Analog system
Two Mcintosh MC30s (SED 6L6GCs, Telfunken 12AU7s, RCA blackcaps, etc.). Refurbed by DeWick Repairs.
JuicyMusic Audio Tercel phono stage with Cream (LOMC option), AuriCaps, and Xtreme power supply upgrade. I bought the kit pre-built, but boy is this thing good.
Audio Research Corporation SP-6B tube preamp, with Amperex orange globe 6922s. Purchased refurbed from Wilson Audio in New Orleans. Amazingly transparent preamp, and the best I’ve ever had in the system.
Dynaco ST70 with SDS Labs capacitor board from Triode Electronics and JJ EL34s. You can see pictures of it here.
SOLD: Wright-Sound WPL11V. It was cool, but I needed two phono inputs.
SOLD: JuicyMusic Audio Peach with a cryo’d ElectroHarmonix 6922 with a Herbie Halo on it, two Jan-Phillips 6922s and 12X4, silicone ring dampers on all tubes.
Solid state system
McIntosh MC-2505 amplifier. Refurbed by DeWick Repairs.
McIntosh MR-74 tuner. Refurbed by DeWick Repairs.
McIntosh C-28 preamplifier. Refurbed by DeWick Repairs.
McIntosh MI-3 Maximum Performance Indicator.
Speakers
1977 Klipsch Cornwalls, rewired with DNM Reson cable straight to terminal board and damped with plumber’s caulk. Installed Bob Crite’s rebuilt crossovers. Rebuilt the tweeters.
Cabling
Speaker wires: Clear Day Cables between amps and speakers. Total giant killers; they beat Blue Jeans and DNM Reson by a mile. It was freaky how much these things opened up the sound stage.
Interconnects: Hand-made silver cables made by a guy in England (I don’t want to let my secret out). I keep Nordost Black Knights, Zu Oxyfuels, and AudioQuest Coral as spares.
Phono: The hand-made silver cables mentioned above. They trumped my Zu Cable Xaus.
Power: Ironlung Jellyfish PCs most everywhere.
Video: HDMI cables from Blue Jeans Cable.
Digital sources
Oppo BDP-95. A giant killer. The digital playback is awesome.
TubeMagic D1 DAC. Nice for the price, and plenty of inputs. Good headphone stage, too.
SOLD: Zhaolu D2.5C DAC, dampened. Does a very nice job with the output from my DVR via Toslink.
Analog sources
Stereo playback, table one: refurbed Garrard Lab 80. It sounded so good I sold the VPI Scout.
SOLD: VPI Scout turntable, with JMW9 Signature tonearm. Got tired of the tweaky thing.
Stereo and mono playback, table 2: Technics SL1200MK2 with KAB tonearm fluid damper and dampened chassis. I play it with my Zu Denon DL-103R and a Grado mono cart.
Tweaks and isolation
Herbie’s Tenderfeet under damn near every component. These replaced a bunch of Isoblocks and ceramic cones and provided far, far better low-level detail and air, especially in the CDP. Herbie’s Big Fat Dots under the Cornwalls made an incredible improvement on focus and imaging. Various Herbie’s Ultrasonic rings on tubes.
Hi-fi dealer and online sources
Brick-and-mortar: Concert Sound, in Austin, Texas.
Online: AudioAsylum, AudioKarma, and Steve Hoffman’s sites.
Gene,
Thanks for the Scout pics. Btw, I lived in NOLA 92-’95. Hung out at Wilson Audio a number of times and another store that opened on Meterie Road, iirc. Like to hear the ARC Pre Amp some time.
I have an ARC VT100. (And do plenty of work on my ’74 Z as well, for what its worth…)
Steve