Had a gig today. Mark and Terry dropped by to listen to the next pair of Dahlquist DQ-10s and some cartridges. We have been moving coil snobs but Mark (
@Aerobat you know him, picture of his three tonearm DDX-1000 signature) had a Pickering XSV-3000 retipped by Steve at VAS and was loving it. I think it is his inner rock and roll self that likes more snap in his cartridge. He has written about this recently. He brought it over with some salsa, Terry brought the beer. Sam left his Shure V-15V here for me to try. I have a Pickering XV-15/1200e the one right below the 3000 in the brochure. I’ll talk more on results in a different thread as you wanted pictures, so I took one.
Difficult with the window but Mark is playing the next record, you see the important things on the table, beer, nachos on the baking sheet, switching box on the floor just showing the wood cabinet, Crown OC-150a, check it out online. Not plugged in just wanted speaker switching.
That stack is the main rig, the cabinet to the left is extras. Folks come over, bring a chunk of gear to hear and it is easier to use the side rig to make changes so that is the way my soundroom is set up. Not shown in the main rig to the right, two turntables, reel to reel. Not shown to the left are the other two Dahlquist speakers and the left sub.
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Even with the compromised speaker positions and overloaded room the rig sounded very good today. Easy to tell the difference in the speakers and cartridges and all enjoyable. Third time in a couple months folks have said best they have ever heard. Makes me wonder what could be if I cleaned up the room and worked to get only one set of system components positioned properly. I do sacrifice for proper speaker position, but load the room with extra pieces. Just look at all the wires bottom left of the picture, open amp on the coffee table and more.
Lots of TTs, tonearms and cartridges from the era, but you were looking for receivers and speakers. So that’s another story.
As to hook up. We were using the TT or CD to the preamp (under the top mounted TT) going to the crossover, next unit down a shelf, sitting on the CD changer. Low out to the powered subs, one on the floor behind the chair with a speaker on it. Rest of the signal to the amp on the bottom shelf in front of Mark which went to the switcher out to the two sets of speakers. Other gear hooked up but we didn’t need to use them today.
That is about as lit up as the rig gets. Add the tuner and a couple of lights and done. I like that I can have only a few on lights lit and cruise to tunes in the dark.