ack's system - end of round 1

Mike

VIP/Donor
Jan 28, 2012
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Madison, New Jersey
Back to ack...I wonder if people get told to be careful navigating the stairs, so that the don't get too close to the speaker. Very impressive system!
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
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Boston, MA
Hi,

Thanks for the great pictures. I hope you don't mind if I mention a few things. Spectral recommends 12" of airspace above the preamp. You can have a little less. Your preamp could eventually develop problems do to overheating. In your case, a cooling fan should be used. Also, we would suggest that you don't put the DMA-360 on top of a subwoofer. I assume you always put your SDR-3000 in standby when not in use. If not, be sure you do!

Great and welcome feedback - especially coming from a great dealer. Yes I use a fan on top of the preamp (and the Alpha; see last pic in the first page) - have had my own share of heat-related issues with Spectrals even when ventilated as prescribed. Yes the 3000 is in standby when not playing. The amp on the sub - I have no choice at the moment. At some point I am going to get an isolation platform, like the HRS. Thanks again; wish you could hear the modified Odysseys with the Mundorf crossover...
 
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ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Back to ack...I wonder if people get told to be careful navigating the stairs, so that the don't get too close to the speaker. Very impressive system!

The picture is misleading; the corner of the speaker is flush to the wall. Thanks!
 

TMenacker

Well-Known Member
Feb 11, 2012
40
0
311
Hi ACK,

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I couldn't see the fans. I'd like to hear your system sometime. I'm sure it sounds great!

BR,

T
 

TMenacker

Well-Known Member
Feb 11, 2012
40
0
311
Hi ACK,

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I couldn't see the fans. I'd like to hear your system sometime. I'm sure it sounds great!

BR,

T
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
VPI isolation

My custom solution relies on sorbothane balls and EAR Isodamp C-1002 for the Aries feet, sorbothane sheet and C-1002 on top of cork plates for the motor, and a 55-lb granite shelf supported by Stillpoints and C-1002 - exceptional results.

stillpoints-2..JPG

aries-3-motor-2..JPG

aries-3-feet-3..JPG
 
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ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
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Boston, MA
Mundorf crossover

M6 binding posts, Supreme caps + Vishay 1639 bypass, CFC-14 coils

Woofer crossover:
IMG_5185-2..jpg

Panel crossover - not very tidy, but works; big cap banks on the floor:
IMG_4620-2..jpg

A panel capacitor bank:
IMG_4285-2..JPG

M6:
IMG_5227-2..jpg
 
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ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Odyssey Resonance Management

Stinger RoadKill in the cabinet, EAR Isodamp C-1002 under the feet, custom granite and sorbothane sheet panel pillar reinforcement

IMG_5340-2..jpg

IMG_5345-2..jpg
 
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ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
The finishing touches

Cardas Clear jumpers, CLX power cord

IMG_5347-2..jpg
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Why didn't you biwire instead of jumpers?
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Why didn't you biwire instead of jumpers?

The MIT/Spectral cables don't come biwired, plus sometimes I plug in a Caddock-resistor bass attenuator network(not shown) between the red leads (hence the bananas there, which are used to easily bypass it).
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
While others are bickering why threads are marked sticky and what Harman Intl is doing or not, I can happily report that I am having a blast of a Friday with RR-101 and RR-113 - two all-organ HDCDs that the system can now play with no strain or obvious distortion, completely under control and full of composure, albeit the obvious lack of sheer volume. This was not possible before the crossover and structural mods. I will need a second REL Stadium III at some point to move more air.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
While others are bickering why threads are marked sticky and what Harman Intl is doing or not, I can happily report that I am having a blast of a Friday with RR-101 and RR-113 - two all-organ HDCDs that the system can now play with no strain or obvious distortion, completely under control and full of composure, albeit the obvious lack of sheer volume. This was not possible before the crossover and structural mods. I will need a second REL Stadium III at some point to move more air.

Hell why not a triple stack per channel? :)
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Ah, that would require me being quite a bit a better husband, or in layman's terms, that would involve more frequent trips to her favorite jeweler :D
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Done with speaker mods

I think I have finally finished with all speaker mods - recent minor adjustments to the woofer crossover values plus final structural reinforcements have yielded the frequency response results at the bottom... The speakers really sound very linear.

IMG_5521-2.JPG

FR before:
Odyssey-Frequency-Response-Before.jpg

FR after structural changes and woofer crossover tweaking - notice panel smoothing:
Odyssey-Frequency-Response-After.jpg
 

Audioseduction

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2010
178
8
925
FLORIDA
Very cool!
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
The DMA-400RS

The DMA-400RS - an extraordinary amplifier

400RS-1.jpg

400RS-2.jpg

400RS-3.jpg
 
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ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Further crossover modifications and MIT cabling

Further crossover modifications and MIT cabling

Odyssey-Frequency-Response-New-MIT-Rear-Woofer-Attenuation.jpg
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
9,481
17
0
How come on the front motherboard the connector on the left is not seated correctly?
 

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