My Ever-Changing System...

[azpaint]

Love your setup cube-tube!

I've just placed an order with Klaus for my Odyssey Kismet in Khartago Monos with a BDP-105D on the short list for the new year!
I've been taking a look at the Parasound P5 for some time now and was wondering how it may fit into this setup! By the sounds of it, nicely! haha

In the mean time, I'm waiting to pull the trigger on the P5 until I can upgrade the speakers to something that'll really allow the Kismets and the rest of the front-end to shine. Thinking along the lines of the Triton Ones or Twos!

Thank you for posting your setup with beautiful pictures! It has certainly got my mind flooded with ideas!

 

[lightcapture]

Sorry, you should know there are too many words and pix when speed reading thru countless postings.

 

[cube-tube]

Love your setup cube-tube!

I've just placed an order with Klaus for my Odyssey Kismet in Khartago Monos with a BDP-105D on the short list for the new year!
I've been taking a look at the Parasound P5 for some time now and was wondering how it may fit into this setup! By the sounds of it, nicely! haha

In the mean time, I'm waiting to pull the trigger on the P5 until I can upgrade the speakers to something that'll really allow the Kismets and the rest of the front-end to shine. Thinking along the lines of the Triton Ones or Twos!

Thank you for posting your setup with beautiful pictures! It has certainly got my mind flooded with ideas!

Thank you and welcome to the forum!

I can tell you without a doubt that the P5 will definitely do your system justice. It really is a great sounding preamp, even with zero hours on it. It now has over 100 hours and has been improving since. I went through some $$$ and two different preamps, plus using the Oppo 105D as a preamp (so really three total), and the P5 sound better than all of them. Plus it's so versatile with phono (MM/MC), DAC (coax, Toslink, USB), and crossover (analog sub and main out).

Just curious, what speakers are you running now? Whatever they are, the Kismet's will make them sing. Are you having Klaus install balanced connectors on the amps? If so, that opens up the world to a whole bunch of preamp possibilities, including the P5. Although, I'm not sure if those balanced inputs are truly balanced.

Again, thanks for the kind words!

Sorry, you should know there are too many words and pix when speed reading thru countless postings.

This is true!

 

[Hanleyster]

they sell little pylons for your audio cables to rest on on their way to the speaker? Now I've seen it all. lol

 

[cube-tube]

they sell little pylons for your audio cables to rest on on their way to the speaker? Now I've seen it all. lol

This is the first you've seen something like that? They've been doing that for years. A lot of "audiophiles" claim they improve the sound in a bunch of ways, which I believe it total snake oil (a.k.a. - BS). I just use them because I like the looks of it and it makes vacuuming around the cables much easier. Plus the kitties pretend it's a little fence or something. LOL

Also, the ones I have are REAL porcelain cable insulators from old telegraph poles along side railroad tracks. They're not the "audiophile" labeled ones with the ridicules "audiophile" price tag. I have 12 of them and it cost me something like $60-$80 shipped for all 12. The "audiophile" ones will cost you $90 PLUS shipping for 3 of them.

 

[MCM_Fan]

I have enjoyed following this thread and watching the evolution of your system. The system you have assembled is visually stunning, and given the quality of the pieces you've selected, I'm sure it sounds every bit as good as it looks - maybe even better (if that's possible).

However, there is one little thing that bugs me when I look at the photos of your beautiful system. Some may consider this nit picking, and perhaps it is, but I recommend using something like a Power Bridge ELM806 for routing the cables from your TV inside the wall the TV is mounted on. In my opinion, hiding this cables would give your system a cleaner, more finished look. When I mounted my flat screen on the wall, above my 1965 Zenith console, I used a PowerBridge to hide the power cord and HDMI cables. It really cleaned things up. You can get the PowerBridge from Crutchfield, Amazon and any number of other sources. Anyway, just a suggestion.

 

[cube-tube]

I have enjoyed following this thread and watching the evolution of your system. The system you have assembled is visually stunning, and given the quality of the pieces you've selected, I'm sure it sounds every bit as good as it looks - maybe even better (if that's possible).

However, there is one little thing that bugs me when I look at the photos of your beautiful system. Some may consider this nit picking, and perhaps it is, but I recommend using something like a Power Bridge ELM806 for routing the cables from your TV inside the wall the TV is mounted on. In my opinion, hiding this cables would give your system a cleaner, more finished look. When I mounted my flat screen on the wall, above my 1965 Zenith console, I used a PowerBridge to hide the power cord and HDMI cables. It really cleaned things up. You can get the PowerBridge from Crutchfield, Amazon and any number of other sources. Anyway, just a suggestion.

Thanks for the very kind words.

As for the Power Bridge, I would be more than happy to do that, and would do that... IF we didn't live in an apartment, which we do. Trust me, I hate seeing those cables dangling there like that, but there's only so much one can do in an apartment.

 

[hugo454]

you have turned speaker cable into art. real nice set up.

 

[cube-tube]

you have turned speaker cable into art. real nice set up.

Thank you!

I feel a system should look good as well as sound good. There's things I still want to do with the system, the main one being designing and building a custom audio rack to replace the current one. It's a nice, sturdy and flexible unit, but I've had the thing for the past 8 or 9 years and it's kind of limited on space. Well let's just say that I have some plans, and I have a couple really good friends both in the machining industry and wood working industry. Both masters in their fields, both with around 60 years combined of mechanical and structural engineering under their belts.

It's just the matter of me coming up with designs and getting the ball rolling. And trust me, it can't come soon enough.

 

[hugo454]

keep us posted,I am sure it will be a treat for the eyes.

 

[cube-tube]

Decided to remove the O-rings off of my tonearm today, readjust the tonearm and give it another go. It's very clear now that with better equipment and cables upstream, there's no need for silly "tweaks" like those O-rings. The entire sound is more lively, more open, more energetic, more better! LOL

Final counter weight adjustment, I dropped down to 1.35 instead of the original 1.5. Also, after closer inspection, I noticed I was getting just a bit too much cantilever deflection, so I dialed back the "Anti-Skate" to around 1.15. Much much better results!

A few updated pics are in order of course...

 

[cube-tube]

To change gears, I swapped out the Technics for my Luxman PD-277 after a good overhauling that I did to it a few weeks back. Also ordered a new Soundsmith Otello cartridge to go along with it. With that said, the leads I was using were too short, not allowing for proper cartridge alignment, so...

I ordered new extra long leads, as since I had to wait for them to arrive, I went out splurging the other day to build my slowly growing library...

Got in new Cardas extra long leads via Royal Mail all the way from the "old country".

Aligned the cartridge with something other than a paper printout.

As well as accurately set VTA instead of relying on my old Shure "see-saw" stylus gauge...

The best is yet to come. It will be showing up tomorrow and I'll be installing it after work!

 

[cube-tube]

Came home for lunch, only I never ate any lunch. Instead, I installed this little gem, the Lounge Audio LCR Mk III phono stage.

I threw on the same album I was playing a couple days ago, and instantly noticed huge, solid, deep, detailed bass, clean, extended and smooth treble, and a massive, 3D soundstage.

And this is all with another brand new Soundsmith Otello with maybe 1 hour on it, and the Lounge with zero minutes on it. I can't wait until things start breaking/burning in.

 

[L-82]

Hi cube, how does sound smith sound cart vs the signet? Love how your system is evolving. How do you source all your gear? How do you choose what you will buy (try) and finally what do you do with the gear you change?

Thank you for the journey, lol

 

[cube-tube]

Hi cube, how does sound smith sound cart vs the signet? Love how your system is evolving. How do you source all your gear? How do you choose what you will buy (try) and finally what do you do with the gear you change?

Thank you for the journey, lol

It's hard to tell with such short amount of time with the Soundsmith. It only has about an hour on it, and that's on an album I never heard before. Give me a few weeks and we'll see where this cart stands, but so far, I like what I'm hearing. I choose my equipment by reviews, from professional reviews as well as actual owners on forums. I love gear that performs well above their price point. I sell the old gear to fund the purchase of the new gear.

And you're welcome!

 

[PrestigeWW]

Really beautiful set up cube. I recently had the chance to demo some Sonus Faber floor standers and I was really blown away. And they look great too, of course.

Got to be honest though - what really caught my eye is your Nak 303. I've got one too and you've almost inspired me to take it out of storage and breath new life into it. Of course, that would also require me to find my old cassette tapes.. oh well, it's the thought that counts..

 

[cube-tube]

Really beautiful set up cube. I recently had the chance to demo some Sonus Faber floor standers and I was really blown away. And they look great too, of course.

Got to be honest though - what really caught my eye is your Nak 303. I've got one too and you've almost inspired me to take it out of storage and breath new life into it. Of course, that would also require me to find my old cassette tapes.. oh well, it's the thought that counts..

Thanks! And yes, even these little Sonus 1.5's are great sounding. I love these speakers. Even Livio Cucuzza likes the 1.5's the best out of the Venere line.

Get that old RX-303 out and dig out your old cassettes. You need to get that deck back up and running. A used Nak is a happy Nak.

 

[cube-tube]

A couple more updates...

I swapped out my Odyssey Khartago Kismet amp for a Wyred 4 Sound ST250, and just received a brand new Wyred 4 Sound Recovery USB Reclocker which you can't see.

 

[cube-tube]

And now you can see it!

 

[cube-tube]

Just added a 12 inch Wireworld Ultraviolet USB to replace the stock 6" cable that came with the W4S Recovery as well as a pair of 1.5m Wireworld Oasis 7 XLR cable to go from the Halo to the W4S ST250 amp. Wonderful improvements all the way around.