DCC Archive Tell us about your audio system

I don't have many duplicate pieces. I keep them only long enough to compare and get rid of the "losers."
Dynaco ST-70 power amp (1963) with EI fatbottle 6CA7 tubes...Beat out my old Denon PMA-750 from the early 80's and a Sony STR-DB930 AV receiver.
Dynaco PAS-2 preamp (1962)...Beat out the Bottlehead Foreplay.
Polk 10-B speakers (1983)...had them since 1983 and have never seen a reason to replace them!
AH! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CD player (2000)...beat out a Dynaco CDV-2 tube CD player, and an old Sony CD player and, of course, my DVD player.
Sony DVP-S300 DVD player (1997)...One of the first generation or so that was cheap but got good reviews. Very happy with it.
Hitachi 53SBX59B rear projection 53" TV (1998)...!!!!!!!!!
Victor Victrola VV-100 (1921)...beat out my Columbia portable victrola and my Califone suitcase turntable.
Yamaha Turntable straight arm, belt drive with Grado cartridge (1980)...beat out an old Rek-O-Kut turnatable.

[ December 25, 2001: Message edited by: jligon ]

 

My mostly low-cost system is the ultimate in modesty, but I get a LOT of musical enjoyment from it, and I can sit and listen comfortably and happily for hours. (I DO look forward to all the upgrading I have yet to do, though ...) Here it is ...

vintage mint-condition Marantz 2230 stereo receiver (sounds AND looks wicked cool!)

Axiom M3Ti bookshelf speakers (on 24" stands)

Rega Planar 3 turntable (with P3 2000 motor modification) with RB300 tonearm (damped), with Dynavector 10x4 Mk II MC cartridge, and Ringmat

ridiculously cheap (but heavily tweaked) Teac 1160 CD player

JVC cassette deck

Record Doctor II vacuum record-cleaning machine, plus Disc Doctor brushes and fluid

... and most important of all: dedicated listening room, 10' W x 14'L x 7'H.

Merry Christmas!!!!

 

Going back to 1981:

Pioneer SX-2500 Reciever (45 wpc)
PL-400 Turntable (Still in use with an Audio Technica cart... Needs to be replaced)
HPM-500 Speakers
System was won on a bet (luckily I remembered that the family Super Bee was a two door and not a four door)
Akai CS M01A Tape deck added in '82 (still alive)
Teac tape deck (# unknown) arrived in '86 and lasted 8 years (crappy sound though)
Shadio Rack CD player (Overheated easily)
Technics SL-P 220 CD Player bought in '87 (still in use)
Replaced in 1994 by:
Onkyo TX-V940 100 wpc reciever (found out one year later that I paid over $100 over list for it... Taught me to shop a little closer)
Denon DRR730 Tape deck
Advent Mini II speakers
Subwoofer III (Was never happy with those)
Marantz 2220B Reciever (found in '97 for $30... Really paid to be a cabby that day)
Samsung DVD-S11 (just to tide me over until I can get a Sony DVD/SACD unit)
Advents were replaced by Paradigm Atom main speakers and PDR 10 Sub (Amazing sound for what they cost)
Pacemaker tube Integrated Amp and Tuner (still debating whether to fix it up, strip it or ebay it)
It's not much but has it where it needs it.

 

Just curious, will this effect how you tweak CDs. I read that a sound engineer compromises on general public albums to play on boom boxes, car stereos, & mini-systems. Will knowing what your CDs/LPs will be played on help?

PS: yes, Holy Zoo your comment on the 1st page was cute.

 

Greetings... here is the equipment in my signature listening room.

Xanadu KublaKhan Monoblocks
Xanadu LLama pre-amp
Xanadu Rosebud speakers
Xanadu Yellow speaker cables and Yellow interconnects
Xanadu Bernstein Turntable
Xanadu Leland CD player
ASC Tube Traps

 

Main system:

Tannoy Turnberry speakers
Sun Audio 6L6SE monoblocks, triode modified PP, National Union 350B's, National Union 6SN7GT's, Tungsol 5U4G's, modified with Black Gate & BM caps, VanDenHul wiring
Sun Audio SVC-500 preamp, modified with Black Gates & Jensen copper foil caps, DACT attenuator, Siemens-Halske silver plate ECC82's, Mazda France 6X4W
47 Labs Flatfish transport
Custom filterless non-oversampling DAC, Sowter transformer coupled D to A conversion, Sowter interstage coupled outputs, all tube design using Tungsol 6X4W rectifier, KenRad 6V6GT, Raytheon 12AX7, Sylvania Gold Brand OB2WA regulator, Raytheon 5687 pair outputs
Yamamura digital cable & interconnects, VanDenHul The First interconnects
Music Metre Signature speaker cables
PS Audio Power Plant PS300
All power cords Custom Power Cord Co.
All on a Zoethecus stand

Basement system:

Tannoy HPD385 15" dual concentric speakers in custom cabinet
Tektron custom integrated amp, C-core hand wound transformers, Radiotron UX245's, RCA VT231's, Radiotron UX280, modified with Cerafine, Vitamin Q, NY Transit PiO caps, Alps volume & balance, old Western Electric cloth wiring, ebony feet
47 Labs Shigaraki DAC, 47 Labs transport
Western Electric telephone wire as speakers cables
Yamamura digital cable, Kimber Select interconnects
ESP power cables, LAT power cable
all plugged nto a Chang Lightspeed power conditioner, and residing on a large maple butcher block type platform

 

Steve, if I had a site to upload to or knew how to get a picture directly onto the board I would be pleased to! If you like, send me an email & I'll be happy to get some good pics to you.

Interesting about the Sun - interstage transformer coupled and choke loaded , but the original schematic had the ground running through the interstage! Hum! Fixed that fast.

The operating points are quite conservative, the Japanese feel that every tube has a 'sweet spot' at which it sounds best, which is not necessarily the spec sheet max. In the case of the 6L6, that is about 320V plate and relatively low bias. There is great clarity and dynamics, very lucid mids but no huge warmth, and the music unfolds naturally, semmingly suspended in the air. Without a doubt, not the western conception of tube sound.

Also interesting is that, by using a comparatively low operating point, the differences in output tube sonics are not huge. The 350B is superb, but a good 6L6G or GA will be almost as good - and the difference is quite small. Of course, IMO no 5881 or 6L6GC is as good as an old 6L6G. I feel the operating points are too low, however, to get good sound out of a KT66 or EL37. I someimes stick a GZ34 in to boost the juice to the 350B's, a bit of an improvement.

Much of my sound I attribute to the Tannoys - a lifetime speaker if there ever was one. There are deficiencies in the Tannoy sound in every department of the audiophile school, except the most often neglected one - music. The tone and musicality of the Tannoys are unequaled, IMO.

The DAC was in one of the Divergent Tech rooms at last year's CES. The gain is quite high, but the sound is incredibly natural and dynamic, not even the slightest trace of harshness. Dare I say analog sound without attracting flames? It is much too expensive to build one of these commercially, the parts cost was very high. But again, musical virtues are unequalled. It might be back at CES this year - not sure yet - it's hard to live without it for a week.

Let me know how I can get a pic to you, and have a great Christmas.

Robert

 

"Western Electric telephone wire as speakers cables"

Must be that 10-12 gague stuff they put on the poles?

 

No, 24 AWG solid core with cloth covering, no Teflon (which hadn't been invented then). Just two strands on each speaker, not twisted (which would not be good), unterminated.

Actually sounds very good, much better than anything else I've tried. Very clean, smooth highs with solid bass. Very natural sound.

This stuff was used inside homes, not on the poles. It was used to wire homes for telephone service. The main properties, I guess, were durability and natural voice on the phone!

 

Speakers: Infinity Renaissance 90, Infinity Quantum 3, Infinity Qb, Infinity Qe, EPI T/E 70, and for the computer: JBL- HLS 410. Subwoofer: Paradigm PDR-8, curently not in use. (Yes-older Infinity is my brand of choice, the Ren 90's are absolutely GREAT speakers and the vintage Quantum's likewise - see: www.bobbyshred.com/infinity.html. Ren 90 reviews at audioreview.com speak for themselves).

Preamp/Power Amp: Sansui CA-2000, Odyssey Stratos. (Something vintage, something new)

Cd Player: Parasound C/DP-1000, Sony CDP-597. (The ten year old Sony has worked perfectly, the supposed "hi-end" Parasound has trouble recognizing CD-R discs).

Turntable: Technics SL-D2.

Cass deck: BIC-T4M, BIC-T2M, Sansui SC-3330, Pionner CT-W802R.

Open Reel: Tascam 48, Tascam 32, Teac A-3440, Teac A-1200U. (with various DBX units: RX-9, DX-4D, 224, 3BX dynamic range expander).

Mixing Bd: Tascam M-308, Teac Model 2 with MB-20 Meter Bridge.

Tuner: Sansui TU-719, Sansui TU-317 w/ BIC FM8 BeamBox.

Integrated Amps: Sansui AU-717, Sansui AU-D7, Sansui AU-G77X, Pioneer SA-7500.

Receivers: Sansui G-7700, Sansui 7070, Sansui G-5500, Sansui QRX-7001, Sansui 3000-A, Pionner SX-980, Pioneer SX-780, Pioneer SX-3600 (for computer). Sony STR-D990 Pro logic- given to my father.

Switching Devices: Sansui AX-7 and Audio Authority Models 410,421, 431 three-piece amp/speaker/tape deck-line level switcher. (How else to listen to all this stuff?- All in the same room!

Headphones: AKG-K240, Grado SR-80, Sennheiser HD-414.

Guitars: '64 Fender Jaguar (all original candy aple red, bought in 1980 for $190). Fender Strat, Tele- 80's Japanese reissues, Epiphone Sheraton II, Danelectro U-3 reissue. Alvarez acoustic 1975- my very 1st guitar received that Christmas- still sounds great. '98 Martin 000-1.

Amps: Fender Ultra-Chorus, Roland Cube 20 with a few effects- gotta have my red MXR Dyna Comp when I'm practicing.

Last but not least- Car: '87 Honda Accord- still going strong/looking good at 202,000 miles

Whew- that should just about cover it- Whew! Happy Holidays to All!

 

Do you know how to say "Envious"? It's only about 1/3 the size of my "dream" room but at least it's dedicated. Yea lets see 30'W x 42'L x 21'H with proper acoustics. Foam furniture. A pair of $100,000 speakers. A 90" sub woofer (if your gonna dream dream big!)and a sign on the wall "You Talk - You Walk"

 

current system:
SCD777ES->cardas microtwin->Morrison ELAD pre->cardas->dual sunfire amps->analysis plus oval 9 bi-wire->magnepan 1.6s with Titan 2 sub.
college system (1970s): Thorens 160,Akai cassette,Dynaco PAT4,Dynaco 120, Dynaco A25

[ December 25, 2001: Message edited by: Jay N. ]

 

Happy holidays to all. Since Steve asked for everyone to list the system he/she uses, here goes:

Rogue Audio 66 Magnum preamp w/upgraded Mullard tubes; just purchased a few months ago. (Replaced an ARC SP-9 that I had been using since the late 80's)

Quicksilver MS-190 tube amp purchased 6/83

Rotel RCD-971 for redbook 6/98

Sony SCD-333ES for SACD 7/01

SOTA Star Sapphire turntable (9/82) w/JH Formula 4 arm (one of many arms tried, but I keep returning to this one - 4/74) Shure V15V latest version 12/96

Rosinanté Evolution Signature speakers 6/97 (replaced original Martin Logan CLSes 8/85)

stereo pair of Velodyne ULD-12 subwoofers

I too would like to have an SCD-777ES!

 

Accuphase DP85 SACD player (using its own digital volume switch)
-> Mark Levinson 334
-> Apogee Duetta Signature

Simple but fine sounding system

 

Yes, it is cool to finally have a dedicated room ... I'm just finishing the remodeling. I extended the room from 10x12 to 10x14 ... It's actually 14' 3", and the height of the room is 6' 10", so it's not a precise 7x14 dimension (an acoustical no-no). The room "sounds" much better now.

There's a picture up here of the room in progress, if anyone's interested: http://partyka.tripod.com/lr3.jpg

[ December 26, 2001: Message edited by: Jeff Partyka ]

 

Looks like polar bear in snowstorm????????

 

Well lets ee, I have and use the following:

Musical Fidelity A3CR 120 watt stereo amp
MF vacum tube X-Pre
MF LP^2 phono amp (3 can affair, dual mono)
Linn LP12 with Valhalla power
Ittok VII arm
Shure V15V series cartridge
Signet MC60 (neat cartridge that is MC with repalcable stylus, which I have a spare)
Koestu Black MC
Dennon DL140 Hi output MC
Sony 775 5 disc SACD player, with 5.1 channel
Phillips CDR-950 cd burner
JVC 1050TN series cd player
Goldsound .6 and .8 speakers
Advent, 1971 series Large, resurrounded,
sounds great for 30 year old speakers
(For sale!)
Monster 950 and 1000 series interconnects
as well as Monster speaker cables 1.1
Sonic Horzon Huricane speaker cables
NBS interonnects
MSB Link Dac III w/upsampling and P1000 power
Audio Alchemy Dac in the Box
MF X-DAC
Golden Tube SE40 (it is for sale if any one wants it)
About 1000 lp's and 500 cd's and maybe 30 SACD's, all of which is what it is about!

 

I'm in a transitional phase at the moment as i've been doing some upgrading of components, but my current systems are as follows:

1. In my bedroom (which has the best acoustics in my house) I'm running a brand new Decware Zen amp (my very first experiences with tubes!) into a pair of Polk RT800 speakers. Also have a pair of Maggies set up next to them, but they're too inefficient for the Zen. Going directly into the Zen is a cheapo Tecnics 5-disc cd player. Wires and cable are nothing special, Radio Shack-style. The sound is marvelous!!!

2. In my home office is my "thrift store" set up, but it too sounds pretty nice. An early 80's Harman Kardon turntable (bought for $10 about a year ago!) and a very cheapo portable cd player plugged into a Marantz 2226B receiver (circa 1978, but bought for $20 at the swap meet). I simply love the Marantz and plan to try it out as a preamp to the Zen. The speakers here are also Polks, but the cheaper RT400s.

3. The living room is given over to home theater, driven by a rather modest Denon A/V receiver, Panasonic DVD player, Denon CD player, Sony laserdisc, and, once again, Polk speakers (hey, I dig the Polk sound and got the speakers very cheaply on clearance!). The speakers are RT1000s with built-in subwoofers and sound very good, though the room acoustics are for ****, and coupled with "wife acceptance factor" makes this, for music at least, the weakest-sounding system in the house.

4. Unused at the moment, but dearly beloved if only for nostalgic reasons, is a Pioneer SX780 receiver. Have a couple of cassette decks, too, but none are plugged in at the moment.

Ray

 

Hmm, yes ... sometimes Tripod gives trouble when you're trying to link to it. Try copying and pasting the address (partyka.tripod.com/lr3.jpg) instead of just linking to it ... or, let me try this:



[ December 27, 2001: Message edited by: Jeff Partyka ]

 

my modest system includes:
main living room:
dual 1229 w/shure hi-track cartridge
akai cr80-dss quad 8-track deck
technics sa 8100x receiver
jvc xvsa75 dvdaudio/cd/etc. deck
Electrovoice Patrician mega speakers
front, Polk Audio rears
middle room:
panasonic quad system with cd-4 turntable and el-cheapo panasonic speakers
bedroom: jvc quad receiver and GE quad 8 deck, Zenith 60's turntable (for that 78rpm stacked experience)
epi speakers
attic: marantz quad reciever
sanyo quad 8 deck
technics manual TT
sony speakers (crap)
back attic:
panasonic quad 8 deck
pioneer quad receiver
cerwin vega speakers w/15 in. woofs replaced,
dual 1219 TT w/AT cartridge
and also quad systems in 3 other rooms, but I don't feel like listing all that mediocre equipment....but boy, the main living room setup sounds AbFab!

 

My Music System:

Yamaha M40 Amp
Yamaha C65 Pre-Amp
SAE A105 Sub-Amp
(All stock power cords were replaced with 14 gague cord, it helped.)

Yamaha PF800 Belt drive turntable
W/Ortofon LM 30 M/M cartridge
Dual 607 direct drve turntable
W/Grado Gold M/M cartridge
(Both turntable are to have there cartridges changes to Ortofon X5 and X3-MC when they return from the shop with new tips.)

Denon 1050 CD Player
(Works for me!)

Harman/Kardon TD392 Cassette Recorder
(2nd set of heads, 3rd captstan.)

Roger Sound Lab (RSL) 3600 Studio Montors
(I use heavy duty fuse, haven't blown them since (86'). Had them since 84'.Took them to Orange County Speaker repair to update the plugs. Good tune-up!)

BSR DR-SW15X2 Subwoofer
(Had the cabinet renforced, helped a lot.)

Kimber KCAG and Silver Streak interconect
(All have the WBT-0108 plugs.)

Kimber 8-TC between the Amp and Sub-Amp
(Double run of 2.5 ft.)

Monster Cable Z series for the Subwoofer.

Monster Cable 12gague for the speakers
(Looking to go to Kimber 4TC/8TC for speakers and double run of 8TC for Sub.)

Monster Power HTS-3500 Power Center
(It helped and didn't cost an arm and a leg.)

I still have two outboards I don't use much but I'll keep them around.

SAE A5000 (The click and pop machine. I use it to make tape with the "well worn album".)

dbx 3bx-ds Dynamic Range Controler
(For the Stevein all of us, it helped making tapes, plus the light are cool! )

Still a work in progress, on a Limited budget, it will surprise and that the most fun!!

 

I started out I was 8 years old with an old Philips receiver from the 70's. I bought my first CD-player (and CD) when I was twelve. Now that I doubled my age (still a youngster at 24 I suppose...) I've managed to realize some dreams that I never thought I'd realize before the age of 40. My current system:

-> C.E.C. TL-1X belt drive CD-transport
-> C.E.C. Superlink cable (9 pins serial cable that sends all signals separately that are normally packed in SP/DIF)
-> C.E.C. DX-71 D/A converter/preamp
-> Magnan Type VI XLR interconnect
-> Audio Research VT-130 SE power amp
-> Magnan Signature speaker cable
-> Infinity Modulus speakers

Right now, I'm using the Infinity Modulus speakers until I've found a bigger room to put my main speakers in (the Modulus system is a backup). My main speakers are my pride and joy: Genesis II.5. These babies have their own power amp for the low frequencies, so I have another pair of Magnan Type VI cables to deliver the signal from my C.E.C. dac/preamp when my Genesis speakers are back from their paint job...

WHAT??!! Yes, a paint job! The guys at Genesis finished the surface of the II.5's with an extremely strong paint, but it feels like sandpaper and can't be properly maintained or dusted off...what a mess!! So I decided to completely take the paint off and repaint it in black paino laquer...the work is done by a well-known piano restorer by the way.

Back to the system: a couple of thoughts about the sound:

1. Dough was right: I can hear the same differences in sound quality even when I degrade my system...but I won't..haha!! The DCC discs RULE!

2. Not all DCC discs sound the same..and they SHOULDN'T! That way I really get the feeling that Steve captured the magic of the original recording...

3. Now that I'm hooked to the tubes, I'll never go back to solid state again. The VT-130 SE makes my entire DCC/Opus3/MFSL/etc. collection flourish like never before.

4. (A bit of a hardware thing would all the so-called hifi-experts please hush when they tell me not to use my dac as a preamp? They're wrong and they know it! Especially when a DAC has a built-in preamp (attenuation in the analog section), buying a preamp is just a marketing fairy tail...glad I got that out of my system.

 

Glad to hear your Genesis speeks are well, and tubes are doing nice things to ya. Now, even if you're preamping your CD, how are you to select-in your turntable. Is the C.E.C. DX-71 used for a line-pre and for selecting components?