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What is your dream 2 channel system?

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41K views 90 replies 43 participants last post by  jcmusic23 
#1 ·
What is your dream 2 channel system?

Since I like small intimate listening spaces, minimal equipment, and love vinyl mine would be:

DartZeel CTH8550 integrated amp w/ phono
Evolution Accoustics MMmicro1 speakers
VPI Classic 3 turntable (cartridge to be determined)
 
#4 ·
My avatar is my home theater. This is my main 2-channel system.



From the top:
Clearaudio Champion II table fitted with an SME 309 arm and Benz Micro Glider cart
Shanling CD-T1500 SACD
McIntosh C36 preamp
Music Fidelity M1DAC
PS Audio Quintessence power center

On the floor:
Shanling SP-80 mono blocks fitted with Electro Harmonix 6CA7EH output tubes
Tascam BR-20 reel to reel
DIY speakers you can read about here:
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/diy-speakers/27525-custom-3-way-horn.html
 
#11 ·
I'm still curious what other folks dream system are. I've never had more than mid-fi, but I've heard a few audiophile systems that let me know I'm a long way off. I've thought about tube base system and had a tube amp for a period of time, but its not for me, so the one I chose in post #1 has all the elements that make it my dream system for me...emotional involvement, purity, simplicity, and good looks. I'm sure there are others with a dream system.
 
#13 · (Edited)
The picture above shows Rockport Arrakis speakers and two pair of VTL Siegfried Reference Series 2 monoblock amplifiers.

The rest of the system is:
MSB Signature Data CD IV
MSB UMT Universal Transport Transport
Audio Quest Diamond Ethernet Cable Interconnect
MSB Diamond DAC IV
Purist Audio Anniversary PC
Echole Signature Power Cord
Absolare Purifier power conditioner
Echole Signature Power Cord
Steve Dobbins The Beat
Reed 2A Tonearm pic
Shunyata Anaconda Alpha PC
Minus K BM-8 Vibration Isolation Platform
Allnic Puritas MC cartridge
Lyra Olympos SL Cartridge
Allnic H 3000 phono stage
Echole Omnia XLR IC
Echole Signature Power Cord
Adona Zero GXT Turntable Rack
Absolare Passion Signature Balanced
Echole Signature XLR IC
Echole Omnia Power Cord
Appogg Systems Breve Reference Isolation (4)
VTL Seigfried Series 2 mono block amps - Pair #1
Echole Signature Power Cords (2)
Pyon Audio Heavy Duty Spira Ultra Tuning Feet
VTL Siegfried Series 2 mono block amps - Pair #2
Weizhi Gold Glory Footers
Silent Source Signature Power Cords (2) Interconnect
Echole Signature XLR IC
Echole Signature Speaker Cables
Absolare Purifier speaker bullets
Rockport Technologies Arrakis 2 External crossover Speaker
Echole Signature PC with inline Purifier
Echole Signature XLR IC
Echole Signature XLR IC
Rockport Arrakis 2 pic
REL Acoustics Studio III sub bass system (2)
Blinn Double wide component rack
Blinn Amp Stands
Stillpoints Ultra SS footers
Stillpoints Ultra 5 footers
Loricraft PRC 4 Deluxe RCM
Custom LP Record Cabniets Stand
 
#14 ·
It starts with the speakers. I have a friend who constructed a pair of line arrays from twelve Jordan JX92 full-range drivers per side ($200 each driver), with several Raal ribbon tweeters added per side (over $400 each) for the very high freq's. Low freq's are played by a pair of Jordan 8" woofers per channel (over $200 per driver). The whole setup is bi-amped, with custom-made line level crossovers using Intact Audio inductors and transformers (no capacitors, I understand).

The amps are custom-built tube jobs. The bass amps use push-pull 300B's (DC-coupled, three-stage), for about 15W per channel, class A. The mid-high frequency amps are single-ended, using RCA 50 tubes (two-stage, DC-coupled), about 4W per channel, class A.

The source is mostly vinyl, using a very rare Mitchell Cotter direct-drive turntable with a Schroeder tonearm. The RIAA preamp is another custom design. The RIAA eq is attained using Intact Audio inductors and transformers, again with no capacitors used.

I'm not a super-wealthy audiophile who's owned everything that ever got a Class A rating in The Absolute Sound, but this is the best audio playback system I have ever heard, including the time I was at Mark Levinson's place in Manhattan to record a demo. If I had that system, I wouldn't leave my living room for a week!

Anyway, that would be my dream system. I can't afford anything even close to that, so it will remain a dream.

--
 
#15 ·
Well the only system that i would own WITHOUT electrostatic speakers would be this one, i have heard it many times and it is the only system that gives me goosebumps like my Acoustats, first my system then my dream system. MrAcoustat






 
#16 ·
A dream speaker system that would actually fit in my current dedicated room would be a pair of Krell driven Apogee Studio Grands. For a larger room it would be either Infinity IRS-Vs, Apogee Grands or, for truly cost no object speakers, Genesis 1s. The Apogees and Infinities are only available used which makes them "relatively" affordable.
 
#17 ·
Dynaudio Confidence C4 Sig, Octave Phono Module, Octave RE 290, diy NAS, Naim DAC, Naim NDS & XP5 XS, Naim CDX2, Linn Sondek LP12 Lingo w/ Linn Klyde

That would be my dream system. However its way outta my budget.

However my setup is a hybrid HT/2-ch setup because it all happens in the same room. My Naim has a ht-bypass so it keeps 2-ch seperate from HT. The TT is way down the line, I used to have a Pro-ject but my son kept damaging my cartridges, so I sold it for now and will get one when he is older and wont be so touchy.

So Im trying to build the following over time.

Dynaudio Focus 160, Naim Nait XS-2, Naim Stageline MM, Oppo 103, Eastern Electric Minimax DAC Plus, Mac Mini w/ diy NAS, Linn Sondek LP12 Basik w/ Adikt cartridge
 
#20 ·
For me, it would be a tough choice between an MBL system (their electronics are astoundingly good) with the Radialstrahler X-tremes or this.

Audio equipment Room Loudspeaker Technology Electronic instrument


VAC's new Statement monoblocks feature constant autobiasing to keep the output tubes in their 'happy ' zone at all times - no small feat, that. To my ears, the big Scaena speaker system sounds phenomenal!

Hey, if you're going to dream, dream big.
 
#22 ·
Mmmmm, gotta love what those Italians produce!:hail:
Those ribbon speakers are very interesting - supposedly, can be driven by a flea watt amp (which isn't what's pictured:laugh:). I've never heard them, but I like what I've read. I bet that system sounds fabulous.
 
#38 ·
My amp is the Chord CPM-2600 the CPM-2650 older model same wattage and with my Acoustat 1+1s the smallest of the double stacked Acoustat's bass output is 30hz more than enough in a 13x20x8 feet condo living room i don't think that the problem was with the amplifier but more with the Focal speakers.
 
#29 ·
Thanks for the links - awesome stuff. A pair of MBL 101 Mk IIIs powered by those equally amazing 9011 amps is definitely a dream system for me. The linked video gives me that fizzy feeling James May gets from certain cars (if only the audio were perfect, which it isn't via my computer). I'll never forget my surprise when I knelt next to a 9011 that had been pounding the snot out of a pair of 101Es all day long and there was only one small area that was even warm. It was counterintuitive to look at all of that heat sinking on an amp that was being driven hard for hours on end, but all of it was just above room temperature - remarkable gear!

 
#32 ·
I listenend to the Consequence with these Primare mono blocks for me that is a die hard panel guy it was one of few boxed speaker i could live with.

 
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