Spock system (the importance of fine tuning)

[Spock]

Hi spock,
Very nice sound !

Thanks!

Really enjoyed reading your finetuning journey!

I´m just started! opcorn:
More to come soon! :hi:

Can you please explain in details how to do it so i can direct my electrician how to do it.

I would love to help you but i can´t.
I have an electrician in the family and is he who does the work.

:thumbsup:

https://vimeo.com/252965715

 

[Kingrex]

Sksouri, what do you want to know. I install dedicated power feeds to high end audio. I can give you the basics if that is what you need.

 

[sksouri1456]

Sksouri, what do you want to know. I install dedicated power feeds to high end audio. I can give you the basics if that is what you need.

Hi,
This is my electricity panel, b4 is my hifi plug.
The other mcb's within section 2 are all in the livingroom without a risk of noise pollution to my system.
So i was thinking to upgrade may be, the cable from my hifi plug to this panel, and may be change the elcb to a fuse system.
I m not sure what i ve wrote is correct or wrong : (




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Spock]

I´ll be back soon ! :wave:

https://vimeo.com/257798446

 

[SCAudiophile]

I´ll be back soon ! :wave:

https://vimeo.com/257798446

Sounds great....who is that artist/what is the album you are playing?

 

[Spock]

Thanks,


The music is from BAM BAM BAM album - Ray Brown Trio

 

[Spock]

Do you usually clean the CD´s?
Do you believe it can make a huge difference? :weird:

If you want to listen an obvious change in the sound, select one of your´s CD´s from the 80´s. Select one with metal instruments, a Big Band like Count Basie Orchestra.
You can try with a simple screen cleaner. Clean well the surface of the CD and play it again.

And?... :audiophile:


https://vimeo.com/258432346

 

[Spock]

The story of my pre Cambridge 840E

First of all, i must say that i do not have much experience with other pre amplifiers. In my own system, I only tested a Denon and a Classé.

After a lifetime with integrated amplifiers, I decided to try a pre power solution. So, I bought a Roksan Caspian power (in second hand) and connected it to the pre section of the receiver (Denon 3805). Even that way, it was a clear step forward from my Classé CAP 101.
For me, and from that day, there was only one way: to find a good pre that could send me in the right direction of high end performance. And at time it appears on the market the combo pre power from the Cambridge Audio. I found it really beautiful, with a look of some high priced gear. All the magazines at time say that this combo was the affordable high end. I knew the dealer and it was easy (today is not so easy) to try at my home this combo.
And the day has come. First I try only the pre 840 E. WOW! :yahoo1:What a difference! At 1.100 €, it was probably the most obvious upgrade, ever. And this with the Roksan Caspian power. So, I expected only the best from the addition of the Cambridge power, the 840W. I expect only the best in synergy terms between the combo of the same brand. But… I didn´t liked! The Cambridge power made a big sound, with a lower and extended bass, but everything becomes very dark and heavy, the opposite of what I was looking for: an open and alive sound!
Only the pre had that kind of sound, so I only bought the 840 E.

With time I made some fine tuning…
Some common troubles with volume control, -you can read more about here https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/repair-your-cambridge-audio-840e-volume-contol-issues, made me drilled the cover (photo 2) because someone says the heat was/is the cause. I love to listen a bit loud, to pursuit the scale, and it real heats a lot above the capacitors and the volume control zone.
I also coated the inside of the cover with a thin layer of silicone to prevent the lid from vibrating (photo 3).
I remove the cover above the transformer (photo 4), but did a separation between it and the circuits, using some lead as a board (photo 5). The transformer is on top of a granite stone, with silicone between them (photo 6).
The feet (VCS – Vibration Control System) work very well (photo vcs1 and vcs2). You can find them here http://allforhifi.com/index.php?id_product=8&controller=product.
Under the feet you can see two pieces of granite (photo 1), with different dimensions to ensure different resonance frequencies. Between the stones and the rack, a rubber composite makes the decoupling. With the VCS and the stones, everything comes more alive, with the sound a little more forward and out of the speakers.
As you certainly think by now, yes, i change the fuses. But I will talk about them in a dedicated chapter.

FOTO1

FOTO2

FOTO3

FOTO4

FOTO5

FOTO6

FOTOVCS1

FOTO VCS2

https://vimeo.com/258531951

 

[SCAudiophile]

Thanks,


The music is from BAM BAM BAM album - Ray Brown Trio

Thank you!

 

[Spock]

Suspended at the top of the rack to prevent vibrations, between the pre and the power i have a Transparent MusicLink Plus. An honest cable, (not the most neutral) that will keep doing his job until i find again the WOW factor at a reasonable price.


Question: copper or silver? Copper all the way. Silver has not the right timbre.

https://vimeo.com/261642121

 

[sksouri1456]

Suspended at the top of the rack to prevent vibrations, between the pre and the power i have a Transparent MusicLink Plus. An honest cable, (not the most neutral) that will keep doing his job until i find again the WOW factor at a reasonable price.


Question: copper or silver? Copper all the way. Silver has not the right timbre.

https://vimeo.com/261642121

Hi spock,
Amazing sound!
I followed your advice and tried audience 24 se s.c in my system and i was shoked !
I didn t excpect much of a difference honestly, but everything went up a notch or two.
Special note for the bass, waouw!
I never felt a big difference in cables like this one, it was very clear and obvious in my system.
The satori is still a good cable until you hear the audience, now i m stuck i need to upgrade it!


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[Spock]

Hi spock,

Amazing sound!
I followed your advice and tried audience 24 se s.c in my system and i was shoked !
I didn t excpect much of a difference honestly, but everything went up a notch or two.
Special note for the bass, waouw!
I never felt a big difference in cables like this one, it was very clear and obvious in my system.
The satori is still a good cable until you hear the audience, now i m stuck i need to upgrade it!

HI


Glad to hear that.
I´m very, very happy for you!
Now that you´ve removed the weakest link, enjoy.

You a have a fabulous system. I say it because i know well the speaker and the amplifier.

:audiophile:


https://vimeo.com/262300460

 

[Spock]

Breaking news !! :yahoo1::celebrate008_2:

A friend of mine is the man behind VCS (vibration control system).
He made a new power cable and sent it to me to try.

Well. What can i say? This one is going to stay in the system, for sure.
Amazing. Great bass extension, better high notes and a middle band with more density, The stage also became huge, with a depth i didn´t knew so far.
Very, very clean, just the way i like.
I think i´m gonna need more two of these!!

http://allforhifi.com/index.php?id_product=38&controller=product

https://vimeo.com/268666698

 

[Spock]

Here we go again

The power Lyngdorf SDA

3 weeks ago I went into a house of new audiophile friend to listen his system. For what matters let me tell you that the amplification was a pre power combination from Cello (do you remember?) Well, all I can tell you is that I come into my house thinking of buying another power just to get the groove and the density of the sound that come out from a Sonus faber Amati Futura. Of course what I did was sat down and waited for the idea gets way. :happy:It will not be easy ($$) to replace this 1.390 € power. I think I must spend 4 or 5 times this money. From what I heard till now, I like Hegel, I like Simaudio, I like Audionet; I Like Gamut. I like Constellation Audio too just to mention!:amazing: And if it was possible, I love to have monoblocks. But this Lyngdorf power continues to react to all the upgrades and each time it plays better. Saying that, i think i´m going to stay with this amplifier a bit more. Of course, changing the fuses was mandatory. In the power entry and next to the capacitors.

Now with 3 VCS power cords: CD, Pre and power.

And suddenly there´s an echo in the voice that was not there before… :audiophile:

https://vimeo.com/281891783

 

[Kingrex]

Spock, what's your amp. I know a guy with Gamut monoblocks to sell. USA.

 

[AJ Soundfield]

3 weeks ago I went into a house of new audiophile friend to listen his system. For what matters let me tell you that the amplification was a pre power combination from Cello (do you remember?) Well, all I can tell you is that I come into my house thinking of buying another power just to get the groove and the density of the sound that come out from a Sonus faber Amati Futura.

You went to a new, presumably unfamiliar room, heard speakers very different from yours, within the context of an entirely different system...and parsed the responsibility for "groove and density" to the amplifier?
Am I understanding this correctly?
You'll have to forgive me for being rather slow and dense, I'm one of those "science" types, i.e. I started learning physics at 13, so my take on electro-acoustic stereophonic things, may be a bit limited.

 

[Spock]

Spock, what's your amp. I know a guy with Gamut monoblocks to sell. USA.

Kingrex

As I said above, my power amplifier is the Lyngdorf SDA 2175
Thanks in advance for your suggestion, but probably the Gamut are not for me for two reasons:

• Even in second hand the price is too much for my pocket
• Second, I have afraid of any direct purchase ffrom the United States since my last (about one week ago) was taxed by the Portuguese authorities at around 30 % of the value. Yes, if I say what I think I´m probably going to be arrested :reallymad:!! (never happened before. I don´t know if it is a consequence of the economic policy of your President)

I´m thinking in a more affordable solution, and i´m looking for the chance of hearing in my house this

https://www.psaudio.com/products/stellar-m700-power-amplifier/

You went to a new, presumably unfamiliar room, heard speakers very different from yours, within the context of an entirely different system...and parsed the responsibility for "groove and density" to the amplifier?
Am I understanding this correctly?
You'll have to forgive me for being rather slow and dense, I'm one of those "science" types, i.e. I started learning physics at 13, so my take on electro-acoustic stereophonic things, may be a bit limited.

AJ

Yes, you understand just right. I´m tired of listening all kind of Sonus Faber. I never heard a Sonus Faber singing like that. This is not from school. It comes with time and with experience. :scholar:

 

[AJ Soundfield]

This is not from school. It comes with time and with experience. :scholar:

I suspected that.
I'd just like to be taught how to parse/eliminate the speakers placement/synergy with that unique room (and corresponding responses at listening positions) and all other electronics/cables/fuses/whatnot...and "zoom in" on the real culprit, the Cello amp.
An old dog like me likes learning new tricks, but of course I'm also plagued by logic, reasoning, etc, etc.

cheers,

AJ

 

[AJ Soundfield]

Any possibility the new audio friend can loan you the cello amp to try in your system?

 

[Spock]

I suspected that.

I'd just like to be taught how to parse/eliminate the speakers placement/synergy with that unique room (and corresponding responses at listening positions) and all other electronics/cables/fuses/whatnot...and "zoom in" on the real culprit, the Cello amp.

Now you´re going to be shocked. There is a distinct reviewer who writes he can do that, supported by his long experience in audio. If he can do that, why can´t I do the same?

Now you know how an audiophile thinks, He goes to a new friend´s house, listen to a new system, and right away he thinks he must spend 4 or 5.000 € on a new amplification!
I´m a true audiophile! :lol:

But let me tell you that was not my intention to do a full review of the sound, so maybe my description was too short. Don´t know if it helps if i say that the groove and the density came with other good qualities. The macro and micro dynamics was fantastic. I could be wrong but i think only a good amplification can do that. At almost 5 meters of distance, the sound arrived big and effortlessly. I have a neighbor who has a SF Amati with Audio Research (Ref 110), aided by a big subwoofer from REL. And he has not the same dynamic and, for example, the line of the deep bass is not so easy to follow. It is never an easy task to make a Sonus Faber sing. But i really think this Cello amplifier do the job.

Any possibility the new audio friend can loan you the cello amp to try in your system?

No. As I said is a new friend and it was the first visit to his house. With time, who knows?

Cheers!