Coming Along Nicely (Now mostly retired and replaced)

by joncourage on

Description

This system, after reaching a point at which I truly enjoyed it, has now been replaced for a variety of reasons.  I'll post the new setup shortly.


An enjoyable journey, with occassional moments of terror, twisting and winding through equipment, rooms, and people (my latest girlfriend prefers listening on her iPad).

Around each bend a new perspective, an improvement, more enjoyment of music old and new. 

The gear I've chosen over the years compensates for some room and budgetary challenges, resulting in - finally - a truly enjoyable listening experience. The music is emotionally engaging, more transparent to the source than other systems I've heard the same music in, with lots of PRAT, depth, and realism.

I have one front end - Logitech's Transporter SE, which is fed a steady diet of FLAC. The convenience of selecting and changing playlists on-the-fly on my iPad from the comfort of my listening seat is remarkable and results in highly varied, more frequent listening sessions. 

Always appreciate input from knowledegable folks.

Read more...

Components Toggle details

    • Audio Note Kits DAC 4.1 LE+
    A highly enhanced version of our 3.1 kit bringing you a component upgrade combination that we know will bring you the highest standard of any such kit on the market today - our highest end and most extravagant DAC for the ultimate connoisseur.

    The features are numerous:

    AudioNoteKits’ new 3mm powder coated black Aluminum chassis.
    New enhanced M2-X power supply uses AN copper film caps along with high quality RubyCon Electrolytics and Panasonic for the filament position.
    Updated and more rugged Mains transformer.
    Pre-assembled Digital DAC board with dual toroidal input transformers.
    The 5687 Driver Board comes with Tantalum resistors, Copper film capacitors and Black gates.
    Audio Note Improved HI-B C core output transformers for the final stage.
    Supports either XLR, USB or RCA(SPDIF) input and both RCA and XLR Balanced Outputs!
    Pre-assembled Digital DAC board with dual toroidal input transformers And Elna Cerafine capacitors.

    With 2W Tantalum resistors, silver hard-wired line board, AN-V silver wire for inputs, power supply upgrade kit.
    • Logitech Transporter SE
    Audiophile network music player.
    • Aerial Acoustics Model 7b
    http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/952/index.html

    The Model 7B is characterized by a transparent, open, natural sound, with precise imaging and full, expressive bass. Treble response is extended and remarkably smooth. Bass is communicated with power, authority, and character. Unrestrained dynamics and high power handling combine with subtlety and nuance to faithfully reproduce both music and film soundtracks.
    • HiDiamond Digital Carbon xlr
    1m, aes/ebu version of this Italian made cable.
    • HiDiamond Diamond 3 XLR
    1meter balanced ICs.
    • Zu Ibis
    2.5 meters, spades with Ibis jumpers.
    • Transparent Premium Powerlink MM2
    Power cables, used throughout.
    • Hifi Tuning Supreme fuses
    4 fuses, 5amp fast blow small.
    • Totem Acoustics Beaks
    Resonance control, 2 per speaker.
    • Synergistic Research MIG
    Resonance/vibration control footers.
    • Shakti Electromagnetic Stabilizer Stone
    Emi reducer
    • Shakti On-lines (x2)
    Emi reducer
    • EAT Cool Dampers tube dampers
    Carefully chosen materials for our Cool Damper device allows using it as a truly effective vibration-consuming damper. This results in reduced distortion from the tube circuit, as well as vastly reducing the tendency of most vacuum tubes to act in a microphonic manner. In addition, the sound from a component utilizing Cool Dampers can be heard to have more controlled and deeper bass, a cleaner sound stage, crisper and greater dynamic range, and better focus of the entire sound field. The Cool Damper also reduces the operating temperature of the glass envelope of an electron tube by about 10 %, which of course acts to appreciably extend the lifetime of the tubes. The Cool Damper is a result of many years of rigorous research and development. This high-fidelity, consumerfriendly product is easy to install, and fabulously simple in design. We found, from all tested materials, that the most suitable is a relatively soft aluminum extrusion coated with a special blended mix of Teflon and Carbon composite PTFE. The precise shapes of the EAT Cool Dampers are finished with long-lasting anodic oxidation colours. This makes these cooling rings an aesthetically attractive, as well as functional, accessory for your valued vacuum tube equipment. For flexible and easily detachable contact of the aluminium body to the sometimes erratic cylindrical surfaces of various tubes, we use six special carbon-teflon composite stripes (V profile). Appropriate design and materials of the Cool Dampers compensate for the naturally resonant tendencies of both glass and aluminium, and work to transform active vibrational energy into thermal energy, which is then dissipated as heat radiation.
    • Pitbull Super Comfort tweak
    Best listening partner. Makes everything sound better.
    • Ayre Acoustics AX-5
    Featuring Ayre's Double Diamond output stage, our exclusive EquiLock circuitry, and a Shallco solid-silver contact switch for gain control, this fully-discrete, fully-balanced, zero-feedback integrated amplifier provides a complete solution for your modern music system.
    The key to perfecting the AX-5 was to incorporate the Variable Gain Technology (VGT) of the award-winning Ayre KX-R preamplifier into the power amplifier section. The addition of ultra-transparent FET input selector switches completed the transformation of a basic power amplifier into a compact one-box solution which will become the heart of your high-performance audio system.
    “…the AX-5 is not only, overall, the finest-sounding amp I’ve ever heard, it ranks as one of the finest components I’ve heard of any type.”
    Ayre Acoustics AX-5 integrated amplifier
    –Uday Reddy, SoundStage!

Comments 11

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Owner

Moved to a condo downtown in 2014 so now mostly dealing with a different room design and noticing some negative effects in terms of precision of instrument placement and depth of soundstage.  Things still sounding great but the immediate word that comes to mind is a bit "anemic".  Could also be needing a new tube or 2 in the DAC.

So to solve all this, it was time for an upgrade! Just kidding, but, it's something I've wanted to do a while.  Ayre AX-5 integrated inbound!

joncourage

Owner
The HD Diamond 3 XLR ICs are amazing, best I've ever tried, and are here to stay.

joncourage

Speaker placement and room acoustics. Good Luck

needfreestuff

Owner
I'm really enjoying the HD interconnects while they're burning in.
Regardless of where I land on these vs the Sky, the HD are truly stunning
cables, with a level of musicality I've yet to hear in another IC.

Very much digging the journey of these burning in and getting progressively
better. I'm holding back posting to the Cable forum until I feel they're fully
burned in and I can a/b with the Sky.

joncourage

Owner
System edited: The Zu Ibis speaker cables offer stunning resolution, detail,
soundstage, punch, deep, controlled bass, extended highs, and realistic
timbre. These will be staying for now. The guys at Zu have been a pleasure
to deal with, an added bonus.

Similar traits on the HiDiamond digital cable, which will now replace the
Marigo.

joncourage

Owner
Thanks Ie, maybe I will accelerate my purchase of the HiDiamond. I'm also interested in comparing the HiDiamond xlr 2 ICs to my AQ Sky in the not too distant future.

The GRs have always interested me, but they are pretty pricey even used. Perhaps one day....

joncourage

I use Cardas GR speaker cables; 2 of my friends do also. One has Wilson Sasha and the other AvauntGuard horns so they work with a wide variety of systems.

stanwal

I had the sextet in Aes/EBU , 1meter length, and it is A very very fine cable , did not compare it directly to the HiDiamond but will suggest that the HiDiamond will be so good as to make you reconsider shopping for a good used sextet .

I went from sextet then, to VD Genesis to Kondo Ksl LP to HiDiamond . I was able to rotate the VD, Kondo and HiDiamond in my system . Guess which I kept, and it was not a decision of economics. It was simply the best sounding cord in my system with 3 different listeners evaluating the cords with 5 pieces of music, (small chamber, large orchestral, blues guitar, electronica and Chesky Evaluation Disc). The best part is I have a lot more money to buy more music. How much more music, at last count 75 more titles since committing to the HiDiamond.

ie

Owner
Keeping the Marigo, and prefer the Zu to both the old Rockefeller and a set of Audience au24e. Have a set of Satori Shotgun inbound and will compare those to the Zu this week or next.

Going to try the HiDiamond digital next I think, to compare against the Marigo, but I've really been on the lookout for a good deal on a Varidig Sextet.

joncourage

Owner
Have some Zu Ibis speaker cable inbound as well. Wonder how it'll compare to the AQ Rockefeller. Seems to get very positive feedback here on the discussion boards.

Going to try swapping out the digital cable first, see which I like better, live within a while before swapping speaker cables.

joncourage

Owner
Going to try the Kubala-Sosna Emotion digital cable (XLR) in place of the Marigo shortly.

joncourage

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