What did you do to your stereo rig today?

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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 29,748
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    Plugged one of these up

    8tps2leh511a.jpg
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 29,748
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    Si! 335 model, so far sounds excellent at low volumes
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • engie490
    engie490 Posts: 447
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    VR3 wrote: »
    Si! 335 model, so far sounds excellent at low volumes

    That's a beast! Did the 334-336 have the same capacitor problem as the 331-333?
    KEF Xq5s / Velodyne DD12 / Apollon Purifi 1ET6525SA / SST Thoebe II / Bluesound Node 130 / Oppo BDP-105D / Technics SP-15 w/SAEC WE-308SX & Ortofon AS-309 arms / Audio-Technica ART-1 & Dynavector XX2 Mk II carts
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 29,748
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    From my research, not that I'm aware of
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,823
    edited April 2023
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    Installed focus rings in my 8TL's midwoofers and thoroughly tested a pair in one channel. Then phase-plugged them and tested again. Got excited about modding these jewels again...

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    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,823
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    engie490 wrote: »
    I picked up a pair of Unity Audio Pyramid Signature Fountainhead speakers for $200. One mid had separated from the surround. Spent $50 on getting that professionally repaired. So $250 investment for speakers that went for $5600 in the late 90s.

    These are the ones with cabinets made of corian. Apparently that wasn’t dense enough, because they also have the Microscan devices on the back of each.

    These were very filthy when I got them, so I had to clean lots of dirt/dust from the drivers and cabs. The microscan devices I put in the dishwasher and they came out great.

    The genius that I purchased these from decided to get a picture of the bass driver in the bottom of one of the speakers, so he flipped it upside down on his driveway. You can see what happened to the top of the cabinet.

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    Now have them in the main rig. Wow do they sound good! Wide, deep soundstage. Lovely tone. Bass is really good and plentiful. Tone is beautiful. In other words, very musical.




    Are those Audax tweeters? Unique looking speakers there.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • engie490
    engie490 Posts: 447
    edited April 2023
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    Agreed on the looks. I'd heard of the company, but never actually heard one of their products before I got these home.

    I don't know who makes the tweeter. Now I've got a good excuse to pull it and report back. I'll also take a couple of pics of the midrange while I have it out.
    KEF Xq5s / Velodyne DD12 / Apollon Purifi 1ET6525SA / SST Thoebe II / Bluesound Node 130 / Oppo BDP-105D / Technics SP-15 w/SAEC WE-308SX & Ortofon AS-309 arms / Audio-Technica ART-1 & Dynavector XX2 Mk II carts
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 10,650
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    engie490 wrote: »
    Finished up replacing the battery packs for my Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena. I couldn't find the packs for sale anywhere and Musical Surroundings offered no help. Found a suitable battery pack on Tenergy.com. Ordered 2 for less than $90.

    Michael Yee is definitely one of the good guys of this business. We exchanged numerous emails and he responded quickly and enthusiastically without any hope of remuneration. He helped me figure out how to connect the new batteries without buying a $300 crimping tool and also helped me align the light sensors that control the battery mode.

    Now it's making very nice music in battery mode being fed by an Audio Technica ART-1 MC cart.

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    How did you join the wires on your new battery packs? I haven't seen splices like that before.
    I disabled signatures.
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  • engie490
    engie490 Posts: 447
    edited April 2023
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    https://www.amazon.com/120PCS-Solder-Seal-Wire-Connectors/dp/B07S62KYSL/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1CXPSK9U4BIT1&keywords=solder+connection&qid=1681823727&sprefix=solder+connectio,aps,223&sr=8-4&th=1

    Stripped the wires, slipped one of these on, and used heat gun. Very easy!

    KEF Xq5s / Velodyne DD12 / Apollon Purifi 1ET6525SA / SST Thoebe II / Bluesound Node 130 / Oppo BDP-105D / Technics SP-15 w/SAEC WE-308SX & Ortofon AS-309 arms / Audio-Technica ART-1 & Dynavector XX2 Mk II carts
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  • engie490
    engie490 Posts: 447
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    xschop wrote: »
    engie490 wrote: »
    I picked up a pair of Unity Audio Pyramid Signature Fountainhead speakers for $200.

    Are those Audax tweeters? Unique looking speakers there.

    And the winner is...Morel!

    bwxe63b07v4g.jpeg

    BTW, this is a 3-way design with the woofer in the bottom of the cabinet.

    s64oii9h7udf.jpeg


    KEF Xq5s / Velodyne DD12 / Apollon Purifi 1ET6525SA / SST Thoebe II / Bluesound Node 130 / Oppo BDP-105D / Technics SP-15 w/SAEC WE-308SX & Ortofon AS-309 arms / Audio-Technica ART-1 & Dynavector XX2 Mk II carts
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  • newbie308
    newbie308 Posts: 843
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    uiu8vg9jozob.jpg

    The Oracle turntable I purchased recently needs some love before I set it up, so I pulled the Monstercable alpha cartridge from the arm and after a liberal scrubbing with a stylus cleaner brush and some alcohol I was able to expose the stylus. What a mess this thing was. I don't think it was ever cleaned.

    I mounted the cartridge on a new headshell and set it up on my SL1200 turntable. I had to make a significant change to the VTA to get the cartridge body level. That's when I realized that the arm was riding on the cue lifter, so I adjusted that down until the arm cleared. I dialed in the cartridge position with the protractor, adjusted the anti-skate with a test record, set the tracking force with a digital scale, and moved the preamp inputs to MC and set the loading.

    I'd like to say that this effort led to a great musical experience, but to be honest, I don't care for what I'm hearing. There are tons of details in the midrange, Vocals are clear and precise, but the bass is rounded off, and the high frequency is tizzy and harsh. I'm sadly disappointed.

    This cartridge was $400 in 1983. I don't know what that equates to in 2023 dollars, but I definitely want something better than this.
    Enjoying the journey while never attaining the destination.
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  • newbie308
    newbie308 Posts: 843
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    xschop wrote: »
    Installed focus rings in my 8TL's midwoofers and thoroughly tested a pair in one channel. Then phase-plugged them and tested again. Got excited about modding these jewels again...

    ye34ojg28j6s.jpg

    irb1dyw54tr8.jpg


    48u47z03zihz.jpg

    to6wzrioxjyw.jpg



    When you rebuild these speakers, have you ever considered the idea of machining new rear pole pieces that are more precise than the stock parts, or adjusting the diameter of the pole 🤔 I wonder if that would have any effect on the performance of the speakers. Maybe a naive question, but speaker building is not my field and seeing all those components in the photos set me to thinking along those lines.
    Enjoying the journey while never attaining the destination.
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,823
    edited April 2023
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    They can be made more precise or even larger diameter for a bigger coil if you wanted to go down that rabbit boulevard.
    I'll be converting the opposite channel speaker this weekend. From observational testing, the rings control the cone movement much better at high SPL. I can shine a flashlight and clearly see the non-ringed drivers veering off axis, whereas the ringed drivers do not.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,823
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    engie490 wrote: »
    xschop wrote: »
    engie490 wrote: »
    I picked up a pair of Unity Audio Pyramid Signature Fountainhead speakers for $200.

    Are those Audax tweeters? Unique looking speakers there.

    And the winner is...Morel!

    bwxe63b07v4g.jpeg

    BTW, this is a 3-way design with the woofer in the bottom of the cabinet.

    s64oii9h7udf.jpeg


    Morel sticky domes are excellent.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,359
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    So, I got in my first Shunyata RCA IC today. It's the Alpha RCA and it will be going head to head with the Transparent Reference IC's that have been in my system for some time.

    I might play around with switching the locations of the Snake River IC's, Transparent's and the Shunyata IC's just to see what combo/configuration works best. First up? I'll try it from the Canary pre to the KW-750 amp just to see hear how she does.

    I have always heard good things about them and curiosity got the better of me. I have read that it's a lateral move (more like a different flavor), so I'm not expecting much...but who knows. I guess it will depend on the synergy within my rig. I tried MIT's a while back and wasn't too enamored with them in my rig. They had a "house sound" type of thing going on (may not be the right/perfect description, but roll with it) and the "flavor" was a tad bit too much for my liking.

    One thing dragging me down? My workload, so it probably won't be tonight or tomorrow night. Idgit (me). Should still be some fun when I can find the time to play around with them though.

    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. ~
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  • invalid
    invalid Posts: 1,559
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    Have you ever tried one line of one brand of cables throughout your entire system? I've always been Curious about this, but have never tried it.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,359
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    I did with the Transparent Reference IC's. They have been in the rig for quite some time now. Only recently have I wandered off again with different companies. It started with the Snake River cables a couple of months ago for the streaming portion of the rig.

    I have had a couple of different IC looms over the years. Not saying I have a preference to all IC's being the same or not but I have tried some looms before.

    But, I suppose your question was for ALL of the cables from one company? Heck no man. IMO/IME, no cable company does the best or has the best synergy with every PC, E cable, IC, SC and the like that they offer IMO/IME. All my PC's are from different companies, with the exception of the two subs. Those two PC's are matched. Same with the IC's going to them. Everything else (PC's) earned their respective spot because they sounded the best in that particular location.

    I am not concerned in the slightest that all my cables don't match. I'm only concerned with the end result as to what hits these ears.

    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. ~
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 29,748
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    I run all audiolund, no regrets

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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,742
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    No rugrats?
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  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
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    invalid wrote: »
    Have you ever tried one line of one brand of cables throughout your entire system? I've always been Curious about this, but have never tried it.

    I have AudioQuest speaker and balanced interconnects in my main stereo rig. I tried their power cords and digital cables also, but preferred other brands. For now, I like AudioQuest for speaker and balanced interconnects, Revelation Audio Labs digital cables, and PS Audio power cords.
    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
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  • Milito
    Milito Posts: 2,003
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    Beautiful table, congrats.
    Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables. SnubWay, Main Stream
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  • newbie308
    newbie308 Posts: 843
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    That's gorgeous 😍
    Enjoying the journey while never attaining the destination.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,359
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    Jody, that is freakin' NICE my man. Enjoy brother!

    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. ~
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,443
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    Thanks fellas! She is gorgeous, for sure, but also definitely more than just a pretty face. This turntable takes things (for me) to 'the next' level.

    I had been on a direct-drive kick for the last several months, trying to find a good match for the MA-505L tonearm, which is basically a 12" arm. Frankly, the arm sounded great on everything I mounted it on, so I thought, "This is great. I like this arm." I bought the 505L (a couple of years ago) after thoroughly enjoying a 'regular' 505 arm on a few different tables. I highly recommend any version of the MA-505 arm.

    Anyway, the Micro Seiki BL-91L turntable is a bit of a unicorn (compared to the regular BL-91), and if you find one, it is almost always a 220VAC unit, so requires a transformer.

    To try and shorten this post, I found a BL-91L for sale, which had an SAEC arm (that I didn't really want), so I worked with the seller on getting JUST the turntable (including armboard), and everything worked out. He included a 110>220 transformer.

    The sound I'm getting from this combination is a revelation. I don't know if it's simply a build quality upgrade from other belt-drive tables I've tried, or perhaps the armboard being made from a big disc of milled, polished aluminum (or chromium?) vs an armboard made from wood, or a composite. For whatever reason, the PRAT with this setup has been elevated.

    Needless to say, I'm enjoying the HECK out of this turntable and tonearm setup. FWIW, it doesn't matter what cartridge I choose...they ALL sound better.

    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,359
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    Very nice, sir! Enjoy brother!

    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. ~
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