What's your primary system setup?

Freo-1 · « **on:** 1 Sep 2014, 09:00 pm »

Thought it might fun to get a snapshot of member's primary audio systems. A brief explanation of what when into deciding how to assemble your system should be provided.

For mine, the monitor/sub setup was deemed to be the best value for the price points. It provides the most flexibility in my listening environment.

After many years in this hobby, I have found that DIY tube audio gets one closer to audio nirvana than other equipment I've owned or listened to over the years.

Devil Doc · « **Reply #1 on:** 1 Sep 2014, 09:20 pm »

I use floor standing speakers, Vandersteen 2Ci. Tube pre-amp, AVA T-8+ and a solid state amp, AVA Synergy 450. Works well together. I get usable bass down to 28Hz. Actually more than usable. I get a measured +or- 5db from 300 to 28Hz and sweet highs, thanks to the pre. The 2Ci's are incredible speakers for the money I paid 20 plus years ago and I'm reluctant to upgrade. I should add the room is 28 ft. long and well treated with bass traps.

Doc

hdspeakerman · « **Reply #2 on:** 1 Sep 2014, 11:29 pm »

My current primary system starts with a three way Usher diy. It has a 10" woofer, dome mid and Beryllium tweeters. I am using an electronic crossover with a Rane MA6 amplifier. I use a custom Dynaco pre amp made for me by Bill Thomas, the Dynaco man. It is line level only with one input and one output. I use an Oppo disc player and listen to a lot of Spotify while on my computer. I also have a second system using a Scott LK60 solid state amp and a pair of Diy HIVI M1s with a Hivi ribbon tweeter and an F5 woofer. I like to switch things up a little at times.

Howard

sebrof · « **Reply #3 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 01:47 am »

DIY 2A3 SET amp with DIY ~97db speakers.

JohnR · « **Reply #4 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 01:50 am »

Quote

(Click all that apply)

Hi Freo, FYI the poll is set so that you can click only one.

barrows · « **Reply #5 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 02:18 am »

Custom Sonore server with internal LiFePO4 battery power-Buffalo DAC/Legato III/Salas regs/Sonore USB interface board-DIY Ncore 400 stereo amplifier-Focus Audio FS-888 Signature speakers.
DIY rack, DIY power distribution/parallel filter, DIY power cabling, Nordost Frey interconnect/speaker cables, Nordost Blue heaven USB cable.

brooklyn · « **Reply #6 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 04:10 am »

Hey Doc, I heard the Vandersteen 2Ci’s poorly set up at an audio shop a while back
and I loved them. Very nice..

Prima Luna Prologue 3 Tube preamp into Bel Canto REF 500M amps powering the MMG’s.
The PL gives just enough warmth to the system and BC give plenty of dynamics.
I love this combo..

BobRex · « **Reply #7 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 01:02 pm »

full range floor standing speakers (VMPS RM30) biamped with low wattage on mid-highs (Moondog 2A3 SET) and SS on bass.

HsvHeelFan · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 01:15 pm »

AMD Quad Core based music server with ASUS XSonar Essence XTS Sound card sending analog to a Parasound PH850 pre-amp.

The pre-amp sends the signal on to a Bryston 4B-ST solid state amp.

Speakers are full range KEF Q-70 floorstanders with a Velodyne sub filling in the bottom end.

HsvHeelFan

santacore · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 05:28 pm »

Mac Mini>Aurelic Vega DAC>Audio Note dual mono tube preamp>NCore monoblocks>Chapman T-7 (rebuilt by Chapman). Balanced interconnects all the way through. GIK Acoustics bass traps and panels. I'm very happy with the sound of my system right now.

volitanspine · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 06:04 pm »

Hmm... let's see. Vpi Scout with upgraded platter, feet & SDS to Linn Linto or Mac Mini running Audirvana to iFi iUSB to Metrum Octave MK II > Manley Shrimp > Manley Neo Retro SE/PP 300b > Zu Audio Essence Mk 2. I use a Furman Elite 20 PF power conditioner and Zu Audio cabling throughout, oh except for the iFi Gemini USB cable. I am quite happy with the sound...

ebag4 · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 Sep 2014, 09:17 pm »

Magic Buss/Battery Buss>2011 Mac Mini Battery Powered w/Battery Powered Oyen HDD>Geek Out Dac ("soon" to be Geek Pulse on Battery)>Tortuga Audio LDR Volume Control on Battery>Bottlehead Stereomour 2A3 Amp/Rythmik Audio Servo Amp Per Ch>GR Research V1 Speakers
>>

Steve · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Sep 2014, 04:45 am »

I own a modified cd player, independent vacuum tube phono stage with tube regulation, independent line preamplifier with tube regulation, monoblock tube amps with separate power supplies for each stage, two way floor standing speakers with xovers at approximately. 130hz. Fr is from 18hz to 20khz.

I have performed extensive testing of parts and circuit designs, and found that proper power supply/filter design along with proper signal circuit design and layout are all important for sonic quality/naturalness. That is pretty simple and basic, pretty obvious. Yet as simple as that is, I see very few, if any following that advice.

Just because a design is old old, or uses certain old tubes, or because one or two aspects of a design looks good, or someone performs a few equations, has little correlation to sonic bliss (unless hd is outlandish). One must understand a design from a variety of disciplines in order to create a great, superior, natural sounding system.

Cheers

Steve

rangerdave · « **Reply #13 on:** 7 Sep 2014, 01:36 am »

Pass X350.5 , XP-20 , Maggie 20.1's , VPI Aries / JMW Memorial 10" arm with Dynavector Karat 17D3 , ARC PH 3 phono , Marantz sa 7 s1 SACD player. Have just ordered a Pass XP-15 to replace the PH-3. The Maggies replaced Aerial 10T's which I still love. I/C's and cables are Audio Analysis.
Room is 13.5 x 22. Ceiling slants up from 6' at wall to 9' . Shelves of vinyl are behind Maggies and on wall behind listening chair. 703 panels on side wall. There's room to improve but it's pretty sweet.

rangerdave · « **Reply #14 on:** 7 Sep 2014, 01:53 am »

Crrection ....... Analysis Plus on IC's and cables.

SCompRacer · « **Reply #15 on:** 7 Sep 2014, 02:25 am »

Salk SoundScape 8's (floor standing) 4 Ohm 87dB
Two NHT B-12d subs to shore up the low frequencies in the large space
Krell KSA-250 amp
Krell KRC-HR pre w/Reference phono
DIY Twisted Pear Buffalo III dual mono DAC w/Legato output stage (discrete balanced output)
Denon 3910 modded to export I2S (CD) and DSD (SACD) to DAC
Hard drive based flac via S/PDIF or USB to I2S to DAC
DIY heavy plinth heavy platter Lenco idler drive turntable with Advanced Analog linear air bearing arm
Have two arms, one with aluminum body Denon 103R and the second with AT33PTG/II cartridge
Original Shunyata Hydra power conditioner
PS audio power cables, some DIY power cables
Sanders and Signal Cable Analog II balanced IC's
Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ internal bi-wire speaker cables
GIK Tri-Traps and acoustic panels
Two 20 amp dedicated circuits
Along with my setup experience, I use Dayton Audio OmniMic V2 to fine tune my placement/acoustic treatments/sub settings

Listening area is in living room that measures 15 x 18 x 14, but is open to L shaped main level that adds another 25 feet of length and several feet in width. Ceiling 14' throughout.

I've been all tube, tube-SS and SS-tube. I've had ESL and ribbon speakers. Towards the end of my tube experience, I preferred very low distortion tube gear. I grew up with and have never been out of vinyl. While my digital is close it doesn't take vinyl's place. I used to consider myself an audiophile, but believe until I thoroughly understand all aspects of audio, I'll think of myself as a serious enthusiast. I am very happy with my present setup. I do think sometimes we chase different and call it better.

Captainhemo · « **Reply #16 on:** 7 Sep 2014, 05:06 am »

Let's see...

Run of the mill PC with a couple TB of storage for storing ripped CD's (FLAC) and online streaming
-> Grant Fidelity Tube Dac 11.
-> Jolida JD 302CRC , upgraded caps & tubes
(both the JD302 & TD11 were selected for the bang for buck appeal)

Speakers and subs all GR Research
OB7's (4xM130X sealed drivers for low end to approx 70hz, 2 x OB M130 mids, & 1 x Neo 3 PDR deep back tweeter for highs ( I absolutely love this tweeter, extremely clean and detailed yet never harsh)
OB H-frame with dual 12" servo controlled subs driven by a Rythmik Audio A370 servo amp. Amazing tight, detailed bass. The servo subs blended amazingly well with the low end of the OB7's, seems liek my OB7's suddenly play flat to 20hz

2nd tower to be built soon

Everything is plugged into a PI Audio MiniBuss

-jay

maxboy00 · « **Reply #17 on:** 7 Sep 2014, 10:11 am »

My system went through many integration before this configuration and is now permanent (what ever that means in this hobby)

Amp: Modwright KWA- 150 SE

Preamp: Modwright LS-100

Source: Esoteric K-07

Speakers: Selah Audio Tempesta Towers and Eastto MK2 monitors. Just swapped out the Tempesta last week.

Cables: Several sets, now using Wywires (Blue) through out

Treatments: 4 GIK bass traps

Power conditioner: Furman Elite 15 DMi

Room is small, but moving into new digs by year end.

An old saying, but this is the best sounding system I have ever had.

bunky · « **Reply #18 on:** 7 Sep 2014, 11:29 am »

I have a nice collection of tube amps, preamps and integrated amp's from SET to triode to ultralinear but I have recently been experimenting with solid state. right now I am using a solid state Job pre2 preamplifier and a Job 225 power amplifier in my main 2 channel rig. i use a Canary Audio CD200 as a transport linked to my modded Eastern Electric Minimax DAC. i use Black Cat Morpheus speaker and IC and digital cables and I also use Pangea audio SE and Goldmund/Job sweetcord power cords. my main loudspeakers are Silverline Audio Sonata III's.

JLM · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Sep 2014, 12:01 pm »

Being a "speaker guy" with purist ideals lead me to assemble my system around a single driver speaker (Brines Ascoustics M18-F200). Along my journey the palpability of tubes finally convinced me to go the enlightened route (PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Integrated). Some could define this as a high efficiency/low wattage system (90 dB/w/m, 20/40 wpc) but I wouldn't.

(The surface noise of vinyl drove me to digital sourcing 30 years ago.)

Poll

For your primary system, what does your setup consist of? (Click all that apply)

What's your primary system setup?