Moved to a new house with space for a dedicated listening room and decided to return to my analog roots. I prioritize midrange so went with dual-mono class A amplification using valve pre with solid state power feeding a 2.5 way speaker. The last few pictures show how the addition of a distributed bass array subwoofer system (Swarm) contributes to a smoother and extended frequency response and a reduction in room modes. But it's really all about the midrange.
USB-X4 fiberoptic interface with Swagman Labs Signature Edition LPS
DS Audio DS003 Cartridge and Equalizer
Eminent Technology ET2 Tonearm
High pressure manifold with upgrades; manometer
VPI Industries HW-19 MkIV ÜnStock
Black Diamond Racing Shelf for the Source; Boca ceramic bearing; Sota Total Eclipse SAMA with Sota LPS; modified base and suspension with Black Diamond Racing Cones, Herbie's Audio Lab Tenderfeet and Pucks, Rotalocks.
Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature Preamplifier
Takatsuki 300Bs
JL Audio CR-1 Crossover
Pass Labs XA 60.8 Monoblock Amplifiers
Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3zero Loudspeakers
Townshend Podia
For Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3zero on order
Dayton Audio SA1000 Subwoofer Amplifiers
James Romeyn DEBRA Subwoofer System (aka Swarm)
Distributed bass array with 10 inch drivers
IsoAcoustics Speaker Isolation Feet
Gaia III: James Romeyn DEBRA (Swarm)
Empirical Design Cables
ED 422X XLR: MPD-8 to L2S to CR-1 to XA 60.8
ED 422 RCA: DS003 cartridge to equalizer to L2S
ED Omniwire RCA: CR-1 to SA1000s
ED 213 Speaker Cable bi-wired XA 60.8 to Vectors
ED 416X Power Cords XA 60.8s, L2S, MPD-8, CR-1, DS 003
SolidSteel Equipment Racks
HF Series 4-shelf rack divided into a two shelf rack and two amp stands
410 rack
Indiana Michigan Power
3 dedicated 15 amp circuits
Environmental Potentials EP-2050-EE
Whole house surge protection
AudioQuest Niagara 1200 Power Conditioner, Vodka Ethernet Cable, Dragon USB Cable
Vodka: Xfinity modem to Nucleus Plus
Dragon: Nucleus Plus to USB X4
Furutech Power Cords
DIY to SA1000 subwoofer amplifiers
Vicoustic Room Treatment
Multifuser Wood 64 MkII: front wall
FlexiWave Ultra: front wall
Multifuser DC3: ceiling
Super Bass Extreme Ultra: Front corners
Ultra Wavewood Diffuser: Front and Side Walls
GIK Acoustics Room Reatment
242 Acoustic Panels: side walls and ceiling
Polyfusors: side walls
Monster Bass Traps: rear corners
B4 Acoustic Panels: side walls
244 Acoustic Panels: side walls
Gotham Quadratic Diffusers: rear wall
Acoustimac Acoustic Panels
Side wall and doors
Preston 9 x 13 Handmade Solid Area Rug
Wool, cut pile, 1/2" with 3/8" felt pad
Nitty Gritty Model One Record Cleaning System
Original version with motorized capstan and vacuum
Have you ever tried running the system with the PD MPD-8 DAC as the preamplifier without the VR L2 preamplifier?
Asking because I have a VR L2i-SE with its DAC 2.0. My future will most likely be an AGD MK II Andante preamp/DAC or a PD MPD-6 or MPD-8 used as a preamp.
Thanks for commenting. I do enjoy the sounds it produces and I probably spend 2 to 4 hours a day listening to it. It's that pleasurable.
Since I still occasionally listen to vinyl, I need a separate preamp and I would probably miss the qualities that a valve front end gives me. I've not tried because I am still enamored of the current set up. As I become bored and continue my tweaking, I may well but at this point I'm not sure I want to since the thought of swapping cables every time I wanted to listen to vinyl is not appealing. If I were to go without a separate pre-, and still wanted an analog input, I would probably do the MPD – 8AI.
I recognize it's all a matter of taste, but the Playback Designs unit has me unwilling to get off my butt and change records.
Thank you. I like the wood diffuser on the front wall because it looks nice it makes a difference in the sound stage and overall clarity.
Obviously, I am in the camp that believes that crossing over your mains with a high pass has advantages over running the mains full range and just adding the subwoofer. I believe the JL audio unit did this better than any others. For the price anyway
I biamped my system with the monoblocks high passing to the Vectors at 80 Hz and a distributed base array picking up a low pass also at 80 Hz. While there are other crossovers out there, Marchand, Pass Labs, and others, I felt the CR-1 provided the best quality and features. Infinite crossover points, volume control, A-B switching (with/ without subs), and "damping", which allows one to control the bandwidth of the crossover point. It only has second and fourth order slopes and they have to be the same which is a little disappointing but certainly not a dealbreaker. I use Dayton SA 1000 subwoofer amps which provide a little more control over the final sound.
Proac Tablettes, and Linn Isobariks (terrible speaker). Read about Wilson Benesch and the science behind their design appealed to me so I tried a pair of Trinities. Magical, but bass shy. The Vectors were from the next generation and shared components with their top-of-the-line speaker, The Cardinal. They design virtually all of their components and manufacture something like 90% in house. Their form factor is very similar to Magico, but while Magico uses the brute force of a big block of aluminum to house their drivers, Wilson Benesch uses technology and carbon fiber. I get the impression it is virtually the same stiffness in a much more compact and lighter package. They also use a 2 1/2 way design that allows the mid range to operate without a crossover, which I think is responsible for some of their coherence. I will not call them the poor man's Magico because I think they stand on their own and can directly compete, although it a lower price point.
They are not well known in the United States and their marketing is weak but I believe they are very popular in Europe and even more so in Asia. They don't need the US market. I would say it is our loss.
I know many people emphasize tweaking cables, power cords, fuses, etc. I've been putting my money into room treatments and once that gets settled (if ever), then I'll start looking at the more subtle tweaks. Room treatment can make a significant difference, far more than electronics and tweaks. The skyline diffusers on the ceiling made the room open up.Next to speakers, I don't think anything influences the sound more.
I can say I've always been fond of the British sound having owned Kef 101s and 105.2s, Proacp
Thanks for commenting on my system. Your setup looks really good, well done!
Love the room and the treatments. I agree with one of your earlier comments, room treatment done properly makes a significant difference. You also have great equipment. How do you like your WB speakers? They are always of interest to me as I'm partial to British speakers. If I ever replace my Reference KEF 107's, WB would be on my short list. Thanks again for the comment.
Thank you. The treatments are listed below. For much of the Vicoustics products, I have used a German company. Even with shipping, the prices are superior to domestic suppliers.
Vicoustic Various
Front wall: Multifuser Wood 64 MkII and Flexi Wave Ultra
Ceiling: Multifuser DC3
Front corners: Super Bass Extreme Ultra
Front and Side Walls: Wavewood Diffuser Ultra MkII
Superb room and nice attention to acoustics. My number one recommendation is you need LARGE towers for this size room. I went exactly through that process in my house of stereo. Size does matter.
