How close are you to being to your endgame? My system outline and I'm almost there.


Hey everyone,

 

I've really been working on upgrading and putting my system together for a few years now and I really think I'm almost at my endgame system. I hope when money allows to add a ds audio w2 or 003 cartridge and energizer but that's truly my last goal. 

Just wanted to share a system update that’s been a long time in the making. Everything is finally coming together, and with the Innuos Zenith Mk3 arriving Tuesday, I’m feeling like this setup is finally reaching the level I’ve been aiming for—natural, musical, powerful, and emotionally engaging.


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🖥️ Digital Front End:
• Innuos Zenith Mk3 (arriving Tuesday)
• NewOnTech DAC07

I stream exclusively from Qobuz, and the DAC07 has been an impressive piece—clean, full, and musical without sounding clinical. I’m expecting the Zenith to be a big jump from the WiiM Pro I’ve been using. Everything I’ve read points to better flow, lower noise floor, and more organic presentation. Can’t wait to hear it in action.

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💿 Disc Player:
• Esoteric DV-50 Universal Player

I still love spinning SACDs and CDs occasionally, and the Esoteric handles those with authority and refinement. It’s built like a tank and sounds fantastic—still one of the better universal players out there, especially when fed into the DAC07.

 

🎛️ Preamp & Amp:
• Jeff Rowland Coherence II
• Jeff Rowland Model 8Ti

This pairing is magical. The Coherence II has a sense of ease and dimensionality that’s just addicting. Dead quiet, transparent, and rich. The 8Ti brings power and control with elegance—tons of grip and headroom, but never aggressive. They complement each other beautifully and really let the source shine.

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🔊 Speakers:
• EgglestonWorks Andra II

The Andras are stunning. Effortless dynamics, huge soundstage, and rich tonality. Vocals hang in space with weight and realism, and the bottom end is deep but never bloated. One of the few speakers I’ve heard that does scale, intimacy, and impact equally well. I've had magico s3's, focal 1038be and sonus faber sonetto v speakers among a lot of others over the years. Those were my last 3.

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💽 Analog Setup:
• VPI Aries Black Night Edition
• JMW-10 tonearm, TNT feet, upgraded bearing, Nordost tonearm wire
• Silver VPI clamp

I’m not playing vinyl as often right now, but this table has always impressed me. Gorgeous looks, black backgrounds, and excellent musical flow. Eventually I want to go for a DS Audio optical cartridge (w2 or 003)to take it even further.

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🔌 Cables:
• XLRs styled after Nordost Odin 2 (Chinese replicas)
• Wireworld Eclipse (early version) speaker cables

These have blended well with the rest of the system—clear and dynamic without sounding thin or over-hyped. They’ve let the character of the Rowland gear and Andras come through cleanly.

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🎧 Final Thoughts
With the Rowland amplification, the Andras, and the Zenith Mk3 landing this week, everything is clicking into place. The system has a rich, holographic sound with excellent weight and detail. Tonally balanced, emotionally involving, and easy to listen to for hours—exactly what I was after.

Would love to hear from anyone else running similar gear, especially Rowland or Eggleston setups. Always curious to hear what others have found with the Zenith Mk3 too.

Thanks for reading—happy listening!
—aj1735

aj1735

@pindac I agree 6sn7 tubes can have relatively large impact on sound quality, have a stash of NOS from when I was running push pull amps. Have RCA black and grey plates, have to look into the Brimar.

@charles007100 ​​​​​​

Yep I talk to Mikey and watch most of the live streams. If you watch them and ever hear him mention Andy from Des Moines or Iowa that's me. He's always very helpful when talking to him on the phone. He definitely knows his stuff and really enjoys helping people get to their endgame too. I just wish I could have had the money to buy everything from him rather than just wait for things used to come up.

 

I definitely agree with you about the newontech dac07. I have been streaming lately and it just sounds amazing. I think this dac is plenty good for most people that have actually heard it. Especially for the money too. I'd still like to get a Rowland aeris at some point just to fit in more with my system. That would be the only one I'd swap it for. I think that would really look and sound amazing. We'll see eventually down the road. I still want to get the ds audio cartridge and energizer but I have to get a lot of things sold before that will ever happen. Hope everyone is enjoying their systems. 

Your original post really made me consider the components of my main system. Some are, I think, endgame (I am 81 years old so no time for too many new generations of gear to arrive!).

TT& Arm, VPI Scoutmaster, JMW Memorial + 3gm weight.  Probably endgame
Cartridge, Koestu RSP.  Endgame
Phono Stage.  Sutherland DuoI am contemplating trying a transimpedance Sutherland device.
Digital Source, Aurender N100SC, probably endgame as I suspect that the quality of the processing in my DAC makes upgrading moot.
DAC, SACD, CD player. Esoteric K-01 XD SEEndgame.
Clock.  SRS FS725 rubidium frequency standard.  Endgame.
Preamp.  Benchmark LA4.  Endgame. 
Man Amp.  I think I am still searching for the endgame here.  I switch between a Pass XA25 (PP SS), Elekit 8600S with all the goodies (Lundahl OPTs, Jupiter Beeswax caps & Vishay resistors, NOS small signal tubes, WE 300Bs), and a home brew balanced PP 6SN7/300B with Lundahl OPTs Jantzen caps, Vishay Resistors.  I also have a VAC Ren 30/30 in need of TLC, if I can get VAC to refurbish it I'll be trying that.
The problem here is that I find that I prefer the sound of the different amps on different material.  The XA25 is so precise and revealing, the 8600S so organic. my home brew delicious at low volumes but I think I have the 6SN7 load line wrong.  How do I get the transparency of the XA25 and the shear sonic beauty of the tubes?  Any thoughts?
Speakers. Rockport Atria II.  Endgame, I bought these at the old price before the 50% price increase.
Power Distribution. Monster Cable - I have had this for about 30 years.  Every so often I look at getting a regulated device as in rural VT my voltage can vary between 114 and 121.  Everything is on MIT power cords.
Interconnects.  Mixture of Cardas and Transparent. I'll probably play around here.​​​​​​​
Speaker Cables. Ancient mid-price Tara Labs I'll probably play around here.