Audio Asylum - Inmate Systems

Stephæn 's æ System
IP Address: 67.5.101.106	Last Update: December 21, 2011 at 12:46:27
Amplifier:	This has been an interesting journey. Many thanks to JackG and Phil Sieg for turning me on to SETs. Thanks to many (too many to name) others for all their help along the way. • Wright Sound Company WPA 3.5 mono blocks • Melody i2A3 • AudioSector AMP-1 integrated • Sophia Electric S.E.T.™ Music Baby Amplifier • MiniWatt integrated • Outlaw Audio RR 2150 Stereo RetroReceiver with Musical Fidelity X10v3 tube buffer between the pre-outs and main-ins (generally used with the RTS-3 speakers) Previous amps: Art Audio PX-25, Diavolo and Jota, C-J Premier 11a, Sunfire, PSE Studio IV, hot-modded Hafler 220, NAD 3020.
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	• deHavilland UltraVerve • Tom Tutay modified/upgraded Eastern Electric Minimax (larger PS, 12FQ7 ready, gain cut to 9dB) Previous preamps: Herron Audio VTSP-1A, Audible Illusions M3A preamp (MC phono board), Audio Research SP-12
Speakers:	• DIY: Three-way Po' Lil' Things—furniture-grade variant of the venerable Po' Boys—built around B&C 8PE21-8 (for throat horn), RCA model 9584A (permanent magnet midrange compression driver) with 1" throat and 1.34" opening to conical horn, and BMS 4540ND tweeter compression driver mated to tractrix horn. Tri-amped via a hot-modded DCX2496 ULTRADRIVE PRO • DIY: Coax Altec 604 drivers mounted in 9.1 cubic foot enclosures strongly influenced by Jay Fisher's MLTL design (includes our patent pending Dial-a-Vent feature). Crossovers incorporate XTC-grade oil-filled capacitors and other tweaks. Thanks, Jay, for your long-distance support on the 604 project! Thanks, Pete Riggle, for your incredible generosity, expertise and friendship as we built the 604 and PLT music makers! • Customized REL Strata III utilizing a properly-designed outboard amp (SA1000) that's not compromised by the obviously under-speced resistors chosen by REL. • Zu Druid • Sound Dynamics RTS-3 Previous speakers: Cain & Cain Company Studio Series Intermediate Ben with cryo-ed 168 mm. Fostex Sigma driver, Cabasse Catalane 500, Dunlavy SC-III (w/ REL Strata II), Magnepans, Vandersteen 2, the Advent Loudspeaker, Yamaha NS1000
Sources:
CD Player/DAC:	• Wavelength Audio Cosecant USB DAC v3 (using the Transcendental 16/44.1 DAC module) fed via Wireworld Ultraviolet USB cable by Mac laptop with dual 500GB LaCie Firewire drives • Tube Research Labs fully modified Sony SCD-2000ES (for SACD playback) • TRL-modified Alesis ML-9600 high-resolution master disk recorder.
Turntable/Phono Stage:	• Nottingham Analogue Studio Space Deck driven by Walker Audio Precision Motor Controller. Woody Arm® from Pete Riggle Audio • Allnic H-1200 • self-modified Jolida JD-9A Previous phono stages: Herron Audio VTPH-1MC, Monolithic Sound PS-1/HC-1
Other Source(s):	Music makers: • Gibson J-100 • Epiphone Dot (Gibson ES-335 knock-off) • Chet Atkins CE (nylon-strung) electric • Fender Blues Jr. amp • Privia PX-555 keyboard • 1906 Ellington upright piano
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
Speaker Cables/Interconnects:	Speaker • Cardas • DIY WalMart XTC • Audience Au24 • Zu Audio Libtec cables Interconnects • Cardas Golden Cross • Audience Au24 • Audience Maestro • TG Audio Lab custom copper interconnects
Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.):	• Two three-tier Grand Prix Audio Monaco units on GPA Apex footers • Dedicated lines • cryo'd Pass & Seymour wall outlets • BPT 3.5 Signature • Audience, T.G. Audio Lab SLVR, Analysis Plus Power Oval, and Zu Audio Birth and Bok power cords • Brick Wall PW8R15AUD
Tweaks:	• Acoustic Revive RR-77 Ultra Low-Frequency Pulse Generator • HAL-O® Vacuum Tube Dampers • Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat • VPI 16.5 record cleaner • Shun Mook Valve Resonators • Acoustic Dreams Dead Ball Isolators • Neuance platform • Simco Aerostat Ionizer (blower model A300)
Room Size (LxWxH):	26 x 19 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	A fractured 'L', nominally 16' x 19' with 12' feet of the 19-foot dimension opening to the 20-foot section of the 20' x 12' kitchen/eat-in area; concrete slab, sheetrock walls. ASC Tube Traps and Sound Planks, Echo Busters absorbers, Shakti Hallograph Soundfield Optimizers
Music Preferences and Comments:
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Anything but rap, polka or whiney vocalists.
System Goals/Comments:	*
System Strengths:	*
System Weaknesses:	• Often in flux due to devices for testing coming and going.
Video/HT System: None
URL Link: http://www.audioasylum.com
Other Interests/Hobbies/Occupation:	• cooking and eating ethnic and gourmet cuisine • swimming. kayaking, piano, guitar • applied behavioral science; organizational development: coaching, consulting, and mediation in human systems