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

[Rob181]

Farad Super3 24V/2.2A LPS plus Sablon DC cbl just ordered for my SOTA Eclipse tt motor.

This is pretty much gonna be my last purchase on gear as I set aside saving over 2021 towards a streamer/dac package.

I have some ideas on what to look at, three possible combinations.

Innuos Zenith/Holo May.
Aqua LinQ/Aqua La Scala.
432 Evo Aeon/Merason Dac1.

The latter combination I have an immediate chance to hear post-Covid lockdown.

Hi Marc - will follow this with interest - I have a Denafrips Terminator-Plus still sitting in a box until my house reno's are finished. Really keen to find a streamer - ideally with I2S - that will offer a synergistic musical presentation with the Terminator. Once that is run in I can then compare it to a modded (very special clock) Marantz CD99DR into a bespoke "Killer" Dac using a TD1541S1 chip.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Rob, don't hold your breath Lol. This is by definition gonna be a stop/start search, punctuated by my usual procrastination.

I do have a local dealer for Holo who might be able to secure me an audition of the May KTE...even more important now that Holo aren't permitting any home trials.

There are one or two Aqua dealers near me...I have to get to the bottom of using their HQP module on the LinQ as a way of accessing Roon.

The 432 Evo Aeon/Merason Dac1 demo in some ways looks the most promising in terms of logistics. A friendly dealer, who can demo both to me in a tubes/SETs based system, and who provides ongoing aftercare.

No rush at all on any of these, I still have to justify this direction.

 

[Rob181]

Would that be definition mk 4 - I have enjoyed immensely following your journeys of evaluation - deliberation - procrastination.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Haha, yes that's right.
Mk 6 if they ever happen.
I'm chuffed you've followed my journey.
Streaming (non) decisions are a glimpse of my deep psychosis.
Don't peer into that too much Lol.

 

[spiritofmusic]

This Covid thing is going straight for my head. That can be the only reason for me to even hint at stating my current Zus-based system is starting to emulate the transparency, layering and dynamics of a horns-type presentation.

I've listened to Blue58's Duos for 5 years now, and had an insight into what SOTA horns can do at Audiophile Bill on a couple of occasions recently.

And despite many epiphanies in my sound especially since I moved to the new room here, I'd never say my Zus sound really approximated the best horns.

But the combination of sorting my room bass suck out, new improved tonearm, melifluous 6DJ8 tubes in preamp, super quiet Bocchino Sablons on my SETs, new SOTA motor on tt, and most recently, LPS to this motor, has created a sound with way more layered imaging, critically less noise (especially the motor removing gauze and smear from my LP reproduction), resulting in mixes being more accurately reproduced, instrumental lines more clearly delineated, and burstier dynamics.

And this is not just on my usual prog rock fare, but LPs like Paul Motian On Broadway Vol 2. Hidden to me previously, I'm getting more of the lively, more dynamic sound I hear at Barry and Bill, but critically from a more developed soundstage, especially in depth plane.

This is new territory for my system, hugely welcome.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Had a really fascinating day's listening today. Something I had suspected for a while, but proven beyond doubt.

And that's how noise/hash issues have held back my sound re greater potential/ultimate fidelity.

This first became apparent when I moved to the new room, the acoustic and environment quieter and calmer compared to my London apartment. This was an immediate step up before I'd even optimised my system setup.

Went one stage further with the Tubulus Argentus DB-25 cables reducing noise in my Nat Utopia <> psu, and Bocchino upgrades to Sablon cables, especially to the power cords.

It was at this point where much noise elsewhere was mitigated that I became most aware of four remaining sources of unwanted grunge...preamp tubes, Zu subs amps, Westwick 8K balanced transformer, and my HiBlow aquarium pump for LT air arm.

The latter two will soon be dealt with by moving the transformer out of my room, and installing a quieter lower flow rate/pressure EHeim pump.

The Zu subs hum are awaiting a solution from head honcho Sean Casey.

Critically I am close to sorting my preamp tubes hash issue. Stock Tesla tubes sound bland, recommended Electro Harmonix alternatives not much better...NOS Voskhod Rockets and Reflektor Silver Shields were better sonically, but prone to failing quickly. The Brent Jessee 6DJ8 Mazdas/Teslas I'm currently using have literally saved my system. Not only way quieter, but hugely musical. The mixture of low noise and saturated tone colors have given my sound a real vitamin shot.

The lower noise w these is being accompanied by way lower noise via the Bocchino Sablons on my SETs.

Now I add a massive uptick on perceived drop in haze and gauze from the new SOTA tt motor and more of this by installing the Farad Lps on it.

So whatever other positive changes are being wrought, this massive stripping out of noise, hash and grunge, is really upping the ante.

Listened to a couple of albums. Pat Metheny/Trio Live CD, I'm hearing way more into the soundstage, yet tonality and warmth is fully engaging and enveloping. This is fast becoming my fave album on silver disc. This level of intimacy I rarely get listening to digital, and a massive part of this new-found immersion is both greater tonal density from the preamp tubes, and critically so much noise taken out of the equation.

On LP, my John McLaughlin/Extrapolation album has new-found verve and dynamics, again tonally expressive, air and depth to spare. A massive increase in involvement on LP is hearing thru the mix, getting a way more palpable and tangible representation of stereo effects, layering etc. This is very new for me. And again, a massive part of this is the stripping out of the contamination of noise.

The changes I've made recently, feel like coming full circle with the biggest change I've made overall, the construction of this room. This space was the first big foray of mine into noise reduction, and the 6DJ8 tubes/Bocchinos Sablons/SOTA tt motor/Farad LPS are complementing that initial change, and running with the ball.

I'm really amazed at the changes wrought, feeling proper end game as an experience.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Just installed a quad of 1982 Voskhod 6N1P-EV gold pin/gold grid tubes into my SET monoblocks.

Wasn't particularly expecting dramatic results, but the result is a very pleasant combination of further reduction in noise and welcome extra "creaminess" or smoothness in my sound.

If there was any negative with my new SOTA Eclipse tt motor, it was just some hint of a harder sound that moderately cluttered fuller transparency. This was obviated with my application of Isodamp inside the motor pod, the Farad LPS/Sablon Elite power cord, and my readjusting of Zu subs to bring deep bass up a tad. And now these 6N1P-EV tubes have added further to reducing edginess with no compromise on speed or transparency.

I'm listening to Janacek 1968 EMI vinyl/Concertino-In The Mist-Mládi. The last piece in particular is now really communicative and emotive thru my system, gone is years of listening with an apparent cloth over my Zus, this new wide open but tonally dense and timbrally accurate presentation is like having a new system, so transformed is my classical vinyl enjoyment.

And extended to my more usual fare, ECM lp John McLaughlin Trio/Live At Royal Festival Hall is sounding really energetic with just the right amount of smoothness to max out balance of dynamics and instrumental texture, on a pretty challenging recording.

2020 has shaped up to be a really testing year personally, but my best year for locking down my best ever sound, by a wide wide margin.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Well, if you'd asked me if I'd ever spend time on my system immersing myself in classical, LP after LP, I would have told you not to put much money on the idea. My system had a low level of grunge via my tube amps (primarily the preamp), not the most transparent spkrs for the task (Zus), and a tt with likely too inaccurate speed stability.
However, it looks like the Zus drawback is now off that list.
Because in ameliorating a lot of my Nats tube noise w Brent Jessee sourced NOS 6DJ8 tubes, hash is down, color is up. And the quantum leap impvt from replacing my stock tt motor with way more speed stable SOTA motor/Farad LPS, has knocked the ball out of the park on a revelation of air and texture, and staging/imaging I really didn't think my system was capable of.
The Zus are so musical now, my doubts in them fully undeserved.
Ironically, much of my bread and butter fave rock LPs are somewhat revealed as sonically challenged. But jazz, and especially classical has new life breathed into them
...good news, w 600-700 LPs to newly rediscover

So, I'm for the first time really taken by the emotion of Itzhak Perlman violin on Tchaikovsky Meditation op.42 no.1. So much tube hash and time smear has been eliminated by the install of these tubes and the motor, that music is literally decluttered and the emotion of the playing cuts straight thru.

Playing the Melodiya vinyl boxset of Khachaturian Gayne Ballet is just a riot of unimpeded dynamics, and fantastic aural fireworks. I've always loved it, but the hugely improved realism of the performance means it's a new album to me, and now my go-to to demonstrate the system.
Maybe I'd be less aware of these changes had me and Ra not put four solid years of classical concert going up here before the curtain came down w Covid this year.
But its undoubtedly true I have way more appreciation for timbral accuracy, acoustic instrumental dynamics, air and imaging, and tonal nuances, then I ever had back in London, and whether by design or happy accident, my system evolution has all been in the right direction, if my pure emotional reaction to classical, and jazz, in my system in the last 6 weeks, is a reliable gauge.

 

[Jake Purches]

In a converted Wesleyan Chapel located Northeast of Central London, reside Marc -- also known as Spirit of Music -- his longtime girlfriend, Irana, three cats and a newly-built listening room. The grounds surrounding the chapel are filled with trees. The house is situated along, and Marc's carport is parallel to, a small river which leads to the ocean. I really felt like I was in the quintessential English countryside, because I was in the quintessential English countryside.


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Marc is on the cool list simply because of the Citroen DS...

 

[spiritofmusic]

Jake...IT'S GONE!

 

[spiritofmusic]

An interesting room acoustics experience. I had been thinking of some treatments on the 30° descending eaves in my converted loft audio room. I had been considering diffusion, which seemed the obvious choice. But a WBF contact, Phil (member here PJWD), suggested I give an interesting alternative a go, recycled 48"x12"x0.5" polyurethane PET boards as absorbers.

Sourced them from
www.gbacoustics.co.uk

After some to and fro discussions on my room geometry and spkrs position, Phil recommended I go for 5 no. R and L, ie 10 in total, installed edge on, distributed within the eaves reflection points zone.

Prior to installing these PETs, I trialled some GIK Versifusors, but I didn't hit it off with them, the sound becoming somewhat "papery" and losing texture.

I was somewhat cautious about using multiple absorbers, because of the possibility of introducing too much "deadness". Indeed Audiophile Bill warned me against this very outcome (I believe he's a greater fan of diffusion over absorption). But then I remembered how much worse my acoustics turned out without absorbers on front and side walls.

So, I've had these PET absorbers up for a day, and the listening has been pretty interesting. There's a definite difference in imaging, things feeling a little more layered, and a deeper soundstage where there is one. So the stage around Eduardo Gismonti acoustic guitar is more palpable, with acoustic cues indicating greater 3 dimensionality, but poor old Metallica still feels chained to the studio, no expansiveness at all. That's indicating the PETs are not imposing a fake imaging on matters, indeed the handful of albums I played today all sounded very individual, imho the mark of an accurate and faithful to recording system.

What I'm particularly happy about is a welcome uptick in tonal warmth and what I call "immersiveness". That means I'm less and less caught out by cold steely tones, shrill dynamics, and a certain grey gritty coarseness that certainly plagued my system in the past, and was on occasion still audible with my dramatic series of recent upgrades (SOTA tt motor/Farad LPS, 6DJ8 tubes to preamp, Bocchinos upgrades to Sablon Elites pwr cords to monos). I've really been listening out to see if this extra warmth is euphonic, cloying, homogenous etc, but actually there seems to be no detriment to mids transparency and treble energy. Thankfully I'm concluding that this new warmth is likely a function of eaves reflections being moderated, and not an imposed character on the system itself.

This warmth is really welcome...it's rewarding longer listening sessions, benefitting both LP and CD, aiding my journey to fully enjoying both mediums kind of equally, and like the best upgrades, providing interesting new perspectives on listening to old favourites, while not imposing a character on proceedings, and maintaining the core DNA of my sound that I've evolved over nearly a decade.

I would highly recommend anyone looking at eaves/ceiling treatments to investigate these PET absorber panels.

 

[matakana]

An interesting room acoustics experience. I had been thinking of some treatments on the 30° descending eaves in my converted loft audio room. I had been considering diffusion, which seemed the obvious choice. But a WBF contact, Phil (member here PJWD), suggested I give an interesting alternative a go, recycled 48"x12"x0.5" polyurethane PET boards as absorbers.

Sourced them from
www.gbacoustics.co.uk

After some to and fro discussions on my room geometry and spkrs position, Phil recommended I go for 5 no. R and L, ie 10 in total, installed edge on, distributed within the eaves reflection points zone.

Prior to installing these PETs, I trialled some GIK Versifusors, but I didn't hit it off with them, the sound becoming somewhat "papery" and losing texture.

I was somewhat cautious about using multiple absorbers, because of the possibility of introducing too much "deadness". Indeed Audiophile Bill warned me against this very outcome (I believe he's a greater fan of diffusion over absorption). But then I remembered how much worse my acoustics turned out without absorbers on front and side walls.

So, I've had these PET absorbers up for a day, and the listening has been pretty interesting. There's a definite difference in imaging, things feeling a little more layered, and a deeper soundstage where there is one. So the stage around Eduardo Gismonti acoustic guitar is more palpable, with acoustic cues indicating greater 3 dimensionality, but poor old Metallica still feels chained to the studio, no expansiveness at all. That's indicating the PETs are not imposing a fake imaging on matters, indeed the handful of albums I played today all sounded very individual, imho the mark of an accurate and faithful to recording system.

What I'm particularly happy about is a welcome uptick in tonal warmth and what I call "immersiveness". That means I'm less and less caught out by cold steely tones, shrill dynamics, and a certain grey gritty coarseness that certainly plagued my system in the past, and was on occasion still audible with my dramatic series of recent upgrades (SOTA tt motor/Farad LPS, 6DJ8 tubes to preamp, Bocchinos upgrades to Sablon Elites pwr cords to monos). I've really been listening out to see if this extra warmth is euphonic, cloying, homogenous etc, but actually there seems to be no detriment to mids transparency and treble energy. Thankfully I'm concluding that this new warmth is likely a function of eaves reflections being moderated, and not an imposed character on the system itself.

This warmth is really welcome...it's rewarding longer listening sessions, benefitting both LP and CD, aiding my journey to fully enjoying both mediums kind of equally, and like the best upgrades, providing interesting new perspectives on listening to old favourites, while not imposing a character on proceedings, and maintaining the core DNA of my sound that I've evolved over nearly a decade.

I would highly recommend anyone looking at eaves/ceiling treatments to investigate these PET absorber panels.

How did you attach them to your Coombs? any pics.

 

[spiritofmusic]

My phone camera is down, I'll try to get around to it. They're very light, so simple screw/bracket system at ends and midpoint suffice. You could even use eye-hooks.

 

[Lagonda]

My phone camera is down, I'll try to get around to it. They're very light, so simple screw/bracket system at ends and midpoint suffice. You could even use eye-hooks.

There is no shame in admitting that you don't know how to post a picture
Marc !

 

[spiritofmusic]

There is. And because there is, my phone camera is broken Lol.
Let's not go near video compares.

 

[Lagonda]

There is. And because there is, my phone camera is broken Lol.
Let's not go near video compares.

Another reason for you and Ra to have some rugrats, they are normally tech-savvy and can help you

 

[spiritofmusic]

Um, I'll work on some alternatives, thanks.

 

[pjwd]

An interesting room acoustics experience. I had been thinking of some treatments on the 30° descending eaves in my converted loft audio room. I had been considering diffusion, which seemed the obvious choice. But a WBF contact, Phil (member here PJWD), suggested I give an interesting alternative a go, recycled 48"x12"x0.5" polyurethane PET boards as absorbers.

Sourced them from
www.gbacoustics.co.uk

After some to and fro discussions on my room geometry and spkrs position, Phil recommended I go for 5 no. R and L, ie 10 in total, installed edge on, distributed within the eaves reflection points zone.

Prior to installing these PETs, I trialled some GIK Versifusors, but I didn't hit it off with them, the sound becoming somewhat "papery" and losing texture.

I was somewhat cautious about using multiple absorbers, because of the possibility of introducing too much "deadness". Indeed Audiophile Bill warned me against this very outcome (I believe he's a greater fan of diffusion over absorption). But then I remembered how much worse my acoustics turned out without absorbers on front and side walls.

So, I've had these PET absorbers up for a day, and the listening has been pretty interesting. There's a definite difference in imaging, things feeling a little more layered, and a deeper soundstage where there is one. So the stage around Eduardo Gismonti acoustic guitar is more palpable, with acoustic cues indicating greater 3 dimensionality, but poor old Metallica still feels chained to the studio, no expansiveness at all. That's indicating the PETs are not imposing a fake imaging on matters, indeed the handful of albums I played today all sounded very individual, imho the mark of an accurate and faithful to recording system.

What I'm particularly happy about is a welcome uptick in tonal warmth and what I call "immersiveness". That means I'm less and less caught out by cold steely tones, shrill dynamics, and a certain grey gritty coarseness that certainly plagued my system in the past, and was on occasion still audible with my dramatic series of recent upgrades (SOTA tt motor/Farad LPS, 6DJ8 tubes to preamp, Bocchinos upgrades to Sablon Elites pwr cords to monos). I've really been listening out to see if this extra warmth is euphonic, cloying, homogenous etc, but actually there seems to be no detriment to mids transparency and treble energy. Thankfully I'm concluding that this new warmth is likely a function of eaves reflections being moderated, and not an imposed character on the system itself.

This warmth is really welcome...it's rewarding longer listening sessions, benefitting both LP and CD, aiding my journey to fully enjoying both mediums kind of equally, and like the best upgrades, providing interesting new perspectives on listening to old favourites, while not imposing a character on proceedings, and maintaining the core DNA of my sound that I've evolved over nearly a decade.

I would highly recommend anyone looking at eaves/ceiling treatments to investigate these PET absorber panels.

Great news Marc,
with your cathedral height ceiling getting down to quite low level at edge you theoretically have a bad situation with focused ceiling reflections at listening position but your bloody big steel beam is located pretty well to block the worst of these - presumably something you worked out as you located speakers and chair.
Hopefully these PET baffles block additional first reflections and even some second reflections preventing the smearing you get when you hear early reflections overlaid with direct sound - which appears to be what you are hearing

Although they have some absorption, the primary effect is to stop reflections of higher frequencies from the ceiling - any sound that does reflect from them does not go towards the listener unlike a flat absorber which will reflect some frequencies. I have used these in project for many years - this diagram explains the idea


These days there are many commercial versions of this idea you see in open plan offices, foyers etc. ( just google acoustic baffles) and they work really well to take the ceiling out of the equation to some extent - making the ceiling feel higher - I am surprised they are not used more in listening rooms as they do not suffer as much from the phase or frequency discrepancies that you get from diffusers or absorbers respectively and hence reflections are correlated with direct sound which gives you a nice reverberant tail as well as clarity - at least that's the theory

onward through the fog !

Phil

 

[spiritofmusic]

Phil, actually system setup was controlled by spkrs distance from front wall...but maybe my pre existing eaves structural steels "grand diffusers" were having an influence already, despite me not considering them.

The biggest uptick is a nice feeling of warmth and sweetness in the sound. Not a euphonic sickly sweetness like sugar in your tea, but an increase in tonal color and saturation, a removal of slight layer of hardness...those eaves reflections now much better dealt with.

 

[pjwd]

Phil, actually system setup was controlled by spkrs distance from front wall...but maybe my pre existing eaves structural steels "grand diffusers" were having an influence already, despite me not considering them.

The biggest uptick is a nice feeling of warmth and sweetness in the sound. Not a euphonic sickly sweetness like sugar in your tea, but an increase in tonal color and saturation, a removal of slight layer of hardness...those eaves reflections now much better dealt with.

Well done however you got there
Do you have the nordost test disc .. the LEDR tone test has an over, a side to side and a vertical over each speaker.
I use it after every change to make sure the soundstage is in balance. It would be interesting to see if the vertical suggested a higher ceiling than you actually have