View Full Version : My system.....
eddieedwards
14-05-2015, 19:40
Well, I've had a go at reading the guide, so fingers crossed. Here are a few pictures of my system, as described in the welcome area. I hope you enjoy having a butchers at them.
Garrard 401/ SME 3009/ Rondo Bronze, Art Audio VPL Phono Pre, Art Audio Jota:
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01661_zps1gfseqsd.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01661_zps1gfseqsd.jpg.html)
My beloved Art Audio Jota.... mmmmm, shiny. This took a fair bit of finding, but even after demoing many other amps, this is the one that really stuck in my mind. I recently flirted with a NAF 300b Supreme SE, but the Jota even saw that off!
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01641_zpsm4mhdhvs.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01641_zpsm4mhdhvs.jpg.html)
Here is my Garrard 401, with 3009 and Rondo Bronze. This is my first MC and, even though I'm yet to find a SUT, this still sounds pretty dammed good in the MM on my Art Audio pre:
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01651_zpskexuzwty.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01651_zpskexuzwty.jpg.html)
Here is the latest addition to the system. These Cadence Amaya arrived just last Sunday and they are by some distance the best speaker I've heard in my system. They replace a pair of Living Voice OBX R2 with Kondo SPc. These really fill the room with a nice big driver and the electrostatic unit is bringing out detail like I've never heard before:
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01671_zpsqdhwordc.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01671_zpsqdhwordc.jpg.html)
And finally, the obligatory picture from where I sit!
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01681_zpsidgbyh42.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01681_zpsidgbyh42.jpg.html)
Wakefield Turntables
14-05-2015, 19:42
Matt,
That is a VERY nice system.
Looks the business and love the unit too.
eddieedwards
14-05-2015, 20:22
Thanks everyone - glad you like it.
Grant, the unit looks good, but I'm not sure it's the best sound wise. It's a big hollow box, so not ideal. One day I'd like a double width rack to put it all on.
Cheers
Anthony K
14-05-2015, 21:07
Wonderful
Beautiful system you have there Matthew.
I too like the unit - are the black panels drawers? If so, fill them up with stuff so the unit won't resonate.
Love the speakers too. Does the electrostatic tweeter integrate well with the moving coil woofer? There is often a problem in matching the dipole pattern of an electrostatic unit with the cardoid pattern of a enclosed moving coil speaker, as Bowers & Wilkin found with their DM70 electrostatic hybrid speaker.
Lovely loking listening room; perfect to relax in and listen to some music after an energetic workout on your garden trampoline! :lol:
Regards
Barry
Idlewithnodrive
15-05-2015, 10:40
Love the look of that Matt.
The speakers look awesome, and the room just tops it off. I bet it all adds up to a very nice listening experience.
Love the idea of those little metal (?) shelves on the wall, that make the Albums look like art work. I'm going to pinch that I think :)
eddieedwards
15-05-2015, 10:48
I too like the unit - are the black panels drawers? If so, fill them up with stuff so the unit won't resonate.
Love the speakers too. Does the electrostatic tweeter integrate well with the moving coil woofer? There is often a problem in matching the dipole pattern of an electrostatic unit with the cardoid pattern of a enclosed moving coil speaker, as Bowers & Wilkin found with their DM70 electrostatic hybrid speaker.
Thanks everyone. The unit is split into thirds - the outer two are draws full of CDs, whilst the middle section drops down and has a DAC in it.
In terms of electrostatics, I don't really have a reference point, so I don't know if they do it better, or worse than others. For me, it all sounds pretty coherent, though I think there is some frequency split when walking about the room (which I don't tend to do much!).
Overall, though, the electro unit gives detail like I've not heard before, and without being bright or glary. I love these speakers, though I have to admit they're fugly as.
crackorama
15-05-2015, 10:54
Beautiful.
eddieedwards
15-05-2015, 11:14
Love the look of that Matt.
The speakers look awesome, and the room just tops it off. I bet it all adds up to a very nice listening experience.
Love the idea of those little metal (?) shelves on the wall, that make the Albums look like art work. I'm going to pinch that I think :)
Cheers Mike. We've not long moved here, I purposely left pics of the giant fake stone fireplace out! The whole house needs dragging out of the 70's!
The album art is just some wooden trim from B&Q. It' the Richard Burbidge stuff, which is an outrageous rip off.
DarrenHW
15-05-2015, 15:32
... though I have to admit they're fugly as.
I think they're beauties, nice system!
Great system and room But I really wanna see the 'seventies fake stone fireplace!
Solrighal
15-05-2015, 17:28
That room looks bloody amazing mate, nice one! Do you not experience any microphonics with the amp valves being so close to that right-hand driver?
Gordon.
hifilover
15-05-2015, 19:21
Wow!
Gorgeous amp and TT... Speakers aren't to my taste, but I bet they sound bloody fantastic!
Very jealous
Floyddroid
15-05-2015, 20:24
Gorgeous.
eddieedwards
16-05-2015, 07:19
That room looks bloody amazing mate, nice one! Do you not experience any microphonics with the amp valves being so close to that right-hand driver?
Gordon.
Hi Gordan - unfortunately, these KR valves do ring a bit anyway, though it seems no worse where the amp is now than before (it used to be in the middle of the speakers at the old house).
They're fine when there's music on and the sound is constant, but if there is speech, or sound then silience, there can be a small noticeable ring. I have some EML 300BXLS as well, and they don't ring at all.
Cheers.
The Jota has to be down as one of the best looking valve amps on the planet. To these eyes at any rate.
The speakers? As you say maybe not, but WTF, who cares?:)
Nice clean lines there Ed, although I would not usually consider driving a stat panel with an 300B SET!
Frazeur1
16-05-2015, 14:21
Matt, fantastic looking setup there! If it sounds good to you, leave it be, relax and just enjoy it! Nice room too!
andrasszamek
18-05-2015, 16:49
stunning!
Very nice indeed. I used a Jota for 2 years with the EML 300BXLS and Tom upgraded it with silver wire, two extra pairs of RCA inputs and with remote control on the volume. It is a magnificent amp.
Unfortunately I fell in love with 86dB speakers (which don't have your radar attachments) and the Jota can't drive them properly, so currently using rebuilt Concerto mono blocks in triode mode.
I haven't put the Jota up for sale yet, but if anyone reading this is still drooling over Eddie's .... let me know.
That folks is a proper hifi system.:cool:
eddieedwards
20-05-2015, 18:36
Very nice indeed. I used a Jota for 2 years with the EML 300BXLS and Tom upgraded it with silver wire, two extra pairs of RCA inputs and with remote control on the volume. It is a magnificent amp.
Unfortunately I fell in love with 86dB speakers (which don't have your radar attachments) and the Jota can't drive them properly, so currently using rebuilt Concerto mono blocks in triode mode.
I haven't put the Jota up for sale yet, but if anyone reading this is still drooling over Eddie's .... let me know.
Cheers for the comments everyone.
Steven, that's interesting, I have a pair of EML 300BXLS for when these KRs snuff it! They were very good when I ran them with my NAF 300b.
In the long term, I'm considering silvering up my kit with Tom and perhaps fitting extra inputs. That way, I could run a digital source direct, along with a dedicated phono rather than the preamp I'm currently using.
For now, though, I think the next step for me is a service on the Garrard and a new tonearm. Any suggestions welcome and I'll probably start a thread on it soon anyway.
Cheers.
Cheers for the comments everyone.
Steven, that's interesting, I have a pair of EML 300BXLS for when these KRs snuff it! They were very good when I ran them with my NAF 300b.
In the long term, I'm considering silvering up my kit with Tom and perhaps fitting extra inputs. That way, I could run a digital source direct, along with a dedicated phono rather than the preamp I'm currently using.
For now, though, I think the next step for me is a service on the Garrard and a new tonearm. Any suggestions welcome and I'll probably start a thread on it soon anyway.
Cheers.
That's what I was going to discuss.
I've now got a single RCA line input into the Vinyl 1, which I use for my DAC, and I use the mm and mc inputs from my turntable. The DAC (also from Tom) has transport, airplay and NAS going into it. It all works rather well.
I've got the volume on the Vinyl 1, but you have it on the Jota.
I also have an extra gain adjuster on the mc output on the back of the Vinyl 1. Tom will be measuring the preferred position and replacing with a resistor.
The new pre-amp bits in the Vinyl 1 are passive, but he may wire is with some gain per the Conductor. So I've ended up with a passive mm/mc pre-amp. Tom rather likes it given most of the connections these days are into a DAC rather than an analogue pre-amp. All he's got to do is give it a name.
p.s.s That's the benefit of K.I.S.S. audio components.
eddieedwards
27-05-2016, 12:18
It's been a while since I've updated this and there's been a few changes. Out with the Art Audio, in with the Leben (and AN arm, ZYX, S&B SUT)!
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01771_zpshfi6tdeg.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01771_zpshfi6tdeg.jpg.html)
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01761_zpscg6xkleq.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01761_zpscg6xkleq.jpg.html)
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01751_zpsnve6cwoi.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01751_zpsnve6cwoi.jpg.html)
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01741_zpsbafjvsnb.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01741_zpsbafjvsnb.jpg.html)
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/DSC_01731_zpsz1c6b8bl.jpg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/DSC_01731_zpsz1c6b8bl.jpg.html)
Flippin' 'eck, that looks lovely. I love Leben gear ... bet it sounds wonderful. I should imagine the 401 drives it along really nicely.
eddieedwards
27-05-2016, 13:16
Flippin' 'eck, that looks lovely. I love Leben gear ... bet it sounds wonderful. I should imagine the 401 drives it along really nicely.
I do love my 401, from a sonic perspective as well as visual and the ease of use. I think the phono was once your's wasn't it Peter? I bought it off Greg. TBH, I'd love to know how your Leben power amp compares to the integrated, I bet it was (is?) magic with the Shindo?
I have to say that I'm happier than I've ever been with the sound now. The ZYX (0.24mv) seems nicely dialled in to the TX103s at 1:20 and I find it lively enough for me and never tiring, yet plenty of detail without any brightness. The Cadence speakers give a huge, room filling sound too (fugly though).
I notice you've got the HM-3s and I do sometimes wonder how the TX103 might compare. I'm unsure whether to get the SUT prettily boxed and rewired, but the cost of that, plus the original cost of the SUTs are similar to just buying some HM3s and getting them boxed up.
Frazeur1
27-05-2016, 17:01
Cadence-fugly? Nah, certainly a bit different in a good way I think. Beats seeing just another monkey coffin! Your system looks great!
jandl100
29-05-2016, 08:43
Cadence-fugly?
They certainly are! Makes me want to throw a sheet over them. :lol:
Very good sound, though. :thumbsup:
Firebottle
29-05-2016, 09:51
The Cadence speakers give a huge, room filling sound too (fugly though).
I bet that set-up sounds amazing :stalks:
As for the speakers I would say different looking rather than fugly, but then I am used to looking at a large pair of panels;
That's a wonderful looking system, Matthew, choc-full of components I like and admire. I can imagine you have some long and enjoyable listening sessions there! :)
Would love to hear it sometime, as you're not too far away :cool:
Marco.
eddieedwards
29-05-2016, 11:19
Cheers for the comments.
They're fugly with the radar on top, but not too bad with it off, which is how I keep them when not being used. They fill the room with sound well though.
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac146/eddieedwards78/image_zpsbo4ud8yo.jpeg (http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eddieedwards78/media/image_zpsbo4ud8yo.jpeg.html)
No worries, Matthew. PM me if you fancy a visitor (with beers) sometime :cool:
Marco.
jandl100
29-05-2016, 11:54
Ah, that's interesting - I didn't realise the stat panel was so easily detachable.
Yup, much more presentable like that!
jollyfix
29-05-2016, 12:16
I prefer them on TBH. Great system Mathew.
Me too. I don't see a problem with the stat panels. Folk worry too much about prettifying hi-fi. If the speakers sound great (which I'm sure they do), who cares what they look like! ;)
Marco.
This looks truly fantastic Matthew :) Really clean and organized looking setup!
eddieedwards
29-05-2016, 13:53
Ah, that's interesting - I didn't realise the stat panel was so easily detachable.
Yup, much more presentable like that!
They're meant to stay on, as there are a few holes in the panel and speaker to take a screw. I take them off due to aesthetics but, also, so that the kids don't knock them when squeezing past and wreck the connector.
The panels just sit on top and plug in to a port. It's like an old printer port on a computer, pre usb. For what they cost, I imagine they'd be hard to beat.
I got a lot of change when selling my LV OBX and Kondo for these plus maplin OFC cheapo cable. :smoking::smoking::smoking:
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