Extraordinary Analog Home Stereo System and Extensive LP Record Collection

Extraordinary Analog Home Stereo System and Extensive LP
Record Collection

Soundsmith Strain Gauge Cartridge and High End System

Condition Description

Huge PRICE REDUCTION - 
FOR QUICK SALE - Soundsmith maintained and recently personally upgraded
by Peter Ledermann; it is setup for auditioning for serious buyers at the
Soundsmith engineering sound room.  A
remarkable system based on the Soundsmith Strain Gauge SG230 Phono Cartridge
and Preamp. It comes with a fine 272 LP record collection. 

Bundle Description

Soundsmith SG-230 SG, Acoustic Signature Storm TT,   Schroder Reference SQ tone arm, Soundsmith
Monarch Speakers and Versa stands, Rel T-5 Subs, ARC REF 150 Amp, Arcam CD, Nakamichi
Cassette Deck

Text..

This
remarkable analog music system is part of an estate sale.  It is a one
owner system in perfect working condition in mint condition. The family
wants it sold, so the price has been dramatically reduced from $54,000 to $38K.
It consists of the following components:

Soundsmith
SG-230 Strain Gauge, Acoustic Signature Storm Turntable, Frank Schroder
Reference SQ tone arm, Soundsmith Monarch Speakers, Soundsmith Versa stands,
Rel T-5 Subs, ARC REF 150 amplifier, Arcam CD player, 
Nakamichi Cassette deck.  It also comes with a  meticulously kept 272
LP record collection. 

Note from Peter Ledermann: Larry Cross was first
a customer, and then became a good friend. He informed me soon after I met him
that he was very ill, and was only expected to live a short time. He did not,
and lived 4 more years after he purchased the below system. Larry passed away
recently, calling me shortly before to ask if I would be willing to sell his
system for his estate in what now seems like not too many weeks ago. I told
him, with sadness, I would accept his request. Below is a statement he wrote to
me about one year ago, prefacing it by telling me how much having great music
meant to his quality of life. 

I have been an audiophile for most of my life,
having first heard a pair of AR 3A speakers in my dormitory in the mid-sixties
– a revelation at the time.  Over the years, as funds allowed, I have
owned a variety of electronics and speakers including Adcom, Bryston, Audio
Research, Vandersteen 2 Signatures, Quatros, and Carbon 5A speakers.  I
moved from the Sumiko Blue Point Special to mid-range wood body cartridges, and
finally to the Benz Micro LP moving coil, followed by the Lyra Atlas. 

All of these products were excellent, and my
“final” system of ARC reference electronics combined with the 5A Carbons and
the Lyra Atlas was transcendental.

Then, one day, I joined a friend on a trip to the
The Sound-Smith in Peekskill, NY – just about 25 minutes from my home – on a
repair mission for an old piece of equipment.  Peter Ledermann joined us
in the very large listening room and casually put on a recording of Pictures at
an Exhibition played through his Strain Gauge Cartridge mounted on a VPI HR-X
turntable, amplified by his own custom power amps.  My jaw fell to the
floor with a thud.

  I looked around for the large speakers
that I was certain must be producing this sensational sound but could only see
two pairs of smallish Soundsmith monitors – it could not possibly be coming
from them, I was sure of that.  Meanwhile the speed and slam of the Strain
Gauge, as well as its phenomenal clarity, were continuing to startle me – I
simply could not believe my ears.  I asked Peter if indeed the sound was coming
only from one of the pairs of Soundsmith designed and manufactured monitors and
he confirmed that very surprising fact.

When you have spent the kind of money I have laid
out over the years on great sound you don’t expect to be startled, shocked,
knocked over, shellacked, by such a modest looking system.  I wondered why
I had not come here five years ago, and the seed was planted to downsize my
system and replace it with a Strain Gauge Sound-Smith system for about a third
of the cost of what I had spent previously.  On subsequent listening
visits I heard a lacquer of Blood, Sweat, and Tears given to Peter by a friend
– absolutely the best sound I have ever heard with the possible exception of a
15 ips master tape I heard in Harry Weisfeld’s listening room at VPI.  I
resolved to sell my system and work with Peter to install a nearly complete
Sound-Smith system including of course the Strain Gauge cartridge.

I won’t say
that my new Soundsmith system is markedly better in every way than the ARC
electronics with the Carbon 5As, but it IS markedly better in terms of slam,
clarity of reproduction, quickness, and startle factor.  The Soundsmith
designed and hand made Monarch speakers, supplemented with two REL T-5
subwoofers, are sensational – very hard to believe that much sound can come
from those sources.  This is a system I bought with my ears, not with my
eyes looking at written reviews. And at one third the cost, what’s not to love?

AVAILABLE FOR
AUDITION BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Buy it Now price  $38,000