Great listening spaces! They’re both very nice, and I especially like the windows above the second setup. Very nice.
Absolutely, because your main sears chasis doesn’t go down deeper than 400hz (rest coming from bass reflex cabinet)
So my DIY expert did the same here in my setup, we just added the sub to my o96 with usual spades and the Hypex FA251 takes over low pass from 150hz down to 20hz. You dont need any modifications on your O96, just a short cable from the sub to the o96 binding posts
It improves quite heaviley, because overall soundstage mid/low gets wider/blackness. Also my lovely Moral tweeter likes the added space right next to the sub cabinet (at least in my setup, better to put them right next to the 2-way).
Btw: DeVore is doing exactly the same in his reference setup. Using 700Watt active Sub (non-sense, sorry for active sub in this little bass reflex cabinet, 2x 11’‘’… not vented!) Class-D ( pretty sure also some Hypex or similar). His 2x 11’’ are okay (the cost around €200/chassis!), but SB 12’‘’ (famous in highend Diy sub designs) match better the o96 cabinet size (but of course 2x 11’’ looks cooler …and it costs in total here in Europe: €98.000 !!! … showed also his fancy copper rings and basket pictures to an very famous speaker builder here in DE, he was just smiling and said: no comment.
All chassis from DeVore are coming from Sears (Norway) and Moral …yes, they are great, no daubt, but…!
Costs active Sub:
2x Hypex fa251: -€600
2x SB34NRXL75-8: -€750
my cabinets 28mm with finish: €2.000 € (bass reflex on the bottom)
Thanks for the info. I’ll probably add a subwoofer or two at some point to my system (after room treatment and measurements/some DSP) so it’s good to think of options but I’ll probably go for RELs if I had to guess (looking at 510 or 812).
A coworker was kind enough to let me try out his AT-LP120-USB and 3 of his records, rest are mine. First time hearing vinyl in my system ever. This is my upstairs living room system, all Sony except the Modi dac and Apple TV 4K. I wanted to try out the entry level up here and build slowly, fairly competent for a smaller room.
That Justice album is a great one.
Loving that Doom vinyl
@gerihifi , absolutely beautiful across the board, I would make the effort to overnight in Germany on one of my next trips to Greece to partake a few hours to experience your labors if ever possible.
Network diagram update time
A few updates since last time:
- HPA V550 → Nimbus US5 Pro
- PowerPlant 3 → PowerPlant 12
- Intona USB Isolation w/ iFi Elite 5V
- RPi4 → Allo USBridge for desktop
- Chord H2 lives life wirelessly now for IEM listening
- Pangea cables all swapped out. Triode Wire Labs cables used for amp and DAC. PS Audio AC12 used for wall to AC regenerator.
In the diagram I’ve also added indicators for which pieces are running on the P12 as well as which are set on isolation platforms.
Latest picture of main listening rack:
How’s the Nimbus? Is it similar to the Vio it replaced?
So far, no complaints! Very nice amplifier upgrade.
It’s definitely a Lake People amplifier, very much in line with what I would call the Lake People/Violectric “house sound”. Clean, neutral, passing the DAC characteristics through.
I hold the V550 in very high regard, I had it for almost 2 years and easily could have kept it longer. But I got a chance at a sweet deal on the US5, so I took a chance.
My take is the US5 is everything the V550 is, but taken to the next level. Detail is a step up, more refined sound, nothing harsh. Very easy to listen to. But also I don’t feel like anything is missing. It really is impressive to listen to!
I think part of it is the significant power boost across all loads. Both the DCA Expanse and Focal Utopia sound the best I’ve heard. Expanse has a deeper/wider sound stage. Utopia has more “meat on the bone”, a touch of thickness to go with the always impressive treble.
It’s an expensive amplifier for sure, but I don’t see it as diminishing returns at all, very cool experience listening to it. It reminds me of how impressive mid-fi signal chains were when I first got into the hobby.
Easy to imagin this as my endgame amp.
I’ll add it’s an amp that certainly rewards headphones and signal chain upgrades. Small changes are surprisingly easy to hear.
That’s awesome. Glad to hear that you’re enjoying it.
I’ve shared a few iterations of this over the last year or two. It is now done; I’ve gotten to the point where I am completely satisfied when I sit down to listen. Whether I’m listening casually, critically or simply deep into the music.
I’m sure there’s much better, I’m sure I can throw a lot more money at it and improve things still. But I am satisfied and it’s a good place to stop. Whether that is going to be a temporary pause or a long term holding place is unknown. What I do know is that I’m simply no longer thinking about what needs upgrading next.
Had I to do it all over again, I probably would have focused on improved power earlier in the journey. Live and learn.
That is one very lovely diagram.
Also setup.
More than happy to host you!
An update. So I’ve rebuilt a few things, added a few and generally messed about with others and I think the two channel and music source part of my setup is finished.
From bottom up.
ACA Mini: I rebuilt this completely one more time and rehoused it. The main difference being that the SMPS is now in a smaller separate enclosure. Since the ACA Mini power switch is more a standby than an off this also gives me a proper off switch.
Pi Streamer: No changes here. I don’t think I can improve on it as is.
Emerald Phono: It does a good job and sounds clean and tonally balanced. I may rebuild this some time in the future to have a separate power plant.
Mutec 1.1+: digital signal converter/distributer and re-clocker. I love this thing. Does its job perfectly and reliably.
M3 Preamp: Very very happy with this. It is perfect for a preamp with black backgrounds thanks to the ground amplification design and a neutral tone.
Geshelli J2 1st Edition: One of the limited run they produced before the AKM factory fire in 2020. I never stop liking this. Clean, neutral and detailed enough for most purposes. It would need some much more expensive speakers to start hearing its limits.
Pro-Ject Essential Turntable III SB with Ortofon pickup OM10: No longer produced. A really nice, simple turnatable with no frills. Does its job.
Off camera, my trusted Dali Spektor 1 speakers. Small and a little picky about amps with their 6 ohm impedance they sound excellent powered by the ACA Mini.
My next job is some cable taming but it gets harder and harder as the cables get fatter and fatter!
I love that rack!
Very nice setup! You can tell a lot of thought and care went into it.
My last 300b SET… journey is over
AN Meishu Phono 300B Tonmeister Silver Signature.
Simplified circuit design TO PERFECTION!
Do have lot’s of 300b for rolling, but the special PSVANE for AN with ceramic socket coming with the device, are quite outstanding (try to research, but they are only made for AN UK OEM).
The C-Core transformer are in the league of shindo/kondo…wow.
#gerihifi
WOW! A lot of high quality parts in that thing. Can’t imagine applying “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” saying to that! Congrats.
Is there a vol remote it doesn’t look like it from images so your journey wouldn’t end… you’d have to walk over to change the vol.
Given the look of the stepped attenuator and the fact they decided on separate left and right volume controls, I’m going to guess not.
Very pretty though.
The funny thing to me, given the attention to detail in the build is they didn’t cut the excess leads on the front panel LED.