Room Size

14' width, 32' length, 9' height

System Overview

Two-channel system with full range speakers in a 32'x14'x9' room treated with Real Traps RFZ panels (6 panels on ceiling); Mondo traps (8 @ 1st and 2nd side reflection points); and (3) diffusor panels against the rear wall. The digital source is primarily computer-based, although I occasionally use a CDP as a transport. The analog source is a stock AR EB-101, except for external power supply, with an Audio Technica 440MLa cartridge. The Salk Signature Sound Veracity HT2-TL speakers (Martin King Quarter Wave Transmission Line with an F3 of 32hz) are an MTM design with two SEAS Excel W18 mid-woofers and an LCY 110 ribbon tweeter. In addition, there are (4) subwoofers, each using a Dayton RSS390-4 HF 15" driver with (2) CSS APR-15 passive radiators, with 1100 grams damping, each, in sealed 4.9 c.f. cabinets. The subs are crossed-over @ 65 hz with (2) Velodyne SMS-1 for separate left and right outputs.

Music Preferences

Music that isn't any older than my 10th birthday (1965). Pop, rock, soul, jazz, folk. Female singer/songwriter and female vocalists are my favorites. I enjoy listening to the brilliant Martha Wainwright, Erin Bode, Shelby Lynne, Rachel Yamagata, Keren Ann, Mia Doi Todd, Eva Cassidy, Vienna Teng, Lucinda Williams, Feist, Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Sonya Kitchell, Priscilla Ahn, Patricia Barber. I also enjoy The Chi-Lites, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Audio Slave, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Alice in Chains, and many other musicians and groups.

Room Description

448 square feet (with an additional 144 square feet of open adjoining space, acoustically compensated to the best of my limited ability).

Acoustic Treatment

Real Traps: (6) ceiling-mounted RFZ panels (8) Mondo traps (3) Diffusor panels DIY: (5) Chunk OC703 floor-to-ceiling bass traps (4) 24x48x6 bass traps

Listening Impressions

The pre-amps, tube amps, and DAC are driven by NOS tubes, except for a solid-state LH Labs Pulse X Infinite DAC with isolated power supply. The Audio by Van Alstine equipment is very detailed and neutral with incredible dynamic range. The Yellowtec PUC2/LITE and an external Aqvox 5 volt power supply, the EE DAC, and Pure Music over iTunes provides a clean detailed source for the EE Avant (which I am currently using for a pre-amp with a ART Cleanbox Pro XLR-RCA in order to use the EE Avant's XLR, which provides full utilization of the driver tubes with the amplifiers' unbalanced inputs, to the best of my understanding). The Salk Sound Veracity HT2-TL speakers are very revealing. I am keeping them until I can purchase a pair of Salk Soundscape 8. The Jeff Bagby-designed subs are flat to 22 hz or thereabout, and go low, lower, and even lower (Jeff, thank you, thank you, thank you!). The subs aren't loud or boomy in any way but can get very, very loud when called upon. The subwoofers are very musical; I forget that they are even there, but they help, enormously, to clean up the HT2-TL mid-range, and they are configured in stereo, with spirit electronic crossovers. The system is very accurate but not harsh or bright. The clarity and imaging are excellent.

Media Storage

Hard drives behind my iMac, and a wall-mounted CD cabinet with a solid door. There are "Bankers' Boxes" of CDs and hundreds of LPs discretely stored.

Other Comments

After years of systems with LS3/5A-type monitors, my goal was to build a system with full-range speakers. The system can provide a very intimate listening experience. When driving the HT2-TL with the AVA Insight 440, and the volume cranked up, the clarity, depth, dynamic range, and sense of power is amazing. A "they are here" or "you are there" listening experience depending on seating distance from the main speakers. (Thank you Zybar for teaching me.)

Components

Digital Source

iMac/AIFF with Pure Music; Yellowtec PUC2/LITE; Aqvox external 5 volt power-supply providing power to the Yellowtec; LH Labs Pulse X Infinite with LPS4 power supply

Analog Source

AR EB-101 (original owner, stock condition, circa 1986; purchased from George Merrill at Underground Sound in Memphis, when George was modifying AR turntables and Magnavox CD players) with an AT 440MLa cartridge.

Other Sources

Marantz CD5001 for occasional transport duties.

Signal Processors

AVA Vision DAC/Preamplifier with built-in phono stage and remote volume control; Eastern Electric DAC (NOS E80CC tube); LH Labs Pulse X Infinite DAC with external power supply; (2) Velodyne SMS-1 electronic crossovers.

Preamp

AVA Transcendence 8+ preamplifier (NOS Mazda 6CG7 tubes) with built-in phono stage and remote volume control; Eastern Electric Avant preamplifier with phono stage, remote volume control, and NOS tubes using (2) ART Cleanbox Pro XLR-RCA transformers.

Power Amp

AVA UltraValve (NOS Philips ECG 5AR4 rectifier tube; NOS JAN Philips ECG 6U8A or NOS Sylvania 6GH8A driver tubes; EH 6CG7 output tubes); AVA U70 with similar tube set.

Speakers

Salk Sound Veracity HT2-TL in pal dao veneer (MTM QWTL design with two SEAS Excel W18 mid-woofers and an LCY ribbon tweeter).

Subwoofer

(4) DIY 4.9 c.f sealed cabinets each with (1) Dayton RSS390-4 HF 15 and (2) CSS APR-15 passive radiators with 1100 grams daming. Crossovers are (2) Velodyne SMS-1 (one serving the left channel, the other serving the right channel).

Speaker Cable

Belden 5000UE.

Interconnects

Blue Jeans Cable and RAM Electronics (Belden wire).

Power Cables

AVA proprietary two-prong polarized captive power cords; other random power cords for IEC stuff; PCS isolation transformer/filter.

Headphones

MSA SORDIN SUPREME PRO-X, but not for music.

Racking

Linn three-shelf turntable/component stand (circa 1986); IKEA Stockholm television stand.

Power Cond

(2) dedicated 20 amp isolated-ground circuits with Hubbell hospital-grade 20 amp outlets and isolation transformer.

Tuning and Tweaks

REW

Other Components

AVA Omega 50 integrated amplifier; Spendor S3/5 speakers (burl walnut veneer); Linn Tukan speakers (black ash veneer); KEF 101 Reference Series speakers (walnut veneer); Skylan 26" single column speaker stands