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System pics 2014

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Glad you like it lefty and it was a pleasure doing the swap. The A30 is sounding sweet, but it took me a while to adjust to a very different presentation- ill do a write up in the coming weeks
ATB
Hifi dog
 
Thanks Gromit - yup, I'll make sure to post my thoughts as I spend more time with the amp.

Really enjoying it at present :)

Lefty

Great stuff. :)

I'm really liking the 42.5/Hi/110 I've got here. Now with the HiCap running in it's sounding sweet, quick and full of fun - listened to a selection of stuff yesterday ranging from Rush 'Moving Pictures' to Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht and it just gets on with the job, no messing. Who says a Naim amp can't reproduce good string sound?
 
Glad you like it lefty and it was a pleasure doing the swap. The A30 is sounding sweet, but it took me a while to adjust to a very different presentation- ill do a write up in the coming weeks
ATB
Hifi dog

Likewise - a pleasure to meet you and glad the A30 is sounding good :)

Yes, it does have a very different sonic signature than the Naim: Not as forward in the mid-bass and much more extended (and 'pure') at the top. It's a great amp.

Lefty
 
Testing camera on Samsung S5... it does a great job of highlighting cat fluff on carpet.

13948698526
 
Always wanted to hear a really good Cyrus rig

You want to get to more of those hi-fi shows - have seen and heard full Cyrus rigs a number of times. The last time I thought the enamel on my teeth was going to melt - but two blokes with hearing aids were loving it!
 
Hipsterised photo of the current setup:

QNSorTz.jpg


The main speakers are homemade (designed by James of this parish, built by me) and really are purple - they're clad in solid Purple Heart wood and contain:

Hiquphon OW-1 tweeters
Seas Excel M15CH001 midranges
Scan-Speak 25W/8565-01 10" woofers
Custom-designed crossovers

U2vsOIL.jpg


It's an all-digital all-homemade rig:

Source: Mac Mini with MPD music daemon
Sound: WaveIO USB -> I2S sound device
DAC: Twisted Pear Buffalo III DAC with Ivy 3.1 I/V stage
Power amp: "HackerNAP" Naim/Avondale derivative.

It sounds like a million bucks :)
 
Nice job Hacker, very professional.

Louballoo

Thank you. The speakers took 4 years (with a year off in between) to build as a side project. It's impossible to be objective about them because they were built with so much love. They're a sealed box design, no ports, vents, etc.

The crossovers are passive and custom-designed for this speaker by James using simulations based on careful in-situ measurements of the driver units. The crossovers are built into the black bases and use very high quality parts throughout; there is provision for going active later:

eqMEAAi.jpg

(apologies for shitty low-light iPhone picture)

The bases themselves sit flat on the rug, and the speakers are coupled to the bases with heavy duty sorbothane pads. This isn't ideal and I would like to stick them on spikes, but I reckon each speaker must weigh at least 200lbs... not good for wood floors.

In a surprising twist (to me), I preferred the sound of DAC-based digital volume control over that of a preamplifier. Before trying it I was absolutely convinced I'd dislike it... but I did like it, so much in fact that I no longer have a preamp, just DAC -> power amp.

The "power amp" is actually 2 separate monoblocs, each with separate high/low power supplies, similar to the Naim NAP500 and Avondale Voyager amps. The plan is to eventually add an active crossover and 4 more monoblocs, but seeing as I've just had a kid I might have to put those plans on hold ;)
 
In a surprising twist (to me), I preferred the sound of DAC-based digital volume control over that of a preamplifier. Before trying it I was absolutely convinced I'd dislike it... but I did like it, so much in fact that I no longer have a preamp, just DAC -> power amp.
As long as the amount of gain is right (i.e. it's not so loud that you're permanently restricted to low volume settings) digital volume control is very hard to beat IMO.

When correcting physical gain I like to check the method used doesn't impact source/load impedance (e.g. changing amp input sensitivity probably good, attenuators inserted between the DAC output and the amp input probably bad - check specs, ask manufacturer etc).
 
Hipsterised photo of the current setup:

QNSorTz.jpg


The main speakers are homemade (designed by James of this parish, built by me) and really are purple - they're clad in solid Purple Heart wood and contain:

Hiquphon OW-1 tweeters
Seas Excel M15CH001 midranges
Scan-Speak 25W/8565-01 10" woofers
Custom-designed crossovers

U2vsOIL.jpg


It's an all-digital all-homemade rig:

Source: Mac Mini with MPD music daemon
Sound: WaveIO USB -> I2S sound device
DAC: Twisted Pear Buffalo III DAC with Ivy 3.1 I/V stage
Power amp: "HackerNAP" Naim/Avondale derivative.

It sounds like a million bucks :)

Those speakers look quite the part!
 
Carl,

The E-IIIRs need about 5 degrees more toe. But what a fantastic set-up. I really need to get cracking on my hackerNAP build(s) to mirror your effort.

James
 
This my current system:

http://500px.com/photo/68088039/untitled-by-greg-vds?from=user_library

http://500px.com/photo/68088041/untitled-by-greg-vds?from=user_library

http://500px.com/photo/68088037/untitled-by-greg-vds?from=user_library

Rega Apollo-R and Dac;
Audio Analogue Puccini SE, to be replaced soon by, maybe the new Elex-R, or an Elicit-R if Elex-R not good enough;
Rega RS5;
ICs and VdH The Integration and DigiCoupler, Supra EFF-ISL, speaker cables are DIY FFRC cat5e cables, very detailed, just finished them, and they open up the highs compared to the former Supra Ply 3.4s.

Wireworld 7 for Apollo-r and Dac, Wireworld 5.2 for Puccin SE (no particular reason, except I bought the 5.2 hoping the Brio-R would replace the Puccini SE, but Brio-R didn't held up enough against my old Puccini SE, and Brio R mains connector is so close to the speakers terminals that the wire world 7 can't be used, hence the 5.2; anyway, Cables seems identical, so filtration characteristics should be too).

B&Ws are from me, painting from a belgian painter Henk de Ruddere.

All the best,
 
As long as the amount of gain is right (i.e. it's not so loud that you're permanently restricted to low volume settings) digital volume control is very hard to beat IMO.

The DAC's gain/output level is about perfect for the power amps - I've got full range of volume and can even go all the way to 11 on some quieter tracks. It's chrystal clear and absolutely free of audible clipping.

Other (usually more modern) tracks can't quite go all the way to max, but honestly... it's so loud at that point that the outside of the house is rattling and there's really no need for more volume. Daft Punk would be a good example of this.

Carl,

The E-IIIRs need about 5 degrees more toe. But what a fantastic set-up. I really need to get cracking on my hackerNAP build(s) to mirror your effort.

James

Thanks James. Surely the toe-in angle depends on how far back one's listening position is? Mind you, I do sometimes sit with a beer and fiddle with the toe-in ;-) One thing I'd like is to have more free air behind and beside the E-IIIRs. It's on my "must have" list for our next house!

And yes, I agree that you should build those amps and mirror the digital setup. It's not bad. Not bad at all!
 
Looking good, Hoops! :)

Could you perhaps tell me in which sonic way you prefer the Bryston to the Brio-r ?
 
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