milpai's system

by milpai on Clear DayTvcQuadParasoundCullen CablesGikBrickwallHerbie's AudioOppoPuresonicAurisbluMeProAcUDP-205D48RBackert LabsRhumba 1.3Cardas ParsecInakustikFurutechIsoAcousticsGaiaReferenzLS-2404 AIRAsusUSBStreamingNF-2404 AIRISO-puck miniAudioQuest Fog Lifters

Description

April 2024
Moved the GIK Monster Bass traps from back wall to front of the room to control bass. This tightened the bass as well as opened up the mid-range and treble notes. Did not realize that the change would be so profound. Should have done this years ago.

Feb-2024
Added another Puron filter

Jan-2024
Added a Puron filter

Oct-2022
Added the Mazda 1960s grey plates 12AU7 to the Rhumba. They opened my eyes (and ears) as to why people are ready to pay so much for NOS tubes.

Aug-2022
Added Isoacoustic mini-pucks beneath the Inakustik and audio server.
Added a custom built audio server to replace the aging Asus laptop. I did not realize how much profound effect a dedicated server has on the quality of the sound.

Oct-2021
Added the ISO-puck mini under the Backert Labs Rhumba 1.3 and Oppo UDP-205.
Added Isoacoustic Carpet spikes for Gaia II.

Aug-2021
Added the AudioQuest Foglifters. Initially added for "looks" and cable dressing. But found that it adds finesse and delicacy to instruments in the music. My guess is the contact area of the cable from the original wooden raisers has reduced more than 90% and that might be the reason. I am happy.

July-2021
Added the GIK 242 ceiling panel that balanced the sound from the left speaker, that was getting missed due to the unavoidable soffit in the room. So much to learn from your own experience.

Dec-2020
Purchased the Fidelizer PRO. This has immensely changed the listening experience. Folks using a Windows machine should certainly give a shot to the free version. You have nothing to loose except 5 minutes. The best part of free version is it is an exe files that you run and not install. So if you don't like it, just delete the .exe.

Oct-2020
Upgraded Asus K52 with a Asus S400CA, 8GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Again, this is an older laptop repurposed for audio. Also added a NAS server and all audio files are on that server. Connection to this server is via ethernet and not wifi. Evaluating the free version of Fidelizer which makes very audible, positive change in my system.

Jul-2020
Repurposed an old laptop for streaming Spotify/Qobuz and also digital files. The laptop was upgraded from 3GB to 8GB RAM and from 250GB HDD to 1TB SSD for DSD and FLAC files. Installed Foobar2000 with Eole skin on the laptop to play the digital files. Using an old iPad mini 2 tablet with MonkeyMote to control this laptop remotely. Love this app!
Installed the Inakustik Reference High Speed USB between the laptop and Oppo 205, which is now used as a DAC.

Jun-2020
Added Inakustik NF-2404 XLRs between Oppo-Backert and Backert-Parasound.
Will try to find some time to do a mini review of these cables, if I find time. These cables pull you into the music way too much.

Mar-2020
Added Inakustik LS-2404 AIR biwire loudspeaker cables

Nov-2019
Added the IsoAcoustics Gaia II footers to the ProAcs

Jun-2019
Added the Inakustik AC-3500p power conditioner in the system.

Nov-2018
Replaced the Promitheus Reference C-core TVC with Backert Labs Rhumba 1.3 preamplifier

Jan-2018
Replaced the Quad 21L with the ProAc D48R in Ebony.

October-2017
Replaced the Teac CD-1000 SACD player with Oppo UDP-205 universal disc player.

September-2015
Replaced the Marantz SACD player with Teac CD-1000.

May-2015
New room finished in April. Room is 19 X 15 X 8. Three walls were already in place (concrete). Had the 4th wall built with double drywalls inside/outside and using GreenGlue. 2 dedicated 10gauge 20 amp lines for amps and electronics. Speakers are 4 feet from back wall and 3 feet from side wall. Placement of speakers, chair, panels etc are within 1/8th inch tolerance. Replaced Signal Cable power cables with Cullen Cables Crossover Series power cords, because I needed longer and flexible cables.

Feb-2015
Replaced Signal Cable Silver Resolution RCAs between Marantz and TVC with Clear Day's RCA cables.

Sep-2014
Replaced Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR between TVC and amp with Clear Day's XLR cables.

Aug-2014
Replaced the Signal Cable Silver Resolution bi-wires with Clear Day Double Shotguns and jumpers between HF and LF speaker terminals.

04-Dec-2013:
Replaced original wooden footers under TVCs with Ebony footers. Simply unbelievable - what they did.

February 2012 - September 2012:
Been exited to have a dedicated room for this "passion". This word was emphasized by a female family friend. She was amazed by how passionately I could go on and on about this hobby. She likes classical music. Soon after we moved into our first home, I did post some questions on this forum about french doors. Those are in place now and I am happy with their looks. Per my wife (touch wood), I need to place something on the door panels for preventing reflections and maintaining privacy. Her support for me in this hobby has been outstanding and I would not have reached this far, if not for her. So, that treatment on the door will come sometimes later this year. This is a small room with 13.5'X12.5'X9' dimensions. I painted this room myself (first time, never did this before). The speakers are placed along the shorter wall. They are 40" from front wall and about 30" from side walls. They are about 7' apart with some toe-in. I sit slightly more than 7' away. All measurements are within 1/10" error. Finding the optimum position for speaker took me about 24 to 30 man hours. Though this is painful, the outcome of this exercise is mind-boggling. Got some granite to go between the floor and speakers. These are 18"X18"X1.5". This has tightened the bass and has provided necessary isolation from the wooden floor below. At the same time, added Herbie Audio Lab's Extra Thick Hush Puckies under the speaker spikes and the granite. This causes the speaker to not "ring" and provides stability to the speakers, because of the dBNeutralizer base. Since this is my own space, I added some treatments from GIK. Bryan Pape at GIK was very helpful and actually told me to go easy on the treatments. We started with 2 Tri-traps on the corners and 2 Monster Panels on the back wall directly behind the listening position. I liked the way the bass tightened up. Bryan suggested the 244 instead of 242s on the first reflection panels to take care of any phase issues as well. And that has turned pretty nice. Also got the terminations on the speaker wires changed from spades to BFA bananas. I am totally sold on the BFAs. Superb contact and fit. Some of you advised me to move the equipments from between the speakers. Though I could not do it 100%, what I did was, to disassemble the rack and use the shelfs on the floor directly. But the resulting change in the sound staging is simply fantastic. I never imagined that a rack placed between 2 speakers can mess the soundstage. With all this in place I did miss some "meat" in my system. But I thought it was the size of the room that was causing the nulls and there was probably nothing I could do. What finally brought "life" in my system was the new XLRs between the preamp (TVC) and the amp. The move from RCA to XLR in my system was nothing short of drastic. I have mentioned this on this site as well as a forum dedicated to Parasound Halo products. Apparently, there was not enough gain in my system and so the "meat" was missing on the bones, if you will. This was not so obvious in the previous apartment room, since it was small and the speakers used to be closer to the walls. In the near future, I would like to add 3 242 GIK panels on the front wall, behind the speakers. Will first experiment with the existing Monster Panels on the front wall.


March 2010:
The Parasound amp has changed my system profoundly. I cannot believe the transparency and expansiveness it has brought into my system. And it seems a very good match for my TVC as I set the TVC volume to lower levels than my previous amp.

April 2009: Added the Promitheus TVC, which took my system to an altogether different level. I did not imagine of such a performance from my system. Looking for a good power amp now. Want a power amp with high sensitivity and power - to match the TVC and also in case I upgrade my speakers at a later time.

August-2005
It took many listening sessions, forums, mags, etc to build this starter system. Was worth every minute spent for building it. Started with recommended components list - but ended with what my ears liked.
Read more...

Room Details

Dimensions: 19’ × 15’  Medium
Ceiling: 8’

Components Toggle details

    • ProAc Response D48R Loudspeakers
    Ebony with Ribbon tweeter.
    • Parasound A21
    250 watts RMS x 2, 20 Hz - 20 kHz,8Ω, Class AB Sensitivity: 1 V for 28.28 V
    • Backert Labs Rhumba 1.3
    Tube preamplifier with 2 X 12AU7 tubes
    • OPPO UDP-205
    Universal Disc player
    • Foobar Foobar2000
    PC Software - not for the weak at heart. But this has amazing features and comes with a lots of "skins". My favorite is the Eole.
    • MonkeyMote MonkeyMoteHD
    An iPad app for remote controlling Foobar2000 via wifi. Excellent interface.
    • Inakustik Reference Power Station AC-3500P
    Power Conditioner
    • Inakustik LS-2404 Air
    Bi-wire speaker cables
    • Inakustik NF-2404 Air
    XLR Cables
    • Inakustik Reference High Speed USB
    USB cable
    • Cardes Parsec
    4 feet co-axial cable
    • Inakustik 2502F
    Power Cord
    • Furutech FI-28(R)/FI-32(R)
    • Cullen Cables Crossover Series 10 AWG
    Amplifier Power Cord
    • Cullen Cables Crossover Series 12 AWG
    SACD player power cord
    • IsoAcoustics Gaia II
    Isolation footers for loudspeakers
    • IsoAcoustics Gaia II Carpet Spikes
    Carpet Spikes for the Gaia II
    • IsoAcoustics ISO-puck mini
    Footers under the preamp and DAC
    • AudioQuest Fog Lifters
    Cable dressers and system enhancers.
    • World Market Kendall Chair
    Very comfortable chair. Suede. No support directly behind the head which means sound is not distorted. I was searching for something like this for quite some time. I looked at some LC2 and LC3 knock-offs. But they were all leather that could reflect sound. Chocolate color which also matches the GIK panels.
    • GIK Acoustics Tri-Trap
    For front corners behind the speakers, in coffee color.
    • GIK Acoustics Monster Bass Trap
    Mounted on the wall behind listening seat.
    • GIK Acoustics 244 Bass Trap
    Absorption panel in Coffee color, mounted at first reflection points, that also takes care of phase related issues. Plan to get 2 more to go in the center of the room behind the speakers.
    • GIK Acoustics 242 broadband panel
    2' X 2' absorption panel
    • Porterhouse Audio Porter Ports
    • Custom build Audio Server Audio Server
    Custom built audio server for streaming FLAC/DSD files and also other streaming services. Based on Streacom FC10 Alpha chassis.
    • Puron
    Power filter
    • Apple iPad Gen 9
    iPad 9th generation for controlling Foobar2000 using MonkeyMote, Spotify and Oppo UDP-205 remote.

Comments 289

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Owner
@ghosthouse,
Thanks for sharing your experience regarding the TEAC CD-3000. I had the same experience like yours. The player does take a long time to burn-in. But this is a superb CD player. Very detailed and plenty of bass. It does not have the warmth of a Marantz. But I like the fact that it shows you, what you have on the disc. That is why I am in no rush to change it.

@jmlab926,
Congratulations on your new purchase. Good to know that you are happy with your purchase, except for the ICs that you are leaning towards changing. What IC brand/models are you looking at? Will you be able to try them in your system before you buy them?
Good Luck!

milpai

hi i got a used hegel cdp2a mk2  

it is re broken in now and the cdp is clean detail transparent .....
i am thinking of getting a pair of warmer ic as compared to my harmonic tech
prosilway 2//   the mid is ok but the violin and bass are a bit too Clean

norm
Canada

jmlab926

Hoping Milpai won't mind me butting in on the TEAC CDP/SACD discussion.  Writing as an CD-3000 owner but expect this will apply as well to the CD-1000.
This player took a LONG time to burn in and deliver best sound quality...bass as well as "ease" of listening.  I mean months and months! with average use of maybe 3 hours a day or so.   Finding a good cable match provided significant benefits (I guess that's true for any audio component).  In my system I found Cardas 300B Microtwin interconnects (old design and near entry level for Cardas) to be a good match to the highly detailed nature of the TEAC.  Prefer the 300B to Parsec or Morrow MA-3.  Taking advantage (recently) of the 3000's balanced output also contributed to  better sound.  Using a Cabledyne Copper Reference XLR for that.  One final caveat, I learned the Distinction series has been discontinued by TEAC.  Not sure why.  Reportedly still available and with full warranty.  BTW - No gapless playback issues for CDs

ghosthouse

thanks mi

i do not have a lot of sacd and i predict that the teac is also good for cds

norm

jmlab926

Owner
jmlab926,
You would be surprised by how good the Teac. I initially got it as a stop-gap for my Marantz SA 8260. But it is so good that I decided to go with it for a little while till I can find a nice SACD player that will be a real upgrade over this one. If you are able to pick one for under $500 go for it. With the Teac you get a glimpse of what high end Esoteric sounds like.And since you already know what Esoteric sounds like, this will be a nice choice for you.
Mind you though, it cannot do gapless SACD. Do you have a lot of classical SACDs? If yes, then stay away from this one, since it introduces 2 sec gaps between gap less songs.
Yes, I remember your Quads. I posted on your system page in 2013, when you asked A'goners to post on Quads. Hope you are still enjoying them.

milpai

hi mi
is the teac sacd/cd 1000 player any good??
my esoteric dv50 is broken down

thanks for your advice

i am also using quad 22L   / Norman

jmlab926

Owner
Hi Ghosthouse,
Apologies that I did not see your email earlier. I have responded to it now.
Suprisingly the Teac does not sound bright in my system. Mind you, I have connected it using RCA. The ClearDay cables have worked charms in my system. Though they are silvers, they sound pretty neutral. It does sound bright on poor recordings. In that case, I lower the volume and enjoy the music. I miss the watmth of Marantx SA8260 that it replaced, in these cases.

Yes the Teac Distinction series cannot do gapless when the SACD has gapless and introduces 1-2 second gap. I thought this would be my stop gap player till I get a dedicated player. But I found that the sound was very good for the price. So I am saving towards a loudspeaker upgrade that will yield the most benefits of a component change. The Teac is the only disc player in my system, besides the older Oppo that I use to play CDs that sometimes I get from the library. I want to eventually get a Oppo 105D and a Bryston BDA3 so that I could use a HDMI to play the SACDs from the Oppo via the Bryston. Again, these are just plans for the next 1 year. God knows what new players are going to be introduced in the near future that would change the plan. My ideal player on the market currently is a Esoteric K-03x. It is everything in one player. Unfortunately I will have to sell an organ to get one. I wish Marantz introduces SA11-S4 that could also do DSD via USB - I would jump on it, since it would be much more affordable.

milpai

Hello again Milpai.  Wanted to confirm you got my response to your inquiry about the Forests vs Silverlines.  Sent that via A'gon messaging on Aug 4.  As I said, I do suspect those are a bit "down market" from why you might want...though am very much enjoying the sound from both.

I have a TEAC Distinction Series CDP as well.  Struggled with brightness from it.  Highly resolving and detailed but tough on the ears with poor quality recordings or "bright" remasters.  Right now using it as transport into a Gungnir DAC via DH Labs digital coax cable; Gungnir into pre via Cardas Parsec RCAs.  That seems to have tamed things.  Got annoyed with the lack of continuity between continuous music tracks on SACDs, however.  Relying on an Upgrade Co. mod'd. Denon 2910 for those.  Let me know how you have your TEAC working, please.  Thanks. 

ghosthouse

Owner
Ghosthouse,
Thank You for the kind words. Yes, this is a dedicated room.
I am curious on the loudspeaker changes in your system. How does the Totem Forest compare to your new Silverlines?
I am looking for a loudspeaker in the $5-8k range.
And those Clear Days are simply stunning!

milpai

Milpai - I think that's a beautiful listening space.  I love the uncluttered, clean look of it.  That's a great carpet by the way...not to mention some nice gear.

ghosthouse

Owner
Added the Auris bluMe Bluetooth receiver. Was able to stream Spotify and Folk Alley for the first time without sound being anemic, as it did with a cheap Logitech BT receiver. The sound is amazing. Will soon post some pics of this unit. Very thrilled.

milpai

Owner
Seriously looking for a new loudspeaker in the next 6 months or so. Looking for recommendations for highly sensitive speakers, > 89db, 6-8 ohms. Used or new up to $6-7k. Been intrigued by the Focals, Sonus Fabers, Audio Physic, PMC, etc that show up on the A'gon from time to time, but not sure how they will work out in my system. This is what happens when you do not have dealers near you. It was much convenient when we used to be in the SF area. So many dealers.

milpai

For years I had a dedicated listening room which was working very well for me. It was well treated with bass traps in two corners and reflection points all covered. A couple years ago one of my daughters moved back home and I lost my dedicated listening room.
The new room is a near perfect square which we all know is a very difficult room for good audio. When I moved in to the new room I set it up similarly to the old room with all the treatment in place. Honestly, it sounded awful. The soundstage collapsed, imaging was non-existant, and bass was muddy. The speakers I was using at the time were Thiel CS1.6s which are known for imaging and three dimensional soundstage.
On another forum site I was directed to the Decware site where I read this article on square rooms. As I only had a listening chair and a love seat in my room I figured why not try it.
The immediate result was eye/ear opening. The bass cleaned up, imaging was more in line with what I expect from the Thiels but the biggest change was in the soundstage. Of all the audiophile aspects available, three dimensional soundstaging holds the most attraction for me. With the diagonal setup I am hearing a deeper, wider soudstage than I had ever heard before.
Another plus was the new room setup allowed me to get rid of the subwoofer I was using. I may have lost the lowest octaves without the sub, but the bass seems so much cleaner/clearer that I'm not missing it. I swear every time I sit down to listen I am hit with the realization that in this little square room I am hearing some first class audio.
My main pint to you is, if you are still experimenting, you really should give it a try. And if you do, please post the results. Good listening to you.

Tim

timrhu

Looks very nice milpai.
Cheers,
Sid

sidvee

Owner
Thank You for the kind words, Timrhu. The room is so new, and I am still trying to make sure that I have the correct placement. Once things are finalized, I will put some furnishing in there. I think I know why you are suggesting diagonal setup. Does it improve bass and sound in general? I visited AXPONA recently and there were many rooms that did NOT position the speakers in a symmetry. They told me that it makes the bass more solid.

milpai

That room looks like a dream. Could use a little furnishing though.
As you have plenty of room and are experimenting with speaker placement I'd like to make a suggestion. Set your speakers up in a diagonal configuration. Even with plenty of room treatments the diagonal thing worked wonders. Worth a try as you're experimenting.

timrhu

Owner
System edited: Moved to new room last month. Initially I placed the speakers on the floor without spikes and using "rough" measurements. They sounded muddy. In the new room they sounded thin compared to my previous room. This is when I realized that TVC sounds so nice at low volumes that the owners never think of raising the volumes. It was only when I raised the volume dial, 3 levels up that I got back the life of the music. In fact I had to move the speakers more into the room so that the bass does not get boomy. I feel I still need to pull the speakers couple of more inches to reduce the bass boom. Currently speakers are 4 feet from back wall and 3 feet from side walls.

milpai

Owner
Build for new room started 03/30. Room will be 15X18X8. 2 dedicated lines on 10 gauge wire, 20 Amp switches at board, same phase. Thanks to members on this forum and others who have made many good recommendations.

milpai

Owner
System edited: I ordered the RCA cables from Paul, since I liked his speaker cables and XLR cables so much. I let the cables burn in my system for 24 hours before sitting down to do some critical listening. Did not take much to decide to buy the cables. The guitar strings that start Dar William's Iowa song in Mortal City, simply had an awesome timbre that was so close to the real thing. One thing I have found with Clear Day cables - in my system - they bring out the truth in timbre. I love how it makes the music sound so natural.

milpai

Owner
B_limo, good to hear back from you. I had left a comment on your system page. But there was no updates from you. I though you had abandoned this wonderful hobby. But good to see you active on this site.
I am exited about Bryston's new DAC that will come out in Jan. The configuration it sports is what I was looking for. This is because I wanted a DAC that not only does DSD through USB, but somehow able to support the SACDs I have. I plan to visit AXPONA this coming year. I need to hear some new loudspeakers and digital front ends.

milpai

Hey Mil! Long time no talk; good to see you are still here. The rig looks better than ever! I see you made a few changes. Paul at Clear day is awesome. I tried some of his cables awhile back; Paul is a true gentleman. PM me, I cant seem to figure out how to PM you!

b_limo

Owner
LaPierre,
I meant to write about the Clear Day in a separate thread. But I was busy with family and work. With these cables in place, I have never experienced such a humongous and clean soundstage. The experience reminded me of going from Nordost 4Flat to Signal's Silver Resolution. But in the case of Clear Day, the impact was much more. The images of singers and instruments are placed very precisely in the sound stage.
But it was the naturalness or the truth of timber that captured my attention, with these cables in place in my system. I made sure that it was not a psychological thing and changed back to my Signals. I did this test with my wife and she could also easily make out the difference in sound staging and naturalness. I always test components with older recordings. The reason for this is, if older recordings can sound good with the new component, then the newer recordings (nicely mastered only) will no doubt sound amazing. So I went with the "Sweet Misery" from John Denver's Farewell Andromeda. This is an older recording and my system is bass shy on this disc. With the Clear Days in place, the bass was so nice and full. A few days later, I inserted the Clear Day ICs in the system and listened to this same song. The one thing I did this time was to compare how the initial guitar strings sounded on the Signals vs the Clear Day. It was pretty apparent that the Clear Days were in a different league all together, albeit at a cost. There was this "hang" or resonance that a guitar should have with the Clear Days in place. The Signal XLR did not have this much body of the guitar. Same thing with Eva Cassidy's Simply Eva CD. There is some sort of jump factor in the classical recordings that I have not heard before. I feel this is happening because the cables are able to deliver more current from my amp to my speakers.
One more thing - I am enjoying the Blue Coast Collection - The E.S.E Sessions with the Clear Day cables. This SACD used to make me sleepy previously. I am enjoying my entire CD collection all over again. I am really exited about these new cables.

milpai

What are the sonic differences you hear in the upgraded cables?

lapierre

Owner
System edited: Major changes in cables during Aug/Sep. I had contacted Paul in 2012 and hesitated to try out his cables. What a mistake! These cables made a big difference in my system that a $4K preamplifier could not make. Every audiophile should checkout the Clear Day cables, especially when they are ready from budget to mid-priced cables. These are giant killers.

milpai

Owner
A recent comparison between the JC-2 and my TVC proved that expensive need not always be better. Though the JC-2 had issues in it's board and the dealer would correct it and let me have it for demo again, I really wonder "how much" of a difference would $2600 (price difference between the preamps) make?

milpai

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