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Albireo's Work in progress (SP Tech Timepiece Mini, KEF Reference 201/2, & Lyngdorf) System
IP Address: 63.121.133.161 Last Update: June 19, 2009 at 17:55:27
Amplifier: * Current amps:

- Lyngdorf TDAI 2200 (digital integrated with room correction)
- NuForce Icon ("desktop" amp/preamp/USB DAC)

* Incoming:

(none)

* Used in the past:

- Manley Labs Stingray (EL84 tubed integrated)
- NuForce Reference 9V2 (Class D monoblocks)
- NuForce Reference 8.02 (Class D monoblocks)
- Musical Fidelity KW550 SuperChargers (monoblocks)
- TacT S2150 (stereo, true digital amp)
- PS Audio GCC-100 (integrated)
- Bel Canto eVo2 GENII (power amplifier)
- NuForce IA-7 (integrated)
- Bel Canto 2i GENII (integrated)
- Musical Fidelity X-150 (integrated)
- NAD C162 + C272 (preamp + power amp)
- NAD C370 (integrated)
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): * Current preamps:

- Lyngdorf TDAI2200 (digital preamp with room correction)
- NuForce Icon ("desktop" amp/preamp/USB DAC)

* Incoming:

(none)

* Used in the past:

- Bel Canto DAC3 (DAC + preamp)
- TacT 2.2XP AA.D (DAC/preamp/room correction)
- Onkyo PR-SC885P (SSP)
- Placette Remote Volume Control (customized)
- Lavry DA10 (analog attenuation)
- Bel Canto PRe3 (SS)
- Modwright SWL9.0SE (tube)
- PS Audio GCC-100's preamp section (Gain Cells)
- Conrad-Johnson PV14L2 (tubed)
- Bel Canto PRe1 (SS)
- IA-7's preamp section (SS)
- Bel Canto 2i's preamp section (SS)
Speakers: * Current speakers:

- KEF Reference 201/2 (dynamic monitors, in Satin Sycamore)
- SP Tech Timepiece Mini (dynamic monitors, all-cherry veneer)
- NuForce S-1 (desktops, driven by Icon amp)
- AudioEngine A2 (active desktop dynamics)

* Incoming:

(none)

* Previously-owned:

- Merlin TSM-MXe (dynamic monitors, in Black Ice Blue)
- KEF Reference 203/2, auditioned (dynamic floorstanders)
- Amphion Ion (dynamic mini-monitors w/ tweeter waveguide)
- Velodyne MiniVee (small active subwoofer)
- Lipinski L-505 (dynamic standmounts)
- Harbeth HL-P3ES2 (dynamic standmounts)
- Sonus Faber Domus Concertino (dynamic standmounts)
- Zu Druid Mk4 (high-efficiency floorstanders)
- Gallo Ref 3.1 (dynamic floorstanders)
- Mark & Daniel Ruby and Maximus (dynamic standmounts with Heil tweeters)
- NuForce S9 (dynamic standmounts, SP Tech-designed)
- Magnepan MG1.6QR (planar speakers)
- Spendor S3/5se (dynamic standmounts)
- ACI Sapphire XL (standmount, dynamic)
- Quad 21L (floorstander, dynamic)
- Dynaudio Audience 52 (standmount, dynamic)
- Paradigm Studio 20 (standmount, dynamic)
- Triangle Titus (standmount, dynamic)
- Magnepan MMG (floorstander, planar-magnetic)
- Tannoy M1 (standmount, dynamic)
Sources:
CD Player/DAC: *Current digital setup:

- Lynx AES-16SRC (digital-out sound card)
- Sony DVP-S7700 (CD/DVD-A transport & player)
- M-Audio Transit USB (transport & player)
- Toshiba HD-A2 (HD-DVD player)
- NuForce Icon ("desktop" amp/preamp/USB DAC)

* Incoming:

Modded Oppo BDP-83 Blu-Ray Player (with 4xS/PDIF and upgraded clock)

* Used in the past:

- Oppo DV-983H (universal transport & player)
- Bel Canto DAC3 (DAC/preamp)
- TacT 2.2XP AA.D (DAC/preamp/room correction)
- Lavry Black DA-10 (DAC)
- Benchmark DAC1 (DAC)
- Bel Canto DAC2 (DAC)
- Electrocompaniet ECD-1 (DAC)
- Panasonic SL-CT570 (portable CD player)
- Panasonic SL-SX300 (portable CD player)
- Apple iPod 3G 40GB (HD-DAP)
Turntable/Phono Stage: - Music Hall MMF-2 (turntable)
- NAD PP-1 (phono stage)
Other Source(s): - Delphi Skyfi (XM radio tuner w/ Toslink hack)
- Marantz ST-46 (FM tuner)
- Onkyo cassette tape deck
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
Speaker Cables/Interconnects: * Currently in use:

- Cardas Golden Reference (2.5m, speaker cables)
- Audience AU24e (2.5m, speaker cables)
- PS Audio xStream Transcendent(1m silver interconnects, RCA)
- Placette Audio (1m copper interconnects, RCA)

* Used in the past:

- Audience AU24 (2.5 m, speaker cables)
- PS Audio xStream Resolution Reference (8-ft, speaker cables)
- PS Audio xStream Reference (1.5m copper interconnects, RCA)
- DH Labs BL-1 (1m, RCA, interconnects)
- Analysis Plus Oval 9 (10', standard T1 spades, speaker cables)
- Analysis Plus Copper Oval (1m, XLR, interconnects)
- Audioquest Type 6 (8', spades, speaker cables)
Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.): * Currently in use:

- PS Audio Power Plant Premier (power regenerator)

* Used in the past:

- Monster HTS-3500MkII (power filter)
- Monster HTS-2000 (power strip/filter)
- PS Audio xStream Power Plus (2m, power cord)
Tweaks: - Sennheiser HD-600 + Cardas cable(headphones)
- Etymotic ER-4S (headphones)
- HeadRoom Total Airhead 4AAA (headphone amp)
Room Size (LxWxH): 17 x 17 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments: The following applies to my old listening room (12l x 10w x 8h): Somewhat bright room: medium-shag carpeting, plaster walls, open on one side to the kitchen, venetian blinds in front of glass patio sliding doors on the other side. Used to use factory .4-Ohm non-inductive resistors (.75 + 1-Ohm in parallel) or super-smooth, heat-sinked .5-Ohm Caddock (MP-821) resistors on the Magnepans, but no longer require it (better electronics).
Music Preferences and Comments:
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Pop, Alternative, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Techno, World -- really, the whole works
System Goals/Comments: Priority to dynamics, with the following take on neutrality: strong bass-to-lower-midrange solidity, neutral to laid-back midrange, utterly smooth upper-midrange/lower-treble region (this is a deal-breaker for me), unemphasized but not rolled-off treble (upper treble that is too smooth makes hi-hat cymbals white and splashy, which while relaxing is also irritating over time). High listenability when wandering about the room out of the chair, and low fatigue at all times.
System Strengths: (Previous system with Lipinski speakers) Unassailably accurate sound and truly impressive detail reproduction. Very fine extension in the treble and surprisingly powerful bass, with a controlled and smooth roll-off below around 85Hz. Transients are the quickest I have ever heard, seemingly on par (or better!) than the Quad 2805 I auditioned. Top-flight imaging, soundstaging that lacks the endearing diffuseness of omni or dipolar speakers but make up for it by being very wide and stable. Very easy integration with my MiniVee subwoofer.

(Previous system with Amphion speakers) This is a much bubblier, happy, energetic sound that still maintains a large degree of neutrality. Superb projection of vocals: voices don't "just happen" as with the Lipinskis, they take the performance front and center. Equally stunning imaging and soundstaging, with the rare and cheeky ability to disappear both visibly and audibly. You can easily tell that the Ions use a metal-dome tweeter due to the stereotyped character of the treble, and there is clearly a discontinuity between the treble and the midrange in terms of character and texture, but the final result is compellingly fresh and dynamic.

(Previous Magnepan system) Virtual realism: fantastic reproduction of transients and 'off-in-the-distance' effects (nature sounds, percussion, surround sound work, etc.). Amazing coherence, and truly 'filled-in,' get-off-the-speaker soundstaging. Female voices to die for, as they say: rich, warm, smooth as chocolate -- a sound to fall into and luxuriate in. Easier to listen off-center than a point-source speaker: the bass-through-midrange strengthen on-axis, which makes on-axis/off-center listening more pleasant than most dynamics speakers (which are usually brighter on-axis). Excellent match with the relaxing and neutral NuForce integrated, but more exciting (if brighter) with the dynamic but controlled Bel Canto 2i. Best combo likely with NuForce monoblocks + tube preamp; best currently is the NuForce with the preamp section of the PS Audio GCC-100, with bog-standard power cable (less extended but smoother than the XStream Power Plus, good for speakers and room).
System Weaknesses: (Previous system with Lipinski speakers) A slight boring nature to the sound, which I attribute primarily to the controlled but tight dispersion of the Lipinski's tweeter and the flatness of its frequency response, and secondarily to the slight laid-back Bel Canto DAC3. So far only the NuForce S9 has been competitive with the Lipinkis in terms of realistic-sounding acoustic music -- in fact the S9 is the superior speaker IMHO -- but both are emphatically not colored in any manner that might bring attention to themselves. I guess I have biases in the direction of a upper-midrange/lower-treble-forward sound, after all. I think the DAC3 is of the same ilk as these two speakers, so the overall combination has a tendency in my room to be a bit laid-back, or perhaps more accurately, not forward.

(Previous system with Amphion speakers) Definitely not neutral in comparison to the Lipinskis, you know you are not listening to the real thing. This is probably due to the character of the treble which is not only slightly bright but also clearly a metal-dome. Nevertheless, the flip side is that the Ions can project vocals like all get-out, which is a major plus in my book, and they are generally much more fun to listen to than the Lipinskis. Unfortunately, the Ions have been very difficult to integrate with my Velodyne MiniVee subwoofer, even with socks in the Ions' ports, which leads me to believe that the MiniVee needs to be replaced by a subwoofer with continuous phase control and a sharper frequency roll-off in order to be used with the Ions.

(Previous Magnepan system) Speakers are simply not neutral: well-known Maggie edge in the lower-treble -- so-called 'ribbon brightness,' even though the MG1.6 doesn't have a true ribbon -- is a constant source of concern, even if it is low in level. As mentioned above, the bass-to-midrange range rolls off faster than the upper octaves, so wall reflections can contribute to brightness if placement isn't made carefully. Not as solid-sounding in the mid-bass and below as a dynamic speaker, even compared to one with less bass extension. Not entirely convinced of the physics of planar sound reproduction (vs that of a point-source): it often still sounds more like sound passing through a large section of wall, rather from a virtual space in front of me.
Video/HT System: Separate
Other Interests/Hobbies/Occupation: Photography, mechanical watch repair

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