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Post by John on Dec 21, 2022 21:16:49 GMT
I think out of all the years 2022 is perhaps the year my system has changed the most I had no plans to be so radical. Speakers Where do I start form? Last year I finally moved away from Open baffle speakers to perhaps finding my endgame speakers. The Kefs introduced me to a whole bunch of mid/bass punch I was missing that I loved hearing. Finding speakers open enough, with the right degree of texture but can still rock was not easy. I listened to so many speakers and the only ones that did it for me were the Gold Note Evos A3. A fantastic purchase that has risen to every new level of improvement in sound. Streamers I tried a few in the last year or so, including the Limetree Bridge, the Ascus Tinkerboard. Going Bluetooth for several months. I knew it was not the last word in detail but was cleaner sounding than either the Limetree or Tinkerboard. At the moment I have the IFi Zen stream(horrible case but the best sounding streamer I had in my system). A good bit better than Bluetooth. Adding a ethernet optical converter was a good upgrade to the sound. Cleaner and more detailed DACs I had the Gustard A22 for a few years. A nice clean DAC but lacks a bit of clout unmodified. The R26 was better, however adding the Leo Bodnar GPS precision clock takes a good few steps further. This is not subtle what it does to the sound and probably the tweak that has made the biggest difference. Mains: Finally getting the mains sorted has also been huge I no longer get irritated with my sound. Also extra benefits like low level detail and being able to reach Martin levels of volume without any sense of strain.
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Post by palace on Dec 21, 2022 21:39:21 GMT
Biggest upgrade in a while replacing the 2 X 9 pin ECC83/12AX7 in my preamp with 2 X Russian selected NOS Reflector 6N9S (6SL7) replacing the 2 X RCA clear top 6CG7 (ECC82/12AU7) with 2 X 10 year old NOS Chinese military 6N8P (6sn7) given to me by a friend. The power amp 2 X selected NOS Reflector 6N9S & 2 X selected NOS Foton 6N8S/6SN7 (electrically identical to the later replacement 6CG7) they were selected by a Ukrainian valve dealer with whom I emailed back & forth as well as buying from; He moved his family to Germany 3 or 4 years ago, I have not been able to contact him since September. After 6 years of use I finally put in the 4 new KT120's that "CageyH" put me onto on another forum a few months ago. I had been plagued with intermittent noise for a week as everything else was apparently OK, now silence & beautiful satisfying sounds. I have kept the 4 KT120's for spares I will get them tested on a friends Avometer I think only one right channel valve is actually noisy. Now difficult to get & close to 3 X the price I paid in May. In January I bought a MCRU/Longdog LPSU for my super cap & clock modified Caiman SEG 50 & Dorado 3. very successful.
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Post by ant on Dec 21, 2022 22:24:36 GMT
None at all. I might build myself a new turntable as ive had some more ideas, but thats the only thing. Otherwise i havent come across anything that i want to look into
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Post by MartinT on Dec 21, 2022 23:32:19 GMT
Like John, but not as visually altered, my system transformed this year from a bunch of decent-performing components to a fully synergistic system working in harmony. This has only finally come together in the last couple of months.
From memory, the big changes were: - Upgraded the DDC from a Mutec MC-3 USB to a Coherent modified Gustard U18 - Adopted I2S connection from the DDC to the DAC - Upgraded the Sonore ultraRendu streamer to a Sonore Signature Rendu SE - Set up a single-mode fibre gigabit link from EtherREGEN to Signature Rendu SE, separating out the router and ER - Coherent BDM power cable for the P10 regenerator, moving the BD to the P3 - SR Purple fuses for the key digital components - SR Orange fuses for all other components - Two more Quartz Acoustic grounding boxes - Various cables, footers and weights
The Signature Rendu SE is a magnificent component, truly worth the big hike in price compared with the ultraRendu. It represents my single largest cost component for the year.
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Post by ant on Dec 21, 2022 23:47:20 GMT
Edit: ive just realised i havent made any actual substantial changes in a couple of years Since i got the nelson pass f5 and b1 i have been quite happy.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 22, 2022 0:00:32 GMT
New streamer: Sonore ultraRendu New DDC: Gustard U18 (via i2S) New power amp: Cambridge Edge W Removal of preamp, now DAC-direct
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Post by brettj on Dec 22, 2022 0:37:15 GMT
Lots changed this year. I don't think I'll have another year like it.
The biggest items were a Gustard A22 Dac with Coherent mods, Audio GD DI-20HE DDC, Auditorium A23 speaker cables/jumpers, and Cisco switch with Fidelity Audio clock.
Also: SR Purple fuses, Wifi to ethernet for streaming, another network switch with Audiophool mod, 2 x Triode Wire Labs Freedom ethernet cables, LAN Isolators (Acoustic Revive, Pink Faun), Black Ravioli Big Pads, LHY OCK-1 clock, Silent Point and Aucharm grounding boxes, No Noise Ultra SE Mains Purifier, Tablet, Roon, Qobuz, Intel Nuc for Roon, Add Powr Symphony Pro Electronic Harmonic Resonator and eau2, Akiko Audio Fuse Box Pro, Audiolab DC Block, and Ghent Audio DC/Mad Scientist Black Magic Ultra USB/Audience AU24SX AES-EBU/Gustard C2 clock cables.
Had some backpay, and sold most of my spare amps, Dacs, headphones, USB/SPIDF converters, power supplies etc.
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Post by MikeMusic on Dec 22, 2022 10:25:20 GMT
Kit stayed the same
SR Orange fuse feeding the AM conditioner, multiple granite placemats added on top of everything, more QA Premium grounding boxes, the recent separate PSU for the Three router, Tara labs working magic with their system file, almost forgot- Bluesound streaming box
System sounding better than I could have imagined at the start of 2022
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Post by petea on Dec 22, 2022 13:28:13 GMT
I barely touched them!
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Post by petea on Dec 22, 2022 13:28:38 GMT
Honest!
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Post by Slinger on Dec 22, 2022 14:27:57 GMT
That rather stylish article now sits at my bedside, and it's NOT a giant electric razor, it's a Monitor Audio Airstream S150 Anniversary, which connects to my Amazon Echo Show 8 via Bluetooth, and so to the free Amazon Music Prime service which has now been expanded to 100 million songs ad-free. " Alexa, play Pink Floyd..." I also bought an Audiolab 6000N streamer and discovered the joys of QED Reference digital cables, both optical and co-ax. I'll be keeping my Raspberry Pi/Volumio setup for streaming from my two NAS boxes, and the Audiolab for everything else; Amazon, Spotify, internet radio etc. I actually spent a Hell of a lot more on guitar-related gear though, this year, with a new Marshall amp, a nice faded blue (I hadn't got a blue guitar ) Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute DC guitar, and more pedals than you can shake a stick at in the quest for my perfect pedalboard(s).
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Post by topalwaysdown on Dec 22, 2022 18:05:40 GMT
I had my Moon i5 amp serviced, at over 10 years old it deserved a treat, and after it was done it was me who got the treat, sounds like new again.
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Post by mattspl on Dec 22, 2022 19:58:17 GMT
The biggest change for me this year was my PMC AML1’s. The best 2 way speakers I’ve heard. They are 20 years old, so I’ll be getting them recapped, just not sure where to send them as I’d rather not have to ship them. If anybody has any suggestions, preferably in Dublin Ireland, but I’d drive anywhere in northern or Southern Ireland for the right place.
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Post by John on Dec 23, 2022 6:47:02 GMT
I had a few experiments that worked better for other people The Gustard U18 I liked with a lot of music but every now and then the music was to forward. I know other people do not have these issues with the U18. The Audio-gd DI20he is interesting certainly adds to the mix but matching with the A22 the system lacked bite ( just a bit to smooth for stuff like Dream Theater). On Vic system with his Topping D90se I feel it works a lot better and dose not have these issues.
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Post by HD Music & Test on Dec 23, 2022 9:27:11 GMT
This year in my personal system, a couple of big changes and some small ones all of which have added up to utterly complete musical experience. Four new BDX mains cables for two incoming mains inlets, a new mains filter circuit I designed and now installed in the big Oracle conditioner, one for the streamer and one for the QP2 gen II for the Mutec MC3+'s. New clock cable for the incoming Aurender N20 slaved from the Ref 10 SE-120. New rack and speaker isolation from Track audio, utterly just right from all aspects. New room measurement software I had commissioned is proving very helpful. One or two Wadia dac's are undergoing some more innovations I'm trailing. Currently using the 15i and its quite something that a 26-year-old digital to analogue converter is not just making a mockery of many so called reference standard 2022 models, but delivering music in a natural, articulate fluid and utterly absorbing manner, still have to pinch myself!
All in all SQ has leaped up quite markedly despite reservations on what was left to achieve, although it has now opened up more avenues of exploration due to so called brick walls ceilings have been removed. 2023 is going to quite an eventful year on the home audio front.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 23, 2022 12:31:02 GMT
I was thinking that ditching a traditional preamp has probably been the best thing I have done this year and how liberating it is!
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Post by mattspl on Dec 23, 2022 12:40:47 GMT
I was thinking that ditching a traditional preamp has probably been the best thing I have done this year and how liberating it is! I see some people still prefer a traditional pre amp, stating that it provides better grip on the amp, but others prefer Dac direct.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 23, 2022 12:59:13 GMT
Once you acquire a DAC with the output circuit able to drive a power amp directly, and lossless digital volume control down to very low levels of resolution, removing the preamp makes a large improvement in transparency and simplifies the system.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 23, 2022 13:02:27 GMT
Before the latest component upgrades I had favoured the sound of a preamp but I think it's probably dependent on a number of variables including the dreaded synergy thing ...
I can only talk about my current system in which there is simply no comparison - DAC direct provided me with an instant sense of higher rez, transparency and better defined bass.
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Post by HD Music & Test on Dec 23, 2022 13:07:41 GMT
I have the two best dac's for internal i/v stages and they are very good, but so is the price tag but still not a good as what I call a qualty pre amp. However these days smaller box counts are besoming more popular so understand the rationale behind the thinking.
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