[darthlaker]

I recently upgraded to the Model Sevens from the 5A's. VERY happy with the upgrade. The Sevens sound sensational!

Thought I would post some pics.

System:

Stereo audio and home theater are separated and both are on separate power lines which are wired directly to mains power.

Stereo:

Equipment:

dCS Puccini SACD/CD player
dCS Puccini U-Clock
dps 3/Ayre Turntable with balanced tonearm cable
Lyra Kleos cartridge
Ayre KX-R Pre-amp
Ayre P5-xe Phono stage
Ayre MX-R Monoblock amps
Vandersteen Model Seven loudspeakers
2 X Ayre L5-xe power filters
13’ Apple MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz with OCZ VERTEX 2 Series (MLC) 120GB SSD
Channel D Pure Music software
DataTale PAIR 2-Bay FireWire 800, USB, eSATA 2.5-in RAID Enclosure with 2X1TB 2.5” Hitachi HDD

Cables:

Audioquest Eagle Eye 72V DBS BNC 75 Ohm digital cable
Audioquest Everest 72V DBS speaker cables in bi-wire configuration
Audioquest WEL William E Low Signature Cable balanced interconnects 72V DBS
Audioquest Diamond 72V DBS USB cable
Audioquest Wild Blue Yonder 72V DBS 75 Ohm digital cable
Audioquest Diamond 72V DBS FireWire cable
Richard Gray Power Company High Tension Wire power cables

Misc:

Solid Tech Rack of Silence equipment racks with suspension shelves
Solid Tech Feet of Silence isolators under SACD/CD player
Solid Tech turntable shelf
Ayre myrtle wood blocks used under other equipment and also under interconnect and power cables to ensure they are raised above floor
Silent Running Audio "Ohio Class" Audio isoBASE custom made amp stands for the Ayre MX-R Monoblock amps
Cardas XLR and RCA caps on unused inputs/outputs
Furutech Rhodium power receptacles
Sine and Furutech power cover plates
Furutech sound diffusers

Home Theater (in addition to above):

Equipment:

Denon AVR-3312 surround sound receiver
Panasonic DMR-BW750 Blu-Ray player/recorder
XBOX 360 Elite
Thiel SCS3 surround loud speakers
Pioneer PDP-LX509A Plasma monitor (ISF calibrated)

Cables:

Audioquest King Cobra balanced interconnects
Audioquest HDMI cables, rear speaker cable

[fsimms]

I love your system.  I bet it sounds fantastic!  I think the look of the all Ayre rack is killer.  The Vandersteens may be the best speaker in the world today.  The Vandersteens are so neutral.  My Salks are very near neutral but not as neutral as your Vandersteens.  A tube preamp with a warm tube helped my system sound even better.  My system didn’t sound clearer, but it sounded more engaging and real.  I wonder if something like that would make a similar difference in your system.  A tube phono preamp might be a good first step if you wanted to try tubes.

Bob

[dminches]

Beautiful system which I am sounds great. Have you treated the room for acoustics at all?  How big is the room?

[geowak]

A very nice system that I bet sounds wonderful. BUT I bet you don't have the Bose Wave radio!

[jeffreybehr]

VERY nice!  These are certainly the best-looking 7s I've ever seen a pic of.  All the others were in brighter colors and did NOT look very graceful.

Could you pls describe the sonic differences you hear between the 5As and the 7s?

[nrenter]

Beautiful system which I am sounds great. Have you treated the room for acoustics at all?  How big is the room?

Those were the first questions that came to my mind.

[darthlaker]

I love your system.  I bet it sounds fantastic!  I think the look of the all Ayre rack is killer.  The Vandersteens may be the best speaker in the world today.  The Vandersteens are so neutral.  My Salks are very near neutral but not as neutral as your Vandersteens.  A tube preamp with a warm tube helped my system sound even better.  My system didn’t sound clearer, but it sounded more engaging and real.  I wonder if something like that would make a similar difference in your system.  A tube phono preamp might be a good first step if you wanted to try tubes.

Bob

Thanks Bob.

Yes, the Vandersteen's are very neutral.

I have thought of tubes - I was friends with the late Allen Wright from Vacuum State (http://www.vacuumstate.com/).

Unfortunately I never got to try his pre-amp and amps in my system. People rave about his gear......

[darthlaker]

Beautiful system which I am sounds great. Have you treated the room for acoustics at all?  How big is the room?

Thanks dminches.
 
I have 2 Furutech diffusers placed on the side walls which didn't make it in the pictures.
 
I also have my Thiel rear speakers in the upper corners of the rear wall with some CD cabinets on both side walls at the back of room as well.
 
The room has an large open doorway at the rear and also a smaller one on one side. Carpet is on most of the floor.
 
This all helps.

The room is 370CM wide by 520CM long.
 
The bass from the Vandersteen Sevens can be tuned to any room and this was done with excellent results.

[darthlaker]

A very nice system that I bet sounds wonderful. BUT I bet you don't have the Bose Wave radio!

Thanks geowak,

I went on a date with a lady on the weekend and she had a Bose iPod dock in her apartment for her hi-fi!

Not sure I was thinking about the sound at the time though!   

[darthlaker]

VERY nice!  These are certainly the best-looking 7s I've ever seen a pic of.  All the others were in brighter colors and did NOT look very graceful.

Could you pls describe the sonic differences you hear between the 5As and the 7s?

Thanks Jeff!

When I ordered the Sevens I had seem them in black at the dealer. I wanted a neutral color as one moves from time to time and I wanted something that would fit into any decor.

I remember the lovely grey finish on your 5A's and thought about that but then I thought the whole system (rack and equipment) would just be all too "silvery" in finish.

The Sevens are far more open than the 5A's. They are effortless with their dynamics and all the drivers sound like one driver. I also hear SO many things in recordings I have never heard before. The mid-range in particular is incredible.

At a hunch I think the pistonic drivers really fully realize Richards time and phase coherent/first order cross over design philosophy.

[darthlaker]

Those were the first questions that came to my mind.

The room is 370CM by 520CM.

Not big but after set up with the laser jig and dialing in the bass - we measured the room and it measured very, very well.

We were then extremely satisfied after we did our listening tests. Blown away actually.....!   

[JerryM]

Gorgeous system there, darthlaker. 

When you really want to hear it play, what is your *go to* song(s)?

Going off topic, but as a 'dyed-in-the-purple' LA Lakers fan, I like your forum name. If by chance you are a huge Lakers' fan, might I suggest this avatar? 



Have fun,

Jerry

[darthlaker]

Thanks Jerry!

LOVED the avatar pic!

MMMmmmmmmm "go to" songs......SO MANY...below are a few.....I could go on and on (!)

Shelby Lynn - anything from her AMAZING album: Just a little lovin' (Analog productions LP)

Yello - Flag on LP. Song: The Race LP

Salt and Pepper by Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves (Analog productions LP)

Chie Ayado - Prayer SACD (Song: Hallelujah)

Social Network Soundtrack (96/24 digital rip from BD) - track 2 - In Motion

[oros]

  The stuff dreams are made of great system you must be in heaven I would be.

Enjoy  Enjoy. 

[darthlaker]

Thanks oros....It's like a Seventh Heaven!

[mgsboedmisodpc2]

what I like most about these pics is how youyr cables do not show up

[darthlaker]

Thanks.....the shots worked out great. There are plenty of cables there though!