Ron's Speaker, Turntable, Power and Room Treatment Upgrades

[ddk]

Thank you, David! I know you like the natural walnut, but I am still planning to stain it gray.

I liked the gray too it’s all beautiful! I’m just happy to see things moving ahead for you and Tinka.
david

 

[Mike Lavigne]

love the pictures, Ron.

are you starting to feel it? how it's going to be listening there?

 

[Ron Resnick]

I appreciate those kind thoughts, David. Unfortunately my incompetent architect has been trying to get a permit approved since October. We have been literally dead in the water since October.

Thank you, Mike. At best it still is an extremely challenging room acoustically, with a large opening to the equipment room on the right and an even larger opening to the kitchen on the left, asymmetrical side walls, and asymmetrical ceiling soffits. But to answer your question: no, the completion of the room is still way too far away for me to begin to get excited about it.

Right now there is slap echo when I clap my hands, but I am virtually certain it is from the super reflective Koster Vap-covered floor.

Both you and David had a lot to do with my decisions on the walls. Your wood-lined listening room encouraged me to keep the room fairly live to begin with.

 

[Folsom]

And you're stuck with him? Usually businesses that do a LOT of work can get permits done within the week if not day.

How's the rest of the house compared to the listening room?

 

[Ron Resnick]

And you're stuck with him? Usually businesses that do a LOT of work can get permits done within the week if not day.

How's the rest of the house compared to the listening room?

Thank you for asking. The listening room is the easy part of the repairs. The rest of the house is even less far along than the listening room. What can one expect in almost three years?

 

[Folsom]

A LOT MORE. You could have Youtubed it all and done it yourself at this point...

 

[PeterA]

Ron, how will the floor be finished? And is there any thought to the ceiling with diffusers, panels, etc? Can you get the contractor to pull permits? This project seems completely open ended. You are a very patient gentleman.

 

[Ovenmitt]

The Mapleknoll is a great performer!

Yes, if you ordered your Eclipse with 2 inputs. If this is the case, you will have the option to alter each phono input load independently albeit inside on the back chassis.

Well, you have take a leap of faith with ordering and not hearing first.. don't judge the unit until after at least 400 hrs. Its break in is a long one. It will sound thin at first and go through different strange phases.

Your best bet is to get reverse RIAA unit-- they are inexpensive--- and run a CD player , tuner or server through it for 3 weeks or so. KAB, Hagerman and others sell them or if you are handy you can build one simply enough. Aesthetix say they put about 100hrs on the units before they leave.

Sure the stock tubes are fine, but NOS takes it to a different level. When you are ready for that let me know and I can give you some tips.

I don't have an IO but do have the Eclipse signature (Aesthetix line stage equivalent) and agree that NOS tubes take these preamps to a waaay different place. I ended up with Tele 12AX7's, Mullard E188CC's, etc. Maybe the most influential tube swap came from swapping the EL34's to GEC KT66's (grey glass) in the power supply.

 

[Number9]

Before stain
Finally had my flooring installed. Photos are kinda washed out but the wood floor has a gray finish. I love it! Hopefully the contrast with the amps will help.




Still need a few components.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hi Ron, our bedroom floor is v similar to this. It's a really nice, understated vibe, that can only be beneficial for relaxed listening. Congrats.

 

[Folsom]

SMALLER PICTURES PLEASE. Those are massive.

 

[PeterA]

SMALLER PICTURES PLEASE. Those are massive.

I gave up after five minutes and went to another thread.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron, how will the floor be finished? And is there any thought to the ceiling with diffusers, panels, etc? Can you get the contractor to pull permits? This project seems completely open ended. You are a very patient gentleman.

The first four feet from the front wall be carpet. The next 10 feet will be the same walnut flooring as the rest of the house. The rest of the living room floor will be carpet.

So basically the entire listening room floor will be wall-to-wall carpet except for a 10 foot deep strip on which I will locate the amplifiers and the speaker columns.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Before stain
View attachment 48744Finally had my flooring installed. Photos are kinda washed out but the wood floor has a gray finish. I love it! Hopefully the contrast with the amps will help.

View attachment 48743
View attachment 48742

Still need a few components.

What did the wood start out as? (What kind of wood is it?)

How did you achieve the gray stain?

 

[Number9]

I gave up after five minutes and went to another thread.

Are you guys barking @ me?

 

[Number9]

So the flooring is installed wihout any sealer. It is engineered wood wih solid oak veneer. The stain was applied by the same guy that did the installation. Approximately 6 feet from front wall to carpet transition.

 

[Folsom]

Are you guys barking @ me?

YES

 

[Ron Resnick]

So the flooring is installed wihout any sealer. It is engineered wood wih solid oak veneer. The stain was applied by the same guy that did the installation. Approximately 6 feet from front wall to carpet transition.

I think the gray finish looks great!

 

[Number9]

Thanks. Based on preliminary tests I am pretty confident I made the correct decision to do the front 1/3 wood and the remaining carpet (with very light padding.).

 

[Number9]

YES

Oh.