| Craig Stephens's Downstairs main System
|
| Last Update: April 05, 2000 at 23:27:19
| IP Address: 205.188.195.38
|
| Amplifier: | Quicksilver M-135 monoblocks 135 wpc into 8ohms;currently running KT-90s
|
| Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Mark Levinson 28 (hangover from a previous iteration)
|
| Speakers: | Thiel 3.6
|
| Sources:
|
| CD Player/DAC: | EAD Ultradisc 2000 |
| Turntable/Phono Stage: | Oracle Delphi V / Graham 2.0 / Lyra Clavis D.C. (just getting into the system as an upgrade for my 9y/o DelphiIV/SME 309 which I still have) |
| Other Source(s): | HK cassette deck to make tapes for car & parties |
| Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
|
| Speaker Cables/Interconnects: | Tara RSC Master Gen II speaker cables/ Tara RSC & MIT 330 shotgun interconnects |
| Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.): | Chang Lightspeed 9600 & 9900,3 20amp circuts, Nordost power cords, Target & Sound Design racks (TT rack bolted to wall), Equi=tech 2R, Nitty Gritty, Last stylus |
| Tweaks: | Q Dampers under speaker spikes, homemade air bladder platform under CD Player, |
| Room Size (LxWxH): | 28 ft x 17 ft x 9 ft |
| Room Comments/Treatments: | All electronics are in a small room behind the speakers, the hard wood sprung floor is 2/3 covered by Persian rugs. The room is somewhat irregular with a bay window on one side wall near the speakers & a cut-in on the opposite wall about midway. No audiophile room treatments are allowed by my Debbie in trade for which I have the speakers 72.5 in. from back wall & ~48 in. from the sidewalls. |
| Music Preferences and Comments:
|
| Music Used (Genre/Selections): | What? ~4/7 rock'n'roll 1950s-1990s,1/7 Western classical, 1/7 jazz 1920s-1990s, & 1/7 blues, folk, "world" & whathaveyou. Lost track of the numbers but approx 13-14 thousand LPs, 2-3 thousand CDs, & 2-3 hundred 7" 45rpm. |
| System Goals/Comments: | My goals have shifted from the illusion of 3-D imaging & lots of clear detail to wanting timbres to seem real to me and to have the presentation and flow of the music as coherent as possible. Accordingly,I expect to make gradual changes over the next 3-5 years during which probably only the turntable will continue. The next changes I expect to make are preamp & speakers and to get a dedicated electrical service for my music system. |
| System Strengths: | On a good night there is fairly good coherence to the music & the music spreads across the entire front of the room occ. even wrapping along the sidewalls a little foward of the speakers. There is fairly good flow & no shrillness unless it belongs to the recording at reasonable volumes. All types of music play fairly well if not optimally on this system. |
| System Weaknesses: | There is a vertical venetian blind effect that I suspect is mostly room dependent which inhibits swaying & bobbing in your seat (maybe i'll have to keep working on Debbie to allow some, ahem, tasteful room accessories). The musical presentation loses color & wholeness at low volumes & gets an edge if the volume is too high. The musical presentation does not have the ease in dynamics that I would like. |
| Video/HT System:
None |
| TV/Projector: | An old 26" TV that someone gave us out of pity for our kids. |
| Processor/Receiver/Amplifiers: | none |
| Speakers (Center, Surrounds, Sub): | none |
| Sources (DVD/VCR): | Quad VCR |
| Other HT Gear: | none |
| Comments on HT System: | someday |
| Other Interests/Hobbies/Occupation: | family/friends, reading, movies, food,politics, history, end of life health care. I am a family practice physician. |