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The most musical system you ever build?

May be there are similar posts before, but could we do it for new comers.

Not the best hi-fi you ever build!
"Musical" means the enjoyment of music for you or your family.
I like jazz/classical vocal, so I list my favorite one for that set up:

SONY XA7ES + P1/P3A DAC
ARC LS-15 + ARC VT-1000-II
Celestion SL600 + REL Strat-III
TMC interconnects + AudioQuest speaker cables
DIY speaker stand + DIY room treatment
Oracle Delphi-II + FR arm + blue point special + ARC PH3SE

Some of them are very old, most used.
But they are very "musical" to me in the things I spin on them.

Try: Ella Fitzerald, Carerras, Jennifer Warnes....
cello is very good also.

LS-15's cap upgrade open up the mid and almost any other brand of tubes improves in the bass area.
Room treatment is very crucial in my small room.
Speaker is tuff to drive, and LS-15's gain is only barely enough for a pretty powerful VT-100.
Will use ProAC 3.8 for chamber music and up, musical too.
Actually, ProAC is easier to drive than the little SL600.
Hear more transpant sound in hi-fi stores, but seldom more musical than this one, IMHO.

Please share your tricks or memory for something you can't forget.
Or something you wish to go back, leaving your state-of-art equipment.
bluefin

Showing 1 response by marakanetz

marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I didn't build it but I realy heard:

Nottinham Analogue Spacedeck/arm/VanDenHul Black Beauty,
Manley Stingray phono preamp
SENNHEIZER ORPHEUS ear-speaker system.

Not only my ears but my stomach also was hungry to listen to this setup more and more. You do not even feel that you're wearing headphones and the soundstage seems to be not next to your ears as it usually happens with the headphones but arround you on the most pleasant distance. No need to look for a sweet spot and you do not feel that the music is coming from two channels it's simply EVERYWHERE!!!

All it takes is to spend arround 12k for Orpheus and you will have the sound that no 100K speaker/100k amp combo can reproduce.

After listening to this setup I have no desire to look for any speakers at any price. Forgive me for being selfish to like individual listening rather than with some friends but do you critically listen with your friends or your guests? All I now think about is to leave my amp/speakers with no upgrades for guests/friends/2ch Video and add-on ORPHEUS for real critical listening.
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