After many years of listening to digital music, I got back into analog end of things a few years ago and have not looked back.
I go to as many symphony and chamber concerts as I can attend. Live, unamplified music is my reference point when putting together a system. At this point in my life, a good analog rig with high efficiency speakers and a SET or OTL amp gets me closer to "being there" than anything else I have tried.
That being said, it's important to note that this hobby is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. One of my vices is collecting tube amps. Do I really need 7 tube amps? Well, does my girlfriend really need a a closet full of shoes?
As I move ahead I can possibly see myself acquiring a second TT -most likely a classic idler to see what all the fuss is about. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with my equipment and concentrating more and more on the software side of things.
Very nice TT with rock solid plinth and separate power supply. Has low powered motor (to avoid vibrations) that you need to start by hand.
Garrard 301
Grease bearing unit refurbed and custom built by Choir Audio. Includes SME M2-12R tonearm and Ortofon SPU Classic
Nottingham 12 inch unipivot tonearm
SME 312S Tonearm
For my stereo cartridge I choose the new 312S tonearm from SME. Excellent tonearm that digs out an incredible amount of detail from the recording. Pairs up well with a rather liquid/warm cartridge and TT.
Koetsu Onyx Platinum
Yes, it's probably a bit colored, but if you prioritize tone over detail, Koetsu's can't be beat. While many will tell you that Koetsu's are bass shy and rolled off, I have found that the Platinum Koetsu's are not wanting in these areas.
Lyra Helikon Mono
Mono only cartridge. Mono recordings really do sound better with mono cartridges. I find the Lyra neutral in color with plenty of detail.
PS Audio PS Audio PWT
Transport
Eastern Electric DAC Plus
2nd generation EE DAC with Dexa Opamps and NOS tube. Discret Opamps (Dexa or Burson) make a huge difference and are highly recommended.
Shindo Vosne-Romanee
Preamp using Siemens C3m tube and Lundahl based phono stage. Shindo believes the preamp is the "heart" of the music system. I agree. The V-R is extremely refined, textured and nuanced.
Shindo Haut-Brion
20W Amp utilizing NOS 6L6GAY
Tonian Labs Classic 12.1 S
97db, 16-Ohm Speaker featuring a 12" PHY driver and a customized ribbon super tweeter. Incredibably fast, neutral and detailed. It also does a supurb job in reproducing the tone of acoustic instruments. First heard it at the California Audio Show and knew I had to own them. The Tonians are very sensitive to anything upstream. Can take a while to find optimal synergy. I find it works best with my Atma-sphere OTL and Tony's own home-brewed (very minimalistic) cabling.
Hawthorne Audio Trios
A wonderful open baffle speaker custom made by Darrel Hawthorne. One 15" custom coax (Sterling Silver Iris) flanked by two 15" bass augmentation drivers (Augies). Coax is efficient (95db) and loves to be driven by low powered SET amps. Augies are driven by 300W plate amps built into each speaker base. The Trio's are similar to planars and ESL's in that they surround you with a "wall of sound". Less detailed than the Tonians but very easy to listen to and the speakers mate well with every every amp I've used on it. Aural comfort food.
EAR 834P
Heavily modded phono stage by Scott Franklin.
Atma-Sphere S-30 ver 3.1
30W OTL. Fantastic clarity and presence. If your speakers will work with an OTL I can't see any downsides to owning one. Similar in many ways to SET amps but more neutral in tone with good bass.
SAC Thailand GM-70 Monoblock
38 watt single ended triode using the large russian transmission tube. Sound is big, bold and immediate. May not have the nuance of some of the smaller SET's but the sheer musical presence is striking.
Tube Audio Lab WE91A 300B Clone
DIY mono-block clone of classic WE91A amp using (what else) WE 300B tubes
Hawthorne Audio SPUD 6CL6 Single Ended Pentode (SEP)
This is a wonderful flea powered amp. It is a DIY design that can be purchased from Hawthorne Audio. It is a 6CL6 Single Ended Pentode of about 1.5 to 2 Watts. Probably the best bang for the buck tube amp I have ever heard. Sounds very similar to my 2A3 amp for a fraction of the price with inexpensive tubes to boot. Highly recommended
Tube Audio Lab JEL 2A3 Deluxe
DIY 2A3 from JE Labs schematic
Yamamoto A-08S
2W SET based on 45 tube. Spooky presence.
Steve Blinn custom adjustable audio rack
A very well made 4 shelf audio rack. Frame is adjustable and made of CNC machined aircraft aluminum. Shelving is solid Maple. Looks great and provides great support for my components.
Shindo Silver IC
1.5M
Clear Day Silver IC
MAC Ultrasilver + IC
Silver
Auditorium 23 speaker cable
3M
PS Audio Power Plan Premier
Audio Regenerator. Power Plant 300 only has 4 outlets - needed more. I like the new sleeker style.
Hello, Sibelius, you have a very nice sytem, it must sound quite natural and realistic. I also prefer low power SET amps with high efficiency speakers. I hope to one day hear the Classic 12.1 PHY-HP driven speaker.
