My Listening Room
 

My Listening Room:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/100_3667.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/100_3670.jpg

Hi All,

I'm a bit new here and I'd like to share my audio set up in this room which is dedicated to music. I built it since 1991 and some gears are still from that era:

Speakers: Magnepan 2.7QR
Amplifier: ARC VS 115 with Gold Lion KT88 tubes
Pre-amp: Jadis JPL line stage with Telefunken, Mullard Long Plate Square Getter, Philips ECC83s and ECC82
Phono Stage: ARC PH3 with Mullard CV2492 Gold Pins
Source: VPI HW19MKII with ET2 air bearing arm and Koetsu Rosewood Signature
Cables: Monster Cable Reference 1A, MIT 330 Shotgun IC's and Symo Speaker Cables

I haven't done much upgrading of audio gears in the past decades except for the ARC VS115 which replaced the ARC VS110 about a year ago.

Some pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4170001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4170024.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4170010.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4170013.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4170021.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4170006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4170003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/P4200004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/DSCN0247.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/DSCN0249.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/DSCN0254.jpg

And a few weeks ago, I substituted the 6550s with Gold Lion KT88s and am now burning them in.

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/DSCN1628.jpg

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/DSCN1632.jpg

Thanks for looking.

That looks like a very nice place to listen to music. Congratulations. Like you, I'm slow to make changes. We have the same turntable (almost); I have a HW- 19 MkIII from May 1992, which I upgraded to a MkIV in November that same year. I bet yours still sounds good. Is that a VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine I see in the second photo?

Those walls are intriguing. How were they done?

Hi prepress,

Thanks for the kind comments. Yes, I still like my MKII table though I was tempted to do the IV upgrade but ultimately passed on it since I was wary of redoing all my ET arm cabling all over again. Yes, that is a 16.5 cleaning machine I got in 1991 and still in service. The materials I used in my walls and ceiling are those used in older movie houses. It's like some cotton fiber that is blasted on to the wall with water and compressor. The materials were from the UK.

Very good. Was that particular wall construction meant to provide any sonic benefit, was it more for style, or do you get both? Just curious.

That room looks like you could melt right into it, very warm. Nice treatments too, how did you determine the spacing of the baffles?

Great setup! What a cool combination of gear. Love it.

Beautiful pics - great system!

I still use my VPI bricks too! :)

jadis... Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup:

Very nice, like the tubes.

Looks like a great spot to have a wine & relax, thanks for the pics too.

Yes, prepress, the wall material is an acoustic material and the contractor who installed it told me it has good acoustical properties, like absorbing reflections and echoes, etc. I took his word for it in those days, and I love the 'warm' sound of my room, which I believe is its benefits.

Thanks, redm. The spacing of the baffles were just a rough estimation on my part, 5 inch gap, I remember seeing those in old movie houses so I just made a rough replica.

Thanks, mbovaird. :)

Thanks too, Barryl. :)

Cool, the Sandman. :)

My pleasure, Masterlu, and thanks for reading. :)

Thanks, Wasatch. :)

My pleasure, bzr. Indeed, it's the best place for me to relax when I get stressed out. :)

Sweet system and pics, love me some tubes.

Dave

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

Thanks for visiting, Dave. :)

My favorite pre-amp tubes:

L-R: Mullard Long Plate Round Getter ECC83, Mullard Long Plate Square Getter ECC82, 2 Mullard military CV492s/ECC83

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/DSCN1694.jpg

Presently, these tubes are installed in my JPL pre amp, the Mullards above are on reserve. :)

Philips Miniwatt ECC83s, Telefunken ECC83 and ECC82 both selected with Red Tips for low noise.


http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/DSCN1696.jpg

you're welcome, I've been a fan of Audio Research and Maggie's for years. Love the room, looks like a cool place to relax, have some adult beverages and chill out with some good tunes.

Dave

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

+1...

Dave

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

And great to know a fellow ARC and Maggie fan! Cheers. :)

:);)

Dave

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

Jadis,

Thanks for sharing, it's great to see someone with panel / stats that understands the importance of positioning as it relates to a di-pole speaker, way too many folks don't know enough to get them 'off the walls' ! I'm curious though, for I have NEVER heard a system sound good with the listener positioned against a wall, have you tried to move your speakers back somewhat so you can get 'into the room' ....or have your acoustic wall treatments been enough to compensate ??

Hi Dave,

Thanks for writing. I got my speaker position the way I wanted it to sound after 6 months. I had to listen to all sorts of musical genres and see where the best compromise was. Basically, where the Maggies stand now, I have moved them about a foot back or half a foot forwards and maybe inches sidewards but ultimately where they stand today is where I like it best. I have not tried them all the way back like a meter from the wall because I never liked the sound even with other speakers. The depth and soundstage just suffers in those cases. Why I like it now is because it can project a 3D soundstage and great images just come out. I like to close my eyes and enjoy the soundstage like it's not coming out from the speakers. Other minor movements on the speaker positioning has to do with bass control.

Phil,

Love the tubes...I need to go back for a 2nd detailed look with the onscreen-magnifier! :thumbsup:

Thanks, Steve. :)

My Analog Source:

VPI HW19 MKII/ET2 arm/Koetsu Rosewood Signature

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...6/100_0913.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...6/100_0912.jpg

Koetsu Rosewood Signature Cartridge:

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...1/100_1033.jpg

Phil,

You have a great looking listening room and setup. The chair looks like it's just waiting on someone to sit down and enjoy the music. Very nice! :thumbsup:

Thanks Terry. The chair is kinda old, since 1991, and it's very comfortable.

Thanks for sharing with us, how would you describe the sound of your tube amp (I'm not well versed in tube amps)

My pleasure, JL John.

The sound, with the new KT88 tubes, is quite extended on the highs and lows, and the midrange is full bodied and has a little bloom. The model VS115 is one year old though the tubes are only a few weeks old and I'm still burning them in. I'll let you know more as it progresses. But right now, I'm quite satisfied with its performance.

I really, REALLY like the shots of the turntable. They're very inviting and make me want to play records. That's an unusual (to me) tonearm. What are the advantages of having that one over something more conventional?

Glad you like them, prepress. The tonearm is a linear tracking air-bearing tonearm. Linear trackers are said to trace the grooves in the manner the master lacquers were cut, thereby reducing tracking error, and there is no anti-skate to worry about. Of course there are many who feel there are other disadvantages of this design, so to each his own. The air bearing makes the arm wand trace without friction, which is present in pivoted tonearms. Bruce Thigpen, the designer of this tonearm, believes in these advantages and hence the product was produced.

Hi there,
pretty nice set up you have.
I have a VS 115 that need to be repaired.
I was wondering if you could take a close picture of two of the resistors inside that I need to replace.
They are completely burned out and I dont know the values.
They are located on the right side of V3 tube.

That will be much appreciated.

Thanks George

gnourkov... Welcome to AA! :wave: