The BEST system you've ever built !!!!


What is the best system that you have ever put together , from source to speakers including cables ??? After all the swaps and auditions I'm looking for the final "aahhh, that's the ticket" sound to you and what components took you to Audio Nirvana. {This is a survey of actual auditions, not what you read in a magazine} THANKS,
krellpower1

Showing 3 responses by mechans

I have it now. Nirvana at last- 800 Consonance monoblocks (lest you think I jest check the Blue moon award,) these amps are incredible . I never met an EH I ever liked. These are incredible, with the stock of four EH 6CA7s true tetrode each. Drivers are Mullard CV2943s and Tung Sol 5687s . The sources are a Concosonance CD player an older sacd capable model I forget but it has volume control number 2.xx going into the best darn preamp I ever heard a simple AE-3 I got for $300. My friend an engineer said let me mod it . Why we both said he said I can make it a DJH signature. OK . We both agree it didn't change the sonics much. I immediately put in my best 6SN7s in I used TS RPs but Sylvania GTs sound almost as good, not W s. Finally without going into cabeling the sound eminates from JM lab 936 Electras.
People remark how well my speakers sound now. I chukle they were broken as well some 4 years ago. They don't notice the Tube Power Amps or discount them. The pre is a speck in my audio room a vast wasteland of products tried and abandoned.
No it is not the speakers guys it's the rig. Nivana at last Nirvana at last Thank God almighty Nirvana at last. I have found what I have been lookin for now for 6 years. Except my pre has no phono but I think I stick with AES.

I was happy with the system that I aquired as a young audiophile of 17. Following a path laid down by my Father. I wanted to get the best I could afford. Then after 25 years of service the integrated died. Enter,.... what? What's that site .... Audio--- what... where are the stores ? HIgh End? what's that???!

(I don't wish to cast any aspirtions about Dr. King's final quotation and crescendo phrasing of the 1963 address in front of the Lincoln Memorial, please take no affront)
Mr Stark I want to explain. I didn't put this together in one fell swoop it took over 5 years. The single most important contribution were the use of the Cyber 800 tube power amps. The entire line of "Cyber" from Consonace is remarkable. I opted for these because it had the most horsepower and my friend recommended them. He knows my preference for power. For another take on that subject go to ultravioletaudio.com and read my old buddy TRELJA'S philosophy. He help me along the way. I went bezerk with the tube collecting.
I must tell you I was always struggling pretty much buying things in excess three grand. Some how I lucked into the Electras open box very good price. Never paid full retail for any of the rig except NOS tubes which there is no retail.
I should reveal that I am an old friend of the distributor of Consonance and he always has a demo or returned item etc. so I was able to get an authorized discount but as a strict rule the price is really the price they don't play games. At the retail price as I said you are getting the best amp avaible it is a steal!!!
Why Consonance never took off is because the biggest seller was a 4 tube El 34 amp which I also own. Very reliable, very musical but not a Cyber. It simply never built up a Hi end image and it could have used the economy models to get the name out there but peoplare never thinking I eill hunt down a Consonance. If they heard our mono blocks I think they would searching the Gon this minute. They simply spank almost every amp out there. I just bought a Jadis DA 60 so my loyalty is split if that is 60 watts my 40 watt amp was really 5. I cannot get over the completely unflappable nature of that integrated. It is very pretty with the tubes I used. The bill for the matched 8 re-issue GEC Sold Lion KT-88 was almost as painful as a kidney stone. The previous owner thought he had the Svetlana Flying C but they were an admixture of counterfeited Sovteks and anything but a good tube.
Iam a tube roller and I as well was about to buy an octet of gues what the JJ E34L blue glass which has a sweet midrange.When I heard these I was stunned by the authority full range still a robust midrange and bass to die for. I called the distrbutor to ask had he used other tubes. He gave me the rundown and he saidthe Electro Harmonics were the ones. He and I are Dyed in the wool JJ fans so I asked some people on AA tubnes if they knew what could explain this. The answer is that the EH are true 6CA7s a tetrode while the EL34 or the E34L a slightly larger richer ans sweet is a Beam Pentode. I cannot explain anything more but be careful if you try JJ KT-77s they are Tetrodes as well but apparently have a minor lightening storm issue if attemptempted
As for taking out the what I call the heater, or in common parlance the 5687 I don't care for the virtual broiling heat any of them I used emit. I never felt they are slow amps unless you mean have the speed of an OTL.
The CV2493 is a hyper sturdy E88CC or 6922 to us Built for the Britsh army by Mullard. This tubne is a stark tube Mr. Stark, I like it because it is super fast clean potent and I hope will last. I bought a quartet from the only known supplier of true no BS NOS real NOS ECC88-01 that is the official name. It sounds more German than British in style but it may be a bit more money than you would want. The single pair listed on e-bay is ther real deal checkj ou the cost.
Cheers on finding Nirvana I have no real desire for any more stuff High end has gotten very high. I am wondering what they take to get that way.
Cheers and do write!
Mr Stark its a bit late to answer your question. In the sacred "Joe's Tube lore" they are described briefly. Anpther militasry Mullard only midrange and rolled of at the extremes probably only for systems that are harsh and would require taming.
I honestly was shocked by these comments. The only reason I have them is my tube Guru in England said stop messing aroud with the 6922s to me they all sound poorly and sonically their is not anything that really sounds different tube.
I thought my old friend had lost it I could easily hear differences poor lousy crappy and please don't go near me with tube again. He said there is one tube in the whole family worth anything it sound different nd is just bettter . This CV2943 he had none to sell but tubemonger had several sub variants It was not muddied and rolled off. Absolutekluy it fell into the clean deatailed category. Finding a matched quad of NOS these were NIB and still had cihgar rolls around them. I had to get them from Sweden. The price was not my idea of a good time but I saw everything in a 6922 with a good reputation cost the same and even a lot more. These tested stronger than new nominal but was only pretty certain they were True NOS. I saw them I said if that isn't as pristine as I had ever seen then their is no NOS. My 6SN7 guy Len had since eclipsed the perfect period box packing and yes the tubes.
You can find them at Kevin Deal's store in mediocre comdition but if you got the moola it is a must try