Visit to Marc C.'s (SpiritOfMusic's) House in England

[the sound of Tao]

That’s a good place to be, I love getting benchmarks by visiting other setups too enjoying other people’s approach and sharing music and over the years it’s been how I have established various goals along the way and have built towards specific improvements in my system. I also always really enjoy coming home and playing my music on what I have which is not ever perfect but completely rewarding in itself.

I never want to trade places with others or their systems so as much as I can admire and appreciate what others have I just love what I have. The amp and speakers are all great, some small upgrades in the pre and source maybe but these are luxury upgrades rather than necessities and could live with what I have or even less... still have to trim out at least one pair of speakers to get down to maybe two sets of speakers to appear almost reasonable and moderate if forever just a little indecisive... my preferred default position.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I'm sticking w sitting 15' from my Zus. Like all things, it didn't feel quite right at first try, but several days in, music has taken a bit more of an immersive, less leading edge based presentation, certainly more of what I hear 7-10 rows back at classical concerts.

It's fortunate that I have 8' behind my Zus, and 15'-25' behind me, even when I'm now at this 15' distance from them. My room remains without doubt a fantastic bonus this late in the evolution of my system, and it's a joy to really feel like there are no acoustic downsides here at all.

 

[NorthStar]

Marc, do you watch TV? ...A favorite show(s), favorite news channel, Blu-ray movies, music concerts?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Not much recently, w the system sounding good.

I regularly raid s/h Criterion Blu Rays, I'm getting into B&W movies in quite a big way. I found the last 12 months of cinema releases, and the Oscars selection a little lacking.

"Breaking Bad" remains my go-to tv programme for the last decade, not a SINGLE wasted minute or poor scene. Rarely have so many actors been given equally good material all in the same program.

News channels? Well, there's a thing. I can't really say what I'd like to say without our friendly leader Ron stomping on me LOL.

Concerts? All classical now. The lifeforce saps away trying to book Muse etc, and then there's the SQ in big halls...

So, yesterday attended our local Norfolk Symphony Orchestra in big Ely Cathedral, playing a fantastic celebration of Copland/Fanfare For..., Gershwin/Piano Concerto in F, Glass/Company, Bernstein/West Side Story, Symphonic Dances.

This is the live music me and Ra really love now. And as I tell her, before she dies of boredom, a good reference for the system at home.

 

[NorthStar]

We all have our periods; spinning analog, streaming digital, watching flicks and docs.

Criterion black & white classics is very good on Blu-ray.
True that the Oscars this year was not much to fret about; perhaps many film directors didn't get the inspiration. And the ones who did found it on comics. Nothing extraordinary in the last twelve months, indeed.

I've never checked Breaking Bad, and there are other good series too...it's just not in me; it's like I could get into good series based on true stories but fiction I'm more inclined towards movies.

I don't watch news on TV, but my friends do religiously...CNN, FOX, BBC, ...
And all my family are into news in French. I use French strictly for writing, communicating with family members, not a single drop of news in French (Internet).
All the news I get is in English...world news, zero local. In your area Channel 4 is popular.
No, I don't want to even mention anything related to the affairs of the world leaders.

I love classical music, and Opera best. ...Chorals too.
I like everything else too, with a good beat.

Now you're talking...live symphony orchestra, right on. It's inspiring in our pursuit to musical ecstasy. It's good for the cerebral vibes and the chords of the soul. It's a peaceful sport.

I love art, paintings, photographs, beautiful landscapes, I love peace above all.
So my music taste tends towards peaceful music, much more so today.

"Love and peace of mind do protect us. They allow us to overcome the problems that life hands us. They teach us to survive… to live now… to have the courage to confront each day.” — Bernie Siegel

 

[Ron Resnick]

Peter, we all have our journeys.

Mike L recently went thru 6 dacs to get to the Select. I find that perplexing.

Tang and SteveW both have disengaged their subs after expert advice. How is that different from Barry getting me to reintroduce my panels?

SteveW has gone thru any number of Stillpoints, scrapped them all, now is all CS. Thats up for sceptical debate too.

FWIW, yes I did not perceive the phasiness that Barry did. That doesn't make me a bad listener. For all I know, he might be wrong on his analysis.

I'm not so different from loads of audiophiles who have developed their systems, love their achievements, just for another listener to raise doubts.

I've had as many positive reports as negative ones, it's just the former group don't post here.

But, for the record, I have always had reservations on my spkrs, that optimising in a brilliant room has addressed, but also highlighted, and I'm more aware than ever that I'll likely be moving on.

Hoping that lets you into how I feel about things.

Dear Marc,

I might feel differently if every single visitor disliked my system for one reason or another. But why in the world do you care if one particular listener “raises doubts”?

I have come to understand intimately the sonic preferences of many of my friends. Even if my system is working fabulously to my ears I can predict right now why certain people are not going to like certain aspects of how my system sounds (even after I think it is all set up properly and “dialed in”). And that is not going to bother me one bit.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ron, constructive criticism is welcome in the end, even if I get defensive when I first hear it.

Comments on the dynamics of my system a decade ago led to me ditching my conditioner and going w balanced power. Ked's comments on my previous room were borne out by the new space. And Barry's criticism of the slight vague phasiness of my sound put right w my GIKs, and changing my seating position.

It'll be fascinating to get Barry's updated comments when he visits in the next few wks.

 

[bonzo75]

Ron, constructive criticism is welcome in the end, even if I get defensive when I first hear it.

First? So if you hear again you are fine? Thanks for the giving the green light

 

[spiritofmusic]

Some critics don't need a green light for anything. They demonstrate their basic lack of tact many times.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Blue58 is one of my harshest critics. But nothing he's ever said hasn't been proved to be incorrect or unreasonable. And his words always come w suggestions to remedy and ways forward. And with a lot of personal warmth.

It seemed crazy when he told me that my soundstage and imaging was a bit vague, because the cd I played IMO demonstrated these facets well.

On following his advice, a greater solidity and certainty in these aspects did improve, as if a shimmering haze was removed.

I've no doubt he'll pick up on something else when he next visits. As long as he tells me how to sort it, that'll be fine. It's likely to be my bass, that I'm struggling a little with after moving my listening position further back.

At least he just doesn't tell me bluntly w no hint of the effect of words that my sound is close to the worst he's ever heard, as one or two guys have. I'm no fan of people who use "truth" as a badge of honour. I'm actually having the first harsh critic of my system back soon, a decade after he last visited, this was the guy who's words directly led to my first serious spending on tweaks, balanced power.

 

[bonzo75]

Is he staying over for a few days?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Why? We're not gonna be doing those tedious endless ABABetc swaps/compares LOL.

No, he can go home the same day.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Getting bass right in my room is pretty much my final barrier to total satisfaction.

Im sitting 4-5' further back, my room is thus more involved (ie sound more affected by reflections than solely direct from spkrs), and optimising the system has resulted in a leaner bass w less euphonic bloom.

More accuracy, less hash.

My visitors will tell me where I'm at.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Have a good opportunity soon to evaluate a dozen HRS Damping Plates in my system. The audio group that kindly got me the invite to Ares Cerat owner swears by these critters, and they'll bring them over when they visit.

In the meantime, sound here goes from strength to strength. A combination of the Revopods footers on Panzerholz on Symposium Sveltes is doing as much as possible to isolate Zus subs and floor from each other, Phil/213Cobra's advice on subs settings really working now, and sitting further back at 14' w less toe in of Zus feels more immersive.

 

[shakti]

Have a good opportunity soon to evaluate a dozen HRS Damping Plates in my system. The audio group that kindly got me the invite to Ares Cerat owner swears by these critters, and they'll bring them over when they visit.

In the meantime, sound here goes from strength to strength. A combination of the Revopods footers on Panzerholz on Symposium Sveltes is doing as much as possible to isolate Zus subs and floor from each other, Phil/213Cobra's advice on subs settings really working now, and sitting further back at 14' w less toe in of Zus feels more immersive.

if you have a lot of the HRS damping plates available, just try them out under the speakers and under the rack flat on the ground. you might be surprised

 

[spiritofmusic]

Shakti, that's intriguing. I've heard of using them to damp components. Just not damping the floor.

Tbh things are really nicely balanced here, and changes are truly shown to be worthwhile or not. I'm fascinated to see what the HRS plates do, or don't do.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Small change on the armwand front, a little mod to stop the snagging I was getting from the arm lift bar.

Now the arm is operating as sweet as a nut. I find it fascinating that bulking up pure mass and weight thru my slate stand and Stacore has really boosted tt performance and as fully as possible (short of tt wall shelf) isolated deleterious effects of my massive suspended floor.

180kg to isolate 20g of armwand and cart LOL.

Critically, analog is really nailing it here, and for the first time in as long as I can remember in my system, it's comprehensively beating digital.

In the last three days I've rattled thru a 20 lp box set of R. Strauss, and for the first time in my classical listening am picking up a lot more microdynamic cues, timbral accuracy, just altogether more realistic tone. What I always used to think was a shortfall in my Zus has likely been more my tt not fully on song.

Things really have come full circle. From my initial tt reinstall 16 months ago sounding so limp and uninvolving, thru a bitch of a 6 month burning in period, to the final pieces slotting into place in the last 4 weeks.

Now, do i WANT that Vyger? Um, silly question. Do i NEED it? I'd have said yes in 2017. Today...?

 

[spiritofmusic]

In the queue for Sablon Reservas interconnects upgrades with Bocchino connectors. The single trial was so convincing, I've gone all three at once.

After a bit of toing and froing, I've reverted to using the periphery vinyl ring and lp weight. Sound more grounded w them in tow. Again, getting my analog as optimised as possible is allowing my Zus to really excel. Indeed, shortcomings I'd attributed in my Zu presentation for over a decade are no such thing, it had always been sub optimal sound from my tt. Corrected now.

 

[PeterA]

Why? We're not gonna be doing those tedious endless ABABetc swaps/compares LOL.

No, he can go home the same day.

So what did he say about the sound of your system, Marc, this mystery visitor of yours? Did he make any suggestions?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Not yet. Blue58 is hoping to come up soon. Aiming to also have a guy visit who runs Wilsons on Electrocompaniet, and someone creating a new server.

Blue has never been backward in coming forward to offer me pretty strong suggestions. Let's see what he proposes this time.