Current System

Posted under by Tom on Tuesday 13 April 2010 at 10:38 am
Main Source

I store both Ripped and High-Rez Downloads on the Mini using two 500GIG hard drives. The first drive is for storing the files, the second drive is for the Time Machine backup.

MacMini
S/PDIF Converter

This is a Firewire in/out audio box for semi-pro studio use. It has an S/PDIF in/out and will pass 24bit 96KHz information to an external DAC.

TC Electronics_Konnect8
DAC

An older, but very good sounding DAC. It only does 16bit 44.1/48KHz, but it sounds really good even compared to something new, like the Bryston BDA-1 DAC. It offers 2 Co-Axial inputs and 1 optical input, plus a co-ax digital pass thru.

AragonD2A
Analogue Source

Bought years ago, but only really came to life when fitted with an Audio Technica AT150MLX. This tables sounds ever so smooth, with a lively spacious tone. I am very glad I bought and kept this those many years ago. The record collection has already grown!

SystemdekIIX
Phono Pre

This is a STEAL at the price and works great! It even accomodates an Moving Coil cartridge in case I want to try one of this high value Denon MC’s. Can I do better then this? Sure, and I might just try something else in the future.

Cambidge640p
CD Player

On it’s own, this 1-bit CD player does great with Classical, Jazz, Folk, and enhances female singers. It does not work well with Rock and most hard guitar music. As a transport it’s excellent. Currently used for those CD’s that do not get ripped to the server, or for a quick listen before I rip a new CD.

AcurusACDII
Other Source

This is known as a very good tuner and for the most part, it is very good. It makes radio sound listenable, but it looses it’s memory whenever the power cable is unplugged. Makes it a little annoying.

SumoAuroraTuner
Pre-Amp

What a great Pre-Amp! It’s a hybrid with a tube gain stage and transistor buffers on the inputs and outputs. It sound clean, clear, open, lovely and sweet all at the the same time. I know there is better, having heard the SFL-1 Signature, it was obviously more neutral.

Sonic FrontiersSFL1
Power Amp

Ed Meitner is a genius! Here we have a low profile (cosmetics first?) 100Watt amp with loads of delicious natural clarity and proper top to bottom balance. I’ve compared this to more then a few amps, some of them much more powerful, but this little amp with it’s Floating Charge power supply just sounds great.

Melior
Speakers

A audiophile pal of mine used to own a pair of B&W DM6’s which were amazingly good even though they where old. I listened to a lot of B&W speakers after that, specifically some of their lower end models. I liked the 600 series, but they always sounded a bit bright, then they released the Compact Digital Monitor series. Most places had these hooked up to expensive high end gear, and I could tell they sounded much better then the 600 series. I still love these things, but will be looking for something with better balance.. perhaps Reference 3a or Totem speakers/

B&W_CMD1
MAC to DAC Cable

First you have the Firewire to Konnect8, then it is the Atlas Compass co-ax digital cable. It sounds ‘right’ compared to other cables I’ve had plugged it. Even compared it to an entry level Wireworld Starlight, which was brighter and didn’t have the bottom end.

atlas_compass
DAC to Pre-Amp Cable
This Atlas Voyager is made with OCC copper and sounds so damn clean and lively with really good low end extension. I love OCC copper.
atlas_voyager_RCA
Pre-Amp to Power Amp Cable

Wireworld Polaris 5! They change model numbers faster then rabbits give birth! This cable beats out the Atlas for overall cleanliness and low end extension. It can sound a little bright, until you realize how much low end you get. It’s a tough call whether to use this on the DAC of the Pre-amp.

wireworld audio-polaris 5
Turntable to Phono-Pre to Pre-Amp
Here we have entry level OCC Atlas Questor. Cheapest OCC cable on the market. Sound amazing with most anything, but you can really hear how Questor is entry level compared to the much better sounding Atlas Voyager.
Questor-RCA
Speaker Wire

I knew cable was important, but thought decent 12gauge copper was fine to the Speakers. I was blown away by how much better my system sounded with this Wireworld Atlantis 5 speaker cable. Amazing low end extension, lovely clarity in the midrange, and a top end that can only be described as clean.

Atlanis5

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