Description

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I completely revamped my system over the past six months or so, and I decided to go all-digital, all tubes for the time-being, with plans to return to vinyl as my tastes evolve.  My major upgrade was going from the Sonus faber Chameleons to the Bowers and Wilkins 804 D3, which are absolutely unbelievable speakers.  I imagine improvements beyond the 804 are incremental and less astounding than the switch from the Chameleons.  

At any rate, I'm experimenting with tubed-based components now, and the HUGE bandwidth that the PrimaLuna Prologue Five provides drives the 804s brilliantly with headroom to spare; I can't turn the volume knob beyond the 9-o'clock position without waking up the entire household.  Yes...a tube amp that possesses significant bottom end (along with the expected luscious midrange and airy highs).  I don't often need the REL S/5 sub as the B&W/PrimaLuna pairing represents the best-sounding speaker/amplifier combination that I've ever heard, but the REL definitely adds body to every genre of music.  The 804s are connected to the amp with AudioQuest Gibraltar speaker cables.

I also added an Oppo UDP-205 for SACD and Blu-ray (a marvelous performer with both), but since I wanted to try an all-tube-based system for critical music listening, I upgraded to a PrimaLuna Prologue Three preamp and Prologue Classic CD player, both tube-based components, and both of which are somewhat of a rarity at their price points in that they employ tube instead of solid state rectification.  Both are dual-mono designs with potted toroidal transformers, as well, with point-to-point wiring instead of flimsy circuit boards.  I also replaced the tubes in the Prologue Three with all-new PrimaLuna-branded 5AR4, 12AX7, and 12AU7 tubes.  CDs on this system sound like analog without all of the hassle associated with vinyl.  I retained the Bluesound Node 2 streamer from the previous system to access MQA via Tidal Masters.

I don’t foresee the need to upgrade anything else for quite some time as I’m enjoying my own personal audio nirvana with this system.  Please provide your feedback!

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Room Details

Dimensions: 15’ × 15’  Medium
Ceiling: 7’


Components Toggle details

    • Bowers and Wilkins 804 D3
    • REL Acoustics S/5
    • PrimaLuna ProLogue 3
    • PrimaLuna ProLogue 5
    • PrimaLuna ProLogue Classic
    • AudioQuest Gibraltar
    • Oppo UDP-205
    • Richard Gray's Power Company RGPC 1200C
    • Bluesound Node 2
    • AudioQuest Diamondback
    • PS Audio AC-3
    • PS Audio Power Punch
    • PS Audio Power Purifier

Comments 6

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That's a magnolia demo room,  isn't it?

cdmiller05