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Help with Stereo Setup

Hello,
Thanks to anyone who is willing to help me out with this. I need some help and advice setting up some equipment. My dad died four years ago at this time of year, just a year before retirement; he had melanoma. A few months ago I received his stereo equipment as an inheritance. Family squabbles prevented me from receiving it earlier. Haven't set it up yet mainly because I don't know how, plus haven't had the time. To be honest, I am pretty overwhelmed.
Before my dad died, he wrote a short note to me describing how to set up the equipment. His handwriting was very poor, but I will do my best transcribing it. But first, here is a list of most of the equipment:
McIntosh C1000T Tube Preamplifier
McIntosh C1000C Controller
Ayre C-5xe Universal Stereo Player
Hydra Model-8 Power Conditioner (Shunyata Research)
A pair of Guardian 2's (Shunyata)
MC 501 Power Amplifiers (two of them)
A pair of Wilson Audio Sophia 2 speakers

And some cables:
Two xStream Power Plus (PS Audio) cables
3 Power Snakes. Two of them are Taipan Helix Alpha C19, 20 Amp IEC Version. One of a Taipan Alpha C19.
Nordost ODIN Supreme Reference Cables
A bunch of Cardas cables and plugs.
Some foam pieces and some little wooden blocks, a shelf, some other stands, etc. All of this stuff came in original boxes, with all original packing and instructions. 

Here are the instructions he left me:
1. 2 Shunyata Power Snake (purple) go from wall plugs to Guardians.
2. Use shelf under each Guardian.
3. From Guardian run xStream cable to amp AC (upper corner).
4. Cardas from Amp (R) balanced to Tube (R) main.
5. Speaker cable from speakers to 8 ohm/ can use either 8 or 4.
6. AC Cardas/ 1 from Digital A (Shunyata) (over foam) to Ayre AC 1" x 5 1/2
     AC Cardas from Analog A (foam underneath) to 1000 Controller 2 1/2 x 6
7. AC for Shunyata directly to A/c use nice silver A/C cord
8. From CD/R Analog to (R) inputs/CD on Tube
9. From CD/L Analog to L
10. Large Mac cords   C- to C-
                                    D- to D-

Okay, that's all he wrote. There are some things I don't understand. First, where does the Hydra-8 fit in all of this. Is that the Shunyata that is referenced in steps 6 and 7? Also, in step 5, where does the speaker cable go? And should I use a different Guardian for each xStream cable running to an amp? Also, if anyone has any general advice on setup (dos and don'ts), I would be very grateful. I am going to attempt setting this up today, slowly. 
mblight
mblight OP
4 posts
 
Thanks!
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
God's Peace to you and consolation on your father's passing. Sorry to hear of the family squabbles; hopefully they will calm down. 

It's a great keepsake to have a sy�stem that one's family member used. It can be terribly nostalgic, and you should not feel chained to the pieces of gear. The�y cannot love you as your father did. You can sell them, replace them, and mix and match. Truly, they won't cry if you part with them. :) People sometimes hold on to stock shares as well out of nothing more than emotions. Do what's the best for you; your father would be proud of it, most likely. 

While erik is correct regarding consistency of hookup of polarity, you will likely want to stay with convention, where white = positive (+) and black equals negative (-). That way at a glance you know what's happening. 

To answer your questions, yes, the "Shunyata" would be the Hydra, same piece. He's using both parts of the name in different places of his notes. The reference to "8" or "4" in note number five, regarding the speakers, indicates whether you wish to hook up the speaker leads at the amplifier to the 8 Ohm outputs or the 4 Ohm outputs. These will normally be clearly indicated by their numerals and perhaps the symbol for Ohms or word "Ohm" next to them. You can use either, as he indicated. Typically the 8 Ohm connections to the amp from the speakers may get you a bit lighter sound with more brightness and lighter bass, while the 4 Ohm connections to the amp from the speakers will get you a more solid, weighty, heavier bass sound. You will likely prefer one over the other. 

Always triple check connections and turn off gear prior to changing connections. The advice to start with a simple setup is good, but he left you nice, detailed instructions so that completion of the entire system is possible. There is no reason you cannot add in the other pieces and achieve what would be expected to be the best performance. 

He left you some beautiful gear, and I think you will be enthralled. If you have more questions, feel free to contact me via message and we can talk on the phone. 
mblight OP
4 posts
 
Thanks for your kind words.
Last night I set it up, and got a "cable error" message on the C1000 controller. So I turned everything off and checked the cables and just couldn't see anything wrong. One thing I noticed when going over my dad's instructions was that in Step 4, he had a Cardas cord going from an amp to a connection on the tube amplifier on the right, but nothing on the left, and there was an extra Cardas cord in one of the boxes. So I decided to try it, and when I turned everything back on the cable error message had disappeared. It might have been a coincidence, I don't know. But for now I have them both connected, and the system seems to work well. Any thoughts? Should I disconnect the other MC501, or leave them both connected to the tube preamp?

On another note, it was a very emotional experience last night. My wife and I sat on the couch and listened, and it was as if a presence had joined us. My dad was always searching for a particular sound, and he spent years mixing and matching equipment to get exactly the sound he wanted. You know how you can identify a musician by the way he/she plays, or a singer by the sound of the voice... well, that was the kind of sound my dad's stereo had... so when we put some CDs in and listened, it was like a little bit of my dad returned and joined us, because everything we heard sounded just like him. It's hard to describe, and kind of weird, but it's like the equipment affected the music so that it sounded more like him, or the way he was hoping it would sound. 

Anyway, thanks for all the great advice, and if you could help me out with the question I have about the amp to preamp connections, I would be very grateful.

uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
Sorry for your loss but glad you got the system up and running and obviously that was an emotional event.

It just sounds like your father missed a note stating to connect both amps up and as you discovered with an extra cable once that was complete the control unit was happy and music ensued.
So no do not disconnect the other mc501, you need both. I think the controller was intelligent enough to know you were missing one output connection and halted play until it was made.
An excellent system btw that you should enjoy immensely.
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Uberwaltz is correct; the amps are "mono" or mono block amps, which means each one drives only the respective speaker, Left or Right. They are not intended ever to be used individually for two speakers. Your dad had only the note regarding the Right amp, and you properly� discerned the Left one was the complement to achieve stereo. Good job! 

Now, to have a bit of fun, you can "toe in" (swivel inward in place) or "toe out"(swivel outward in place) the speakers, and put them at different width from each other to achieve a variety of settings with the soundstage. The center image, or phantom image, created by the perceived joining of the two speakers' sound in the middle, can be adjusted to suit your taste. Do not be afraid to make such changes. Just be sure to turn off the system prior, and that the connections to amps and speakers are tight when you are done moving things around. The more symmetrical in placement relative to your listening seat (given a regular/symmetrical environment), the more perfect it will sound. Scroll through images of systems on this site under "Virtual Systems" and observe the different angles on speakers and placement relative to listening position. This influences the experience hugely. You will find your preferred arrangement over time. You most definitely do not have to replicate exactly� your father's adjustments to the system.

You can also tip the speakers back slightly (no need for extremes), i.e. 1/2" and see how that influences the sound. You will be surprised at the seeming large change in character due to a seeming small movement of the speaker. I prefer my speakers tipped back a bit as opposed to flat on the floor. This also is influenced by the position of the listening chair to the speakers. Experiment, have fun! Be like a "kid at Christmas"! :) 

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