System Pics 2019

Bart posted:

911gt3r posted:

Bart, do I spot 606s ?? ???? Re the live candles on your spruce makes me wonder, if you have a bit of Viking blood running through your veins? Enjoy your Christmas ATB Peter

Yes Peter we are auditioning the 606's -- still up in the air about them vs. Magico A3's.  They both do certain things exceptionally well . . . the "on balance" is not resolved in our minds. (The "revealing" nature of the 606's blew us away; we listened to the mid-section of The Wall (recent remaster) and had the oft-cited "Oh my I never heard that before" experience (we as in both my wife and me, and she has better ears than I do)). But "I never heard that before" is only part of the equation of course.

My wife's been trying to light the tree on fire for decades.  Finding "Christmas tree" candles is now impossible. Don't tell anyone but these are sold as "Satanic ritual" candles online.  True. Really!

Nothing celebrates the birth of Christ like satanic ritual candles. Enjoy the Titan 666 I mean 606 

RaceTripper posted:

My final change for 2018 was to upgrade my TT with a new tonearm, the venerable Clearaudio Universal 9". I can't understate how good this tonearm really is. It's like adding a better PSU to the system, or even better. It adds a lower noise floor, is more dynamic, has better grip on bass, and improves the focus on the soundstage. I should have done it years ago.

The final result after all my massive upgrades in 2018.

That is a lovely room!

Haim Ronen posted:

The Anniversary Editon since the Olives and the ProAcs are enetring their 20th year and the T guys (tuner & Turn-table) are exiting thier 40th. I suspect that most of the stuff is broken-in already.

I’m happy to see I’m not the only one with stacks of CDs on their coffee table!

That’s a nice looking room.  I especially like the stonework. 

Bart posted:

The candles on the tree were lit. As were the black boxes.

 

Awesome. I wonder if the tree will be missed in a week or so when it's gone.   Soundstage might not be so carefully highlighted.

stuart.ashen posted:

My humble system doing its thing. Urika replaced Stageline is the only change this year.

Stu

I’m weighing that same phonostage change Stu. How did it work out for you? Very interested to get your thoughts. 

Famously Modest Photographer, I nonetheless post the only change in my system:

A Nait XS2 has replaced the SuperNait. The CDX2.2 (a 2003 CDX2 totally rebuilt to late 2017 specs, without digital out) is running bare (not as in streaking!, I mean there's no extra PSU).

The TT is still an unpredictably good Pro-Ject RPM 3 Carbon with Grado Prestige Blue:

The Stageline N can be seen on the background, powered by its own unnameable PSU.

The LP being played is The Firehouse Five Plus Two Crashes a Party, original 1st american pressing. I have their entire discography and love it beyond reason since I was 12.

They are still here. The arrival of the Nait XS2 has subtly yet completely brought the sound to what can be, in this room, affordable and sensible perfection.

I am sorry I had to use the flash. Everything is too sharp and there's no bokeh.

Merry Christmas!

Max

Very lovely in its simple wooden (as in materials, not emotion) elegance Max. You owe us bokeh however.

If you mean the word, I learned about it from two friends fellow members who are also photographers – a professional and an excellent amateur, if I may dare say so. I think bokeh is an effective, intense use of field depth. I ignored the word, but its sound is so out of context that I fell in love with it.

“I’m weighing that same phonostage change Stu. How did it work out for you? Very interested to get your thoughts”. 

Kevin,

Firstly I was a fan of the Stageline which seems less well loved in this place. Secondly I picked up the Urika pre loved when my dealer changed to the Urika 2 so it was about half price. It is a good upgrade IMO. More of everything really but very cohesive sounding. Very happy and less boxes to boot! I’d better post a photo to keep Nigel happy...

Stu

The very humble little front room of our two up, two down terraced house. Luckily after 20 years we have considerate neighbours and so though there is only a nine inch brick wall separating us we can occasionally crank the music up.

Bob the Builder posted:

The very humble little front room of our two up, two down terraced house. Luckily after 20 years we have considerate neighbours and so though there is only a nine inch brick wall separating us we can occasionally crank the music up.

All looks very cosy.

one question, how did you come by Graham Norton’s big red chair?

stuart.ashen posted:

“I’m weighing that same phonostage change Stu. How did it work out for you? Very interested to get your thoughts”. 

Kevin,

Firstly I was a fan of the Stageline which seems less well loved in this place. Secondly I picked up the Urika pre loved when my dealer changed to the Urika 2 so it was about half price. It is a good upgrade IMO. More of everything really but very cohesive sounding. Very happy and less boxes to boot! I’d better post a photo to keep Nigel happy...

Stu

Thanks Stu, good to know. As you say, used Urika1’s are now sensible money. My TT is quite similar to yours bar the arm and cart and with a Radikal already sprung for, a Urika is tempting. The snag for me is that my DV10x5 is too high output for a Urika, so a new cart (quite possibly a Krystal) will also be involved. For now, I’m greatly enjoying my Stageline too.

Apologies for thread diversion and sorry to Nigel that I can’t post a pic. System is dismantled and boxed currently due to house renovations. Look forward to posting a few of the system in my new listening room sometime around April..! Kevin 

Massimo Bertola posted:

Famously Modest Photographer, I nonetheless post the only change in my system:

A Nait XS2 has replaced the SuperNait. The CDX2.2 (a 2003 CDX2 totally rebuilt to late 2017 specs, without digital out) is running bare (not as in streaking!, I mean there's no extra PSU).

 

I am sorry I had to use the flash. Everything is too sharp and there's no bokeh.

Merry Christmas!

Max

Max,

Quite a revelation that one can enhance the sound by eliminating black boxes and moving to others that are smaller and cheaper!! A mind boggler, defying the sacred upgrade path of the HI Fi nuts who are left now with a healthy dosage of bokeh clouding their brains.. Who knows? You might be starting a new trend.

H.

Haim,

I started from two fixed points and tried to triangulate like a good boatswain what the third variable could be. The S-400s were one fixed point, the rebuilt CDX2 another. In that configuration I have had only a SuperNait, and a short demo of the Nova and the SuperNait2 didn't persuade me. I then realized that the only amp I hadn't tried at home, snubbing it somehow, was the XS2. Yet, I have heard the XS more than once at my friend Roberto's and was always impressed by its openness and driving capability. A little tired of the SN's almost Prussian boldness, I said to myself 'Why not'?

It was a revelation. In my room, with the bare CDX2.2, S-400 and XS2 are like bread and butter. The midrange has liquefied into an organic and musical whole, the speakers have lost that hint of 'fat'   and music is music, not a circus performance of strength and power. Yes, one can downgrade and get better results; I suppose it's simply following the suggested systems' suggestions. I have tried – just for fun – a Primaluna Prologue Premium yesterday. Ah, the charme of the faint gleam of the EL34s.... But when I placed the XS in place again, there was light and dynamics again. Too bad that what's good in my room may be rubbish in another one's; otherwise I'd suggest the XS2 to everyone owning the S-400s and having been tempted to sell them.

M.

wenger2015 posted:

Bob the Builder posted:

The very humble little front room of our two up, two down terraced house. Luckily after 20 years we have considerate neighbours and so though there is only a nine inch brick wall separating us we can occasionally crank the music up.

All looks very cosy.

one question, how did you come by Graham Norton’s big red chair?

And it doubles up as a mastermind chair!

Unfortunately though vey comfortable and easy to move for listening sessions the leather can be a bit cold at times.

It is a lovely room and though many houses in my street have knocked the two downstairs rooms into one we prefer to keep them as they were intended, very easy to heat and also very cool in the summer and from the day we both moved in we have never wanted to move.

Bob the Builder posted:

wenger2015 posted:

Bob the Builder posted:

The very humble little front room of our two up, two down terraced house. Luckily after 20 years we have considerate neighbours and so though there is only a nine inch brick wall separating us we can occasionally crank the music up.

All looks very cosy.

one question, how did you come by Graham Norton’s big red chair?

And it doubles up as a mastermind chair!

Unfortunately though vey comfortable and easy to move for listening sessions the leather can be a bit cold at times.

It is a lovely room and though many houses in my street have knocked the two downstairs rooms into one we prefer to keep them as they were intended, very easy to heat and also very cool in the summer and from the day we both moved in we have never wanted to move.

BTB, you don’t live in Ealing do as I lovely gaze at a vinyl / shelving unit similar/ identical every time I walk down our road...plus your fire place is the same as mine! 

David O posted:

Bob the Builder posted:

wenger2015 posted:

Bob the Builder posted:

The very humble little front room of our two up, two down terraced house. Luckily after 20 years we have considerate neighbours and so though there is only a nine inch brick wall separating us we can occasionally crank the music up.

All looks very cosy.

one question, how did you come by Graham Norton’s big red chair?

And it doubles up as a mastermind chair!

Unfortunately though vey comfortable and easy to move for listening sessions the leather can be a bit cold at times.

It is a lovely room and though many houses in my street have knocked the two downstairs rooms into one we prefer to keep them as they were intended, very easy to heat and also very cool in the summer and from the day we both moved in we have never wanted to move.

BTB, you don’t live in Ealing do as I lovely gaze at a vinyl / shelving unit similar/ identical every time I walk down our road...plus your fire place is the same as mine! 

No not Ealing but Hove very similar Houses though I would imagine and built at the same period hence the fireplace.

Progress indeed, new London Decca Maroon cartridge, on a unipivot as recommended, still adjusting but nearly there. Had to drop the back of the arm by around 1.5mm and the sound filled out nicely, it was already very lyrical. There’s probably a bit more fine tuning still but it needs time to run in and so does the new Stageline N. No sign of any misbehavior yet despite the reputation but I cheated and ordered one configured for mono and mostly those are the records I’ll be playing with it.

So let me also contribute to this post. While you see I am not 100% aligned with the system, it works amazingly well. For perfect balance I can switch to the sofa on my left...

My AV is fully integrated into the system, which produces good or better great results. The red accessory is part of the visual room correction ...

The more detailed stacks with black boxes...

Very Nice Bert, lovely room and system......just not sure about the cat sitting on the black box?

wenger2015 posted:

Very Nice Bert, lovely room and system......just not sure about the cat sitting on the black box?

It’s an essential part of the system, he controls the vibration, and his brother also sometimes does :-)....., a reason why I don’t have Vinyl...

Bert Schurink posted:

My AV is fully integrated into the system, which produces good or better great results. The red accessory is part of the visual room correction ...

 

Hey Bert, wonderful system!    Did you choose first the color of the cat  or the color of the ffraim? ????????