Your "World's Best Audio System" . . . 2012 Edition

[MrAcoustat]

-----I would love to give them a listen. :b ...And you seem to be so proud in that picture.

Yes Bob it is to bad that whe live so far apart but if you where ever to come down this way whe could work something out my friend Jocelyn and I are both retired and whe have PLENTY of time to listend to music he was also the one that rebuilt my Acoustat's as done many different pairs here in Quebec.

PS: You can see alot of his work on my Flickr photo galery ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/mracoustat/ ) 12 pages of nice photos.

 

[NorthStar]

Andre, where about are you in Quebec; nearer Quebec city or Montreal?

Within a year or so I should go visit my family (both places).

And thanx for sharing the pictures on Flickr.

* Andre, I'm real glad you joined WBF, as it is the perfect spot to share with people of similar caliber. And I already had a glimpse to your New Age music; which I really luv.
It will be real cool when you start sharing your musical selections here with the other members.

I am looking forward to a beautiful friendship.

Bests

 

[MrAcoustat]

Andre, where about are you in Quebec; nearer Quebec city or Montreal?

Within a year or so I should go visit my family (both places).

And thanx for sharing the pictures on Flickr.

* Andre, I'm real glad you joined WBF, as it is the perfect spot to share with people of similar caliber. And I already had a glimpse to your New Age music; which I really luv.
It will be real cool when you start sharing your musical selections here with the other members.

I am looking forward to a beautiful friendship.

Bests

Hi Bob i live on the south shore of Montreal HERE ( http://www.google.com/search?hl=fr&...te+Catherine+J5C1S3&lr=&btnG=Recherche+Google )

It will be my pleasure to share my music if you like smooth music you should like my kind of music because that's the ONLY kind i listend to NO STRESS FOR ME i cannot relax on rock it's ok for others but it's simply not for ME even in voices they have to be smooth like Leonard cohen.

 

[NorthStar]

Andre, no sweat; Montreal is where my uncle Serge lives with his wife Gilberte (he's an ex/pro singer/musician). Perhaps you know him or heard of him: Serge Mondor.

Andre, I'm 57, and I'm into Classical Piano, Smooth Jazz & Blues, ...; I'm all PEACE and RELAX.
So we are on the same equilibrium here.
And artists/poets like Leonard Cohen, Jennifer Warnes, ... are my bowl of soup. :b

And my own guitar/flute playing style encompasses New Age.

...I'll see you soon enough. :b ...It's the fluid that runs through our veins.

 

[MrAcoustat]

Andre, no sweat; Montreal is where my uncle Serge lives with his wife Gilberte (he's an ex/pro singer/musician). Perhaps you know him or heard of him: Serge Mondor.

Andre, I'm 57, and I'm into Classical Piano, Smooth Jazz & Blues, ...; I'm all PEACE and RELAX.
So we are on the same equilibrium here.
And artists/poets like Leonard Cohen, Jennifer Warnes, ... are my bowl of soup. :b

And my own guitar/flute playing style encompasses New Age.

...I'll see you soon enough. :b ...It's the fluid that runs through our veins.

Ok Bob this is for a new friend, Tord Gustavsen from the album Changing Places. Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7DXzcq8ups

 

[NorthStar]

Ok Bob this is for a new friend, Tord Gustavsen from the album Changing Places. Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7DXzcq8ups

---I have that CD Andre, but thanx for sharing similar taste.
And ECM is one of my favorite Record labels. :b

* Let's take it over to your thread; New Age Music Recommendation. :b ...For more on this.

 

[Roysen]

Taken from post #1.

Well, the conditions here were not followed. I am currently in negotiations to buy the Q7 myself and the Q7 is not a finished product according to the local dealer and distributor. Regarding amirm's quation in regards to amplifiers, it is my impression that Jeff just went with his gutfeeling and chose an amplifier without even having heard it. I am not certain on that last point. If I am wrong please corect me.

 

[Jeff Fritz]

Well, the conditions here were not followed. I am currently in negotiations to buy the Q7 myself and the Q7 is not a finished product according to the local dealer and distributor. Regarding amirm's quation in regards to amplifiers, it is my impression that Jeff just went with his gutfeeling and chose an amplifier without even having heard it. I am not certain on that last point. If I am wrong please corect me.

Roysen, there is no controversy here. I made it quite clear how I chose the components:
http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php...e-these-components&catid=25:opinion&Itemid=27

The Q7 is definitely a finished product.

 

[Gregadd]

Wonder which master tapes and reel to reel he used??

It does not appear he mentioned any in the reiview.

 

[Bruce B]

"...truest to the mastertape and the absolute sound loudspeaker I've heard. Its' presence and scale are extraordinary..."

Well I guess this quote holds no water then.

 

[Revel Salon 2]

Hi Mister Acoustat...I had the chance to speak with you at the FSI 2012 this year...remember me..the guy who had Apogee slant 8 ? I even made a comment about your friend t-shirt with printed connectors on the back side!! it was nice talikng to you and hope to see you next year!!

Guy ;-)

Sherbrooke....it's a small world !!

 

[MrAcoustat]

Hi Mister Acoustat...I had the chance to speak with you at the FSI 2012 this year...remember me..the guy who had Apogee slant 8 ? I even made a comment about your friend t-shirt with printed connectors on the back side!! it was nice talikng to you and hope to see you next year!!

Guy ;-)

Sherbrooke....it's a small world !!

Hi Guy, yes i remember of course i will be there just like the last 25 years, i will also be in Toronto for the T.A.V.E.S. show september 29th & 30th.

 

[Jeff Fritz]

Well, that was not done. I offered to have folks do that and no one contacted me to follow up. Clearly another criteria was used to get the list down to what they wanted to test, rather than what was available per submissions requirement.

Amir, I have been in discussions with Kevin Voecks and it appears a review of the No.53 amplifiers will happen. It appears to be, from a design standpoint, quite exceptional. I'm excited about hearing them.

 

[Gregadd]

Well I guess this quote holds no water then.

Well. I hold live music as my standard. I never actually had live music in the room as a comparison. Maybe it holds water but is a tad leaky.

 

[NorthStar]

Hi Mister Acoustat...I had the chance to speak with you at the FSI 2012 this year...remember me..the guy who had Apogee slant 8 ? I even made a comment about your friend t-shirt with printed connectors on the back side!! it was nice talikng to you and hope to see you next year!!

Guy ;-)

Sherbrooke....it's a small world !!

-----Bonjour Guy, content de faire ta connaissance! :b

Le Meilleur,
Robert

 

[astrotoy]

I haven't been participating actively or passively in some time. So this is my first post on this subject. I read some of the thread, but 60 pages is pretty daunting, so my apologies in advance if this is ground that has been covered.
Some perspectives on reaching the WBAS. This is primarily from my own experience over the past few years. It has been helped greatly by several top notch consultants, including Tim Marutani, who have recommended potential solutions to problems.
First, to reach the best, I found that having a very clean electrical environment is a necessary condition. For this, I hired Art Kelm (who leads the “Clean Power” forum on What’s Best.) Art spent a fair amount of time measuring the noise level of my system, particularly the various power sources. He recommended, which I had implemented, a new power supply, running from my sub-panel, with a new ground – this was three phase 230V. This feeds one of Art’s custom isolation transformers. All the power of my fairly complex system (both two and five channel audio and video with many inputs, both analogue and digital) comes from this source. What happened was that the noise level of my system is close to zero – where the loudest noise is the tube rush of my amplifiers. Art uses nothing exotic, but very well designed components. I am currently exploring using a battery powered system to power some of the critical components of my system. More on that anon.

Second, for my vinyl system, I have found that there were two very important features that allow me to get the most out of the 15K+ records I have, including a large number of early stereo from Decca and EMI. This is a phono preamp with variable EQ, allowing both RIAA and different non-RIAA settings. I chose to have Bottlehead build a custom tube phono preamp for me with controls to change the treble rolloff point, bass turnover, and bass shelf, the three variable for vinyl EQ. Because of my ripping project, I needed a phono pre that had balanced outputs

For my system, I also had a switch put in my TT (VPI HRX with Rim Drive and Lyra Skala cartridge) to allow me to change absolute polarity. I find I can hear the correct polarity without great difficulty on my system. I think it helps that I have horn speakers (Avantgarde Duos). I understand that many cone speakers have crossovers that flip polarity so that some of the drivers are out of phase with others. So this makes hearing absolute polarity difficult. However, if you can hear it, having a switch allows you to get closer to the absolute sound. I also have an absolute polarity switch on my Herron 3A (rev.2) preamp, which can be controlled remotely, so it is easy to make split second comparisons.

Third, for my digital recording and playback (I am currently doing a major ripping project - 10,000+ albums and tapes onto 192/24), after a big shootout, I chose the Pacific Microsonics Model Two, along with Pyramix Software and the companion Mykerinos card for my PC, which is a fanless Zalman case with Windows XP Pro and three solid state hard drives. I use Izotope RX2 to declick and denoise. From what I see, I think this would be WBAS. However, it is all very complex pro equipment and software - so there is a long learning curve without help. Since I don't have as much time left as most of you - I had consultants help teach me how to use the equipment and software, including creating presets for the Model Two and macros for the Pyramix and Izotope software.

Fourth, since I have my audio and video systems integrated (my 5.1 is all Avantgarde - a pair of Duos for LR, and 3 Solos for C,LR,RR and a Velodyne DD18 sub run from a Conrad Johnson MET-1), I share the Duos and sub with my 2 channel system running from my Herron 3A. Rather than switching interconnects when moving from audio to video, I had a custom switch built by Scott Rust - whom I recommended to Steve Williams - which allows me to change configurations by a wired remote from my listening chair.

Thanks, Larry

 

[Steve williams]

Hi Larry

Good to see you back in this neck of the woods.

 

[NorthStar]

... Second, for my vinyl system, I have found that there were two very important features that allow me to get the most out of the 15K+ records I have, including a large number of early stereo from Decca and EMI. This is a phono preamp with variable EQ, allowing both RIAA and different non-RIAA settings. I chose to have Bottlehead build a custom tube phono preamp for me with controls to change the treble rolloff point, bass turnover, and bass shelf, the three variable for vinyl EQ. Because of my ripping project, I needed a phono pre that had balanced outputs

For my system, I also had a switch put in my TT (VPI HRX with Rim Drive and Lyra Skala cartridge) to allow me to change absolute polarity. I find I can hear the correct polarity without great difficulty on my system. I think it helps that I have horn speakers (Avantgarde Duos). I understand that many cone speakers have crossovers that flip polarity so that some of the drivers are out of phase with others. So this makes hearing absolute polarity difficult. However, if you can hear it, having a switch allows you to get closer to the absolute sound. I also have an absolute polarity switch on my Herron 3A (rev.2) preamp, which can be controlled remotely, so it is easy to make split second comparisons.

Third, for my digital recording and playback (I am currently doing a major ripping project - 10,000+ albums and tapes onto 192/24), after a big shootout, I chose the Pacific Microsonics Model Two, along with Pyramix Software and the companion Mykerinos card for my PC, which is a fanless Zalman case with Windows XP Pro and three solid state hard drives. I use Izotope RX2 to declick and denoise. From what I see, I think this would be WBAS. However, it is all very complex pro equipment and software - so there is a long learning curve without help. Since I don't have as much time left as most of you - I had consultants help teach me how to use the equipment and software, including creating presets for the Model Two and macros for the Pyramix and Izotope software.

Fourth, since I have my audio and video systems integrated (my 5.1 is all Avantgarde - a pair of Duos for LR, and 3 Solos for C,LR,RR and a Velodyne DD18 sub run from a Conrad Johnson MET-1), I share the Duos and sub with my 2 channel system running from my Herron 3A. Rather than switching interconnects when moving from audio to video, I had a custom switch built by Scott Rust - whom I recommended to Steve Williams - which allows me to change configurations by a wired remote from my listening chair.

Thanks, Larry

-----Hi Larry,

Very sophisticated and extensive is your 'Spinning Albums' world!
...And everything else that resolves around music and motion pictures. ...Analog, Digital, and all.

Please, interact with us more, just like you did above. :b

Cheers & Bests,
Bob

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hi Larry

Good to see you back in this neck of the woods.

+1

 

[astrotoy]

Thanks guys. It's good to be back.

A few of other WBAS vinyl components.
First, a good industrial strength record cleaning machine. I have used VPI machines ever since they first came out 25+ years ago. However, next week I will be trying out the Audio Desk Systeme Ultrasonic Record Cleaner. The price at close to $4K is not for the faint of heart. We'll see how it works.
Second, another important accessory is a warp remover. I use the Air Tight Disk Flattener - a heavy duty device that puts records through a 4 hour heating and cooling cycle - great most all warps, like dish warps and even some edge warps. It runs slightly under $2K.
Finally, is a good strobe to accurately measure turntable speed. I use a Monarch PT99 which reads up to 3 decimal places and is an industrial product. At less than $200 it is priced comparably to the audiophile products that only read to 1 decimal point accuracy. You place a small piece of reflective adhesive tape (supplied) on the side of the platter and device measures the rotational speed.

To tune my system, I have found Jim Smith's new book and video set "Get Better Sound" extremely useful. I even bought a laser tape measure to precisely set the distances to my speakers and followed his advice - which generally costs nothing to implement to fine tune my system. It is currently on sale for about $50. He uses some commonly available CD's to check your system. For example one cut of the Chieftain's 'Tears of Stone" CD has a distant chime. If your speakers are even as much as an inch different in distance from you, the chime will move from its correct position - near the right speaker to the middle or even left side of the listening field. I interacted first with Jim almost a decade ago when he was the US distributor of Avantgarde. He was very helpful, even though I had purchased my Duos used. You may not agree with everything he says, but I find Jim to be practical and thought provoking.

Thanks, Larry