Inmate Systems - Audio Asylum

ivan_terrible's GTT System
IP Address: 146.255.180.67	Last Update: August 03, 2019 at 12:57:47
Amplifier:	Entirely home made, with addition of a well tweaked pair of old Bogen 8417 100W valve amplifiers, recently sorted out (at last).
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Home made based mostly on stuff from Lindsley Hood. It was made in 1977 and is still very good, but the 5W solid state ICs onboard only do the rear channel stuff now.
Speakers:	Home made with some (can't remember the make) bookshelf speakers, mysteriously finding their best location underneath them to improve the treble performance. Added a MONSTER, quite possibly one of the largest bas reflex cabinets ever made.
Sources:
CD Player/DAC:	Straight out of the notebook from a professional 24/96 PCMCIA sound card from Digigram. I got that cheap, because nobody want the EXCELLENT PCI interface that came with PCMCIA, and threw the entire standard "under a bus".
Turntable/Phono Stage:	I used to have a nice Garrard based DD turntable until someone stole it.
Other Source(s):	A couple of nice old Sony DAT machines which I have had to repair from time to time. Otherwise mostly direct from HARD DISK 24 bit.
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
Speaker Cables/Interconnects:	Home made using thick copper wire which someone else wanted to throw out & for reasons I can't fathom.
Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.):	NONE. Estonian electricity is made by burning oil shale, that's been in the ground for a long time. It's the cheapest 230V in Europe until recently which means I don't want anyone to come and "stabilise" or "condition" it at all, 'cos it will just end up more expensive.
Tweaks:	Measuring everything from end to end with my nice Neumann KM microphones, so as I can see the entire response of the system as it is installed in the room. Funny nobody appears to know what they are doing with that stuff.
Room Comments/Treatments:	It took ages to remove the thick coating of soviet paint from what turned out to be a beautiful pine floor. I like wood floors, they also often sound quite good.
Music Preferences and Comments:
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Stuff I can usually learn to play without having to spend hours and hours on the fingering & bowing, then rehearsing too hard. I like challenges, so still fighting my way through various Paganini & Ernst pieces.
System Goals/Comments:	To make the speakers last a little longer, not rattle the walls and building structure too much. Quadruple/hextuple amping the entire surround sound system, then putting some 8" drivers in that can actually go down to 40HZ without actually ending up being melted by the amplifiers. NOW DONE. I want some quad ESL panels with multiple amps and electronic crossovers to go with what I have.
System Strengths:	Absolutely stunning sound quality, which appears to make the vast majority of "hi end" 100K USD type systems sound absolutely disgusting by comparison. I use it to listen to live uncompressed source material, as my recording and studio monitors.
System Weaknesses:	The speakers melting when listening too long to live surround recordings of Reggae. After some thought I rebuilt the whole thing properly.
Video/HT System: None
TV/Projector:	NOPE Will get one some day with a draw down screen.
Processor/Receiver/Amplifiers:	Original BBC Matrix H / UHJ decoder built from discrete component bits. I hate SACD, use DVD-A instead.
Speakers (Center, Surrounds, Sub):	I have some really nice old AR Sugden omnidirectional/linear phase speakers which I have rarely seen anywhere.
Sources (DVD/VCR):	no
Other HT Gear:	HT? The only HT gear is 630V, 925V and some other stuff that hurts if you touch it.
Comments on HT System:	Does that mean more than 650volts or 950volts?
Other Interests/Hobbies/Occupation:	Motor racing (hillclimb),portrait photography, economics, swimming in extreme temperatures, fitness. I have to work on knackered old British sports cars for a living sometimes, usually putting right the things other people have screwed up. I am constantly suprised by the abilities of so called "professionals" to wreck stuff and then claim it's not because they are stupid or ignorant.