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System Pics 2021

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TonyScarlett said:
A couple of pics of my current set up
20210121-145058.jpg
20210121-145524.jpg

Goldring Lenco GL-75 with homemade birch ply plinth, PEEK bearing, Ortofon AS-212 tonearm, Goldring 1042 cart & Rega fono mm mk2 PS
Rega Apollo R CDP & Allo Digione Signature with Volumio, streaming Spotify Premium & Qobuz Studio via BubbleUPnP both hooked up to Rega DAC R.
Ion Systems Obelisk 3 freshly recapped & serviced by Nytech
Kef LS50 speakers on Atacama Moseco 6 stands
Topping L30 headphone amp & Sennheiser HD600 headphones
Van Damme interconnects
Generic 10swg OFC speaker cable
Mains cables long enough to reach the sockets.
Really enjoying this set up & don't envisage any changes this year unless something really unexpected happens financially.
TS
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Hi,
I'm interested to hear what your system sounds like with the ls50s. I've an all Rega system and find it a bit polite and warm, so I'm wanting some speakers to liven things up a bit and improve the brightness. Are they going to do this?
 
kowalski99 said:
Hi,
I'm interested to hear what your system sounds like with the ls50s. I've an all Rega system and find it a bit polite and warm, so I'm wanting some speakers to liven things up a bit and improve the brightness. Are they going to do this?
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Hi, I was a bit concerned having read some of the reports about LS50s that they might sound a bit too bright & harsh at the top end. My concerns were misplaced, on the end of my Obelisk 3 amp & Rega sources I have experienced no issues there. If you have a system that is a bit polite & warm I would suggest that the LS50 would be a great speaker to try & inject a bit of fun.
A word of warning though, they are probably the most revealing speakers I've owned, they show up poor recordings mercilessly. They also need a bit of room around them to work at there best.
 


This is my stereo setup now with a new DAC, a Denafrips Pontus.

Certainly it's the most realistic sound I ever had.

And after so many rainy days in Porto, finally a beautiful sunny day.

Edit: BTW, speakers are Monitor Audio PL100 IIs driven by a GamuT Di150 LE, pair of subs are REL 528 SEs;
Bluesound Node 2i, Modded Cambridge CXC and Fanless SSD netbook as digital transports;
Cables are: EWA LS25 (speaker);Bassline Blue (Subwoofer); Wywires Platinum (USB); ZDL (IC); VSDEN (power).
 
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radamel said:


This is my stereo setup now with a new DAC, a Denafrips Pontus.

Certainly it's the most realistic sound I ever had.

And after so many rainy days in Porto, finally a beautiful sunny day.
Click to expand...
If I may ask, what was your previous DAC and what improvements did the Pontus brought ?
 
Gervais Cote said:
If I may ask, what was your previous DAC and what improvements did the Pontus brought ?
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It was a Mytek Brooklyn, a very good DAC, that I now use in a headphone setup.

The Pontus is more realistic, as if you were in a very good seat in a concert hall. The 3d image is even better, the sound is more articulate and yet relaxed. A meatier sound with more texture. And more importantly the music grabs you and it's even more difficult to stop listening.
Some could call the sound more analogue.
 
radamel said:
It was a Mytek Brooklyn, a very good DAC, that I now use in a headphone setup.

The Pontus is more realistic, as if you were in a very good seat in a concert hall. The 3d image is even better, the sound is more articulate and yet relaxed. A meatier sound with more texture. And more importantly the music grabs you and it's even more difficult to stop listening.
Some could call the sound more analogue.
Click to expand...
Wow ! Sounds like it’s one of the best value for money in this hi-fi jungle !
Thanks a lot for your valuable comments.
 
radamel said:


This is my stereo setup now with a new DAC, a Denafrips Pontus.

Certainly it's the most realistic sound I ever had.

And after so many rainy days in Porto, finally a beautiful sunny day.

Edit: BTW, speakers are Monitor Audio PL100 IIs driven by a GamuT Di150 LE, pair of subs are REL 528 SEs;
Bluesound Node 2i, Modded Cambridge CXC and Fanless SSD netbook as digital transports;
Cables are: EWA LS25 (speaker);Bassline Blue (Subwoofer); Wywires Platinum (USB); ZDL (IC); VSDEN (power).
Click to expand...

Lovely system there and nice to see a pair of platinums for which I have a massive soft spot having owned 100s and 200s, but also twin subs. I used to run stereo subs and found it excellent once set up properly (which took a bit of time!)
 
BB Wan said:
Lovely system there and nice to see a pair of platinums for which I have a massive soft spot having owned 100s and 200s, but also twin subs. I used to run stereo subs and found it excellent once set up properly (which took a bit of time!)
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Thanks!
Yes, indeed. Once you get the subs integrated to your liking it's difficult to listen to music without them.
 
kenniGT said:
Cables is the biggest issue for me... to get them right without spending fortune...Wanted to use as cheapest good sounding cables I could.

For instance, speaker cable. Started with TQ black, than much better LS25, and than cheap Hitachi SSX102 which was so much smoother comparing to pervious ones. I tried QSX102 - another old cable imported from Japan for less than £100 and again, sounded better - more bottom end than SSX. I am afraid to try expensive speaker cables haha. And this is also the reason why I am changing power amp for monoblocks. To shorten speaker cable length for future upgrade. Not in the mood to spend £1000++ on those.
But... already earlier got used Transparent Ref XL, which was better than normal Transparent Ref - this one had loose lower end (shocking for the price). Mogami cables were very thin and harsh compering to those.

But the biggest surprise were power cables. Standard cables sound harsh at the top with too much bottom end. This creates very unattractive tiring sound. Upgrade to DIY Furutech cables gives so much improvement that I do not understand how I could enjoy my system before o_O
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Hi - when you say DIY do you mean you bought the cable and terminated at each end, or something more involved?.. (btw I am also sold on the potential of power cables / supply / earthing etc but not yet got to the end game I feel).
 
RichShortland said:
Hi - when you say DIY do you mean you bought the cable and terminated at each end, or something more involved?.. (btw I am also sold on the potential of power cables / supply / earthing etc but not yet got to the end game I feel).
Click to expand...

Yes, bulk cables and plugs separate. You need to trim cable to suit the plug.
When cable have shielding, you connect it to earth at Schuko plug end only.
 
Some updates to my my small stack of noisemakers:

image0-1.jpg


MoFi StudioPhono replaces Mobile Fidelity V-LPS II
Audio Technica ATVM540 ML replaces AT120E
JVC AXZ911 is out; kit-built ICE amp and 6N8P-based tube preamp are in
Nakamichi RX-505 out for service; filling in is an LX-3 pulled from the cupboard

Other bits are Nottingham Analogue Horizon SE with Origin Live arm/cable upgrades, Magnum Dynalab tuner, SMSL M8 dac/Raspberry Pi, Sony MDS-JB930, and Snell type E II speakers.

All changes sound like improvements so far (except the tape deck, but that's temporary). Still early days with the tube preamp, but just put in new JJ 6SN7 tubes and silicone tube dampers and the difference is remarkable. The cheap Chinese tubes that came with it were really awful.
 
^^^^^^^^
Just looking at your system, which looks mighty fine by the way, could you tell me which box is the pre amp, I can see the two silver boxes on the 2nd shelf, one I assume is the ICE amp the other?
Before reading your kit list and looking at the photo I was intrigued by the tt, which looks fab from that angle.
 
geetee1972 said:
So does 'Shrink' refer to your profession or your appraoch to building hifi systems?

I like your taste in MCM furniture but wish you'd move that lovely sideboard so that the fireplace can be a central feature of the room.
Click to expand...

It's a f****g hideous fireplace! But actually as fate should have it, the sideboard is now gone.
 
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