THE ultimate system

[AJR]

I feel like being provocative . What is the ultimate, cost no object system? Am shooting from the hip here - haven’t heard ANY of this.

Mine is:
- D’Agostino Momentum Preamp
- D’Agostino Momentum 400 Monoblocks
- MSB Select DAC fully pimped
- Magico M6

Cables, power etc is a whole other debate.

 

[Golum]

Lets have one Swiss made:
Nagra HD preamp
DarTzeel NHB-458 monoblocks
Nagra HD DAC or CH Precision C1 Reference
Stenheim Reference Statement LS
Brand Cables

And if some pocket change remains you get yourself some cheap Patek Philippe to take care about it for future generation and you are good to go

 

[asiufy]

I feel like being provocative . What is the ultimate, cost no object system? Am shooting from the hip here - haven’t heard ANY of this.

Mine is:
- D’Agostino Momentum Preamp
- D’Agostino Momentum 400 Monoblocks
- MSB Select DAC fully pimped
- Magico M6

Cables, power etc is a whole other debate.

Funny, we have two clients with SELECT and D'Agostino Momentums 400s Different speakers, of course... Both cases, no preamp.

 

[asindc]

Rooms- At least 2 Custom-built rooms with your type of speakers and musical preferences (small jazz club, large concert venue) in mind.

Power conditioning- Whatever works best for your listening environment.

Speakers- Tidal Assoluta or MBL Xtreme; their smaller versions in the smaller room.

Preamp/Amps- Tidal or MBL; Gryphon Diablo 300 or T+A PA 3100 HV Integrated in the smaller room.

Digital- MSB Select II, fully tricked out, including upcoming Transport; Aurender W20 or N10.

Vinyl- Pick your flavor among TTs and Tonearms; Air Tight Opus, Lyra Atlas SL, Koetsu Corelstone, Miyajima Zero Mono, Clearaudio GF Statement, Transfiguration Proteus D, and Ortofon 2M Black (to play bargain bin LPs on) cartridges.

R2R- UHA Ultima2 tape deck, fully tricked out.

Cabling- Pick your flavor.

 

[SharkBG]

Lets have one Swiss made:
Nagra HD preamp
DarTzeel NHB-458 monoblocks
Nagra HD DAC or CH Precision C1 Reference
Stenheim Reference Statement LS
Brand Cables

And if some pocket change remains you get yourself some cheap Patek Philippe to take care about it for future generation and you are good to go

Anything from CH precision?

 

[Al M.]

There is no ultimate system.

No single system does everything equally well and better than any other system.

If I had unlimited resources, I'd opt for a system with large speakers (e.g. Magico M6) in a large room for all the large-scale music, in particular orchestral. In another room I'd have a SOTA monitor/sub based system for more intimate music.

There is a reason that many venues for classical music have at least two halls, one large hall and a 'chamber music' hall. Not all music fits perfectly into just one hall (audience sizes per event aside). Same with home production, not all music fits perfectly with just one system, in a single room.

 

[asindc]

There is no ultimate system.

No single system does everything equally well and better than any other system.

If I had unlimited resources, I'd opt for a system with large speakers (e.g. Magico M6) in a large room for all the large-scale music, in particular orchestral. In another room I'd have a SOTA monitor/sub based system for more intimate music.

There is a reason that many venues for classical music have at least two halls, one large hall and a 'chamber music' hall. Not all music fits perfectly into just one hall (audience sizes per event aside). Same with home production, not all music fits perfectly with just one system, in a single room.

Excellent point about rooms (see my post above). I'll amend my post to include at least to 2 dedicated listening rooms.

 

[still-one]

Of course there is no single best system. That said I might go this way.

Mine is:
- D’Agostino Momentum Preamp
- D’Agostino Momentum 400 Monoblocks
- MSB Select DAC or full dCS Vivaldi Stack not sure which
- MBL Xtremes

 

[Mordante]

I was thinking about a dream/ultimate setup. But it's difficult. There are two sets of which I know that they work great. But it all depends on room size.

1)
Octave Jubilee amps (mono's and pre amp)
Blumenhofer speaker
Reed turn table with Reed arm and VdH cart
Aurender streamer
EMMlabs DAC

2)

 

[XV-1]

Ok, I will play based on what I have heard around the traps.

The Genesis Prime - Dragon Edition speakers - after hearing the big Genesis speakers in HK a couple of years ago, they are the best speakers I have heard. It was like being a live venue with all the benefits of and none of the drawbacks.

amps and pre amp - not sure what would go well with the Genesis as they need 6 amps I believe - but lets look at set of D'Agostino Momentum M400 mono's and pre amp or perhaps the CH amps. A cj GAT preamp for a change in voicing.

turntables: Techdas AF1 with Thales Reference and SAT tonearms. + Technics Sp10Mk3 NGS Paramount Direct Drive Mercedes Benz Obsidian Micro Suede with Thales Reference and SAT tonearms. each with Lyra Atlas SL and Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement.

 

[wisnon]

If you are gonna talk about Uber systems, the Tidal/Stenheim/Goldmund/Genesis/EA/VS/LWhite, etc speakers must be included in the conversation.

So much good stuff out there without even going to crazy prices...
Pick your poison.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I kinda like my little old system.......and my choice(s) of amplifiers, dart 458's + Lamm ML3 Signatures (just arrived) is right up there.....and then there is the whole 800 pound gorilla of the building and room to consider. you start there and I did that part. MSB Select II + a couple of Studer A-820's and the new AS-2000 tt. the 1500 pound per side, twin tower MM7's aren't the sexy name, but humble most other choices and have unique coherence aspects at the top of the food chain as well as the 97db, 7 ohm efficiency to allow those ML3's to really sing.

 

[a.wayne]

I see you got Lamms now Uncle Mike , I'm a big SET fan myself , they do their best work when allowed to run Fullrange and you are doing so for the most part in your setup , must be fantastic, if it's a good match to the MM7's ..

Hard to beat an SET for naturalness and aural space ....

Well done ..!!

Regards

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I see you got Lamms now Uncle Mike , I'm a big SET fan myself , they do their best work when allowed to run Fullrange and you are doing so for the most part in your setup , must be fantastic, if it's a good match to the MM7's ..

Hard to beat an SET for naturalness and aural space ....

Well done ..!!

Regards

thank you. I don't want to derail this thread with ML3 talk, but I am living my 'ultimate' system right now, so felt my system was relevant to the thread.

always wanted tube amps, and figured why not start at the tip top since my speakers can work with modest power. most speaker systems involved with true full range systems cannot really get the most out of 32 watts so the ML3's are not a choice. however; the ML3's are perfect match with the MM7's. and the bass is to-die-for since the active bass towers cover below 40hz, and get their signal from the main amps so mimic the character of the ML3's. absolutely coherent and alive sounding.

 

[Jerry Seh]

Well, 3 things had to happen for me, if I'm going to get this dream team system.

1. Money no issue - which is the assumption here.
2. Space no issue
3. Wife no issue.

So, what would the combo be?

An all Kondo (Audio Note Japan) for gears
Kondo Ginga Turntable
Kondo IO-M Cartrdige
Kondo LS-41 Arm cable
Kondo GE-10 Phono Stage
Kondo G1000 Preamp
Kondo Kagura Mono Power
Aurender W20
Magnum Dynalab MD108T se (am still a sucker for good analogue FM)
Kondo LS-41 Interconnects
Kondo SPs-2.7 Speaker cables
Avantgarde Trio Classico XD (since the Luxury Edition 26 assumably no longer available)

Although I have not heard this combo together, don't think I ever will), but the Kondo system with The Tannoy Westminster GR is something really unforgettable an experience. And of course, the Trio Classico XD is so real in its presentation (with Audio Note Level 5 components).

Enough dreaming, back to reality before I do something stupid planning for the next impossible, but attainable combo. Wilson Alexia ... next dream.

Cheers!

 

[bart]

Well, 3 things had to happen for me, if I'm going to get this dream team system.

1. Money no issue - which is the assumption here.
2. Space no issue
3. Wife no issue.

So, what would the combo be?

An all Kondo (Audio Note Japan) for gears
Kondo Ginga Turntable
Kondo IO-M Cartrdige
Kondo LS-41 Arm cable
Kondo GE-10 Phono Stage
Kondo G1000 Preamp
Kondo Kagura Mono Power
Aurender W20
Magnum Dynalab MD108T se (am still a sucker for good analogue FM)
Kondo LS-41 Interconnects
Kondo SPs-2.7 Speaker cables
Avantgarde Trio Classico XD (since the Luxury Edition 26 assumably no longer available)

Although I have not heard this combo together, don't think I ever will), but the Kondo system with The Tannoy Westminster GR is something really unforgettable an experience. And of course, the Trio Classico XD is so real in its presentation (with Audio Note Level 5 components).

Enough dreaming, back to reality before I do something stupid planning for the next impossible, but attainable combo. Wilson Alexia ... next dream.

Cheers!

Jerry, no DAC?

 

[GSOphile]

I kinda like my little old system.......and my choice(s) of amplifiers, dart 458's + Lamm ML3 Signatures (just arrived) is right up there.....and then there is the whole 800 pound gorilla of the building and room to consider. you start there and I did that part. MSB Select II + a couple of Studer A-820's and the new AS-2000 tt. the 1500 pound per side, twin tower MM7's aren't the sexy name, but humble most other choices and have unique coherence aspects at the top of the food chain as well as the 97db, 7 ohm efficiency to allow those ML3's to really sing.

Jeez Mike, you're a little light on amplification to achieve decent system balance, don't ya think?? Gonna give this hobby bad name!! Sigh

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Jeez Mike, you're a little light on amplification to achieve decent system balance, don't ya think?? Gonna give this hobby bad name!! Sigh

you might be right. but I ran out of floor space.

 

[Jerry Seh]

Jerry, no DAC?

Hi Bart,

Think I've dropped the idea on having CD's/SACD's ... so did not remember to add this.

Well, a stack of dCS Vivaldi, comprising of the Transport, DAC, Upsampler & Master Clock should do. Its always so nice to play around with DREAM SYSTEM.

For Video playback, the full mod ModWright Oppo UDP-205 will do just fine. In fact, I had it a couple of weeks ago, before Chinese New Year and I must say, Dan's work surpasses my expectation. Good enough to be an all-in-one in a much humbler setup.

In a more REALISTIC twist of things, after adding the ModWright UDP-205, would be adding the Magnum MD108T when my Devialet O'dA comes back from France after the Core Infinity upgrade, I am thinking of switching the speakers to Wilson Alexia, I or II's, depending if I can really hear that difference as spelt out by the reviewers. The Radio D-3.1 should not have a problem finding a new home as its all about pricing to sell. Now, if the O'dA will go for my targetted pricing, Dan D'Agositino Momentum 4 piece may be in the running. If not, the Progression will do just as well, albeit slightly painful to the pocket.

Cables? Well, the Audience SX 24 speaker cables will haver to be kept back into the box as the Wilsons done take Bananas I was told. So in come a pair of Transparent Reference. And not the ridiculously expensive Magnum Opus/Opus. Just the mid range Reference will do. This last part is in the planning stage and by no means THE action. The Oppo and Tuner is a sure do.

Oh well, thats all for an exciting 2018. I guess, its Never Say Never Again .... what an "U Turn" hobby this is. Not to see if I can find myself out of the small den.

Cheers

 

[bart]

Hi Bart,

Think I've dropped the idea on having CD's/SACD's ... so did not remember to add this.

Well, a stack of dCS Vivaldi, comprising of the Transport, DAC, Upsampler & Master Clock should do. Its always so nice to play around with DREAM SYSTEM.

For Video playback, the full mod ModWright Oppo UDP-205 will do just fine. In fact, I had it a couple of weeks ago, before Chinese New Year and I must say, Dan's work surpasses my expectation. Good enough to be an all-in-one in a much humbler setup.

In a more REALISTIC twist of things, after adding the ModWright UDP-205, would be adding the Magnum MD108T when my Devialet O'dA comes back from France after the Core Infinity upgrade, I am thinking of switching the speakers to Wilson Alexia, I or II's, depending if I can really hear that difference as spelt out by the reviewers. The Radio D-3.1 should not have a problem finding a new home as its all about pricing to sell. Now, if the O'dA will go for my targetted pricing, Dan D'Agositino Momentum 4 piece may be in the running. If not, the Progression will do just as well, albeit slightly painful to the pocket.

Cables? Well, the Audience SX 24 speaker cables will haver to be kept back into the box as the Wilsons done take Bananas I was told. So in come a pair of Transparent Reference. And not the ridiculously expensive Magnum Opus/Opus. Just the mid range Reference will do. This last part is in the planning stage and by no means THE action. The Oppo and Tuner is a sure do.

Oh well, thats all for an exciting 2018. I guess, its Never Say Never Again .... what an "U Turn" hobby this is. Not to see if I can find myself out of the small den.

Cheers

Great plans Jerry! :thumbsup: