Show us Your Kit!

UPDATED hifi:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1127246906&view

added a Turntable and a Phonostage and made my own IC's (short 25cm signal path to phono, and longer 75cm IC to PrimaLuna):

 

I'm pretty new here so be gentle with me...
Here goes.

-***Copland CDA823 replaced the Musical Fidelity A3 CD player***
-Project build 20W Class A, Triode push pull Tube amp, 6SN7's and KT88's.
-Aquired today... Proac D25's (oh they are loverly)
As you can see, just plumbing things in...

 

My latest systempic, just made this morning:

 

Thanx to Jezzer I now have more artistic views of my hi-fi over here:

http://photobucket.com/albums/c371/TGhafoor/

 

My system consisting of:
Wadia 6i with various mods by 'wadiameister'
Perreaux 200i Classic integrated amp
Revel M22 speakers on Target Stands (with Norost Pulsar Points)
Van Den Hul Integration XLR Interconnect
QED XT400 Speaker Cable
Still need a dedicated rack or shelves but I'm waiting for a property sale to complete before I splash the cash.

PS. The cats called Foggy!!

 

Yesterday I visited a new Naim dealer in my area.
I had a nice cup o' coffea, had a little chat with the owner and a customer, and went home with a demo Nait-5i to try for a week.

This way I had the chance to compare it to my trusty old Nait-2.

More detailed information about my experience with this amp and the particular shop can be found on the Naim-Forum.

The only thing I can/will tell ya is this... The NAIT-5i is a keeper!

Here's a first snapshot of my new system:

 

damn, Alco.... you snap some really nice photos!!

 

Thanks Nils,...to be honest,..It was made with a cheap digi-cam (Fuji A-303)
(ok, the black/white photo also with a little help from Adobe Photoshop 7.0)

 

totem mani-2
mcintosh c-20
mcintosh mc-240 (need another one for mono)
thorens th 124/rega rb300 + pebbles counterweight + p25 ic/ortofon spu royal n/gsp era gold + exp, on rega wall shelf
leak troughline + scott 33 sterodecoder (sson to be replaced by fisher fmr-1)
r2r telefunken m15
________
suzuki gn125

 

totem mani-2
mcintosh c-20
mcintosh mc-240 (need another one for mono)
thorens th 124/rega rb300 + pebbles counterweight + p25 ic/ortofon spu royal n/gsp era gold + exp, on rega wall shelf
leak troughline + scott 335 stereodecoder (soon to be replaced by fisher fmr-1)
r2r telefunken m15
________
mercedes-benz conceptfascination history

 

How come you have two similar systems samurai?
How does the scott 335 stereodecoder improve on the 33?
How come lots of people threaten to hit me at school all the time?

 

Alco, neat system you got. What are the speaker stands?

And the cabinet, is it custom made?

 

How come lots of people threaten to hit me at school all the time?[/QUOTE]


they should stop doing so
________
ios games

 

Thanks. The stands are from an Italian brand called Musictools and are originally designed for the LS3/5a speaker, but since my Rogers Studio 3 has the exact same size it matches perfectly

See: http://www.musictools.it/F.ToolOne.htm

Well, it is...kinda.
It was made by my dad, who was a carpenter before he retired.
He made a diner table for me early this year, and made this cabinet from the left-over wood.
It's made from solid (light)oak, and was actually ment to house my TV/VCR/DVD.
Just recently I moved my Naim gear out of the Ikea Corras, and placed in on/in to the light-oak cabinet.
It looked better imho, but I kinda expected the sound to be worse.
To my surprise it was the opposite!

It's still no Fraim, but then again...it sound good to me, hides the cables and it's about 1/40th of the price

 

Thanks, real nice work, my wife loves it ...

 

Hi, here's my system:

Sources
Scheu Premier II / Scheu Cantus arm / Shelter 901
Eastsound CD5

Amp
ESE Labs Nibiru phono
AKSA GK1 preamp (kit)
AKSA 55 N+ amp (kit)

Speakers
VMPS 626R with FST tweeter and Auricaps

Cables
I/Cs: Oritek X-1 and X-2, Pure Note Cerulean
Speaker: Pure Note Cerulean
Power: CV Flavor 4, CryoParts kit with Oyaide connectors

Rack
E&T Spider Rack 11-D600-3W

Other Stuff
Linn LP12 / RB250/Origin Live + Incognito mods / Dynavector DV20H
Bottlehead Seduction phono (kit)
Odyssey Tempest preamp (inc phono)
Odyssey Stratos amp
IPL M3tl transmission line speakers (kit)
GR Research Paradox 1 speakers (kit)

Thanks !

 

Hi-this is my system.

TT-Pink Triangle Anniversary-Battery powered.
WB act two arm
Lyra clavis evolve 99 cartridge
whest p20 phono stage

CD Meridian G08
Whest dap10

Speakers- Monitor Audio studio 20se
Cable-Audioquest midnight reference

Pre Amp- Meridian 502

Talk Tornado 5 monoblocks x4

Tuner-Meridian 504

Casette -Sony 870es

Headphone-Sennheiser HD600
MF V2 amp and psu

Interconnects-Kimber KCAG.
Pending-Silver Arrow Clear Reference

Mains Cables-RA High Current

TT on Oak Cones
All other equipment on Aluminium Cones from (Whatever_ you _Want) on Ebay-(highly recommended )

Determined to spend more on Vinyl and Cds than hi-fi in the future.

 

Well, here goes.

My system was originally aimed at being vinyl driven but inreasingly I am attempting a balance between vinyl and CD.

Current system;

Vinyl Front End

Michell Orbe with QC
SME V (with balanced cable configuration)
Lyra Argo
Chord Balanced Phono Stage

CD Front End - 19/12/05

Chord DAC64
Theta Basic II CD Transport
Kimber AGDL Balanced Digital Interconnect

Amplification

Sugden Masterclass Pre
Sugden Masterclass Monos

Speakers

Sonus Faber Electa Amator II
Sonus Faber Iron Wood Stands
RA / Kimber Monocole X Speaker Cable

Cables and Other Items

Kimber Silver Streak Interconnects, balanced between phono stage and pre and also between pre and power amps. RCA connections between DAC and pre.

All mains cables are RA Reference Cables apart from cable from wall socket to RA Purifier Block which has the new Signature power cable (a substantial improvement).

My room is 32 X 18 with an interesting roof since I am in the attic of an old Victorian house. I have installed acoustic flooring (I know , but the house was a £100k refurbishment and the floor was only £900.) I also installed a dedicated mains spur since the house was being re-wiered top to bottom.

Advice?

My CD front end is dated since I also have a Sugden SDD Transport, SDA DAC and Kimber 2020 Digital Cable which was my main CD source until I picked up a Chord DAC 64 recently. The Sugden has a Trichord Clock 4 and never connected power supply. Some work was also done on the capacitators which made the Sugden combination really sing. However, the DAC 64 has given me food for thought.

The THETA was bought due to the realisation that if I sold the Sugden they would have to go as a pair, thus I needed a good transport. I believe that the Sugden and the Theta share the same Phillips mechanism from the mid '90's. (There is a THETA DS Pro Progeny DAC lying around but I believe that I have concluded that both the Sugden and the Chord are better than this DAC )

I am almost of the opinion that the Theta / Chord is better than the Sugden combo. but will carry on my research until bank balance forces a sale of one or other of the combinations.

Out of interest what would you do?

Any experience of the Sugden combo out there? Is the THETA reliable? Why do some people not like the Chord? I find it to be very good and anything but harsh.

Your feedback would be appreciated

 

I've heard the DAC64 in a few [very different] systems - albeit briefly in each case - and there always seems to be a certain "metallic" sheen to the treble, like there's just a bit too much of it, and it's always put me off. I agree, it's not the slightest bit harsh or unrefined - just not very natural to my ears. In one of the systems in question (ATC SCM12s driven by a great big EAR tube amp - the V20 I think), it didn't sound nearly as natural, convincing, or just plain listenable as the Audio Synthesis DAX Decade we compared it with.

Then again, I imagine system synergy has a lot to do with it - with speakers that hold back a bit on the treble, it would probably sound great, as long as they do so without sacrificing quality.

Dunc

 

Thanks for the response.

I am trying hard to be citical since I have read a lot about this 'sheen' and yet so far I am nothing but impressed.

The presentation is more detailed than the Sugden, and frankly both the Sugden and the Chord give the THETA DAC the finger :JPS:

Out of interest have you heard the Sonus Fabers? Are they forward compared to the speakers you mention?

The Masterclass is in my view a class act - would this be contributing to my positive impression of the CAC 64 to date?

Any comments would be appreciated, especially re. music that has caught the Chord DAC 64 short. I have until the 3rd of January to make a final decision - I look forward to a lot of good music over Christmas.