Full Steam Ahead

by ckniker on Ever Evolving

Description

Getting back into 2-channel Audio after an 18 year hibernation.

Finished my basement and built a dedicated listening room.

In the past few years, I've met a load of helpful and wonderful friends who have advised me and given me the ability to hear lots of equipment I never would have had a chance to listen to.
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Components Toggle details

    • Nick Doshi Alaap Preamp
    "Purist"-version full function preamp. Includes MC or MM phono-stage input and 1 other input (Single Ended or Balanced). JJ gold-pin ECC99 Telefunken (The Fisher) 12AT7 JJ gold-pin ECC83s
    • Tenor HPS-150 Amplifier
    Hybrid Stereo Amplifier. Output Transformer-Less topology.
    • Custom (OMA) Slate Turntable
    With help from Jonathan Weiss (@ OswaldsMill Audio), I designed and built this Slate table. The initial designed borrowed parts from my Teres (bearing, platter, motor).

    However, I added flexibility to the design to enable me to add different motors (Papst w/ Mark Kelly Analog controller) and different platter/motors (Technics SP10).
    • Teres 320 turntable
    Rosewood Plinth and armboard. Teres's composite platter (much better than the acrylic platter on my previous Teres 265). Includes Cocobolo-housed Reference Motor. Holographic mylar tape as drive belt.
    • Kuzma Airline tonearm
    Linear Tracking Air bearing
    • Ortofon A-90 Cartridge
    Moving Coil cartridge
    • Zyx UNIverse X-SB
    Incredible cartridge. Easily the fastest, most dynamic, resolving cartridge I've ever heard. Great in every way. No deficiencies that I've been able to hear.
    • Studer A807 Mk.II Reel-to-Reel
    Reel to Reel Deck
    • Bottlehead Eros Tape
    Tape preamp to allow direct connection to the R2R repro head
    • Kharma 3.2F CRM speakers
    Incredible transparency and accuracy. Imaging is unreal. Focal tweeter.
    • Kharma CE 1.0 subwoofer
    Matched w/ the Ceramique 3.2
    • Bel Canto CD-1
    Great soundstaging
    • (RAKK based) custom DAC
    Home made DAC based on the RAKK DAC circuit. Custom changes to allow A/B evaluation of different CCS (Constant Current Sources) and other components. Will be made into a proper chassis when A/B evaluation and voicing is complete.
    • Nordost Valhalla speaker cables
    3 meters
    • Nordost Tyr Interconnects
    1 meter RCA between DAC and preamp
    • Shunyata various Powercables
    Anaconda and Python Alpha Helix

Comments 27

Showing all comments by c1ferrari.

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Hello Ckniker!

Thanks for your observations regarding the carts - greatly appreciated :-) I briefly heard an A90/Triplanar/Garrard combo...wonderful sound, indeed!

I'm considering valve electronics for my A820; however, it sounds rather good - stock!

I'm looking forward to your report on the Bottlehead and hope you enjoy the Tape Project album(s).

Best regards,
Sam

c1ferrari

Hi Ckniker,

Keep us in the loop! I'm contemplating the Airline, myself, and have read opinions regarding synergy between Zyx and Kuzma. Would you have any opinion/experience with Olympos and the Airline or Air Tight Supreme and Airline?

Thanks,
Sam

p.s. Have you tried Tape Project reels on your Studer? I expect it should sound marvelous :-)

c1ferrari

Alright, Studer - congrats!

c1ferrari

Hello!

Wonderful system...Doshi, Tenor, and Kuzma - I could live with that :-)

Congrats!
Sam

c1ferrari

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