System Pics 2017

Hi - first post with pics from me (didn't seem to need the photo bucket account, but will see what happens once posted). Thanks to spacey for answers on your system and for asking about mine.

Here is my main system: SU and Kudos S10's; cables are Atlas Hyper and stands are an unknown probably generic local brand but nice welded steel construction (each of the 3 hollow tube legs almost totally filled with dry sand; did not weigh afterward). Main sources are UPnP from Synology (in basement), Tidal streaming (router beside acting as a wifi bridge), internet radio, and Mac mini for various via TOSlink (Roon trial coming to a close). Lots of fun, but hoping to move toward a Nova once available. 

Regards alan

ps - art and wall things on list, our "new house" isn't so new but haven't done much in that line so far..huge lively room...

I really like the color of that floor Alan.

HiFiman posted:

GraemeH posted:

HiFiman posted:

As promised a few days ago Proac Tablette 10s and pals

As we are downsizing as kids flee the nest I may need a smaller speaker. The little 10's look worth an audition (272/XPSDR/250DR).

I'm wondering about your matching stands and any others you are aware of. Google has drawn a blank on this.

Many thanks,

Graeme

I use Custom design RS303 stands with their filler, two bags per pillar giving around 40kg per stand. Proac recommend a heavy mass stand for the Tablette, I haven't auditioned other manufacturers of stands but I guess any heavyweight stand would give great results.

Give then tabs a try Graham on the end of your kit they will sound awesome. I'm about to demo / add an Xpsdr to my kit and that will be me done hopefully so end goal is 272/Xpsdr/100

Thanks HiFiman super helpful!

G

spacey posted:

Not easily is the simple answer! They've both got 10kg of kiln dried sand in each stands (2.5kg in each leg) which makes about 2/3rd filled. long storey short; put some of the thickest black tights available in the legs then fill the tights with sand. Then put knots in them. Job done!   This leaves me the option of temporarily placing the stands upside down, taking the bass plates off and mass loading the bottom 1/3rd with lead shot. Not sure I need to though, they already weight 23kg... if I included the lead shot they'll come to about 50kg ish I'd imagine.

Thanks for that Spacey, I like the idea of using tights for holding the sand. I would imagine that 2/3rds full should be about right. Mine are currently overfilled at about 7/8ths (I was experimenting recently) and the result is that they have made the bass sound lifeless and the speakers less musical in my room. This week I'll reduce the Atabites filling back to somewhere between 3/4 and 2/3rds where I had better results. 

Stevee_S posted:

spacey posted:

Not easily is the simple answer! They've both got 10kg of kiln dried sand in each stands (2.5kg in each leg) which makes about 2/3rd filled. long storey short; put some of the thickest black tights available in the legs then fill the tights with sand. Then put knots in them. Job done!   This leaves me the option of temporarily placing the stands upside down, taking the bass plates off and mass loading the bottom 1/3rd with lead shot. Not sure I need to though, they already weight 23kg... if I included the lead shot they'll come to about 50kg ish I'd imagine.

Thanks for that Spacey, I like the idea of using tights for holding the sand. I would imagine that 2/3rds full should be about right. Mine are currently overfilled at about 7/8ths (I was experimenting recently) and the result is that they have made the bass sound lifeless and the speakers less musical in my room. This week I'll reduce the Atabites filling back to somewhere between 3/4 and 2/3rds where I had better results. 

No worries Stevee, Have you got the HMS2.1 also? and if so have you tried sand instead of atabites?

(ps sorry for all the speeeelin mistacks ) twas late and on my phone.

alan33 posted:

 

Hi - first post with pics from me (didn't seem to need the photo bucket account, but will see what happens once posted). Thanks to spacey for answers on your system and for asking about mine.

Here is my main system: SU and Kudos S10's; cables are Atlas Hyper and stands are an unknown probably generic local brand but nice welded steel construction (each of the 3 hollow tube legs almost totally filled with dry sand; did not weigh afterward). Main sources are UPnP from Synology (in basement), Tidal streaming (router beside acting as a wifi bridge), internet radio, and Mac mini for various via TOSlink (Roon trial coming to a close). Lots of fun, but hoping to move toward a Nova once available. 

Regards alan

ps - art and wall things on list, our "new house" isn't so new but haven't done much in that line so far..huge lively room...

Nice!!, always thought the S10s look the business, a fine speaker (and amp OBVS) in a cool room!!

anything planned furniture wise etc? you not afraid of the amp getting knocked that close to the floor?

Stevee_S posted:

spacey posted:

Spot the differences

Looking good Spacey, how have you got those stands filled? 

Tweeters on the outside might be worth comparing if you haven't already.  Time alignment should be better but is the difference audible and if so which is preferable? 

Not tired that. Set them up as ProAc recommended. Plus don't have toe-in so  'inner side' makes more sense.

When we move in a few months time, I'll experiment then

spacey posted:

Stevee_S posted:

spacey posted:

Not easily is the simple answer! They've both got 10kg of kiln dried sand in each stands (2.5kg in each leg) which makes about 2/3rd filled. long storey short; put some of the thickest black tights available in the legs then fill the tights with sand. Then put knots in them. Job done!   This leaves me the option of temporarily placing the stands upside down, taking the bass plates off and mass loading the bottom 1/3rd with lead shot. Not sure I need to though, they already weight 23kg... if I included the lead shot they'll come to about 50kg ish I'd imagine.

Thanks for that Spacey, I like the idea of using tights for holding the sand. I would imagine that 2/3rds full should be about right. Mine are currently overfilled at about 7/8ths (I was experimenting recently) and the result is that they have made the bass sound lifeless and the speakers less musical in my room. This week I'll reduce the Atabites filling back to somewhere between 3/4 and 2/3rds where I had better results. 

No worries Stevee, Have you got the HMS2.1 also? and if so have you tried sand instead of atabites?

(ps sorry for all the speeeelin mistacks ) twas late and on my phone.

I've got the HMS 1.1 which have 3 columns, 2 at the rear and a one at the front. I haven't tried sand mainly because I could never get assurances that it could be delivered totally dry and I didn't fancy the faff of drying it all out in an oven so, the atabites have done the job. 

spacey posted:

alan33 posted:

 

Hi - first post with pics from me (didn't seem to need the photo bucket account, but will see what happens once posted). Thanks to spacey for answers on your system and for asking about mine.

Here is my main system: SU and Kudos S10's; cables are Atlas Hyper and stands are an unknown probably generic local brand but nice welded steel construction (each of the 3 hollow tube legs almost totally filled with dry sand; did not weigh afterward). Main sources are UPnP from Synology (in basement), Tidal streaming (router beside acting as a wifi bridge), internet radio, and Mac mini for various via TOSlink (Roon trial coming to a close). Lots of fun, but hoping to move toward a Nova once available. 

Regards alan

ps - art and wall things on list, our "new house" isn't so new but haven't done much in that line so far..huge lively room...

Nice!!, always thought the S10s look the business, a fine speaker (and amp OBVS) in a cool room!!

anything planned furniture wise etc? you not afraid of the amp getting knocked that close to the floor?

Thanks! My partner and I moved in together two years past, combining houses for this new and spectacular (to us) place. Open concept, high ceilings, nice hand-finished hardwood floors, all mod cons. Fresh start. The furnished living room part is right beside the previous photos, with a small access path to the sliding patio door - it's not really the empty shell it appears (or that was my own previous place haha), and the dining room and kitchen are adjacent. The small (IKEA table legs) shelf is set back, the amp isn't too exposed, and it's almost always just adults and no pets... but it did work a lot better for the Qute than the SU, which is (just) too wide for the higher shelf. We added the carpet as a test (it's a very echo-y room) and are slowly shopping for new furnishings that will be "ours" (rather than "his" or "hers", if you get me). 

Regards alan

Stevee_S posted:

I've got the HMS 1.1 which have 3 columns, 2 at the rear and a one at the front. I haven't tried sand mainly because I could never get assurances that it could be delivered totally dry and I didn't fancy the faff of drying it all out in an oven so, the atabites have done the job. 

I got a 50 kg bag of extra-dry "multi purpose" sand at the local hardware / building supply place and used a small garden trowel to slowly add the filling to each of the tree columns per stand. I asked the sales guy (this local store uses semi-retired experts / former tradesmen on staff, so usually they have good knowledge and answers) for the driest stuff... and he pointed me away from the "dry sand" to the "multi purpose" mix as being both finer and drier. It was about $5 or $10 so a low risk trial, but worked exactly as advertised. Altogether I used about half the bag, I guess. 

Regards alan

alan33 posted:

spacey posted:

alan33 posted:

 

Hi - first post with pics from me (didn't seem to need the photo bucket account, but will see what happens once posted). Thanks to spacey for answers on your system and for asking about mine.

Here is my main system: SU and Kudos S10's; cables are Atlas Hyper and stands are an unknown probably generic local brand but nice welded steel construction (each of the 3 hollow tube legs almost totally filled with dry sand; did not weigh afterward). Main sources are UPnP from Synology (in basement), Tidal streaming (router beside acting as a wifi bridge), internet radio, and Mac mini for various via TOSlink (Roon trial coming to a close). Lots of fun, but hoping to move toward a Nova once available. 

Regards alan

ps - art and wall things on list, our "new house" isn't so new but haven't done much in that line so far..huge lively room...

Nice!!, always thought the S10s look the business, a fine speaker (and amp OBVS) in a cool room!!

anything planned furniture wise etc? you not afraid of the amp getting knocked that close to the floor?

Thanks! My partner and I moved in together two years past, combining houses for this new and spectacular (to us) place. Open concept, high ceilings, nice hand-finished hardwood floors, all mod cons. Fresh start. The furnished living room part is right beside the previous photos, with a small access path to the sliding patio door - it's not really the empty shell it appears (or that was my own previous place haha), and the dining room and kitchen are adjacent. The small (IKEA table legs) shelf is set back, the amp isn't too exposed, and it's almost always just adults and no pets... but it did work a lot better for the Qute than the SU, which is (just) too wide for the higher shelf. We added the carpet as a test (it's a very echo-y room) and are slowly shopping for new furnishings that will be "ours" (rather than "his" or "hers", if you get me). 

Regards alan

 

Now that's an awesome space - enjoy

My humble system :

Nuno Baptista posted:

My humble system :

Hardly humble. Fewer boxes than many but some nice choices. I remember the old days on this forum. Good to see you still post on occasion. 

Regards

It's a lovely evening, with Toumani Diabate playing...

That is one tidy house!

Nigel, Any issues having the radiator so close to the system? I have the same issue but have just decided I'll never turn that rad on in winter.

It's not as close as it looks in that picture. The system has been there for five years quite happily. 

The same, but different...

Richard Dane posted:

The same, but different...

Okay, I'm envious. The green and cork just set it off nicely. 

Richard Dane posted:

The same, but different...

Nice. Very nice. 

That Loricraft is surely looking great, Richard. I had seen that green base on a "twisted" layered plinth before and l was not overwhelmed by its looks.  Yours  on the other hand, adds a nice modern and aesthetically pleasing twist to it. Well done!

Thanks Tony, James and Clay.  The plinth and top plate are unchanged from some years back when i originally had them commissioned from Terry & Nigel at Loricraft.  What has changed though is the Garrard 401.  

I had long hankered after a perfect example. Mine was not far off but the original paint, never that good on the 401, was a bit thin and patchy in a couple of places and the obligatory dust bug mark, while mostly invisible, could just be seen in the right light at the right angle.  I had decided it was time to have it serviced and have things like the idler bearing, springs and rubbers changed out for new. So, when the chance of a totally nut and bolt rebuilt, re-painted, re-plated early version came up, I did the sums and realised that in spite of the cost, it made sense to go for it.  It is essentially like new, possibly even better than new as the paintwork is undoubtedly of better quality and the cadmium plated levers underneath are now a less hazardous zinc.  I now have to decide what to do with my existing 401.  I'm tempted to service it and then use it for another project, but then do I really need another one..?  It'll probably end up being stored away for another day, as seems to be my habit.

Here's a close up:  

The arm is my trusty Aro.  The cartridge is an ESCo tipped Denon DL-103.

Great stuff, Richard.

If you need help getting rid of the spare plinth, I'll be more that happy to lend a hand, even two. Just kidding...

Puzzled by the use of the 103. Nothing wrong with it as I also  have one in of my LP12s and it is a very caple cartridge.

 And why use ESCo services on such an inexpensive cartridge. Can it be "refined",  like improved? Is it worth it?

No spare plinth I'm afraid Tony.  

The 103 is being used while I transcribe some 12" singles to 24bit files.  The standard tip on the 103 is conical but ESCo replace that with a profiled tip which brings big gains in detail and end of side performance. The 103 can be great fun but also a bit unsubtle - the ESCo tip keeps most of the former, while improving the latter.  It's a great choice with 12" singles, particularly with a bit of added mass on the body as I have done (copper headshell weight and heavy counterweight). There's also a Uwe Panzerholz bodied 103, a bog standard 103, an Ortofon SPU Royal N, a Koetsu Black, and an AT OC-9 MLII as alternatives.