AudioAficionado.org - Closing in on done

AudioAficionado.org (https://www.audioaficionado.org/index.php)

- Member System Forum (https://www.audioaficionado.org/forumdisplay.php?f=138)

- - Closing in on done (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=49380)

Congradulations! Nice system. I was able to ease into enjoying the music and no longer upgrading about fifteen or twenty years ago. I have really enjoyed the music during periods of non-upgrades... then I reached a point where upgrade made sense... I would go through a quick set of upgrades and then not for another five or ten years. I upgraded about three years before retiring... about six years ago with the intent of staying where I was. But I got a DAP for travel... and ended up upgrading my headphone system which led to another cycle on my primary system... I am waiting for a couple more components, then will be done again for a long time. As I have gotten older, I have less enjoyed the upgrading process and more enjoying my system. So, I have no problem dropping any interest in new components once I have completed it.

On the other hand. I understand addiction, the need to publicly announcing your change in behavior as a way of aligning social pressure with your desire to change your behavior :-). I hope it works. You clearly have created a world class system... it is hard to see how you could want any additional upgrades.... good luck. If you are successful in make the transition... I assure you, it is wonderful.

Excellent system Mitch, and congratulations on finding your way off the merry-go-round, or at least a way to drag one foot a little.

When I read the title, my immediate reaction was, “yeah right!”. Holy crap. Nicely done sir. That’s a fantastic start on done if not actually “done”!

Great way to spend a cold winter in Vermont (or anywhere). Congratulations on the journey.

Thanks to everyone for the compliments - I’m really happy with the sound and appearance of the system. Symmetry and synergy are related.

I pulled the 2000T, plugged the amps into the 6000 V2, and plugged the preamp into the dedicated 20 amp circuit. First impression is it’s an improvement but it’ll take a while to identify/quantify.

Pulling the 2000T left a hole in the middle of the middle shelf for which I was already prepared. I love Murano glass...

System looks terrific. Bet it sounds terrific too. Welcome to the show.

+1 on Murano glass. :yes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Native Vermonter (Post 1029192)

I decided in Feb 2020 to build the best system I could, and get off the incremental upgrade merry go round. That iterative process was fun and instructive, but every time I’d make an improvement I’d start wondering about what was next. Not the best use of time or money.

I had great support from dCS, D’Agostino, and the Kennedy Brothers at JSA Audio along the way, and I’m done, component-wise.

I have a Shunyata Omega XC on the way for the Denali, and a Sigma V2 NR inbound for one of the digital components. Thru a bunch of horse trading, I wound up with a Stealth Dream V10 (pre) on the upsampler - this’ll be replaced by the Sigma.

The 2000T in the photos will be out of the rack soon (right now it runs the amps), and I’ll run the preamp, Vivaldi stack and amp thru the Denali. That’ll fill all six outlets.

I’ll probably have another dedicated 20 amp circuit run to the stereo and experiment with the amps and the preamp fed directly from the wall, and the digital front end by itself on the Denali. Lots of good listening and critical analysis in the future for me!

It’s has all come together as I’d hoped; with the exception of maybe another power cable upgrade (something better for the amps), I’m done. Time to enjoy...

Here is the full inventory, with a couple photos. I made the rack myself BTW...I’ll post more on that later. It was easy, and cost me around $1,500 vs estimates well over $5,000 plus shipping for something similar.

Slainte,

Mitch

COMPONENTS
D’Agostino Momentum HD preamp
D’Agostino Momentum 300 mono amps (x2)
dCS Vivaldi DAC
dCS Vivaldi Upsampler
dCS Vivaldi clock
Shunyata 6000V2 power conditioner
Wilson Sasha DAW speakers
JL Audio Fathom 113 subwoofers (x2)
QNAP TS-251 NAS (10 TB storage, 8 gb RAM)
Netgear GS308 eight port unmanaged Ethernet switch
MacMini

INTERCONNECTS
Preamp to amps. Stealth Indra V7 XLR
Preamp to subs. Stealth Swift XLR
Preamp to DAC. Stealth Sakra XLR
Upsampler to DAC. Nordost Valhalla 2 AES/EBU
Clock to DAC. Stealth Octava BNC (44.1 hz) and Nordost Valhalla 1 BNC (48 hz)
Clock to Upsampler. Stealth Octava BNC (44.1 hz) and Nordost Valhalla 1 BNC (48 hz)
Macmini to DAC. Stealth USB
Wall to Ethernet switch. Audioquest Diamond
Ethernet switch to DAC. Audioquest Diamond
Ethernet switch to Macmini. Blue Jeans Cable
Modem to Ethernet female connector. Audioquest Diamond
NAS to modem. Audioquest Vodka

POWER
Wall to Shunyata 6000V2. Shunyata Omega XC
Shunyata 6000V2 to preamp. Stealth Dream V18 (preamp)
Shunyata 6000V2 to DAC. Stealth Dream V12 (digital)
Shunyata 6000V2 to Clock. Stealth Dream V18 (digital)
Shunyata 6000V2 to Upsampler. Shunyata Sigma V2 NR
Shunyata 6000V2 to mono amps. Stealth Dream V10 (power) x2

Wall to Macmini. Shunyata Venom 14 (digital)

Wall to Subwoofers. Stealth Cloude 99 (full) (x2)

SPEAKER WIRE
Amps to Sasha DAWs. Stealth Dream Petite V16, biwire

truly a no-expenses spared build .. amazing system, probably the best system I've seen yet on here.. Gives me something to aim for some day.

I dare say this is the last system you'll ever need or anyone could ever want.

BTW.. I dated a woman long distance in Vermont, I fell as hard for Burlington as I did for her... was entertaining moving there for a while, which would have saved me enough in housing costs and taxes to maybe afford such a system! But alas, it didn't work out and I'm still stuck in my condo in the SF Bay Area... for the price of a nice home in VT! ��

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAM992 (Post 1029665)

Thanks—I graduated from UVM in 1981...shoulda been 1978, but there were a couple semesters when my BAC was higher than my GPA. Vermont has changed a ton since I was raised there; I go back often to visit family and love the state. Not so much in the winter though. Old creaky joints and near zero temps don’t mix too well.

I’ve done all this in the last 10 months. The only things that are original (from where I started) are a pair of Stealth Cloude 99 power cables. I intended to just get to the finish line and it snowballed from there, as things happen to do.

I can be mildly obsessive in my collecting...witness below.

Cheers,

Mitch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Native Vermonter (Post 1029695)

I can be mildly obsessive in my collecting...witness below.

Cheers,

Mitch

You are one of us! :banana:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/show...=Guitar&page=2

https://www.audioaficionado.org/show...ghlight=Guitar