My Ever-Changing System...

[cube-tube]

And now...

Today has been a very productive day. I had three separate goodies show up in the mail, a new Music Hall MMF-2.3SE, a Schiit Mani phono preamp, and the replacement Stellar GCD! The first GCD, the mode button didn't work on it.

Note the nasty wad of microfiber cloth taped all over the IR sensor on the TV. I need to figure something out for that. That's just horrible looking. The remote for the GCD screws with the TV, and the TV's remote screws with the GCD.

In order to do the swap, I simply placed the new unit on top of the fist one, swapped the connections, then slipped the first one out from the bottom with the help of my daughter.

Before the new GCD arrived, I moved the Roku to the little table to the left and placed the Schiit Mani next to the Bluesound. I then set up the new turntable with the stock cartridge. I was highly underwhelmed by the sound. I barely made it through two albums before deciding to swap in my Ortofon 2M Bronze. Much MUCH better!

I have to say, right out of the box (literally), the Mani is impressive to say the least. Same can be said for the GCD, though with the first one, I could tell things got better after several days of constant use.

And now, much better with the 2M Bronze...

 

[lightcapture]

Note the nasty wad of microfiber cloth taped all over the IR sensor on the TV. I need to figure something out for that. That's just horrible looking. The remote for the GCD screws with the TV, and the TV's remote screws with the GCD.

Years ago I had an Italian Audio Analogue integrated amp that its remote also operated some TV functions and visa versa. I couldn't use the amp for TV programing because the TV remote would change the integrated amp. Though I loved the amp dearly, I sold it because there are so many other good amps out there. Before that I had a Linn integrated amp in which the Rotel cdp operated the amp. Crazy.

 

[cube-tube]

Last night, I decided to swap out the stock interconnects that came with the Music Hall TT with my pair of AudioQuest DBS 32 volt Jaguar interconnects. Wow! Now this sounds really really good! These are a major improvement over those stock cables (no surprise there), and this is the perfect application for these AQ cables in my system. They sounded decent between the Node 2 and preamp, but not as good as between the TT and Schiit Mani.

 

[cube-tube]

Just a few pics tonight to show off the new turntable LED lamp that I purchased. It's a great and highly functional addition!

 

[cube-tube]

Installed the acrylic platter today. Also had to raise the VTA some, though not as much as I think I had to because the darn lid wouldn't close where I first put the VTA. I ended up lowering the VTA just a smidge, just enough for the lid to clear. I think it IS right about where it needs to be though. I'll have to investigate it more on my day off. It's too dang late to be messing with such things.

 

[cube-tube]

 

[Tim 700]

Damn, what a ride. Awesome! What happened to the Monitor Audio's? I've got Radius 90's on the walls of 4 rooms in my home with Niles volume control knobs for each and love the sound for the kitchen etc. Saving up for main speakers, floor standing with ribbon tweeters, perhaps from the Gold or Platinum line.

 

[cube-tube]

Damn, what a ride. Awesome! What happened to the Monitor Audio's? I've got Radius 90's on the walls of 4 rooms in my home with Niles volume control knobs for each and love the sound for the kitchen etc. Saving up for main speakers, floor standing with ribbon tweeters, perhaps from the Gold or Platinum line.

Thanks! The Monitor Audio's are in the bedroom system now.

 

[cube-tube]

System updates...

#1 - New Music Hall mmf-7.3 turntable
#2 - New amplifiers coming in a couple weeks and the NuPrime amps going up for sale

I got the new turntable in, and boy does it sound excellent! A very noticeable, immediate improvement.

 

[cube-tube]

 

[cheehpogi]

how does the PS audio amp sound? and how long will it stay? Good day mate.

 

[cube-tube]

how does the PS audio amp sound? and how long will it stay? Good day mate.

They sound excellent! Full, smooth, powerful, open, spacious, detailed. And even better today since I totally removed the unbalanced interconnects from the subs and preamp and are now feeding the subs via their high level inputs from the output taps on the amps. The amps are fed via balanced from the preamp like always. But removing the unbalanced cables makes a difference through the balanced connections. And it's not a small improvement either! Plus the subs even sound better now!

 

[cube-tube]

And the latest updates... The reintegration of my old NHT 2.9's, and a new music room in a new home. A HOUSE this time!

 

[souladdikt]

Very nice. Cool new digs. Hope you're enjoying the house.

 

[cube-tube]

Very nice. Cool new digs. Hope you're enjoying the house.

Thank you! And yes, we're very much enjoying the new house. So much freedom so to speak.

 

[uofmtiger]

Enjoyed reading this thread. Interesting to spend 30 minutes looking at several years of changes. Great looking setup!

 

[souladdikt]

Enjoyed reading this thread. Interesting to spend 30 minutes looking at several years of changes. Great looking setup!

I always enjoy looking at this thread when updates happen. I have an attachment to this thread because I started my system thread at almost the exact same time and it's gone through some changes, but nothing as dramatic as the changes cube's made. Maybe it's because I've been in the same space for that entire time, but my system feels static in comparison.

 

[uofmtiger]

I always enjoy looking at this thread when updates happen. I have an attachment to this thread because I started my system thread at almost the exact same time and it's gone through some changes, but nothing as dramatic as the changes cube's made. Maybe it's because I've been in the same space for that entire time, but my system feels static in comparison.

I am a fan of your setup, as well. Love the overall design, too.

 

[cube-tube]

Enjoyed reading this thread. Interesting to spend 30 minutes looking at several years of changes. Great looking setup!

Thank you! It's been interesting going through all of these changes over the years. Some good ideas, some not so good. The thing is, what's shown in this thread is a small fraction of changes made to my system over the years from back in the mid 90's when I was finally able to start buying and building my system. It has come a very long way since then, that's for sure!

I always enjoy looking at this thread when updates happen. I have an attachment to this thread because I started my system thread at almost the exact same time and it's gone through some changes, but nothing as dramatic as the changes cube's made. Maybe it's because I've been in the same space for that entire time, but my system feels static in comparison.

Likewise sir. And don't worry about your system not changing as much as mine. My system changes quicker than I change my own underwear. LOL

BTW, I was jealous of your beautiful wood floors, so I had to get the same. Haha

 

[lightcapture]

And now...

Today has been a very productive day. I had three separate goodies show up in the mail, a new Music Hall MMF-2.3SE, a Schiit Mani phono preamp, and the replacement Stellar GCD! The first GCD, the mode button didn't work on it.

Note the nasty wad of microfiber cloth taped all over the IR sensor on the TV. I need to figure something out for that. That's just horrible looking. The remote for the GCD screws with the TV, and the TV's remote screws with the GCD.

In order to do the swap, I simply placed the new unit on top of the fist one, swapped the connections, then slipped the first one out from the bottom with the help of my daughter.

Before the new GCD arrived, I moved the Roku to the little table to the left and placed the Schiit Mani next to the Bluesound. I then set up the new turntable with the stock cartridge. I was highly underwhelmed by the sound. I barely made it through two albums before deciding to swap in my Ortofon 2M Bronze. Much MUCH better!

I have to say, right out of the box (literally), the Mani is impressive to say the least. Same can be said for the GCD, though with the first one, I could tell things got better after several days of constant use.

And now, much better with the 2M Bronze...

Nice well thought out system.

I had the mmf 2.2 a few years back. Rewired the tonearm and it made a big improvement. It was a little fragile for me, now I have a new Thorens TD203 which I like better.

Interesting, I had the Italian Audio Analogue integrated amp many years ago in which many of the functions of the tv and amp used same remote code which operated both. Very frustrating so I ended selling the amp. Should have sold the tv instead.
Before that I bought a Linn Karik III cdp, and the remote from my Rotel RCD975 cdp operated all the functions of the Linn plus more that weren't on the Linn remote.

I need to get a dim tt light like yours as mine tt is in a cabinet so I need a bright enough room light on to see it. Here's a daytime pix so you can imagine how hard it is to see clearly at night.