One Amigo Visits South East Asia and Hears Some Amazing Systems

[Steve Williams]

Speaking of Miss Universe....You've got one in Cathy Steve!

Salamat my good friend

 

[Steve Williams]

Not sure if any of guys reading this ever remembered listening to Paul Harvey on the radio. IIRC he came from KLS Chicago but transmitted everywhere. I even heard him while growing up in Toronto. He always had a segment that he finished with that he called " And now you know the rest of the story"

Ive saved the best for last. Our trip to Palawan and Jack and Margie Duavit"

That'll come tomorrow and then you'll all know the rest of the story

 

[the sound of Tao]

Thank you Steve, all kinds of wonderful going on in your trip and it was extraordinary seeing into the rooms of Jack and Jim especially but just as great to see all the others you listened to as well as each seems a valuable and fun shared moment. Sure the music helped bring it all together for you all.

 

[JackD201]

Thank you Jack

Thank YOU Steve! While all of us slavishly tweak and tune ultimately to satisfy ourselves, it is always a huge pat on the back when one's work is appreciated by others as well. Thanks for never holding anything back. I say this for all of us here, we can't wait to have you back on this side of the world!

 

[jadis]

Speaking of Miss Universe....You've got one in Cathy Steve!

+1.

And I like Cathy's laughter at my cheap jokes and other jokes with the group. She's got a great sense of humor.

 

[jadis]

Thank YOU Steve! While all of us slavishly tweak and tune ultimately to satisfy ourselves, it is always a huge pat on the back when one's work is appreciated by others as well. Thanks for never holding anything back. I say this for all of us here, we can't wait to have you back on this side of the world!

A big PLUS 1 !!

 

[Steve Williams]

As in most things "all roads lead to Rome" Nothing will ever replace the live event but in the manner in which we get to our own Valhalla is what counts.

So many happy people in the Philippines

This crazy hobby can be costly but for me the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is not only the sound but so also the friendships that come as a result thereof.

 

[cjf]

Very Cool!!

These rooms look massive, especially the last one shown. The ceilings alone look 20' high

 

[Steve Williams]

14'

 

[WLVCA]

What a great report, Steve. Thank you.

...and thanks to all of you in the Philippines who shared your homes and incredible audio equipment.

Just amazing.

 

[RBFC]

Absolutely wonderful, certainly great systems but even more so, the people who make it so special! Always fun to live vicariously through your adventures, Steve!

Confirms what I already knew about several of our great members here.

Lee

 

[fas42]

I stated last year that David's room (ddk) was the most natural sound I have ever heard. Jim's system takes this many steps further with an absolutely seamless top to bottom end. The bass was perfect and never once cried out to be the center of attraction. In fact nothing in the system drew attention to itself.The music was as perfect and real as I have ever heard. Once again there was complete suspension of disbelief as I was transported from the concert hall to the jazz club to the soloist to small chamber music. Everything was perfect and on a scale so grand that I had to call the entire system unobtainium because such a system with a similar room anywhere in the universe just doesn't exist.

Steve, this was excellent to hear - it is very important that such systems are brought into existence, to demonstrate what is possible with the art and science of audio reproduction; it sets a benchmark which others can aspire to, and serves to "prove" that glorious sound, at remarkable levels of quality, is achievable if sufficient intent and effort are brought to bear on the project.

Thanks for documenting your impressions and thoughts on these systems ...

 

[jimmy]

Hi Steve,

It's great to know that you and Cathy had a good, safe trip home and that you are starting to recover from the jet-lag and the long nights spent here!

Allow me to begin by conveying our most profound thanks to you and Cathy for the great pleasure your company and the time spent with you has brought all of us here. I know I speak for Jack and the rest of us when I say that we are all proud and privileged to have such fine friends as yourselves. While you've only just recently left, you're already sorely missed, my friend!

Thank you very much for your generous words on the system, Steve, I am both humbled and flattered by the observations and comments you've shared. My many thanks as well to the other members for your kind comments. Very much and deeply appreciated, guys.

Reading through your kind report on the system I was genuinely astounded by your memory, Steve! I honestly didn't realize so much could have been remembered specially in the middle of the great time we were all having. As requested, I've listed, below, some notes or details to complement the report...

The actual, finished size of the room is 14 ft. (Height) X 8.5 meters or 27.88 ft. (Width) X 12.5 meters or 41 ft. (Length)

On the Power Cords:

The Zitron Anaconda PC's are used with the 4 X 1,000 W Plate amps driving the Subs in each of the Subwoofer towers, with Sigma HC (20A) PC's connecting each sub-towers Power Distributor (Shunyata A/V's) to the wall. Shunyata Sigma HC's (1m length) are also used as umbilicals between the 2 Triton V2's and their mated Typhons as well as from the Typhon to the duplex to which the Cyclops V2 powering the VAC 450 iQ's is connected.

The 2 Triton V2's, Cyclops V2, VAC 450 iQ's (driving the Mids and Highs of the 111's), VTL Siegfried II's (driving the Mid-Bass/Bass) and all the other primary Front End components of the system use Master Built Ultra PC's; with the exception of the Lapizator Komputer, which uses the Master Built Signature PC. Only the Doshi (mated to the furthest A820) uses the Sigma Analog. The other Front End components on the left side of the room, namely the VTL 7.5 S3, the A80 and it's accompanying K/C tape pre as well as the ATR 102 and Aria all use either Sigma Analog or Zitron Anaconda PC's. Separately, the A820's in the system are powered through Alpha HC PC's, and the 2 Tech Das PSU-Compressor's via the older gen Shunyata Cobra's.

On the Interconnects:

The audio signals of the system are routed through Master Built Ultra IC's, which is the same cabling Albert used throughout the 111's. The exceptions being the use of Kubala-Sosna Elation series cabling, for both the Phantom Elite tonearms (on the AF2), the USB cable between the Lampi Komputer and GG Balanced, the outputs of both the K/C tape pre (A80) and the Aria (ATR 102) to their respective inputs at the VTL 7.5 S3 and a pair of long run Kubala-Sosna Emotion series cables, which connect the main outputs of the VTL 7.5 S3 to the "By-pass" input of the VAC Statement Linestage. A german cable (Sommer) is also presently in use between the 3rd Doshi and the VAC Linestage with very satisfying results.

On the Cartridges:

The Telos and the Talea II (on the AF1) presently have the Lyra Atlas and the Fuuga carts mounted, respectively, with the 2 Graham Elites (on the AF2) fitted with the Koetsu Jasper Diamond (on the 12") and the Airtight Opus 1 (on the 10").

The Koetsu Moss Agate if cut from a different stone than the Jasper. I am not sure how many Moss Agates there are, but do vaguely recall that there may have been 10 to 12 Jaspers finished from the "mother stone" from which the cart bodies were cut.

The above appears to be it for now, Steve. Quite a lengthy post from a lurker!

My many thanks once again for everything, my friend. I look forward to seeing you again soon with much anticipation.

my very best and warmest regards, always,

Jim

 

[marty]

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous report. Steve, yours is a well-written and well-told story that made me feel as though I experienced some of what you described first hand. And there's apparently more to come!! I'm so impressed with the dedication and seriousness of the esteemed hard core audiophiles you visited. They do our hobby proud! I feel so fortunate to hear their stories and learn about their systems.
Marty

 

[Al M.]

What a great report, Steve. Thank you.

...and thanks to all of you in the Philippines who shared your homes and incredible audio equipment.

Just amazing.

+1

 

[mullard88]

On post #3, going into Jack's room for me is like entering a real concert hall, walking through the stairs and then a short corridor then into the hall. The last time I visited before our get together was about 2 years ago when I brought my construction to view and listen to what a music room is. They commented that time flies so fast when one is enjoying music played so beautifully. At that time, the speakers were the VR9s. For my taste, I feel the VR11s are visually better matching in proportions to the size of the room. My first reaction when I entered this time was the room does not feel as large as before. I remember Jack told me before that the room was the most important part of his house. He had the room built and had the house added above it. The living room is above his music room and has the exact 5 meters by 7 meters dimension. This was the room that made me resolve to rebuild my music room.

 

[mullard88]

on post #8, this the 4th music room of Philip that I have listened in since meeting Philip. The first time I met Philip, he had a listening room in his factory. I understand his father was not too happy as Philip had difficulties shutting down his music after the lunch break and could not get back to the office in time even though both his music room and office were in the same building. The second one was in his old house. I think his dad forced him to bring home his music so that it won't interfere with work. I remember his concerns at that time about replacing so many tubes in his ARC SP10 when tube replacement time comes around. This was not much of a room as I remember it but more like a space in front of his bedroom. He then had a purpose-built music room above his garage constructed. One has to go up a spiral staircase to reach this room. I was really amazed at the efforts expended to bring all the equipment up through the spiral staircase which was narrow. Then Philip tore down the old house and built this one. He told me that he instructed his architect to include a music room in the plan. To his shock his architect designed a room for having tea and chatting the afternoon away with a shelf that had a boom box on top for music. I remember this very well that I brought my construction gang to visit Jack's and Dafos's music rooms.

 

[mullard88]

On post#11, I recall this room is quite empty, there's a lot of space in front of the listening position. Philip told me he likes hearing good imaging and after visiting this room, I left feeling that it was designed primarily to enhance imaging. Whenever we both attend the same Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra concert, Philip would be seated at the center of the second row because he wanted to experience imaging in a live performance.

 

[jadis]

on post #8, this the 4th music room of Philip that I have listened in since meeting Philip. The first time I met Philip, he had a listening room in his factory. I understand his father was not too happy as Philip had difficulties shutting down his music after the lunch break and could not get back to the office in time even though both his music room and office were in the same building. The second one was in his old house. I think his dad forced him to bring home his music so that it won't interfere with work. I remember his concerns at that time about replacing so many tubes in his ARC SP10 when tube replacement time comes around. This was not much of a room as I remember it but more like a space in front of his bedroom. He then had a purpose-built music room above his garage constructed. One has to go up a spiral staircase to reach this room. I was really amazed at the efforts expended to bring all the equipment up through the spiral staircase which was narrow. Then Philip tore down the old house and built this one. He told me that he instructed his architect to include a music room in the plan. To his shock his architect designed a room for having tea and chatting the afternoon away with a shelf that had a boom box on top for music. I remember this very well that I brought my construction gang to visit Jack's and Dafos's music rooms.

Sam,

Thanks for rekindling the memories. In a way, those were the good old days. I learned a lot from actual experiences with regards to music rooms. In those days, there were not much acoustic engineers or experts and there was no internet, so I just relied on the yellow pages for acoustic materials. Then I experimented.

You have a good memory as indeed my music room in my factory compound gave my father fits as to my work time. Later on, I decided to buy a pair of Boston Acoustics bookshelves to play in my office itself, after office hours. At one time, I had 4 music systems, and an example of embarrassment of riches then, I had one system outside my bathroom so when I shower, I blared up some disco music.

And exactly right, my architect drew this, with pride, for my music room, which to my shock and consternation, led me to imagine a room for Nixon, Kissinger, Mao and Chou en lai.



I asked where was I supposed to put my speakers and components. He said, behind the chairs, there's a nice rack for you to put your boom box system. So Sam, that's why you brought your team to Jack's and Jerry's.

Btw, after I saw the music room drawing of my architect, I told him to put his input and ideas in the whole house except the music room. Which was my best and kindest way to tell him hands off the music room cuz it's not going to be as pretty as he wants. He was not too happy about it but when the room was finally done, he asked me to play something for him because he wants to know why i made the room as it is now. Upon hearing the first LP, which was a female vocals album of Mary Black's Babes in the Woods, he slouched down in his chair in a totally relaxed mode, and almost went into trance from the music!

 

[jadis]

On post#11, I recall this room is quite empty, there's a lot of space in front of the listening position. Philip told me he likes hearing good imaging and after visiting this room, I left feeling that it was designed primarily to enhance imaging. Whenever we both attend the same Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra concert, Philip would be seated at the center of the second row because he wanted to experience imaging in a live performance.

True Sam, if there's anything I want to be spooked with in my music room, it's the eerie images and the placements of voices and instruments in the sound stage. The eerier the better.