finally updated my system pictures; new racks, tone arm, cartridge, change in turntables, added digital pieces

Mike Lavigne

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
13,294
13,065
4,410
last update was last July 23', 11 months ago.

new stuff/changes

1--new Massif Audio Design racks plus Nordost Footers
2--new Glanz Audio MH-1200S tonearm plus Sumile Mono cartridge (subtract the Miyajima Labs Infinity 1.0 and 0.7 mil carts)
3--subtract the NVS turntable
4--move the Taiko Tana Herzan active system to under the Esoteric T1 turntable (nice performance boost)
5--new Wadax Reference Server power supply
6--new Wadax Akasa DC cables taking the Wadax to "Level 4"
7--new Massif Audio Snakewood record weight.

link to changes

Mike-system-update.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: T Boost, DetroitVinylRob, Violetmachan and 18 others
What an amazing system! Looks incredible and I can only imagine how awesome it must sound!

George
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike Lavigne
PeterA said:
Mike, what happened to the NVS?
Click to expand...
i needed 'help' to fund my 3 Wadax Akasa DC cables to take me to Level 4. And Ed Sudario needed a late production NVS and (my 2nd) Tosca tonearm (that could be updated to Limited Edition level) for the SoCal audio show. it might very well turn out to be a trade-in for me on a new production NVS in the fall. we will see.

after 14 years sad to see it go. been a fantastic turntable, is a fantastic turntable.

an unexpected benefit was being able to try my Taiko Tana (Herzan) active isolation under the Esoteric T1. i had figured the T1 had too much self noise, but i was wrong. it boosted the T1 performance a good amount. maybe another level beyond. slightly more musical focus and energy, slightly more refinement, slightly better bass articulation. it even increased the gain enough to see it on my dart 468 peak watt meters. that got my attention.

one very interesting thing was that it boosted the Primary Control FCL arm/Etsuro Gold combo, more than the Durand Tosca/DaVa combo. changed the hierarchy of the two arms. i think it simply allows the field coil magic of the FCL to take things further. so my plan is to do the Tosca upgrade to the Limited Edition level, which should raise that arm and cartridge. interesting that the highest performance gear sometimes gets held back in unexpected ways. we don't know what we don't know.

have to sell some other stuff to fund that Tosca upgrade.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: PeterA
Mike Lavigne said:
last update was last July 23', 11 months ago.

new stuff/changes

1--new Massif Audio Design racks plus Nordost Footers
2--new Glanz Audio MH-1200S tonearm plus Sumile Mono cartridge (subtract the Miyajima Labs Infinity 1.0 and 0.7 mil carts)
3--subtract the NVS turntable
4--move the Taiko Tana Herzan active system to under the Esoteric T1 turntable (nice performance boost)
5--new Wadax Reference Server power supply
6--new Wadax Akasa DC cables taking the Wadax to "Level 4"
7--new Massif Audio Snakewood record weight.

link to changes
Click to expand...

This was way over due Mike , Slipping .

..:)


BTW How did the Dartz benefit from being on the isolation pads ..
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: T Boost
Audiohertz2 said:
This was way over due Mike , Slipping .
Click to expand...
sorry. :rolleyes:
Audiohertz2 said:
..:)

BTW How did the Dartz benefit from being on the isolation pads ..
Click to expand...
i've had the dart 468 mono blocks on the Tana active devices for around 6 years. it took a couple years to realize how to optimize them by unweighting/float any cables so the active devices were not damped in their ability to react to resonance. especially critical for heavy speaker cables and power cables. the active makes a significant difference in levels of music focus and detail to become not only more clear, but more musically interesting with more action and nuance. more cohesion and flow. less processed, less distortion perceived coming from drivers, more holographic sound. i can turn them on and off and the effect is immediate and profound. the dart preamp also uses the active devices and there it's less of an effect than the amps, but still similar......just less by degrees, same with the EMIA phono which also sits on the active. with vinyl on the Esoteric T1, the whole signal path is sitting on active devices......where the sum is even greater than the parts, and i love it.

i'm a big believer in system synergy. that any piece i add can take things further than otherwise in a typical system might happen. i know i'm not unique in thinking that way. it's how any system gels. goes farther down the road from sounds to music.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Pokey77, Audiohertz2 and AudioHR
Impressive!
 
Mike Lavigne said:
last update was last July 23', 11 months ago.

new stuff/changes

1--new Massif Audio Design racks plus Nordost Footers
2--new Glanz Audio MH-1200S tonearm plus Sumile Mono cartridge (subtract the Miyajima Labs Infinity 1.0 and 0.7 mil carts)
3--subtract the NVS turntable
4--move the Taiko Tana Herzan active system to under the Esoteric T1 turntable (nice performance boost)
5--new Wadax Reference Server power supply
6--new Wadax Akasa DC cables taking the Wadax to "Level 4"
7--new Massif Audio Snakewood record weight.

link to changes
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing photos of your current setup - looks great. I can only think how good it would be if you got serious about the hobby. ;)

A couple of questions:

- Did you new Massif Audio Design racks change the sound much over your previous setup?

- Is there a significant difference in sound from your primary chair to the couch behind?

Mike Lavigne said:
........ we don't know what we don't know.
Click to expand...

This says it all. I wish a few more people on this forum would express this attitude! Too many people here do know what they don't. :D


Enjoy!!! :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: T Boost and Pokey77
dcathro said:
Thanks for sharing photos of your current setup - looks great. I can only think how good it would be if you got serious about the hobby. ;)
Click to expand...
i'll let my wife know. ouch.
dcathro said:
A couple of questions:

- Did you new Massif Audio Design racks change the sound much over your previous setup?
Click to expand...
it's a positive, if nuanced, difference. the Adona were very good solid racks.

jazdoc's viewpoint on that question. my viewpoint. that was written in Dec 23'.....6 months later even more impressed.
dcathro said:
- Is there a significant difference in sound from your primary chair to the couch behind?
Click to expand...
i've posted about this often. in my room i can walk around, sit or stand anywhere, and the music is alive and involving. but the sweet spot is over the top reach out and touch it holographic and the soundstage is 3D all around you with lots of depth and full 360 degrees when the music contains that. the sofa behind is more far field relatively but many prefer it for their comfort zone. it's a very involving spot and just not quite as visceral. and when i have chairs behind the sofa some like it there and it's musically engaging too. today there will be 25 people here and really not a bad seat.

in that spot; -4- 7 foot+ tall, 600 pound towers 9 feet from you is not something everyone can accept immediately. typically it takes 30-45 minutes for a new listener to my room to get past that visual. diming the lights helps. in my pictures since the room is large the speakers don't look that big, until you see a picture with people standing next to them.
dcathro said:
This says it all. I wish a few more people on this forum would express this attitude! Too many people here do know what they don't. :D
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:
dcathro said:
Enjoy!!! :)
Click to expand...
thank you.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: T Boost and dcathro
Mike Lavigne said:
last update was last July 23', 11 months ago.

new stuff/changes

1--new Massif Audio Design racks plus Nordost Footers
2--new Glanz Audio MH-1200S tonearm plus Sumile Mono cartridge (subtract the Miyajima Labs Infinity 1.0 and 0.7 mil carts)
3--subtract the NVS turntable
4--move the Taiko Tana Herzan active system to under the Esoteric T1 turntable (nice performance boost)
5--new Wadax Reference Server power supply
6--new Wadax Akasa DC cables taking the Wadax to "Level 4"
7--new Massif Audio Snakewood record weight.

link to changes
Click to expand...
Looks very nice, Mike.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike Lavigne
I like the new stands, Mike!
 
  • Like
Reactions: T Boost
Mike Lavigne said:
i'll let my wife know. ouch.

it's a positive, if nuanced, difference. the Adona were very good solid racks.

jazdoc's viewpoint on that question. my viewpoint. that was written in Dec 23'.....6 months later even more impressed.

i've posted about this often. in my room i can walk around, sit or stand anywhere, and the music is alive and involving. but the sweet spot is over the top reach out and touch it holographic and the soundstage is 3D all around you with lots of depth and full 360 degrees when the music contains that. the sofa behind is more far field relatively but many prefer it for their comfort zone. it's a very involving spot and just not quite as visceral. and when i have chairs behind the sofa some like it there and it's musically engaging too. today there will be 25 people here and really not a bad seat.

in that spot; -4- 7 foot+ tall, 600 pound towers 9 feet from you is not something everyone can accept immediately. typically it takes 30-45 minutes for a new listener to my room to get past that visual. diming the lights helps. in my pictures since the room is large the speakers don't look that big, until you see a picture with people standing next to them.

:rolleyes:

thank you.
Click to expand...
I have the same speakers (with only 4 subs instead of 8!). I sometimes listen as close as 8’ ear to tweeter. There’s no feeling of being too close. The speaker are only in my peripheral vision. My room is 45’ deep and for a very different experience, I love it back there as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Audiohertz2 and Mike Lavigne
wil said:
I have the same speakers (with only 4 subs instead of 8!). I sometimes listen as close as 8’ ear to tweeter. There’s no feeling of being too close. The speaker are only in my peripheral vision. My room is 45’ deep and for a very different experience, I love it back there as well.
Click to expand...
Agree Wil. Evolutions are phenomenally coherent, and near field delivers a musical immersion that must be heard to be appreciated.

i have sat a little closer that now ( currently109" tweeter to ear, 115" tweeter to tweeter), but i prefer the overall balance in this spot.....but there were also attributes i liked closer up too. soundstage is more real and right sized where i am.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SCAudiophile
Do you have any proof that your room sounds good?

Can you explain why your digital sounds better than analog and/or vice versa? Why are you a hater of digital and/or analog?

Please provide detailed technical graphs (preferably independently verified) with accompanying YouTube videos of reference tracks (but only if they are "Keith Don't Go" or Coal Train").
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: SCAudiophile, Bobvin, Lagonda and 2 others
jazdoc said:
Do you have any proof that your room sounds good?

Can you explain why your digital sounds better than analog and/or vice versa? Why are you a hater of digital and/or analog?

Please provide detailed technical graphs (preferably independently verified) with accompanying YouTube videos of reference tracks (but only if they are "Keith Don't Go" or Coal Train").
Click to expand...
???
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pokey77
jazdoc said:
Do you have any proof that your room sounds good?

Can you explain why your digital sounds better than analog and/or vice versa? Why are you a hater of digital and/or analog?

Please provide detailed technical graphs (preferably independently verified) with accompanying YouTube videos of reference tracks (but only if they are "Keith Don't Go" or Coal Train").
Click to expand...
what's the over/under on days until you change your avatar to the new Chief's SB ring picture? with the Tom and Jerry diagram. it's awesome.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jazdoc
Just wow!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike Lavigne
You must log in or register to reply here.

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

Home Forums

User Menu

Login
Top Bottom