DIY Audiophile minimal cost maximum outcome

[jjivanian]

Hello,

My name is John, and I've been a dedicated DIY audiophile since 2010. I reside in Yerevan, Armenia, where sourcing audiophile equipment can be quite a challenge. Over the years, I've imported most of my gear, often opting for vintage pieces from various countries. I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with upgrades, and I've been fortunate to access Soviet-era cables, capacitors, and other components. These hidden gems not only enhance my equipment's performance but also keep my upgrade costs reasonable compared to expensive mainstream alternatives.

One of my most exciting experiences was testing a modest $50 cable against a friend's extravagant $15,000 cable from Germany. After hours of meticulous testing, he left my room impressed, asking if he could source the same cables for himself. Similar amazement came from comparing Soviet-era paper-in-oil capacitors from the 50s and 60s with their four-figure counterparts. The difference in sound quality was startling.

I was fortunate to purchase my apartment during its planning phase, allowing me to include dedicated grounding and direct mains cable connections from a nearby electrical sub-station. These investments have significantly contributed to optimizing my audio setup's performance.

At home, my setup includes a DIY PC equipped with dedicated low-noise power supplies for each component, running Windows Server 2016. For playback, I use JRiver, paired with a heavily modified Metrum Adagio DAC (recapped with Blackgate capacitors) and a Jeff Rowland Model 5 amplifier (unmodified). The speakers are Tannoy GRF Memory, also subject to mods including internal wiring and recapping. I complement these with a JBL 075 super tweeter for extended high-frequency response.

In my office, the setup is equally intriguing: a vintage Philips CD100 CD player, an Akai GX-650D reel-to-reel (recently recapped), and a Technics 1200 turntable with an Orthophone 2M Red cartridge. The analog front-end feeds into a Marantz 7 phono preamp, followed by a Musical Fidelity Nu Vista M3 integrated amplifier. Speaker choices alternate between DIY-modified Tannoy Arden HPD 385s with original crossovers recapped or the powerful JBL 4345 studio monitors in top original condition.

I look forward to sharing my audio journey with this passionate community, filled with individuals dedicated to achieving the ultimate sound experience.

Best regards,

John

[wasabijim]

I really loved Yerevan when I visited for a week or so back in 2013. 

 

What music are you piping thru your system then?

 

[surprisetech]

On 14/07/2024 at 8:36 PM, jjivanian said:

I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with upgrades, and I've been fortunate to access Soviet-era cables, capacitors, and other components. These hidden gems not only enhance my equipment's performance but also keep my upgrade costs reasonable compared to expensive mainstream alternatives.

One of my most exciting experiences was testing a modest $50 cable against a friend's extravagant $15,000 cable from Germany. After hours of meticulous testing, he left my room impressed, asking if he could source the same cables for himself. Similar amazement came from comparing Soviet-era paper-in-oil capacitors from the 50s and 60s with their four-figure counterparts. The difference in sound quality was startling.

 

Welcome John,

There are some great components and equipment to be had for very little cost if you're at the right place at the right time!

I have a good range of the russian K73-16 & K73-17 PETP capacitors which I stocked up on when they were readily available on ebay some years ago.  I've mainly used them in crossovers, but also very happy with them in other applications.

[jjivanian]

Thank you
Will keep in mind.

[jjivanian]

On 18/07/2024 at 1:12 PM, wasabijim said:

I really loved Yerevan when I visited for a week or so back in 2013. 

 

What music are you piping thru your system then?

 

Yerevan has evolved a lot since your last visit. 
I listen to classic jazz mostly.

[playdough]

Very nice work there well done. Welcome to the forum. 
 

[jjivanian]

18 hours ago, playdough said:

Very nice work there well done. Welcome to the forum. 
 

Thank you

[jazzman53]

Welcome to the forum, John

 

I've heard some of the Soviet era vacuum tubes but aside from those I don't know anything about the other audio gear, but I'm curious and your post piqued my interest, and also reminded me of a DIY project I did once upon a time.  

 

For many years I built electrostatic speakers, and one of my early ESL builds had flat stators made from TIG welding rods, and they had switch-selectable wide and narrow dispersion modes.  

 

The symmetrical 8-segment stators had resistors inserted between the rod groups which coupled with the rods' capacitances to form a series of low-pass filters which attenuated phasing and frequencies, from the panel center line toward its edges--  to curve the wavefront from planar to cylindrical. 

 

To switch between dispersion modes, I used Soviet military multi-pole rotary switches to jump the resistors (narrow mode) or switch them back in (wide mode).    

 

I purchased those switches on Ebay from Belarus, and I was amazed at their quality-- beautifully made 16-pole rotary switches (2 stacks x 8 poles in each switch).  They were built like a brick house with pure silver contacts, and they cost me just $4 each-- amazing!  

 

I wouldn't use welding rods again, but if you're interested, here's a link to that project:

 http://jazzman-esl-page.blogspot.com/2008/03/a-segmented-wire-stator-esl-with.html

 

[jjivanian]

Hello,

Thank you for the warm welcome.
Yes, Soviet era electronic components are very high quality especially if you get the military grade ones. Of course they have become harder to find and more expensive but where I live it is still accessible.
Thank you for the link, electrostatic speakers are a challenge to match with amplifiers. I like the concentric speakers because the source point is 1.

[jjivanian]

On 20/07/2024 at 9:46 PM, jjivanian said:

Thank you

Thank you