Ultimate Sound Stage, Blueprint of Sound

by jford on Budget Minded

Description

My system was designed for blues, jazz, vocals, acoustical guitar, etc. It was not designed for the ground pounding bass that some people want. If you are looking for an un-natural bass sound then solid state is your answer. However if you are looking for true natural sound and bass, then my system has it.

When I started my search for a simple high-end system I walked into some of the biggest hype ever. Very few businesses sold tube audio and all stated that solid state sounded as good and all of the reviews I read all compared solid state to tube. My big question was if tube is the comparator for SS why not just buy tube?

One day in Seattle, Washington I was system shopping and listened to a Musical Fidelity flag ship system with B&W speakers. Price tag about 30k or maybe more, it was the 1KW system. By the way Musical Fidelity uses tubes in this preamp stage, again why? I then went up the road a few blocks to a small shop, Audio connection, owner John Zimmerman. There I found someone that was more interested in a system that sounded real then my credit card and how much was available on it.

The system that John had put together was the Cary SLI-80, Cary CD-303/200 and the Jamo speakers. I was in complete awe after hearing it. I had just listened to a 30k system, which sounded great but missed the fine edge of realism, warmth and character.

After my purchase of the Cary components I had a small issue with the CD player. Then the owner of Cary Audio Design, Dennis Had, stepped in and presented me with customer service that is unheard of these days. He was willing to stand behind his product until I was a completely satisfied customer. The only reason that anyone would go this far is due to the fact that the product is some of the finest built and any problem that makes it to the customer was unacceptable to Dennis. This is customer service at it s finest and I truly believe that anyone else purchasing Cary products can also feel safe knowing that Dennis Had and his team really do care about you the customer.

My final step was to add some good cabling without the hype. The owner of Echo Audio in Portland, Oregon helped me to clear up that issue. I added LAT International cables to my system at a price that I consider to be at the edge of diminishing returns. I believe I am getting the maximum value at a good price. The best thing about LAT cables is the fact that they build them to remove two factors, RF and EMI signals. I believe that it is not what you hear rather then what you don’t hear, that is RF and EMI signals through your cables.

I then placed the components on a Standesign rack system. I replaced the wood with granite slabs to give it more stability.

The sound just keeps getting better and better as I pass the break-in point.

Special thanks to:

John Zimmerman of Audio Connection, Seattle, Washington

Dennis Had of Cary Audio Design

The good people and owner of Echo Audio in Portland, Oregon
Read more...

Components Toggle details

    • Cary Audio Design SLI-80
    On tweaks, right from the box.
    • Cary Audio Design CD-303
    CD-303/200 Model with HDCD. Dennis Had of Cary Audio got it right with this CD player
    • Jamo D-870
    The ultimate tube amp speaker. Also known as the Concert 11 (Older Version)
    • LAT International IC-100 Mark II
    Locking RCA connectors,
    • LAT International SS-800 BI-WIRE
    Performance Top-of-the -Line Bi-Wire speaker cable
    • LAT International AC-2
    Ultra High-End Power Cord
    • Standesign Modular Series - Base, Module
    The wood was changed out to granite slabs, addional cost $120.00
    • Covers When not being Used Wife made
    My lovely wife made these great covers for the system when it is not being used.
    • REL Acoustics Strata mkIII
    REL Strata III was added to augment the low end to the Cary tube amp. This has been an awesome addition to my system.
    • Furutech e-TP80
    Furutech e-TP80 AC Filter
    • Rega Planar-25
    Rega P25 with Herbie Mat and ClearAudio Record Clamp
    • Benz Micro MC H2O
    Benz Micro Wood Series High Output
    • Audio Electronic Supply PH-1
    With all possible upgrades

Comments 16

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Jford, thanks for understanding and accepting my apology.

If I were in your shoes, I believe I would choose a solid-state phono stage and there are some decent ones available like the Lehmann Black Cube, the Phonomenon, and probably a few others worthy of consideration. Perhaps other A-goners can give you more good suggestions for solid-state contenders. Your situation is actually ideal for adding a solid-state phono because you have tubes ahead of it in your signal path. That way, some of the bass slam and high-frequency detail will come through and your Cary amp will add that midrange sweetness. If you use tubes, noise becomes an issue and the other issue is, as I said previously, compounding the tube colorations in your chain of electronics.

If you did choose a tube phono stage, I would go for one with a minimum of tubes (like one for each channel). I had the original Herron tube phono stage in my system once and liked it very much. I thought it was very accurate and musical, but these tend to be a little pricey, even on the used market.

As for a turntable choice, I think the VPI Scout with the 9" JMW arm is a very worthy contender. You may even find a used TNT Jr at a good price that could be better still. I owned a Michell Gyro SE for a while and thought that it offered great bang for the buck too. Plus, the Gyro's aesthetic appeal, smallish footprint, and high WAF is undeniable. One of the aforementioned VPI TT's with a JMW arm (recent versions are best), or alternately, something like a Rega RB 600 Silver would be very good choices in my view. If you're on a tight budget, you'd be surprised how good an old AR belt-drive with a modest arm and a Grado MM cartridge can sound...

Best regards,
Frank :)

plato

Sorry about the tone of my comments from yesterday -- I believe I was having a "bad-hair day". I can understand your affection for tubes and the solid-state vs. tube debate is certainly nothing new.

HP of TAS observed more than 30 years ago that solid-state held and advantage at the frequency extremes, while tubes ruled the midrange with their generally smoother, more liquid presentation.

A lot of people use tubes for their midrange qualities and/or to tone down speakers that are aggressive in the high frequencies. Personally, I like hybrid designs, that use a tube input stage and solid-state output devices. To me they are usually the best compromise. Plus, many of today's tube amps use solid-state power regulation, so they are really hybrids of a kind.

Happy Listening!

plato

Well, I'm glad that you love your sound and you think you achieved good bang for your bucks.

As I'm sure you're aware, many folks would argue that solid-state is superior to tubes -- especially at the frequency extremes. I have used both tubes and solid-state and my feeling is that there are very natural and detailed electronic components from both camps. That said, I have never known tubes to be as extended and articulate in the bass as competent solid state. I have heard a lot of tube amps exaggerate the midbass and roll off the bottom octave, which a lot of folks like.

All tubes produce distortion and the more of them you have in the signal path the more colored your system will be. Many folks just love tube colorations and you must be one of them. I have one tube in the signal path of one of my systems and I like its euphonic effects very much. But I won't kid myself that tubes are more "accurate". In some systems they can sound simply wonderful, but they almost always limit bandwidth, add noise, and obscure fine detail. If you are going to use them, I say use them in moderation.

Right about now, you're probably saying to yourself, "What the heck is this guy talking about." In another 10 years, if you stay with the hobby, it'll make more sense. Heck, in another 10 years we'll all probably be using digital amplifiers and using players with solid-state memory and no moving parts.

As for your dealer not being interested in your credit card; well, did he give you the system for free??? I think not. To his credit, it does take a modicum talent to be self-serving while not to appear so. Face it, he knew how to push your buttons. Irregardless, he sold you a nice sounding system and you are obviously happy with your choices. Enjoy!

plato

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