Description

This system is great for my 800 sq foot apartment, If you've never heard Deja Vu equipment and you're ever in the DC area their store in Vienna VA is amazing, a haven for tubes and analog. I ended up with my amp after years of taking broken gear to Vu's to be fixed and having him loan me gear that sounded so much better. Finally I made a trade and ended up with my current amp and the best and probably last amp I will ever own. Especially since the NOS Aerovox cap upgrade Vu recommended a huge upgrade in every way.. My preamp I picked up on Agon, a cool early Deja Vu prototype full function with an active tubed crossover. Both amp and preamp were built by Pavel their former designer and the synergy makes both greater than the sum of their parts.

Later additions are my Audionote  Dac-3 Signature and Auralic Aries Mini and I'm now addicted to streaming. Audio Note Lexus speaker cables, Furutech power cables, a Jorma Design digital cable,  and my analog interconnects are Kondo and Auditorium 23.

Got  some new footers Gregitek Aries Graf, Combak Ebony Pucks, plus added a Synergistic Black Quantum fuse to my preamp.  Improvements all around the system keeps sounding better and better!

Just got my new Audio Note AN/Jlx's and the system is truly singing!
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Components Toggle details

    • Auralic Aries Mini with Sbooster Power Supply
    A great sounding little streamer and love the Lightning DS app!
    • Audio Note UK DAC-3 Signature
    Audio Note Dac-3 Signature built in1995! I recently had the coupling caps upgraded to AN copper caps. Output tubes are a pair of Mullard CV2492 and the Dac sounds really sweet, transparent, natural, with great tone.
    • Deja Vu Audio Full-Function Tubed Stereo Preamp
    Tubed preamp from Deja Vu Audio in Vienna VA. This is an older prototype with a built-in tubed crossover and phonostage, but I run it just as a linestage. A mix of vintage and current parts, including XLO internal wire and an ALPs volume pot from 1977 that was chosen for it's superior sound quality. Amazing warm, organic, lifelike sound, very synergistic with my amp both designed and built by Deja Vu's former designer whiz Pavel.
    • Deja Vu Audio Custom EL-34 Stereo Amplifier
    A stereo pushpull amp with a pair of EL34's per channel, three 6SN7's up front and a 5U4G rectifier. Triode wired running in Class A putting out 17 warm sweet powerful watts per channel. Vintage Acrosound transformer from the 60's. With Gold Lion KT-77's and a recapping last year with NOS Aerovox Caps from the 1960s. A 60's era  RCA rectifier and Sylvania 6SN7's complete the package.
    • Audio Note AN/Jlx in Olive Wood Finish on Sound Anchors
    I finally pulled the trigger on new speakers after 10 years with my previous JMlabs Micros. Vu at Deja Vu Audio really pointed me in the right direction with the AN/J's they arrived yesterday and look and already sound great. They are the Lexus copper wired version which Vu recommended for it's warmth compared to the silver wired versions.  He also recommended the original paper woofer over the newer blue hemp cones, finding the hemp drivers to be a bit dry sounding. These sound great already and should really start to sing around the 100 hour mark!
    • Cerious Technologies Nano Signature Power Cable
    I have this powering my power conditioner, great budget PC!
    • Furutech FP-S032N With F1-11 Gold Connectors
    I have two of these excellent  12awg  power cords feeding my DAC and preamp, custom made for me by Chris Venhaus at VH Audio.
    • ExactPower 2000 AC Power Conditoner
    Balanced voltage device and line conditioner.
    • Variac 2000VA
    For my power amp, ramps up voltage gradually to a steady 120V.
    • Jorma Design Digital Cable
    The best digital cable I've heard in my system bar none.  Beautiful organic vivid sound with real musical flow. Connecting the Aries Mini to my AN Dac.
    • Kondo AudioNote Japan KSL-Vc
    Kondo's copper interconnect running from my DAC to preamp. I thought it would be perfect to add AN Japan to AN UK and I was right. This cable sounds fantastic an improvement in tonality, timbre, tonal color, and detail. Music flows better and sounds more real.
    • Auditorium 23 Interconnect
    This gave me that final ahhh moment when i connected it between my amp and preamp. Just a gorgeous sounding cable that makes music sound more real and natural.
    • Audio Note Lexus Copper Speaker Cables
    Hooked up my new AN/Jlx's with the same copper wire they are internally wired with, nice to get away from garden hose sized cables to something more human sized.
    • Gregitek Aries Graf Footers
    Carbon fiber and aluminum under my Aries Mini and my amp.
    • Combak Corp Brass and Ebony Footers
    Under my preamp.
    • Synergistic Research Black Quantom Fuse
    Installed in my preamp.
    • Synology DC 214 Play
    NAS server feeding my Aries Mini two 4 TB hard drives in a hybrid RAID configuration.
    • High Fidelity Cables MC-0.5
    I was loaned one of these from my friend Jim @lowrider57, and liked the more relaxed feeling it gave to the music. When High Fidelity was closing them out half price recently I picked one up, it's been in the system for a month now. Nice tweak and I am not much of a tweaker!
    • Blue Jeans Cable Bonded Pair Cat-6a ethernet cable
    From modem/router to my Aries and from my NAS to my router.
    • Deja Vu Audio Custom Pushpull 2a3 amp
    I was loaned this amp by Deja Vu when my own amp went in the shop, it's still there, and instantly fell in love with it. It's pushpull as the title says with dual power trasformers and vintage Eico output transformers. I am officially adding it to my system as I made the decision to keep it, as I suspected would happen all along. It sounds fantastic I love the sound of the 2a3 tube and pushing 15wpc it's a perfect match to my AN-J's.
    • Arcam FMJ-P35 Stereo Amp
    I acquired this little 100 watt Brit amp locally to use as an emergency backup locally for a very good price. I ran it in the system for a day to test it out and it sounds surprisingly good for a modest priced SS amp.
    • Wisdom Cable Technology Power Stage ES-10
    I've been looking for a new power distributor and this unit fit the bill nicely well constructed and sounds good too.
    • Yamamoto Soundcraft YDA-1 Dac
    My old friend is back bought back from the person I sold it too and happy to have my beloved Yamamoto returned to me.
    • Auralic ARIES G1
    I've finally upgraded my streamer my beloved Aries Mini served me faithfully for 6 years but I couldn't pass up the demo deal i got on this G1. Same great Auralic sound just a bit more of it. ;)
    • Wright Sound WPA-3.5 2a3 SET Monoblocks
    Found a great deal on these George Wright 2a3 monoblocks and they sound fantastic. Outfitted with NOS GE/Raytheon 2a3s, and some 60s RCA 6SN7's and RCA 5Y3 rectifiers. Sweet and transparent and dead quiet!
    • RCA Tube caddy
    Picked up this 60s era tube caddy and finally have my tubes sort of organized at least not all over the place!

Comments 196

Owner
@dlabovitz Thank you very much sir! And I am more of an instrumental jazz guy but it sounds great nonetheless. And you've inspired me to pour myself a dram it's just past 5PM here. ;)

jond

That is an amazing system. Listening to great vocal tracks must be an ecstatic experience, especially if fueled by a nice dram of cognac or armagnac. Yes, I explored that part of your stereo as well. Lovely!

dlabovitz

Owner
An update my long lost AN Dac-3 Signature has returned after 2 years away waiting for a donor transformer. None appeared but Deja Vu's new tech Richard figured out a way to make 3 small transformers do the job of one big one and she is returned to me. Sounding as sweet as ever very happy to have my Dac-3 back!

jond

Owner
@jayctoy I actually bought the Wisdom power stage due to the thread you started about it so thanks for the recommendation!

jond

Jond I see the wisdom power stage.I like your flexibility and open minded the way you put up your system.Its well thought system with passion.

jayctoy

Owner
@jayctoy No Deja Vu Audio is a retailer in my area that also builds amps and speakers no connect to Bigkidz.

jond

John is Deja Vu is connected to Peter Bigkidz?

jayctoy

Owner
@jayctoy and @pehare thank you both so much it's in a great place right now I'm loving the SET 2a3 sound!

jond

Hi Jond what a great setup I bet it's like music instruments in your room not a stereo.  My kinda setup happy listening....

pehare

Jond very nice collection of gears. I bet your system is musical.

jayctoy

Owner
Another update added it to my system almost a month ago now an Auralic Aries G1 to take the pace of my beloved Mini. No issues with the Mini just Auralic had a demo sale and the price was too good to say no.

jond

Owner
Hey @mdalton Not as of yet he's had the amp for a while and my AN Dac Sig-3 for a lot longer waiting for a donor transformer. I am not too bothered they always loan me gear if needed and I bought back my Yamamoto Dac so between that and the Wright monos I'm in a happy place. And sorry about your rug incident that sounds awful!

jond

Hmmmm.  Sounds like Vu has not gotten around to fixing the 2A3?  My breakup with him was over a trade - I gave him a very nice antique persian rug which he used in his club space for 3+ years.  He never delivered on the turntable and DAC he promised in return.  I finally complained and he freaked - had one of his guys dump my rug  - with a new stain - in a heap on my driveway while I was away from home.  I moved on.

mdalton

Owner
Thanks @mdalton what you see is more of an evolution I ran the Deja Vu EL34 amp for 15 years but it died on me. Traded it for the Deja Vu PP 2a3 amp that also went in for repairs. So they loaned me the Synthesis Encore amp which I still have. However I spied a pair of Wright Sound Co 2a3 mono's at a great price and snapped them up, so they are my daily driver right now. The Synthesis amp is still here but not currently in use.

jond

Just saw your system.  Very nice.  And lots of choices, particularly amps.  Do you switch them up much? What do you think of the Synthesis vs. the Deja Vu stuff?

mdalton

Yep Jond, I see toes and tubes!
Thanks!

Dan

islandmandan

Owner
Hey @islandmandan there are, the last two pics are of it if you don't see them just refresh.

jond

Jond, I was hoping there would be a picture of your tube caddy, I'm really cuious to get a look at it!

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan

Owner
And I almost forgot to mention i finally found an antique tube caddy in good shape from the 60s RCA branded and holds all my tubes!

jond

Owner
Finally got around to updating my system and pics just added the Wright Sound Co WPA-3.5 2a3 SET monoblocks and loving them fantastically warm and transparent sound. And the very latest addition an Auralic Aries G1 streamer a solid upgrade to the Mini.

jond

Good to know about the AN speaker placement, thanks. I've always liked their sound but never seriously considered them as furniture placement prohibits corner placement in my living room where my system resides.

weebeesdad

Owner
@weebeesdad Thank you so much for the compliments. And I honestly think my speakers perform fantastically well in their configuration. Obviously I have no corners but to me it hasn't negatively impacted their performance at all. I could probably have better soundstaging but my small room limits that anyway.

jond

Jon -
Congratulations on curating such an aesthetically beautiful and I'm sure elegant sounding system, very well integrated into a small living space. It is obvious that this was and continues to be a true labor of love. 
One question regarding the AN speakers. AN recommends that their speakers ideally be corner loaded. Do you feel you give up any performance by having them away from the corners and a few feet out from the wall?
- Brad 

weebeesdad

Owner
Thanks @maxdukecapone  and yes over 20 years at this not as long as many here though. And definitely try tubes a headphone amp seems a nice place to dip ones toes in the water.

jond

Since you were the first to comment after I uploaded a few of my components I thought I’d take a look at your system. Wow you’ve been at it for awhile and quite the equipment list. I’ve thought about dipping my toes in the tube amp listening. Might try a headphone amp to start. I’m using a class a amp for my headphones now.

maxdukecapone

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