Baja's system

Wow. Your room looks perfectly 70's retro, and the gear looks amazing. I'm drooling over the 301 too :)

Thanks for the pictures.

speakers are finished - coming to an end ...
best

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2040/alllh5.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/9413/all2nk7.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8190/all3xx3.jpg

update:

the new system is finished for 95% - just missing is a mc step-up - I'd like to go for altec peerless 4722...

changes:

* the crossovers has been upgraded for the high tone
* the amp got not tubes: 845B instead of the golden dragons - rca 12ax7 long black plate, square getter (50th) instead of ei ecc83 - nos tung-sol 5687 instead of raytheon 5687.
* instead of the einstein cdp an acousticPlan vadi (with a special chrome front instead of the typical blue one - and still waiting for optional plugs at the rear to use the cdp's dac for other digital storages) the vadi has an ingenious tube stage and is also tube rectified - tubes are: EZ80, EL84, EF86, 75C1 and E88CC - all over hand made, including the transformers. this item "sounds" unbelievable ...

i'm still wondering if i should go for a pair of mcintosh mc30 instead of the naf integrated - but this means to sold the naf first - probably this might be a not a bargain? does anybody have audited both 6l6 and 845 tubes? - i'd be glad for any suggestions ...

thanks

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/323/gb0.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/963/42797921.jpg
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/9414/gb2w.jpg
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/3633/gb3.jpg
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1124/gb4q.jpg
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/6642/gb5w.jpg

I like that system very much, so congratulations! It encompasses so much of what I value in hi-fi and demonstrates real thinking outside of the box, which is at the core of what this forum is about :)

What exactly is in your speakers in terms of drive units and components?

Can we have a real loving close-up of the 301 and also the arm and cartridge? :cool:

Marco.

marco,
thanks for the flowers ...

inside the speakers is a GPH 604-8H series II - it's a derivative of the altec 604-8H (not to compare with the latest altec 604K or L) - instead of alnico magnets this item comes with ferrite. I've audited several different altec 604 (B, E and H with alnico in different enclosures), also Votts and 19th, some with original and some with custom made crossovers - at least I decided to go for the GPA's because they are familiar with my more "modern" taste - they are less "sticky" (yes indeed, this is what some vintage-lovers prefer) and I fell in love with the tangerine phase plug - the enclosure is a rebuilt of an altec 612B custom cabinet, that was used as smaller monitor cabinet in some famous studios (nice image at the bottom) - originally it was built out of redwood, what is protected nowadays - I use similar wood that is known as piano-wood, varnished in light ivory - inside the enclosure is nothing but lambswool and an acoustic foam pad - wiring is auditorium 23/shindo like but from a different source - the crossovers are custom made by jabo laboratory - his philosophy is to work with auto-transformers and vintage oil paper capacitors - it's quite special and some altec enthusiasts are pretty "dissing" this philosophy - however I love it.

the garrard is re-built by norma hylee tech berlin - my wish was a smaller plinth and they were astonished how good this smaller solution work out - the arm is developed by norma hylee tech, too. it's called ZA tritonus - although it's not a re-built of a vintage 12", the arm comes close to an old (super rare) neumann.

the cartridge is a lyra - that I've bought NOS as clavis but it looks like a first generation lydian - ok, I stopped wondering about this because it sounds great - phono pre is an all tubed silvaweld swh-550 mkII built for black forest audio - but as told before I'm planing to add a step-up ...

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8357/all4jo7.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...sinstudio2.jpg

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/8584/dscf9623.jpg

Well, I am speechless!

Absolutely wonderful stuff, truly awe inspiring. Thanks for sharing the pictures and description with us.

:)

Quote:

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Well, I am speechless!

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Me too... TOTAL QUALITY :eek: :youtheman:

I just *know* I'd love the way those speakers play music!

And the old Lyras like that have a different sonic balance, and IMO are much superior to the bright, toppy stuff they make today.

What do you think, Baja?

Marco.

Wow Baja

You have got some absolutely gorgeous looking and I'm sure wonderful sounding kit there. I'm most envious, not only of the equipment but of your beautifully clean and uncluttered room as well!

I would be interested in learning a little more about the pick up arm you are using on your 301.

Thanks
Barry

@barry,

here you get more information:
http://www.deutsch.norma-hylee-tech.de/html/tonarm.html (sorry, only german)

@marco

in my experience it is worth to refurbish the old lyra systems if possible - there are some guys in japan who are specialists in this issue - what I like is the dynamic sonic of the cartridge - but honestly the whole environment shifts the sound - before I owned a wilson benesch turntable with a.c.t. two arm and the same cartridge - this was always somehow scrawny and astonishingly it changed with the garrard 301 to what I was looking for: earthy in a positive sense ...

best

second amp - still a little work to do ...
regards,

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6277/6c33c.jpg

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7158/amp2m.jpg