Carolina Audiofest Extravaganza

VR3
VR3 Posts: 27,972
edited February 2022 in Gatherings & Special Events
Rocking in the Carolinas!

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- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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Comments

  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    8daeslpgpdmy.jpg
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    65tquqcd4701.jpg
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    Great time today! Was able to hear 3 great rigs and hang with good people!

    @treitz3 @TroyD @Reagan @SillyOldSod
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • Reagan
    Reagan Posts: 116
    Great time! Awesome experiences!
    Speakers: Polk 1.2TL w/VR3 mods and Dreadnaught interconnects
    Amplification: ARC Reference 110 w/KT150s; Cary Audio SLP-05 w/Ultimate Upgrade
    Vinyl: VPI HW19 MK III (Heavily Modded); Origin Live Silver Tonearm; Hana ML Cart; Pete Riggle VTAF; VPI TNT Platter; SAMA; Iphono3
    Digital: Aurender N100H; Benchmark DAC1
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,481
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    edited February 2022
    No praying or dancing vids?

    Glad you guys had a nice get together <3

    Need to start handing Tom a custom hat, cap, or beanie
    The glare off the dome messes with the pics :p
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    Sweet Pic of me! 🤣
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    VR3 wrote: »
    Sweet Pic of me! 🤣

    The "Kid" grows up
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    3 Beastful setups

    Sweeeet!!
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    Looks like a good time had by all, nice gear on display.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    VR3 wrote: »
    Sweet Pic of me! 🤣

    Dude, that photo is Hermitism worthy!

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    Effn' a cotton
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    edited February 2022
    Notable quotables from today -

    "Sweating like a fat chick writing her first love letter". - TroyD

    "He can hear a fish f a r t in the middle of a waterfall". - Trey AKA "Sid the Kid"

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    Lol
    Glad they provided you some edgumication
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    Just got back to Charleston.....what a GREAT time!

    I’ll post more thoughts in the morning but suffice to say I got a STILL have boner that’s harder than Chinese arithmetic
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,481
    Just use the abacus
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited February 2022
    BTW, why will vanilla let me post PISS but not (F)(A)(R)(T).

    I stand corrected....****. There it is.

    Huh.
    Post edited by TroyD on
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    edited February 2022
    I agree with Troy's take on everything. All rigs are different and do many many things well. Was really fun to experience them all back to back in a day!

    It is amazing after 20 years on a forum how much you realize it impacts your life. I consider many members here to be a great friend.

    Was truly great to have you here and appreciate you coming up!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    BDT wrote:
    I have a one off recording of Amazing Grace recorded in a church downtown. Tom's rig put you in the church....it caught all of the ambient/ spacial cues of the church in a way I've not heard before.

    That was an outstanding recording. One I enjoyed immensely. It's rare that one hears a bootleg recording that rivals one from FIM, MFSL and the like.

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    My memorablwe moment of the day was when Tom asked if the infinite baffle subs were on :-p
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    Well now, you did say that you did nothing to the bass/mid network and it was QUITE OBVIOUS that something had changed since my last visit....like, drastically changed and so much more for the better (not like it was a slouch before....just sayin'). I would even venture to say that even your neighbors could tell that something had changed.

    So I am sitting there in the sweet spot, listening. You are telling me that you did nothing to the network. There were no new subs in the room but I could easily tell that something had changed and every time I asked you a question about what you did to the network, you just sat there with this devilish smile....so I thought you were trying to pull a fast one on me.

    The end result (for everyone else reading this) was outstanding and I even went up to Trey, shook his hand, looked him in the eye and said, "Congratulations...job well done!".

    What we didn't know is that he ditched most of his upstream gear (hidden by the panels in the wall) and changed out/reconfigured the whole thing. He took a completely different approach to the setup, took a HUGE gamble.....but that gamble paid off. In spades.

    I said it once, I'll say it again. Well done, sir! My hat is off to you. That was a HUGE gamble to make.

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    Thanks Tom :)
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,310
    That was a great write-up Troy. Jeez, what do you say to something like this. The words "unique and interesting experience" don't seem to do justice to what you you guys pulled together for the day. Those systems all look to be ultra-refined. Gorgeous, each. Is this all in the Charlotte area? When I first saw the photos, I was wondering if you guys traveled all those systems together to one person's house and set them up in different rooms!
    I disabled signatures.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    Tom is in rock Hill. Me and Rick are in Concord
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,972
    Woooooooo!!!

    Congrats Tom! Super excited to hear it on your system!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    Good on ya, Tom! Get some!!!

    I think that's going to make you a VERY happy guy!
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    TroyD wrote: »
    Tom is the meticulous, measure to the nearest three places to the right of the decimal point kinda guy. <snip>

    Troy, this comment is spot on. I don't know if you ever ran across this post before. I think I posed it about two years ago (can't remember, getting old).
    treitz3 wrote:
    What I ended up doing after much discussion online, with nearby professionals and the like, was taking each main speaker and loosely moving them around (Spikes on) until I found the best lower spectrum reproductive efforts (no subs at this point). As soon as I found the best location, I took measurements and found the "best spot" to place each main.....at this point, I was not paying any attention to mid and upper frequencies and this was done by ear, using many different passages of certain low frequency albums.

    As soon as the "spot" was found , I measured the front and rear sides of the speakers to within 1/6th of an inch from the side walls. Both speakers were in the same exact position away from the wall. Then I verified the rear two corners of each speaker the same way from the back wall, making sure everything was within 1/16th of an inch. I then made sure that the speakers were perfectly leveled. At that point, I tilted the speakers back to where the direction of the tweeter went to the outside of my ears about 2". I then measured from my chest bone, without moving, the exact measurement from L to R speaker to within 1/16th of an inch, pointing the laser directly above the tweeter.

    I kept going back and measuring everything I just mentioned again and again, until all parameters mentioned were within 1/16th of an inch, verified by lasers and a laser tape measure. I have box-type speakers [Tyler Acoustics Lynbrook Sig. Series, 1 piece towers], so I could easily mount the laser(s) along the fronts, sides and anywhere else to take precise measurements. I would mark with tape on the walls where the laser(s) left the speaker and traveled across the room to behind the listening position. Basically, I measured just about every conceivable parameter I could imagine that would alter the distance of any driver to my ears.

    That yielded to date, the best imaging and spatial locationality cues I had ever heard from my system....or any system I had heard, truth be told. Ever since then, about every two months, I will go through the same thing, just to make sure one of the speakers did not deviate from the original positions. It took me about a week to dial everything in to perfection. Don't think that this is a "quick" procedure. Just adjusting the tilt knocks off some of the other measurements, for example. I just kept chugging at it until it was done.

    Then I added the subs and did the same things with them, then dialed them into the room, then into the mains. Have not messed with it ever since. When I finally went to "test" the system after listening to many albums, I used the newer Isotek ultimate setup disc to confirm what my ears were hearing. The rig passed with flying colors on all test and tune up tracks. The 360 degree test was outstanding and spot on.

    From now on, I will just keep tweaking the gear, as the speaker location/setup for me is done and done for good. I feel that there is no need or room for further improvement on that aspect.

    The speakers have not moved (except once) from their original set up location ever since I made this post. Other things in the room have changed but the speaker location/tilt have not. We did experiment with something a little different about a year ago to "improve" the room acoustical/frequency readings but it was detrimental to the sound on some genre's of music, so they were put right back where they were and all measurements done once again, and again, and again.

    The end result is what you heard yesterday.

    BTW, if any of you have the FIM SACD/DSD #029? Slap that bad boy into your SACD player and give the last song a listen. It's called "Canon in D (Pachelbel)". Every time an instrument is played, hit, struck or made music? The spatial locationality cues are laser sharp. It will most definitely give you all aspects of height, depth and staging to a very precise image of being able to pinpoint a laser at exactly where the sound is coming from each time the instrument is struck. Speakers? What speakers?

    Yes, it's one of those dreaded, "Audiophile" recordings that has music that you would never really "yearn" to hear but on the flip side, the recording is so clear, clean and precise that it's more than worth it when you go to give it a listen. The next time we do this? I'll have to let each of you sit in the sweet spot and give it a good listen.

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~