sweet looking Ron.
agree the floor 'pops' visually. nice choice.
seems like baby steps, but it's progress forward.
agree the floor 'pops' visually. nice choice.
seems like baby steps, but it's progress forward.
Ron's Speaker, Turntable, Power and Room Treatment Upgrades
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
- Start date
Sorry, guys, but the shiny floor is the Koster Vap water sealant layer which will be covered by grey wool carpet and walnut wood flooring in the listening room.
Ron you might singlehandedly cause a shortage of cotton for the printing of dollar bills! LOL
Great to see the progress!
Thank you, Jack!
I am now soliciting final advice from my acoustic advisors before we make a decision what to put on the cinder block and the wood framing.
I am now soliciting final advice from my acoustic advisors before we make a decision what to put on the cinder block and the wood framing.
Good thinking Ron
LOL
Room building process is also making steps, good to see !
Nice to see Ron. Even after you install the sheetrock, there will be some added “weight” to the sound in the room. Not “darker” but just a visceral sense of mass. Like closing the door of high quality automobiles, there is more “there” there.
I learned last night that I may be overly pessimistic with regard to a tube noise concern about the Io if I use a .2mV (3.54cm/s) Koetsu cartridge. Jim White does not use vintage tubes but his new production tubes are apparently quiet enough to handle a .2mV MC cartridge without excessive noise (for tube devotees).
I was also told to achieve the best high gain/low noise compromise by using the second to the highest gain setting on the Io (providing I use a line stage as well). I am pretty excited to get Jim’s Eclipse level stuff into the system! (My early Io with one power supply was upgraded only to the Signature level way back when.)
I was also told to achieve the best high gain/low noise compromise by using the second to the highest gain setting on the Io (providing I use a line stage as well). I am pretty excited to get Jim’s Eclipse level stuff into the system! (My early Io with one power supply was upgraded only to the Signature level way back when.)
I have a question, gentlemen. How the heck am I going to "hatch" this system all at once? It cannot happen all at once. (I hate that I am going to be deprived of the system evolutionary joy and fascination of adding just one new component at a time over months and years into an already well-sorted system.)
Someday, if the house is repaired, and the listening room is finished, and I am ready to take delivery of the Pandragons, how can I set them up? I cannot play the speakers since I have no source.
If we install the turntable first, then I have no speakers through which to listen to music.
If I do not have a turntable I will not be able to install the six (6!) new Aesthetix boxes.
So I am thinking 1) first to resuscitate the VTLs and un-box and dust off an old Musical Fidelity kW tube SACD player first.
2) Then install the Aesthetix Io and Callisto, plugging the SACD player as the source into the Callisto line stage.
3) Then install the speakers.
4) Then bring in the turntable
Does this make sense? Is some other sequence more logical or prudent?
Someday, if the house is repaired, and the listening room is finished, and I am ready to take delivery of the Pandragons, how can I set them up? I cannot play the speakers since I have no source.
If we install the turntable first, then I have no speakers through which to listen to music.
If I do not have a turntable I will not be able to install the six (6!) new Aesthetix boxes.
So I am thinking 1) first to resuscitate the VTLs and un-box and dust off an old Musical Fidelity kW tube SACD player first.
2) Then install the Aesthetix Io and Callisto, plugging the SACD player as the source into the Callisto line stage.
3) Then install the speakers.
4) Then bring in the turntable
Does this make sense? Is some other sequence more logical or prudent?
I have a question, gentlemen. How the heck am I going to "hatch" this system all at once?
It cannot happen all at once, because I am starting with nothing. (I hate that I am going to be deprived of the system evolutionary joy and fascination of adding just one new component at a time over months and years into an already well-sorted system.)
Someday, if the house is repaired, and the listening room is finished, and I am ready to take delivery of the Pendragons, how can I set them up? I cannot play the speakers since I have no new source component and no new pre-amp.
If we install the turntable first, then I have no speakers through which to listen to music.
If I do not have a turntable I will not be able to install the six (6!) new Aesthetix boxes.
I want to introduce each new component one by one (even if it is rapidly or the same day) to make sure such new component is working.
So I am thinking:
1) A) Resuscitate the VTLs and B) un-box and dust off an old Musical Fidelity kW tube SACD player and C) un-box and dust off a pair of Dynaudio Contour bookshelf speakers to be able to hear something. This will let me test the VTLs. (I can use my EVS discrete resistor attenuators to control the VTLs into the SACD player.)
2) Install the two Herzan equipment racks for the Aesthetix boxes. Then remove the attenuators and connect the Aesthetix Callisto, plugging the SACD player as the source into the Callisto line stage, to test the Callisto line stage.
3) Then install the Pendragon speakers in place of the Dynaudios. At this point I will be able to play SACDs through the Callisto and drive the Pendragons with the VTLs.
4) Then bring in the turntable, and connect up and test the Aesthetix Io. And remove the SACD player. This would mean all of the new components are in place.
Does this make sense? Is some other sequence more logical or more prudent?
It cannot happen all at once, because I am starting with nothing. (I hate that I am going to be deprived of the system evolutionary joy and fascination of adding just one new component at a time over months and years into an already well-sorted system.)
Someday, if the house is repaired, and the listening room is finished, and I am ready to take delivery of the Pendragons, how can I set them up? I cannot play the speakers since I have no new source component and no new pre-amp.
If we install the turntable first, then I have no speakers through which to listen to music.
If I do not have a turntable I will not be able to install the six (6!) new Aesthetix boxes.
I want to introduce each new component one by one (even if it is rapidly or the same day) to make sure such new component is working.
So I am thinking:
1) A) Resuscitate the VTLs and B) un-box and dust off an old Musical Fidelity kW tube SACD player and C) un-box and dust off a pair of Dynaudio Contour bookshelf speakers to be able to hear something. This will let me test the VTLs. (I can use my EVS discrete resistor attenuators to control the VTLs into the SACD player.)
2) Install the two Herzan equipment racks for the Aesthetix boxes. Then remove the attenuators and connect the Aesthetix Callisto, plugging the SACD player as the source into the Callisto line stage, to test the Callisto line stage.
3) Then install the Pendragon speakers in place of the Dynaudios. At this point I will be able to play SACDs through the Callisto and drive the Pendragons with the VTLs.
4) Then bring in the turntable, and connect up and test the Aesthetix Io. And remove the SACD player. This would mean all of the new components are in place.
Does this make sense? Is some other sequence more logical or more prudent?
I think the wait is driving you mad. This reads more like philosophy than anything else.
If the room is done, put the Pendragons in. Start connecting stuff. If you have a used version of something install it till you get/decide what you're really going to use.
If the room is done, put the Pendragons in. Start connecting stuff. If you have a used version of something install it till you get/decide what you're really going to use.
if I were you, how i would approach this would be to install the speakers first. when those are in place, borrow an integrated amp (can be very basic, could buy it used and then sell it), and maybe one with a dac, and use your laptop to play music. it's so simple to do, and will give you music, and allow you to get a feel for things. lots of people can help you and even provide some hard drive tunes if necessary (like me).
maybe even bypass the bass towers initially until you get that far. they can just sit there.
then you can add one variable at a time and bypass parts of the integrated as you go along. you will even get a feel for system evolution as you step up into your new big rig.
I agree with Mike. Buy a NAD amp.. There's a NAD 372 on Audiogon for $500 right now, you'll have 80% of the musical enjoyment and can build the system up from there.
Thank you all for your thoughts!
I have an Arcam A90 integrated amp. (I have three of them, actually, for two bedroom systems and a living room system.) I could use that.
Not meaning to drive y'all crazy but there is no way I am going to fire up the VTLs after they make a bumpy 50 mile trip back from being resuscitated at VTL connected first to the Pendragon ribbon drivers. I don't see any harm in powering up each resuscitated piece and each new piece first with stuff I can afford to blow up/lose. That is why I want to hear music from the VTLs first with the Dynaudios before I connect the VTLs to the Pendragons.
And if the VTLs work reliably then driving the Pendragons with the VTLs probably will teach more more about the Pendragons right away than would an integrated amp, no?
I have an Arcam A90 integrated amp. (I have three of them, actually, for two bedroom systems and a living room system.) I could use that.
Not meaning to drive y'all crazy but there is no way I am going to fire up the VTLs after they make a bumpy 50 mile trip back from being resuscitated at VTL connected first to the Pendragon ribbon drivers. I don't see any harm in powering up each resuscitated piece and each new piece first with stuff I can afford to blow up/lose. That is why I want to hear music from the VTLs first with the Dynaudios before I connect the VTLs to the Pendragons.
And if the VTLs work reliably then driving the Pendragons with the VTLs probably will teach more more about the Pendragons right away than would an integrated amp, no?
Thank you all for your thoughts!
I have an Arcam A90 integrated amp. (I have three of them, actually, for two bedroom systems and a living room system.) I could use that.
Not meaning to drive y'all crazy but there is no way I am going to fire up the VTLs after they make a bumpy 50 mile trip back from being resuscitated at VTL connected first to the Pendragon ribbon drivers. I don't see any harm in powering up each resuscitated piece and each new piece first with stuff I can afford to blow up/lose. That is why I want to hear music from the VTLs first with the Dynaudios before I connect the VTLs to the Pendragons.
And if the VTLs work reliably then driving the Pendragons with the VTLs probably will teach more more about the Pendragons right away than would an integrated amp, no?
depends all on logistics and timing. agree if you can use the VTL's in a quick time frame then you don't need an in between step. but once the big Gryphon's are in place, if you need flexibility and don't want to deal with the VTL's but want music then you have the choice of the Arcam's. stay flexible.
I have a set of ICE based 'Chinese' class D 500 watt Rowland clones upstairs I can always throw into the breach if I ever have a need. it's my back up with little investment and actually preforms quite nicely. reality rears it's ugly head from time to time. and i'm never without tunes.
in your situation the big Gryphon's are the 800 pound Gorilla.......once those are in place the rest is quite easy (maybe excepting the AS-2000). so get those Gryphon's going and then go with the flow. and you get to hear and see those big boys. it easier installing the Gryphon's without anything else in the way too.
That makes perfect sense, Kedar, Mike, thank you.
The VTLs are the only things not in inaccessible storage, so I can drive them to VTL and get them fixed a month or two before the speakers are set up or anything else arrives. I just do not want the Pendragons to be the first speakers to which the VTLs are connected when I power up the VTLs back in the house after I retrieve the from VTL factory.
The VTLs are the only things not in inaccessible storage, so I can drive them to VTL and get them fixed a month or two before the speakers are set up or anything else arrives. I just do not want the Pendragons to be the first speakers to which the VTLs are connected when I power up the VTLs back in the house after I retrieve the from VTL factory.
VTLs are fuse protected and have an output transformer - IMHO you can connect them without any risk to your new speakers. Although I never connect an unknown solid state DC coupled amplifier to my speakers without first measuring it looking for DC, I never go though these procedures with transformer coupled amplifiers. At best I switch them on and keep my hand close to the switch for two minutes.
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