielded, unlike the stock. Immediate gain in treble clarity, probably because of the lack of line noise radiation to the speaker cables running alongside it. You have very sharp eyes!
Completed structural speaker mods... for details see http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?13791-Taming-resonances-in-the-Odyssey&p=147919#post147919
For the frequency response curve (and overall improvement by the new crossover) see http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?5532-System-228-%28Odyssey%29&p=144022&viewfull=1#post144022
Crossover mods: I believe I finally have achieved my goal of decades ago: CONNECT WITH THE MUSIC... a startling experience!
In the recent months, I have undertaken a complete overhaul of the ML's crossover with Mundorf Supreme caps and CFC-14 coils. You will find all the details at http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?12761-Modifying-the-Odyssey-crossover-my-adventure but following are some highlights...
First of all, I was eventually unhappy with Summit X's, so this was the impetus for the mod. Some typical results:
Stravinsky's Rite of Spring on Reference Recordings... I happened to have auditioned the Summit X with the exact same Spectral electronics and Berkeley Alpha DAC right before I was about to purchase - the sound got harsh on full orchestral climaxes especially with mass winds, and in fact one of the amps shut down. Well, at home now and after the mods, playing the same piece as loud as back in the dealer room - the sound is just simply effortless, horns blaring and all. I hear much less distortion, more vividness, a wider and deeper soundtsage, and larger dynamic contrasts in the new O's...
Next... I've never heard drums sound so crisp, real and annoying before - on par with what I heard from the Magico Q3. I had a jaw-dropping experience listening to Bruch's Scottish Fantasy with Oistrakh, both on XRCD and LP. Extreme pinpointing of the violin; layers and layers of soundstage behind it; powerful, effortless and very realistic rendering of the violin right there in front of me - complete you-are-there emotion; total disbelief. It's great to be able to hear what a Stradivarius might really sound like... shivering...
What this entire crossover update has achieved is bring out the emotion in music reproduction. I am stunned by how realistically strings are rendered - I feel them vibrating; this is what the speed of an electrostat is all about. The speaker currently still significantly falls short in shear size of the orchestra, something it will never achieve, though still spectacular with great recordings, and of course the bass's speed can still be improved.
WRT Summit X, it's been a little while since I last auditioned it (~10 weeks), but I am pretty certain this new Odyssey smokes it in just about every aspect: larger and faster panel (due to crossover updates), no rattling woofer enclosure (the X is really bad in that respect), rounded box edges, higher level of realism than the X, less distortion; and I still think the tonality of the Summit series is tipped up higher and meant to be matched to the room by tilting, but up to a point - I like the vertical panels in the older speakers and the CLX.
System edited: Recent changes: The extra-ordinary Spectral 30SS Series 2 preamp has arrived. And I have launched in an extensive speaker crossover overhaul - see http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?12761-Modifying-the-Odyssey-crossover-my-adventure
System edited: I have replaced all my power cords with Shunyata Black Mamba CX/HC (10AWG). I continue to be very skeptical about power cords in general, but these have introduced the last missing vividness in this system, that comes probably as a result of a few things: a) Higher instantaneous current delivery - i.e. lower impedance between the wall and the equipment; b) Noise reduction - although I have not been able to directly, perceive this yet, as the system was already extremely quiet. However, I am able to measure the reduction in noise with the phono and the Revox's input turned all the way up - the VU meters just don't move - this is truly exceptional and another first in this system. I am not sure which part of these cords is responsible for the overall improvement - cryo connectors, their purest copper, the Helix construction, or all of them - but as a combo the result is tangible. They are an expensive "solution", but the results are self-evident in this particular system, considering the speed of the Spectrals: uncongested choruses (a first in my system), realistic bass drum and timpani, exceptional (even realistic) piano attack and decay... and the list goes on and on. The improvement is *slight* in the grand scheme of things, but very real.
Thanks. Currently looking at the Summit X or CLX... The Revox has been with me for some 26 years, original everything and lightly used. Still sounds better than LP with the same recordings.
Thanks. If you ever get a chance, you should take a listen to MartinLogan Monolith III's - maybe these are the ones your friend had??? - with the external crossover (from the 1990's), mated with modern electronics and get ready for a thrilling ride :-)
Very interesting System. Remembers me to a long time ago when one of my friends introduced me to High End. He had large Logans in a big room with Rowland Model 9 monos. I was very impressed, we did listen to Eagle's Vinyl "Hell freezes over", it was a fantastic time. Happy Listening.
Oh that's funny... there is a 30SS here on Agon just 6 months old... Gee am I NOT surprised.
On your DMA-180: keep in mind that the Spectral sound has changed significantly in recent years. Whereas your amp has this very wide but diffuse soundstage, the newer models, including the 250, have an extremely well focus but still wide soundstage. This was the sharpest contrast between the Alpha DAC and the old SDR-2000 I had, as well as the DMC-20 preamp's and the new 30SL's. Essentially, the newer designs offer this walk-around soundstage, and the reason you can "walk around" it is that you can actually feel the instruments due to the sharp focus - that's how palpable the presentation is.
