System Thread 1
Thought it was about time I did a system thread. As I write this everything is working in harmony but with tubes, stereo subs and electrostats, who knows how long that'll be!
Anyway, I've assembled this system over the past couple of years. It was always my intention to have a dedicated listening space, (I'm a lucky boy) with (almost) cart blanch on decor and equipment. I think she's regretting giving me that now though as clearly she didn't know what was in store!
Lets start with the sources . . . .
Linn LP12. Hand me down from my old man. Has since had new gromets, springs, motor, belt and is regularly maintained. Tonearm cable is a solid silver affair with air dielectric, tried a few but this one just sounded right.
Current cart is an Audio Technica OC9XEN. Got it in an Amazon 'mis-price' for £200, should have bought 10!
I built a dedicated shelf for it a couple of weeks ago which was loosely based on the 'Vulkan' wall shelf for those familiar with it. Mine probably isn't as good but its rigid and firm and cost roughly 8% of the real thing!
Coincidently the bracing underneath perfectly supports the LP12's 'Mose' power supply. The old boards and power supply have been removed from the TT for fairly significant improvement.
Audio Technica AT-LP5. A lot of TT for the money. This is my 'chuck a record on' TT. I use a cork mat on top of the rubber one for two reasons. Firstly it brings the VTA up to the correct level without having to add a shim to every cartridge and secondly it actually does sound better. The original rubber mat sounded a bit dead to my ears. One day I might address the problem properly but sonically it works so that's the main thing.
Have a few other carts in head-shells to swap in and try which is fun too. Including an AT440mlb and Ortofon OM20 but I leave a modded (trimmed stylus body) AT95EX in there most of the time as its the cart the TT was designed for and sounds great. Also cheap as chips so no worries putting hours on it.
Same silver cabling out to the phono-stage.
The TT's both go into the same phono-stage, as the LP12 is an MC and the LP5 is an MM. The stage just has a switch to flick between them so nothing to disconnect etc and I can just have one phono stage for two TT's. This is a real bonus for me as there's not a huge amount of room left on my shelves.
Phono stage:
D.Klimo LAR (copy). I'd never heard of this phono stage before but it has switchable MM/MC input and is a fully tubed and rectified affair. I have swapped a lot of the caps for upgraded Mundorfs and Clarity caps. Very nice improvement but I think there will be more to come from this stage. I've rolled a few tubes through it too but the one's I've settled on are a matched quad of Voskhod 6n23p's (rockets) for the main stage.
A couple of them are '75 production year too (but not the 74 holy grail). It also has Phillips/Mullard 12AT7's in there (I assume for the additional MC gain?) or possibly they are in the output stage path. Either way they are a very lively and rich combination.
The rectifier is a Tesla 6x4/EZ90 (6Z31) with adapter. Transformer was buzzing the chassis like mad so have isolated them internally.
Streamer:
Novafidelity X12. Bought this refurbished. Previously used it networked connected to NAS drives but more recently I have utilised its internal HD with an SSD containing all my most listened to music. I still have the bulk of my collection on external NAS drives and just connect it to my network when I want to use that to listen to internet radio etc. The SSD is silent and does sound better than running it off the NAS drives but only likely due to the fact I can completely turn the network off when listening in this mode as the network consists of dreaded powerline adapters. No way around this I'm afraid so for dedicated listening these are turned off making the power as 'clean' as possible. Well, in for a penny etc . . . . yes, I'm dedicated.
The little box has never missed a beat and has a good remote, it also displays album art on a big screen . . . which is nice.
Music sent to DAC via QED reference 40 coax cable (yes I kept it!) but this can probably be improved on in the future.
DAC:
Musical Paradise MP-D1 mkII. Just a cracking bit of kit, even for its age. It's been upgraded with Mundorf caps everywhere and improved internal wiring and a ceramic fuse. I've also isolated the transformers as they were making the chassis buzz a bit. Handy fixed/variable output for volume matching, although I just leave it on fixed all the time now. Tried every 396A/2c51/5670 tube going pretty much. Did have the renowned WE396a's in there but now I've swapped to some RCA Command's. They are better in this DAC.
Preamp:
Musical Paradise MP-301. Yes I like Musical Paradise kit. It seems to offer everything the big boys do (tube rectification/quality parts/flexibility) but at a fraction of the cost. It has two outputs which is a necessity for running stereo subs in the way I do. As most of my kit its been modded (big thanks to Mr Firebottle as ever). Upgraded with a ladder relay volume unit as well as grid stoppers and massive Mundorf and Audyn caps. Tantalum resistors in the output path too which sound really good.
Tubes I've settled on are RCA 6SN7 GTB and Sylvania 6SN7 GTB chrome dome. Combination is best of both worlds to me. Rectifier is a Mullard GZ34. Buy one and forget it, bomb proof and best sound in class.
Apologies for the stock images, I literally forgot to take a pic of it . . . that's how much it 'disappears' . . .
Power amp:
Neurochrome 686. Lots written about this amp suffice to say it is very very good. Thanks to Firebottle and Bigman80 for helping me make the decision on this. I am lucky enough to have one of just two hand built by the designer himself. A right place, right time purchase as at the time I didn't actually 'need' a power amp at all, but couldn't let it pass me by. Perhaps even more to come from it but for now I'm really enjoying it and will leave it alone.
Subs:
Pair of REL T3's. They take a signal from the preamp which goes into a little Class D amp just to give them a high-level input which definitely sounds superior to RCA input etc. I don't like running the input from the main power amp as the sub cable and the speaker cable interact with each other (because they are in the same signal path). I like to keep the signal to the main speakers as 'pure' as possible, especially if the cables are 'high end'.
Independent stereo bass, if you haven't heard it done you should try it. Incredible amounts of low frequency detail I never thought were there are now present.
They are only small (8") but they do 'keep up' with the Quads, just about. They sit spiked and cupped on granite plinths which add some slam, more than carpet anyway.
Speakers:
Quad 63's. Fully upgraded with just about every option going. Pro grills, upgraded electrics including real Black Gate caps. I bought these a year ago and they have been in repair for various issues. Now they are pretty much perfect sonically and cosmetically. I've owned 57's and 63's and these are a revelation. Massively increased response from the various mods and overcome the acoustic issues present in my room. I actually just bought the stands from the same seller I bought them off as he still had them for sale. I've raised 63's off the floor before and didn't think it was a night and day difference. With these it is. The bass is so coherent with no bloat or muddiness. I've never heard clearer bass notes.
They roll off around 50Hz where the subs kick in and do the rest.
They do not have as much inner midrange magic as a good pair of 57's, that I must concede, but everything else, dynamics, slam, scale, these have more.
Listening spot/room:
As important as the rest of the system as far as I'm concerned! A nice sofa with a selection of vinyl behind, along with some 'spare' hifi if anything goes kaputt! My listening room is a loft with small windows either side so it's got a very cosy ambience.
Sloped ceilings also add to the character of the room. A few prints on the wall also help with reflections as well as looking nice.
In the corners behind the speakers are some medium sized bass traps. An absolute must in a serious listening room in my opinion. I have additional home-made absorption panels in front of them to increase their effectiveness. They really add quality bass to the system by preventing peaks, nulls and standing waves colliding and building up in corners.
The difference with and without them is as significant as MP3 vs CD as far as I'm concerned (okay you can get some great sounding MP3's and awful sounding CD's but the technical difference is the point I'm making).
A treated room can massively flatter an otherwise mediocre system. A quality system will nearly always sound bad in an acoustically bad room. At least in my (relatively short) experience.
I have the odd acoustic panel here and there but mainly in reflection spots which increases treble accuracy in the listening position.
Cables/Shelf etc:
All home-made power cables from Belden 83803 and 19364 cable. All schuko plugs (to cut out as many fuses as possible) into half filtered half unfiltered power block. All rhodium plated IEC connectors. Quads are run off their own unfiltered Schuko block. Speaker cables are Tellurium Q Ultra Blacks. Sub cable is Van Damme Blue 4mm. AMR fuses for power blocks.
Interconnects are a combination of silver/pure copper.
All components are on an Atacama 'Eris' stand/shelf along with a similar generic one for the LP5 and phono stage. They are spiked and isolated into cups on top of tiles on the carpeted floor. A must when running subs in close proximity to components, especially tubes.
How does it sound? Let's just say it'll do . . . .
Last edited by Opti-cal; 10-06-2020 at 14:06.
System 1: - Amp - Musical Paradise MP-701 mk2 - Neurochrome 686
- Source: Audio Technica LP-5 - Custom 6V6 stage - Novafidelity X30 - Soekris 1421 (LPSU) - Custom TDA1541 C3G DAC -
- Speakers: Martin Logan Prodigy's - Subs: - REL T3's -
System 2 - Amp: Musical Paradise MP 303/Custom 300B SET - Custom 6SL7 Pre -
- Source: Pioneer N-30K - SONCOZ SGD1 -
- Speakers: Loth X BS1's - Sub: REL T3 -
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