M Jarve
Audio Geek and NGE Freak
Main system:
Musical Fidelity A3cr The solid-state preamp I've been looking for all along. With a power supply that would make many power-amps envious and a choke-filtered power supply this thing will output nearly 3 pure class-A watts into any load you like. Headroom, anyone? The preamp is wonderfully silent, and maintains a smooth, easy sound throughout the entire range. Added to it is a very flexible input array, simple, no-nonsense signal path (not even a balance control) and a more than good enough phono stage, and I finally have a solid-state preamp I can live with.
Emotiva ERC-1 I kind of took a chance on this unit, having given up my utterly reliable and musical Cambridge Audio Azur 640c. This is the only "brand new" component in the system. Emotiva is a young company, and they seemingly offer components at such a discount that many are suspicious that they're too good to be true. Truth is, while not quite on the same caliber of a Sony SCD-777ES (which I got to use for one night), it's a decent product for the price. Sound, which is what is most important, is relaxed and neither too bright or warm, with plenty of detail, and very "black" output.
Yamaha PX-2 / Benz Micro Silver A real-deal turntable setup of the linear-tracking kind. The PX-2 is nearly legendary for its performance, and the Benz Silver builds upon the budget giant-killer, the MC20E2-HO. Fed to the Musical Fidelity's in-built phonostage (set for MM carts) and it's a setup that really makes spinning vinyl a joy.
Sony ST-5950SD Sony's one-time TOTL tuner is likely the best performing tuner I've had yet. Living in something of a valley surrounded by RF-killing hills of taconite, tuners really need to standout for quietness and sensitivity in my area. Not many have made the cut, but the Sony is one of them.
harman/kardon hk775 For a long time, these compact monoblocks were my dream amp (of amps that I might actually one day obtain, anyways). Audio scrounger Extraordinaire doucanoe managed to, well, scrounge up a pair and I was setup. They've proven to be everything I had hoped and then some. If their power limitations are respected (a respectable 130-watts into 8-ohms, 260-watts into 4-ohms) they provide the best of real tube-like warmth and midrange with solidstate power and drive. So far, the only amp I've heard that's outperformed them retails for $6k and nearly doubles the power. Giant-killers indeed, and an excellent amp for tube people that don't want the fuss or expense of tubes.
Jarve-Falk Infinity Quantum 3 When it comes to speakers, I rarely can leave well enough alone. I don't merely tweak, but perform wholesale overhauls, usually keeping only the original drivers and something approaching the original specs. So it was with a set of perfectly good Infinity QLS-3's I procured. The new mirror-imaged cabinets were built out of a laminated HDF and plywood material of my own devising, with the internal volume slightly increased (allowing greater extension out of the Watkin's woofer) and the crossovers rebuilt and the entire setup made bi-amp/bi-wireable. Between the Watkins woofer and EMIT planar tweeter, not many speakers can compete with extension on either end. Sound is even and well balanced, and imaging is very good for such a large speaker, especially being used in near-field listening, as they are. But, they're the most power-hungry SOB's I've owned, being very low in sensitivity and offering the amp a very low impedance load.
-- Main system ancillary devices/tweaks --
Power conditioning The system has a dedicated circuit off the panel, recently upgraded to 30-amps, which is much more than needed and leaves plenty of headroom for larger or more amps. Power is filtered and isolated by use of a PowerVAR ABC-1600 power conditioner, rated for 1920VA (16-amps @ 120-volts). Power outlets are Cooper 20-amp green-dot (medical grade) receptacles.
Cables The power cable for the preamp is a DIY unit featuring 12/3 copper cable with Wattgate IEC and Edison plugs. Patch cable between CDP and preamp is a set of .5m Monster Cable M-series interconnects, M850i. Between the tuner and preamp is Black Rhodium Prelude .5m interconnect. I was first introduced to Black Rhodium when I won a set as part of an AK give-away, and was so impressed I bought 2 more sets on my own. They've been my long-time reference for interconnects. Feeding the h/k power amps are Monstercable Interlink 400 series cables measuring 2-meters. They offer decent performance, but in a more practical measure, they're the correct length for what I need. The input jacks on the h/k's were replaced with Cardas RCA jacks and they were internally re-wired with Cardas silver cable.
The speakers are bi-wired from the h/k power amps. For the lows, IXOS 11ga. Gamma-Geometry cable terminated with WBT spades and banana plugs. Highs get Carol 16/2 twisted pair terminated with VampireWire banana jacks on both sides.
Stand, rack, whatever The stand used is another DIY jobber, and is a straight-up "flexi-rack" made up of 5/8" threaded rod and 3/4" plywood. Nothing too fancy, and certainly made to order. It's stable and solid, even if it's not beautiful.
-- In the Wings --
This is stuff I can't bring myself to let go of, even if I have no particular use for them at the moment.
Yaqin MC-10L II This is the amp that made me fall in love with music all over again. A full-tube jobber using a class-A SRPP linestage and a classic ultralinear EL34 output stage, it stands still as the amp by which I judge all others. Pity that it's power output just is not adequate for the insatiable Quantum 3.
Onkyo Integra A-8190 I've found that having a decent solid-state integrated amp around is extremely useful, and the A-8190 is pretty good sounding to boot.
ADC T-2000E One of the few digital tuners I've come across that's made the grade. Not lovely, but a solid performer.
ADC CD-2000E The other ADC piece I kept from a complete set. A mid-grade, mid-1980's CD player, but with the same DAC as the Yamaha CDX-10000 (albeit a single one, bank switched), it uses a reliable Sony transport, and even if it's sound is less than high-end, it's a fine extra or backup unit.
Jarve-Falk Sub-Compact The most current DIY speaker project undertaken by Boy Wonder and I, 9 months in the going. Nothing high-end (garage-sale Foster drivers), but designed for high efficiency, excellent imaging, and great vocals. They win on all accounts.
Musical Fidelity A3cr The solid-state preamp I've been looking for all along. With a power supply that would make many power-amps envious and a choke-filtered power supply this thing will output nearly 3 pure class-A watts into any load you like. Headroom, anyone? The preamp is wonderfully silent, and maintains a smooth, easy sound throughout the entire range. Added to it is a very flexible input array, simple, no-nonsense signal path (not even a balance control) and a more than good enough phono stage, and I finally have a solid-state preamp I can live with.
Emotiva ERC-1 I kind of took a chance on this unit, having given up my utterly reliable and musical Cambridge Audio Azur 640c. This is the only "brand new" component in the system. Emotiva is a young company, and they seemingly offer components at such a discount that many are suspicious that they're too good to be true. Truth is, while not quite on the same caliber of a Sony SCD-777ES (which I got to use for one night), it's a decent product for the price. Sound, which is what is most important, is relaxed and neither too bright or warm, with plenty of detail, and very "black" output.
Yamaha PX-2 / Benz Micro Silver A real-deal turntable setup of the linear-tracking kind. The PX-2 is nearly legendary for its performance, and the Benz Silver builds upon the budget giant-killer, the MC20E2-HO. Fed to the Musical Fidelity's in-built phonostage (set for MM carts) and it's a setup that really makes spinning vinyl a joy.
Sony ST-5950SD Sony's one-time TOTL tuner is likely the best performing tuner I've had yet. Living in something of a valley surrounded by RF-killing hills of taconite, tuners really need to standout for quietness and sensitivity in my area. Not many have made the cut, but the Sony is one of them.
harman/kardon hk775 For a long time, these compact monoblocks were my dream amp (of amps that I might actually one day obtain, anyways). Audio scrounger Extraordinaire doucanoe managed to, well, scrounge up a pair and I was setup. They've proven to be everything I had hoped and then some. If their power limitations are respected (a respectable 130-watts into 8-ohms, 260-watts into 4-ohms) they provide the best of real tube-like warmth and midrange with solidstate power and drive. So far, the only amp I've heard that's outperformed them retails for $6k and nearly doubles the power. Giant-killers indeed, and an excellent amp for tube people that don't want the fuss or expense of tubes.
Jarve-Falk Infinity Quantum 3 When it comes to speakers, I rarely can leave well enough alone. I don't merely tweak, but perform wholesale overhauls, usually keeping only the original drivers and something approaching the original specs. So it was with a set of perfectly good Infinity QLS-3's I procured. The new mirror-imaged cabinets were built out of a laminated HDF and plywood material of my own devising, with the internal volume slightly increased (allowing greater extension out of the Watkin's woofer) and the crossovers rebuilt and the entire setup made bi-amp/bi-wireable. Between the Watkins woofer and EMIT planar tweeter, not many speakers can compete with extension on either end. Sound is even and well balanced, and imaging is very good for such a large speaker, especially being used in near-field listening, as they are. But, they're the most power-hungry SOB's I've owned, being very low in sensitivity and offering the amp a very low impedance load.
-- Main system ancillary devices/tweaks --
Power conditioning The system has a dedicated circuit off the panel, recently upgraded to 30-amps, which is much more than needed and leaves plenty of headroom for larger or more amps. Power is filtered and isolated by use of a PowerVAR ABC-1600 power conditioner, rated for 1920VA (16-amps @ 120-volts). Power outlets are Cooper 20-amp green-dot (medical grade) receptacles.
Cables The power cable for the preamp is a DIY unit featuring 12/3 copper cable with Wattgate IEC and Edison plugs. Patch cable between CDP and preamp is a set of .5m Monster Cable M-series interconnects, M850i. Between the tuner and preamp is Black Rhodium Prelude .5m interconnect. I was first introduced to Black Rhodium when I won a set as part of an AK give-away, and was so impressed I bought 2 more sets on my own. They've been my long-time reference for interconnects. Feeding the h/k power amps are Monstercable Interlink 400 series cables measuring 2-meters. They offer decent performance, but in a more practical measure, they're the correct length for what I need. The input jacks on the h/k's were replaced with Cardas RCA jacks and they were internally re-wired with Cardas silver cable.
The speakers are bi-wired from the h/k power amps. For the lows, IXOS 11ga. Gamma-Geometry cable terminated with WBT spades and banana plugs. Highs get Carol 16/2 twisted pair terminated with VampireWire banana jacks on both sides.
Stand, rack, whatever The stand used is another DIY jobber, and is a straight-up "flexi-rack" made up of 5/8" threaded rod and 3/4" plywood. Nothing too fancy, and certainly made to order. It's stable and solid, even if it's not beautiful.
-- In the Wings --
This is stuff I can't bring myself to let go of, even if I have no particular use for them at the moment.
Yaqin MC-10L II This is the amp that made me fall in love with music all over again. A full-tube jobber using a class-A SRPP linestage and a classic ultralinear EL34 output stage, it stands still as the amp by which I judge all others. Pity that it's power output just is not adequate for the insatiable Quantum 3.
Onkyo Integra A-8190 I've found that having a decent solid-state integrated amp around is extremely useful, and the A-8190 is pretty good sounding to boot.
ADC T-2000E One of the few digital tuners I've come across that's made the grade. Not lovely, but a solid performer.
ADC CD-2000E The other ADC piece I kept from a complete set. A mid-grade, mid-1980's CD player, but with the same DAC as the Yamaha CDX-10000 (albeit a single one, bank switched), it uses a reliable Sony transport, and even if it's sound is less than high-end, it's a fine extra or backup unit.
Jarve-Falk Sub-Compact The most current DIY speaker project undertaken by Boy Wonder and I, 9 months in the going. Nothing high-end (garage-sale Foster drivers), but designed for high efficiency, excellent imaging, and great vocals. They win on all accounts.
