Really cool, nice work Mack

8 minutes ago, Mendes said:

Really cool, nice work Mack

Cheers mate. It’s pretty much exactly as I envisioned. Quite chuffed! 

Wow looks neat!

Looking great Unc. Slabs look great. I was thinking of trying ceiling absorbers in a white on white scenario. How are yours made and suspended?

Hats off to you @unclemack, that's a lot of effort but the setup is looking great and I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.

On 12/09/2020 at 8:32 AM, christosd said:

Looking great Unc. Slabs look great. I was thinking of trying ceiling absorbers in a white on white scenario. How are yours made and suspended?

Thanks mate. I made up some frames out of 45x18 mm pine and liquid nailed them to the batts. Then we just hung them from the ceiling using cup hooks. I think there’s about 65mm gap between batt and ceiling. 

Wow Micheal, this looks fantastic. I thought I may have been able to get back to Oz before now to hear your system which must sound stunning, but Covid put an end to that.

 

How big does your room sound now with the full treatment in place? It must mess with your head when we are conditioned to judge a room by its size and sound cues.

 

Cheers

The concrete slab thing looks really good. I currently use a stand with a concrete/fibreglass top.

Being pretty inert, I'd imagine it would also help with equipment performance too.

Good job.

Enjoying a couple of newcomers. Diatone DS77. Powered by an Onkyo Integra A 917f. So far so good. 

yeah.👍

Pinhead, Alex, Beethoven, lava lamp, awesome music collection & Hi Fi.....what's not to like here? 

I bet Johnny Winter Live sounds awesome!

2 hours ago, lemarquis said:

I bet Johnny Winter Live sounds awesome!

That’s was a freebie and hasn’t been checked and cleaned yet. Good album though. 

I’ve spent the last year with the Bel Canto Pre 2 Pre and it’s been a lovely machine to listen to. Operationally and cosmetically we never clicked so, I moved it on when I found something more in line with my visual taste hopefully without sacrificing much (or any) SQ. As this pre doesn’t have an MC phono stage (but 3 MM inputs!), @andyrwas kind enough to loan me his Aksa Paris headlamp so that I could run my Kiseki through the pre. I’be just started playing around with the cart loading plugs so don’t really have anything to report yet but, as a combo, so far, the pre and headamp is delivering massive dynamics, detail and prodigious bottom end. The Pioneer Exclusive C3 is such a solid and beautiful thing to use. You can tell that it was made to the highest standards just by the feel of the switches and dials. I think I’m in love! Huge thanks to @andyr for taking the trouble to collect this thing for me and for loaning me the Paris. Cheers, M

Congrats on the Pioneer Exclusive C3 preamp.    the " Japan" only brand they kept for themselves.

 

Beautifully made and beautiful sound.   If you see one of these head amps around jump on it. 

 

http://www.thevintageknob.org/pioneer-H-Z1.html

 

 

2 minutes ago, unclemack said:

 

I’ve spent the last year with the Bel Canto Pre 2 Pre and it’s been a lovely machine to listen to. Operationally and cosmetically we never clicked so, I moved it on when I found something more in line with my visual taste hopefully without sacrificing much (or any) SQ. As this pre doesn’t have an MC phono stage (but 3 MM inputs!), @andyrwas kind enough to loan me his Aksa Paris headlamp so that I could run my Kiseki through the pre. I’be just started playing around with the cart loading plugs so don’t really have anything to report yet but, as a combo, so far, the pre and headamp is delivering massive dynamics, detail and prodigious bottom end. The Pioneer Exclusive C3 is such a solid and beautiful thing to use. You can tell that it was made to the highest standards just by the feel of the switches and dials. I think I’m in love! Huge thanks to @andyr for taking the trouble to collect this thing for me and for loaning me the Paris. Cheers, M

 

 

 

 

 

Great to read you are enjoying what you are hearing from this combo, Michael!  

 

But you have some hard work ahead of you - to work out which loading works best with your Kiseki.  (From having heard @qik_shift's Kiseki Purple Heart, I'm not surprised it can deliver massive dynamics, detail and prodigious bottom end!   )

 

Andy

 

4 hours ago, andyr said:

 

Great to read you are enjoying what you are hearing from this combo, Michael!  

 

But you have some hard work ahead of you - to work out which loading works best with your Kiseki.  (From having heard @qik_shift's Kiseki Purple Heart, I'm not surprised it can deliver massive dynamics, detail and prodigious bottom end!   )

 

Andy

 

Thanks @andyr!  If I remember (I use a current loading phono stage now) I used a 2K2 plug on the Purple Heart which worked really well - maybe worth a try given there are likely some cartridge similarities. The volume will drop a little, but don't let that turn you off - crank the volume slightly and listen for a more open/wide sound stage and overall better balance.  

 

Really enjoying the direction of this whole setup and the aesthetics.  Top job @unclemack!

So, once again I’m victim to the Vintage equipment curse. Not yet a month and the right channel of the C3 has Schit itself. It has been sounding wonderful up until a few nights ago when the right channel dropped in volume and distorted badly. I flicked all the switches and volume knob in the vain hope that it was just a dusty/ dirty connection but to no avail. Ive had a buzz through one speaker and then the channel issue so, it’s back to the old faithful $100 HLLY preamp playing CD only. Sigh. Now to find a tech to fix this bastard. Cheers. M

Bugger, hopefully nothing to major and it’s back up and running soon. Beautiful looking bit of gear.

13 hours ago, unclemack said:

So, once again I’m victim to the Vintage equipment curse. Not yet a month and the right channel of the C3 has Schit itself. It has been sounding wonderful up until a few nights ago when the right channel dropped in volume and distorted badly. I flicked all the switches and volume knob in the vain hope that it was just a dusty/ dirty connection but to no avail. Ive had a buzz through one speaker and then the channel issue so, it’s back to the old faithful $100 HLLY preamp playing CD only. Sigh. Now to find a tech to fix this bastard. Cheers. M

Sorry to hear of your woes, 

I believe we know someone who could diagnose / fix this ! 😉

 

Edit; you need more back ups!!

7 hours ago, evil c said:

Sorry to hear of your woes, 

I believe we know someone who could diagnose / fix this ! 😉

 

Edit; you need more back ups!!

Yes thanks mate. I’ve been in touch. As soon as the restrictions allow, I’ll get it to him. Have a back up that I hooked up today. Back on track (sort of). 

1 hour ago, unclemack said:

Yes thanks mate. I’ve been in touch. As soon as the restrictions allow, I’ll get it to him. Have a back up that I hooked up today. Back on track (sort of). 

 

Aah, what a bummer, mate!  

 

Andy

 

The woes continue. Just before the C3 dropped a channel, I thought I’d try my hand at mounting a new cart. I’ve had the Kiseki on board for around 5 years now so I thought I’d give it a rest, get it checked and retip if needed. It’s replacement is the AT 33 PTGII. Had the original 33 years back and really enjoyed it. So, the install went well enough but then the pre had a conniption so I’ve resorted to an old Proton integrated as a pre. It has an onboard MC phono stage and, for a reasonably budget amp, acquits itself well. Of course, we can’t have a smooth transition so, the Gods saw fit to present me with an ear infection! Now everything sounds schit. Just can’t seem to win at the moment. Anyway, here’s a pic of the new cart which, before everything went to hell, was sounding very nice. Lively and punchy. Good times are ahead. I’m sure of it. 

The acquisition of the Ifi Zen phono stage has proven to be a worthwhile purchase. Really nice little unit with bags of detail, gain and dynamics. 

So where's the system stand now? (it's been awhile without update in this thread)