Bakoon 13r Denon DP80 Stax UA-70 Shure Ultra 500 in a Martin Bastin body with jico stylus, project ds2 digital Rullit aero 8 field coils in tqwt speakers
Office system, DIY CSS fullrange speakers with aurum cantus G2 ribbons yulong dac Sony STR6055 receiver Jvc QL-A51 direct drive turntable, Leema sub. JVC Z4S cart is in the house
Garage system another Sony receiver, cassette deck
System components are subject to change without warning and at the discretion of the owner.
Well well.
Just MOT’d my Alfa and it passed ok, but advisory on the exhaust rusting.
Car has twin backboxes theres a crack in the Y-piece and Ive been advised to get it fixed pronto.
So...
aftermarket exhaust time I guess.
Specific options available, Wizard, Ascari, Ragazzon, but thinking to get a custom stainless one made, and theres a highly recommended guy local.
Anyone done something similar before?
Cars been remapped, sports air filter fitted, and while it goes down the road pretty well and makes a nice noise, it doesnt sound as ‘Alfa’ as I’d like it, so chance to fix that.
Wondering too if a new exhaust will let the engine breath a bit better?
Planning on running the car till it drops, so maybe a good investment going forward.
Last edited by Gazjam; 10-02-2018 at 11:51.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
Anything with the name 'Ascari' on it has to be interesting. The circuit, the car and maybe even an exhaust?
If you modify the exhaust, it may need remapping again, to get the best from it.
Always liked Alfas, but never owned one. Cool, without being flash, a real driver's marque.
Quick update, Nugget passed it's MOT with the minimum of fuss, just needed new wiper blades, couple of minor advisories and that was it. Not bad considering it hadn't moved for over 14 months. Next job remove the layer of moss and green stuff left by the trees and then just start going out again.......look out local-ish AOSers, I might be inviting myself for listenings
Turntable
Toshiba SR-370/Mission 774/Van Damme cable with MS Starline plugs/Ortofon Quintet Black
CD
Cambridge CXC transport/modified Musical Fidelity X-DAC/modified Musical Fidelity X-10 V3 tube buffer
Network Player
Cambridge NP30
Amplifier
Denon HA-500 head amp/Nakamichi CA-5E pre-amp/Chinese passive RVC/Proton AA-1150 DMC power amp
Speakers
Mordaunt Short Signifer on original factory stands
Cables
Mogami with Rean Neutrik plugs/NVA LS5
Headphones
Sennheiser HD600/Sennheiser HD650/Koss Pro4 AA
Welcome at mine. I'd invite Gazjam too, also 200 miles away, BUT he drives an Alfa
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
I'd love to visit, I think the car is up to the journey just not to sure about myself, I think I'd need medical attention lol
Turntable
Toshiba SR-370/Mission 774/Van Damme cable with MS Starline plugs/Ortofon Quintet Black
CD
Cambridge CXC transport/modified Musical Fidelity X-DAC/modified Musical Fidelity X-10 V3 tube buffer
Network Player
Cambridge NP30
Amplifier
Denon HA-500 head amp/Nakamichi CA-5E pre-amp/Chinese passive RVC/Proton AA-1150 DMC power amp
Speakers
Mordaunt Short Signifer on original factory stands
Cables
Mogami with Rean Neutrik plugs/NVA LS5
Headphones
Sennheiser HD600/Sennheiser HD650/Koss Pro4 AA
Interesting Steve, didn't know that would be a thing.
I'll look into it.
Been to see my exhaust guy today?
He kinda swooned over the Brera's engine note when I revved it...Hadnt seen a car like mine before and loved it's "Song" as he put it.
Because of this, He advised NOT getting a full new stainless system but keep the Prodrive Brera back boxes and manufacturing a straight through system.
He said it would be a mistake to change the character of the car by going "Boy Racer", but design a system for more "Alfa-ness" and let whats already there come through a lot better.
Sure, will be noticeably louder and have more snarl, but will still have that Alfa magic.
To anyone who knows their exhausts, does a straight through system sound noticeably louder?
Looking for a bit more oomph and to get the Brera sounding more in line with how it looks.
Thanks.
Last edited by Gazjam; 10-02-2018 at 18:14.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
Good advice, Gaz, but as I understand it, a straight-through system involves doing away with the back boxes... That's certainly what happened on the Brabster, when I had a straight-through quad SS system fitted, and once the job was done, the old back boxes were left lying on the floor, so I'm not quite sure how they're going to achieve what has been suggested?
In my view, a good exhaust fitter should be able to create a bespoke system, tailored to produce the sound you want, by tuning how the pipes are installed. However, if the back boxes are key to the 'Alfa sound', then those could be retained and used in conjunction with stainless-steel pipes, thus preventing ordinary ones from rusting again in future. That's what I'd be doing.
Also, in terms of mapping, fitting the new exhaust system shouldn't make too much difference. You should feel a small improvement in performance afterwards, simply due to having allowed the engine to 'breathe' better. If necessary, you can always take the car back to whoever mapped it, and ask them if they think any further adjustments are necessary, in order to fine-tune and maximise performance.
Are you still filling the engine with proper petrol?
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
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