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Pimento's Very simple and satisfying System

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Pimento's Very simple and satisfying System
Last Update: November 17, 2001 at 13:52:37 IP Address: 24.82.78.25
Amplifier: Built into speakers.
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Pass Labs X2
Speakers: Paradigm reference active 40's. Each speaker is bi amped. Two amps in each cabinet with active crossover.
Sources:
CD Player/DAC: Rega Jupiter Transport. I like the way this transport sounds in my system. Musical. It is said that the transport has about a 20% to 30% effect on the sound. Going by the difference I heard that 20 to 30% is quite substantial. the transport runs through a Aragon d2d dac. I am using this until my Millenium arrives which should be very soon.
Other Source(s): NA
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
Speaker Cables/Interconnects: No speaker cable s needed. From amps to pre I use a 30g solid core silver in a braided configuration. I am looking to improve upon this. Dac to pre I also use 30g solid core silver. This is wrapped around a teflon tube in a x config. Pos and neg running at 1" intervals. Another pos and neg running at 1/2" intervals over top of the first run. I find these to be excellent sounding cables. Very smooth, quick and detailed with excellent imaging. Digital cable is also diy silver. Harmonic tech platinum digital cable
Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.): DIY rack, of double thickness mdf, with layers of car audio vibration stuff on the undersides of the shelves.
Tweaks: diyumas under dac and pre. DIY power cords on everything.
Room Comments/Treatments: Can't remember room size. I have 4 Jon Risch tube traps, 2 stacked in each corner in the front of the room. Jr panels on side walls.
Room treatment has helped a great deal. No bass boom, I believe the room has just the right amount of deadness and natural decay
Music Preferences and Comments:
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Pretty well everything but rap and dance music. Was into punk when I was a teen and still like to listen to old Clash and Pistols stuff at times. Older jazz, Miles Davis, Coltrane, Chet Baker, Rollins etc, Want to perhaps learn about more modern jazz. Despise top 40 radio for the most part, I like alternative stuff, well, what I see as an alternative to radio, alt country, roots(for lack of a better name) bluegrass, folk, and some classical. Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, Mendhelson,etc. Am learning more about classical artists. Generally I just LOVE music!!
System Goals/Comments: Simply, I want to experiment with whatever it takes (room treatment, cables, tweaks, components etc) to get the system sounding as refined as it can. To have the components work together to create something greater than the sum of the parts. 2+2=5 Truth of timbre, deep wide soundstage, accuracy, neutrality, naturalness. I would like this system to sound as MUSICAL as possible even at the expense of some neutrality but, I don't want to lose too much neutrality. The old argument. Neutrality or musicality. Can we have both!!?? I think I'm pretty close with the tweaks. Room tweaks, power cords on all components, diyumas, room treatment. It has come together pretty well. The only thing that is bothering me is some hardness in the upper mids. I'm hoping to alleviate this by exchaging some of the silve in ly system for copper.
System Strengths: Tonally accurate, great imaging and staging. I find the speakers to be VERY quick for cabinet based speakers. Not as quick as panel speakers but approaching. Nice tight deep bass, amazingly so for the size of the speakers. I would say down around the low 30's. Excellent detail, natural sounding and musical. Draws me into the recording and makes music very enjoyable. I find nothing draws attention to itself. Just sounds musical as a whole. Nice rhythm and pace Sounds like alot more money went into the system than really did IMHO
System Weaknesses: Maybe a bit more warmth. I think maybe the system has too much silver in it. When I had a warmer dac it was fine but with the millenium 2 it's a bit cool now. Want to work on that
Video/HT System: None

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