Description

This system is great for my 800 sq foot apartment, If you've never heard Deja Vu equipment and you're ever in the DC area their store in Vienna VA is amazing, a haven for tubes and analog. I ended up with my amp after years of taking broken gear to Vu's to be fixed and having him loan me gear that sounded so much better. Finally I made a trade and ended up with my current amp and the best and probably last amp I will ever own. Especially since the NOS Aerovox cap upgrade Vu recommended a huge upgrade in every way.. My preamp I picked up on Agon, a cool early Deja Vu prototype full function with an active tubed crossover. Both amp and preamp were built by Pavel their former designer and the synergy makes both greater than the sum of their parts.

Later additions are my Audionote  Dac-3 Signature and Auralic Aries Mini and I'm now addicted to streaming. Audio Note Lexus speaker cables, Furutech power cables, a Jorma Design digital cable,  and my analog interconnects are Kondo and Auditorium 23.

Got  some new footers Gregitek Aries Graf, Combak Ebony Pucks, plus added a Synergistic Black Quantum fuse to my preamp.  Improvements all around the system keeps sounding better and better!

Just got my new Audio Note AN/Jlx's and the system is truly singing!
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Components Toggle details

    • Auralic Aries Mini with Sbooster Power Supply
    A great sounding little streamer and love the Lightning DS app!
    • Audio Note UK DAC-3 Signature
    Audio Note Dac-3 Signature built in1995! I recently had the coupling caps upgraded to AN copper caps. Output tubes are a pair of Mullard CV2492 and the Dac sounds really sweet, transparent, natural, with great tone.
    • Deja Vu Audio Full-Function Tubed Stereo Preamp
    Tubed preamp from Deja Vu Audio in Vienna VA. This is an older prototype with a built-in tubed crossover and phonostage, but I run it just as a linestage. A mix of vintage and current parts, including XLO internal wire and an ALPs volume pot from 1977 that was chosen for it's superior sound quality. Amazing warm, organic, lifelike sound, very synergistic with my amp both designed and built by Deja Vu's former designer whiz Pavel.
    • Deja Vu Audio Custom EL-34 Stereo Amplifier
    A stereo pushpull amp with a pair of EL34's per channel, three 6SN7's up front and a 5U4G rectifier. Triode wired running in Class A putting out 17 warm sweet powerful watts per channel. Vintage Acrosound transformer from the 60's. With Gold Lion KT-77's and a recapping last year with NOS Aerovox Caps from the 1960s. A 60's era  RCA rectifier and Sylvania 6SN7's complete the package.
    • Audio Note AN/Jlx in Olive Wood Finish on Sound Anchors
    I finally pulled the trigger on new speakers after 10 years with my previous JMlabs Micros. Vu at Deja Vu Audio really pointed me in the right direction with the AN/J's they arrived yesterday and look and already sound great. They are the Lexus copper wired version which Vu recommended for it's warmth compared to the silver wired versions.  He also recommended the original paper woofer over the newer blue hemp cones, finding the hemp drivers to be a bit dry sounding. These sound great already and should really start to sing around the 100 hour mark!
    • Cerious Technologies Nano Signature Power Cable
    I have this powering my power conditioner, great budget PC!
    • Furutech FP-S032N With F1-11 Gold Connectors
    I have two of these excellent  12awg  power cords feeding my DAC and preamp, custom made for me by Chris Venhaus at VH Audio.
    • ExactPower 2000 AC Power Conditoner
    Balanced voltage device and line conditioner.
    • Variac 2000VA
    For my power amp, ramps up voltage gradually to a steady 120V.
    • Jorma Design Digital Cable
    The best digital cable I've heard in my system bar none.  Beautiful organic vivid sound with real musical flow. Connecting the Aries Mini to my AN Dac.
    • Kondo AudioNote Japan KSL-Vc
    Kondo's copper interconnect running from my DAC to preamp. I thought it would be perfect to add AN Japan to AN UK and I was right. This cable sounds fantastic an improvement in tonality, timbre, tonal color, and detail. Music flows better and sounds more real.
    • Auditorium 23 Interconnect
    This gave me that final ahhh moment when i connected it between my amp and preamp. Just a gorgeous sounding cable that makes music sound more real and natural.
    • Audio Note Lexus Copper Speaker Cables
    Hooked up my new AN/Jlx's with the same copper wire they are internally wired with, nice to get away from garden hose sized cables to something more human sized.
    • Gregitek Aries Graf Footers
    Carbon fiber and aluminum under my Aries Mini and my amp.
    • Combak Corp Brass and Ebony Footers
    Under my preamp.
    • Synergistic Research Black Quantom Fuse
    Installed in my preamp.
    • Synology DC 214 Play
    NAS server feeding my Aries Mini two 4 TB hard drives in a hybrid RAID configuration.
    • High Fidelity Cables MC-0.5
    I was loaned one of these from my friend Jim @lowrider57, and liked the more relaxed feeling it gave to the music. When High Fidelity was closing them out half price recently I picked one up, it's been in the system for a month now. Nice tweak and I am not much of a tweaker!
    • Blue Jeans Cable Bonded Pair Cat-6a ethernet cable
    From modem/router to my Aries and from my NAS to my router.
    • Deja Vu Audio Custom Pushpull 2a3 amp
    I was loaned this amp by Deja Vu when my own amp went in the shop, it's still there, and instantly fell in love with it. It's pushpull as the title says with dual power trasformers and vintage Eico output transformers. I am officially adding it to my system as I made the decision to keep it, as I suspected would happen all along. It sounds fantastic I love the sound of the 2a3 tube and pushing 15wpc it's a perfect match to my AN-J's.
    • Arcam FMJ-P35 Stereo Amp
    I acquired this little 100 watt Brit amp locally to use as an emergency backup locally for a very good price. I ran it in the system for a day to test it out and it sounds surprisingly good for a modest priced SS amp.
    • Wisdom Cable Technology Power Stage ES-10
    I've been looking for a new power distributor and this unit fit the bill nicely well constructed and sounds good too.
    • Yamamoto Soundcraft YDA-1 Dac
    My old friend is back bought back from the person I sold it too and happy to have my beloved Yamamoto returned to me.
    • Auralic ARIES G1
    I've finally upgraded my streamer my beloved Aries Mini served me faithfully for 6 years but I couldn't pass up the demo deal i got on this G1. Same great Auralic sound just a bit more of it. ;)
    • Wright Sound WPA-3.5 2a3 SET Monoblocks
    Found a great deal on these George Wright 2a3 monoblocks and they sound fantastic. Outfitted with NOS GE/Raytheon 2a3s, and some 60s RCA 6SN7's and RCA 5Y3 rectifiers. Sweet and transparent and dead quiet!
    • RCA Tube caddy
    Picked up this 60s era tube caddy and finally have my tubes sort of organized at least not all over the place!

Comments 193

Hey Jond-very nice! It seems we have similar taste in Valves and overall synergy...I like the NOS Aerovox upgrade too. I would love to hear those AudioNote speakers, they look beautiful too.

ianengel

Owner
@oranfoster Thank you Oran warm and organic is pretty much how I describe it. Early renaissance is way out of my wheelhouse however have any recs?

jond

What a sublime system. I imagine a very warm and organic sound. I bet early renaissance music would be a delight. Congrats, ~Oran

oranfoster

Owner
Man I wish Audiogon gave you a heads up on system comments! @ozzy62 Thanks I appreciate that and glad you've been to Deja Vu. Meeting Vu and listening there pretty much got me off the gear merry-go-round. And @gunther11 Thanks I really love the sound of my speakers and the Sound Anchors were at the rec of my dealer and I see/hear why solid is a perfect description.

jond

I've never heard Audio Note speakers before, but I bet they sound wonderful.
I too use sound anchor stands and they are as solid as a rock!

gunther11

Very nice system Jon. I am in Virginia and have been to Deja vu a couple of times. Always a pleasant experience.

Oz

ozzy62

Owner
@moofoo Thank you! And yes I love seeing interior pics of gear so thought I would post some myself. Tubes R' Us is right I have enough extras to fully re-tube my system!

jond

Super system! I bet it sounds great. Love all the pics of inside the gear. Super nice caps too. Tubes R' Us!

moofoo

Owner
@salectric Thanks Dave it really does! The switch from using wifi to a hardwired ethernet connection also was an improvement. Things are sounding better than ever here.

jond

Congratulations on the upgraded AN DAC!  I am sure it sounds great.

salectric

Owner
My AN DAC-3 Sig is back with upgraded AN copper foil output caps and sounding better than ever. Deeper bass and more depth and color to instruments and more precise imaging. And the caps are still breaking in!

jond

Owner
@mjcmt Thank you that's the Olive veneer and yes I am still very satisfied by far the best speakers I've owned and a great match with my amp. I looked at the Seas A-26 looks like a nice little speaker though if I read right a lot less efficient than my AN's 92db vs 88db. I previously drove 90db speakers with my amp and though it was a solid match I find the AN's much faster and more lively. Not knowing what amp you have tough to say if 88db will work well or not.

jond

I like your speakers a lot. Looks like AN's delux version of the Seas A-26 speaker, which I'm thinking of getting from Madisound as a kit, for my simpler tube system. Are you still satisfied w your AN speakers?

mjcmt

Owner
@exupgh12 Thank you! It does sound great even with my Dac "in the shop" getting a cap upgrade. A loaner ANKits Dac 1.1 is filling in and things still sound lovely.

jond

One hack of a setup, I’m sure it sound delightful

exupgh12

Owner
@smortega Thanks for the kind words and it does sound great to my ears! Right now I am streaming both Tidal and Quobuz I may cut one but not sure yet. Genres are classic jazz 50's-60's, alt-country, jam bands, reggae, blues, funk, occasional classical. So all over the map basically and the system handles it all well.

jond

Looks good and must sound awesome. What is your streaming service and what genre of music do you listen to?

smortega

Owner
@agear thank you so much for the kind words! I enjoy it every day and will for a long time. And grrrr I wish Virtual Systems would give notifications of comments or I would have responded sooner.

jond

Jond, beautiful system that I am sure sounds great.  I too like the AN house sound.  Years of musical enjoyment is in your future.

agear

Owner
@sisyphus51 Thank you! I like your cool minimalist apartment setup also.

jond

Nice stuff!

sisyphus51

Owner
@sbayne thanks very much for the kind comments! And my preamp does have a synergistic black fuse in it and sounds great. 

@pops thank for the kind words and having been to Deja Vu I know you understand I am continuously blown away by their knowledge and ears. Cheers!

jond

Very nice Jond.  I’ll bet it sounds great.  I have been to Deju Vu Audio a couple of times and was very impressed.  Enjoy the tunes!

pops

jond - Very nice and well thought-out system! I'm sure it sounds great! I totally get every move you have made on equipment choice. You should try the SR Blue fuses in your system I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Best regards, Scott

sbayne

Owner
@barrysandy  Thanks for the kind words and it's been singing lately dropping the Kondo cable in was a huge improvement last week. And I always think Vu's systems are the best at Cap Audiofest. I highly recommend checking the store out you can get lost in there for hours. Cheers!

jond

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