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Thread: Parkie37's Audio Note System

  1. #201
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Vancouver

    Posts: 285
    I'm Don.

    Default

    Here is how the listening room is looking these days....
    Listening Room-8989 copy.jpg
    Vertere SG-1 Turntable / Audio Note IO Gold MC
    Audio Note AN-S8L MC Transformer
    Audio Note Pallas I/C (SUT-Preamp)
    Audio Note M6 Phono Preamp
    Audio Note CDT 3/Audio Note 4.1X Balanced Signature DAC
    Audio Note Kassai Monoblocks
    Audio Note Sogon Interconnects
    Audio Note Pallas Interconnects
    Audio Note AN-Vx Interconnects
    Audio Note Sogon Speaker Cables
    Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers
    Audio Note ISIS Power Cables
    Loricraft PRC-4 Record Cleaning Machine

  2. #202
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Vancouver

    Posts: 285
    I'm Don.

    Default

    And this rather special LP showed up yesterday....which is appreciated even more through the current setup : )

    Listening Room-8982 copy.jpg
    Vertere SG-1 Turntable / Audio Note IO Gold MC
    Audio Note AN-S8L MC Transformer
    Audio Note Pallas I/C (SUT-Preamp)
    Audio Note M6 Phono Preamp
    Audio Note CDT 3/Audio Note 4.1X Balanced Signature DAC
    Audio Note Kassai Monoblocks
    Audio Note Sogon Interconnects
    Audio Note Pallas Interconnects
    Audio Note AN-Vx Interconnects
    Audio Note Sogon Speaker Cables
    Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers
    Audio Note ISIS Power Cables
    Loricraft PRC-4 Record Cleaning Machine

  3. #203
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Vancouver

    Posts: 285
    I'm Don.

    Default

    A couple of changes to the HiFi system these days...

    We moved after 20 years in the same house. Our kids are grown up now so time for a change. Instead of a dedicated listening room, I am sharing it with the family, in the living room. The up side is that it is larger and has better dimensions...

    Here is a picture of my listening buddy relaxing to some music;

    IMG_4733.jpg
    Vertere SG-1 Turntable / Audio Note IO Gold MC
    Audio Note AN-S8L MC Transformer
    Audio Note Pallas I/C (SUT-Preamp)
    Audio Note M6 Phono Preamp
    Audio Note CDT 3/Audio Note 4.1X Balanced Signature DAC
    Audio Note Kassai Monoblocks
    Audio Note Sogon Interconnects
    Audio Note Pallas Interconnects
    Audio Note AN-Vx Interconnects
    Audio Note Sogon Speaker Cables
    Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers
    Audio Note ISIS Power Cables
    Loricraft PRC-4 Record Cleaning Machine

  4. #204
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

    Default

    Come on!
    That cute little fella deserves a full size pic!

    .

  5. #205
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Vancouver

    Posts: 285
    I'm Don.

    Default

    Hahaha! You are right Jerry. I am sure that if I asked him, he would agree
    Vertere SG-1 Turntable / Audio Note IO Gold MC
    Audio Note AN-S8L MC Transformer
    Audio Note Pallas I/C (SUT-Preamp)
    Audio Note M6 Phono Preamp
    Audio Note CDT 3/Audio Note 4.1X Balanced Signature DAC
    Audio Note Kassai Monoblocks
    Audio Note Sogon Interconnects
    Audio Note Pallas Interconnects
    Audio Note AN-Vx Interconnects
    Audio Note Sogon Speaker Cables
    Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers
    Audio Note ISIS Power Cables
    Loricraft PRC-4 Record Cleaning Machine

  6. #206
    Join Date: Jul 2011

    Location: Northamptonshire

    Posts: 1,914
    I'm Peter.

    Default

    Hi Don .. happy new year!

    Moving is always a hassle, so glad to see you've settled in, mini-mutt and all

    How are the M6 plus monoblocks working out? Would imagine a decent upgrade over the old integrated?

    BTW, I was just looking at your sig list of kit, and wondering if maybe you could persuade AN to start making record cleaning machines, then you could have the full set ...

  7. #207
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Vancouver

    Posts: 285
    I'm Don.

    Default

    True, true....if only they would build the few minor pieces that I need to complete the puzzle!
    I am quite happy with my ten year old Loricraft RCM : ). It does a fabulous job!

    I have been mostly happy with the M6 Phono that I ordered. I have sold everything of value that I own to purchase it and still I had to wait eight months for it! Of course, I shouldn't complain as I still owe some money on it. I do have two complaints though...I ordered it with a single volume pot to make it simpler for family, but it showed up with the nicer sounding dual pot setup. Not a huge deal, but not what I ordered. My wife and daughters are adapting, but it's the first piece to get mixed up along the way. Also, for some reason the Phono level through my S8 is much much louder than the CD or AUX output.

    I have spoken with my local tech and we can make some adjustments but it is still disappointing. I am told that AN is making it right.

    Overall, the system sounds exceedingly good but can still improve. The room needs some treatment as well. It's a work in progress! I am really enjoying it though : )
    Last edited by Parkie37; 25-06-2017 at 21:13. Reason: Spelling!
    Vertere SG-1 Turntable / Audio Note IO Gold MC
    Audio Note AN-S8L MC Transformer
    Audio Note Pallas I/C (SUT-Preamp)
    Audio Note M6 Phono Preamp
    Audio Note CDT 3/Audio Note 4.1X Balanced Signature DAC
    Audio Note Kassai Monoblocks
    Audio Note Sogon Interconnects
    Audio Note Pallas Interconnects
    Audio Note AN-Vx Interconnects
    Audio Note Sogon Speaker Cables
    Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers
    Audio Note ISIS Power Cables
    Loricraft PRC-4 Record Cleaning Machine

  8. #208
    Join Date: Jul 2011

    Location: Northamptonshire

    Posts: 1,914
    I'm Peter.

    Default

    Yes Don, when you're spending that sort of cash, you expect things to be right, especially after all that time. I recall waiting about three months for a 'lowly' Io1 cartridge, and even that seemed a bit excessive. Anyway, sounds like your local dealer is OK, so hope he gets it sorted.

    I went to the Munich 'high end' show this year, and heard a couple of Kondo-driven systems, both rather disappointing tbh. Much prefer the UK AN stuff ... more 'life' and energy ... sort of the difference between watercolour and oil paintings, if that makes any sense.

    Got any good Jazz vinyl recently? Always enjoy your recommendations

  9. #209
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Vancouver

    Posts: 285
    I'm Don.

    Default

    I have had a bit of a journey getting the best out of the system in that Audio Note preamps have quite a bit of gain, so with my previous M6 Line preamp, the single volume pot was only at 8:30-9:00 and the volume would be 90 db+. It sounded fabulous, but i wanted to have it in the 10:00-2:00 range for max listenable volume. I had a very good technician change the values of some resistors in the mono blocks, in order to make that happen. It took a couple of tries to get it right but then it was just right : ). Now with the new preamp, I have the lower volume on all inputs because of the reduced gain values in the mono blocks.....but the SUT has raised the phono signal to a higher level, which in turn has made it ideal for 12:00-1:00 settings on the dual volume pots, for volume being nice and dynamic and a bit loud (about 90-95 db peaks). The rest of the inputs are 15-20 db quieter at the same volume settings, so it is just a matter of having my technician look into adjusting levels in the phono gain stage and returning the mono block values to their original values. It is a bit of a journey as I said, but in the end it will be exactly what I have been looking for. I feel like the system is very close to what I want. It is just a matter of convenience at the moment.

    I had a recommendation to change a couple of tubes in the line level section of the M6, by someone who owned an M8 for quite a while. There are all sorts of top quality tubes throughout the M6 Phono, but two of them are more budget type tubes. I have just replaced a Russian ECC88/12AU7 with a NOS Philips ECC88/12AU7. At first it was just a bit better but now that it has about 50-60 hours on it, the new tube is quite a bit better than the stock tube. There is a beautiful warmth that retains the resolution of the Russian tube but sounds quite a bit more natural. I had put several hundred hours on the original tube before trying the replacement. It was sent to the penalty box (ice hockey term) fairly quickly after this improvement! I am waiting on a Tung-Sol 5687 to replace a GE 7044, that is supposed to have similar improvements. I have also just added a PS Audio P10 Power Regenerator to the system as we are now in a townhouse complex and I am unable to run dedicated electrical lines, as I had in my previous house. I prefer to go without a power conditioner, but the P10 is quite a special unit and it has really cleaned things up and improved the sound. I have a second job where I teach a safety course at work and I tuck away the funds from that to be 'mad money' spent on my hifi : )

    I had put record collecting on hold while I was saving up for the preamp but I did get a special present for Father's Day. No ugly ties, but the Ultradisc One Step edition of Bill Evans 'Sunday At The Village Vanguard' on MFSL. It is the most expensive record that I own, but it is one of the ten best sounding albums that I have ever heard, and possibly the finest. It is so much better than previous versions that I have heard! I would love to recommend it but it is pricey! I have also enjoyed some much more affordable jazz. I have Jerome Sabagh's 'The Turn' as well as some wonderful mint minus jazz LPs on Pablo, such as Duke's Big Four. Pablo LPs can be bought at regular used record prices, but have some great performances as well as near audiophile recording quality. Also, my daughters bought me a couple of the new re-releases of Pink Floyd albums. The Dark Side Of The Moon is fantastic! I have bought so many versions over the years, but I think that the latest is the best yet. I am going to sell my MFSL version of it as the new one sounds better
    Vertere SG-1 Turntable / Audio Note IO Gold MC
    Audio Note AN-S8L MC Transformer
    Audio Note Pallas I/C (SUT-Preamp)
    Audio Note M6 Phono Preamp
    Audio Note CDT 3/Audio Note 4.1X Balanced Signature DAC
    Audio Note Kassai Monoblocks
    Audio Note Sogon Interconnects
    Audio Note Pallas Interconnects
    Audio Note AN-Vx Interconnects
    Audio Note Sogon Speaker Cables
    Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers
    Audio Note ISIS Power Cables
    Loricraft PRC-4 Record Cleaning Machine

  10. #210
    Join Date: Jul 2011

    Location: Northamptonshire

    Posts: 1,914
    I'm Peter.

    Default

    I once read that most stereo (single) potentiometers are better balanced between the channels in the middle of the middle of their range (10 to 2 o'clock), not down at the bottom (7 to 9 o'clock). Some designers, like Glenn Croft, say that all single stereo pots have tracking imbalances to some degree, and that dual volume controls are a better option.

    Thanks for the recommendations, Don. Spookily, you're the second person in the last 24 hours who has recommended the Bill Evans mofi ultradisc to me! Agree about Pablo jazz ... some excellent stuff in their catalogue, not least the great Joe Pass.

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