My day with Masterlu at his Cape Showroom

[jmw31]

Where to start. Audio heaven is the only way to describe Ivan’s beautiful home on the Cape. We spent severe, hours playing CD’s, music from his many music servers and some vinyl. But I am getting ahead of myself. Where I really want to start is from the bottom up. His primary audio and video systems are on the ground floor on his home and while the systems are incredibly impressive what really blew me away was the forethought that went onto the physical plant to support all this equipment, the incredible attention to detail in every area that balance the massive amounts of equipment and infrastructure so beautifully that every room was breathtaking and sonically balanced. And it did not stop with the main listening rooms. He used every square inch of space to some specific purpose to support the whole. Perfect example is the room called the game room. That is actually a small room that supports some of the electrical but also houses a devastating array of hardware (Esoteric/Bryston) for the main room. This is technically the unfinished area of the floor but just look at that picture. Everywhere there was space you found perfectly utilized for housing a workroom with every tool neatly laid out or an enormous rack of Blueray’s. Sometime’s what goes on behind the scenes is where the real magic is. While the theater room and the room with the wall of McIntosh is inspiring to see the small room between them with hundreds of wires neatly laid out to support the electrical and system connections is incredible including acoustic treatment for the sound that penetrates the small openings behind the Mac equipment for the wires to pass through.

The day really revolved, of course, around listening to each system with a variety of media and types of music that ranged from jazz to pop to rock including AC/DC and Edgar Winter. He had a sound meter in the Sonus Faber Stradivari room and we hit 105db on AC/DC. Ivan and I both share a love of listening to music at realistic levels for the music being played. Loud or soft that particular system was devastating in its soundstage, clarity and impact. After being blown away by Frankenstein by Edgar Winter we moved that track to the Reference System. Now we are talking. Visceral in the only way to describe the sound from that system. How speakers that large can disappear is amazing. Ivan was even kind enough to put some Slade on for me which at near concert levels took me right back to the Orpheum Theatre in Boston in 1973 when they put on a concert for the ages. We then move to some amazing jazz recording with stunning percussion of all kinds rendered with precision and impact that you usually only get live.

Next up was the library room which contains Aerial 20T’s, TAD CR1’s and the speakers I just purchased from Masterlu, the Aerial 7T’s all powered by lowly equipment from Accuphase or Esoteric. Holy Audio Batman! But what really caught my eye in this room was the mint condition JBL L300 speakers that looked like they just came out of the factory in 1975. A lot of audio candy each a pleasure to listen too. I had said to Ivan that my gut evaluation of equipment evaluation is how quickly I forget that I am critically listening and start just listening to the music and all of these systems managed to do that even when the music was not something I was familiar with. My favorite – I really like the TAD’s and could easily see those in my house some day but the Stradivari were amazing through the Mac Tube system. The Burmester system was devastating in everyway but so far out of my reality I will leave that to those who want to chase every nuance of music reproduction to its ultimate conclusion. Ivan makes it very easy to see how far you can take this hobby/passion/insanity! But how we love it.

I will leave you with a quick thought on the theatre room – think as close to an IMAX experience as can be replicated at home. The subs were literally moving the hair on the back of my head forward. Ivan, just let me know when you want me to come back to watch the Lord of the Ring’s Trilogy back to back – I will bring the popcorn.

Ivan is a wonderful host and as others have said you have to see and hear his rooms to believe them. Make sure you get the back room tour as that is where the his commitment to excellence and attention to detail really comes through.

Thanks Ivan.

[Toccata]

A nice story, but if you keep listening to music at 105 db, then you might as well listen to some Bose 901s and a Radio Shack receiver

[jmw31]

With great power comes great responsibility!

[djwhog]

Yes but when you have that great of equipment 105 is as clear as 90 and except for the hair moving and such it is clean sweet magic:

Great write up.

I must get out there

[Yamaki]

"I will bring the popcorn"

And I'll bring the beverages of your choice, gents!

I'd love to do this...with bio breaks in between of course.

[redm]

Thanks for the detailed recap Joe! You happen to snap any pictures while you were there?

[Ritmo]

Sounds like a great visit - as I would expect from visiting Ivan. I have yet to read about anyone that would be disappointed with a visit to either the Cape or Florida.

Well done Ivan! Thanks for sharing Joe!

[Masterlu]

Thanks Joe... I welcome anyone, at anytime I am available.

[Vintage Pete]

Joe...what a fun read. Although I (sadly) have not yet had the opportunity to visit Ivan's Cape home, I have visited his Parkland home more than once and know exactly what you mean about the attention to detail and what a flat out flabbergasting experience a listen to one of Ivan's systems is.

I have of course seen many photos of Ivan's Cape home and all the goodies there...one day I must get up there for a visit.

Thanks for sharing Joe!