Visit to Marc C.'s (SpiritOfMusic's) House in England

[spiritofmusic]

Guys, you are v welcome
Will do our best to look after visitors as well as we did Ron.
I can't QUITE put on a sound as exemplary as Mike Lavigne, but I'm doing my darndest LOL.
Jack, the Eera is stupendous in this room.
Daydream for a moment, and as you "enter the room", you'd swear an lp was playing.
No ****!
I absolutely hate the fact that the moment I get rbcd to lock in, I have to find the cash for a dac to rival the Eera, and a streamer.
Good news, I think I've hit on the one.
Next year begins my "great" streamer/dac journey. Only of interest to insomniacs everywhere LOL.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I just want to take this opportunity to
1- Really pass my thanks to Ron for the great report and photos.
I was amazed he wanted to spend the day w me since his time over here was so limited and I'm not exactly convenient for London anymore. And I'm digital only at the moment.
What you see w Ron is who he is, one of the most charming, polite and enthusiastic guys in this hobby, a delight to know.
2- And I'm really touched by such a unanimous round of support from everyone.
I know so many of you have expended a ton of effort into yr systems, mine is just another interesting example of what can be achieved. The house is the most amazing slice of luck.
---
So, thanks Ron, and you guys out there.

 

[rockitman]

Excellent photo's Ron. Impressive room and set up Spirit. You have a lot of room to work with...

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, David and Christian!

 

[Diapason]

I showed my wife the photos of your house and location, as promised. Her reaction was something along the lines of "f*** that guy".

That's the highest praise there is!!

 

[spiritofmusic]

Form an orderly queue LOL.
Audiophilia is of no interest to most women.
But a nice house, garden, cats, well that's another matter.
Tell yr wife I'm chuffed.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ron, you should have stuck around.
My SR Black fuses have started to go in.
Just Zu subs and Eera cdp to begin.
Just how many more veils are there to be removed.
Because a whole bunch have just come down.
Ron, you'd be even more into cds right now if you were listening today!
I can proudly declare that the room acoustics have produced the biggest bang for the buck ever in my audiophile life.
This is evident to anyone w ears and a brain.
Creating the bespoke power grid to the room completed the miracle.
And now w the system fully revealed and expressive, further changes in power and isolation are taking the system on a real joyride.
First the two Stacores continue to declutter and calm the sound.
Note, I don't mean reduce dynamics, I mean provide less barrier to swings in dynamics and to transparency.
The Stacores just instill the ability for the music to rise from a much lower system- and room-induced mechanical noise floor.
Then my upgraded Sablon Reserva to Reserva Elite power cords are just nailing solidity and foundation in the system, w bass that is naturally warm but no lack of agility, allowing mids and high frequencies to rise unfettered.
What's fascinating is that the move to Elites really is very dramatic, and no way can their effect be ignored.
Total triumph in my system.
And now a fascinating synergy btwn the Sablons/Elites and the Stacores.
Full blooded, but never lumpy, linear, but never boring, energetic, but never tiring, Sablons, and Stacores, are really worth their wait in gold.
And now SR Black fuses.
Yep, more loveliness.
Fuses in the Zu subs, a certain tendency to tilt a bit up, obv a fair amount of bass bloat dealt with there.
Then fuse in the cdp, a fantastic rebalancing w the previous slightly over energetic top end counterbalanced w amazing texture and palpability.
So now we're getting a continuous, apparently open ended realisation of my sound's potential, the room opening up possibilities never even glimpsed in London, and amazing upstick w Stacore, Sablon, SR, all of which seem really invaluable.
Of these, only Sablon was a constant in my system in my old room, and its effects there were v dramatic too.
But w my room so allowing the system to truly open up, these additional changes are so positively dramatic.
Congrats to Jarek of Stacore, Mark of Sablon, the SR team.

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Congrats on the new setup Marc!

 

[Rodney Gold]

Great space marc I wish you well to use it and may your next eargasm be better than your last...

 

[spiritofmusic]

Thanks Joshua
At the "gilding the lily" stage now, save for a move to streamer/dac.
So transformed is my digital here that
1- my analog will have to be TRULY stellar to outperform it when it gets reinstalled w all its various mods.
2- for the first time in my life, I'm considering spending a massive sum on my digital not my analog.
2- I'm diving headlong into the shark infested computer audio world
I've pencilled in a dac which by all accounts is a really very special performer, for no money in high end terms (I'm only going to identify it if I buy it), pair it with a good entry level streamer like Auralic or Inuous.
This should give me sound from streaming I'll really find v acceptable.
If I really get the bug, or Heaven forbid start to choose to want to listen to digital over analog, then I make a once and final streamer upgrade to one of: Aurender W10, Computer Audio Design CAT, Antipodes DX, or my likely destination, SGM.
For me to consider £20k on SGM plus mystery dac, over a Kuzma Stabi M, or GPA Parabolica etc etc, is a real testament to how good my room is, but also how revealing while maintaining tonal density the upgrades thru Stacore, Sablon Elites, SR Bs has been.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Rodney, well those are happening thick and fast.
TBH, I thought I may have been fooling myself a bit.
Audiophiles have been known to be a bit self congratulatory from time to time .
I'm no exception.
5 years ago at the height of me crowing about my sound, I had a guest who slated my sound for having no dynamics.
He was dead right, as the upgrade to balanced power proved.
Then 3 years ago, Ked came over and slated the rest LOL.
He was right, as the upgrade to room has proved.
18 months ago, Barry/Blue58 came up and slated a lot too.
He was right, as my move to all-Sablon Reservas cables w US plugs proved.
So you can see how the same trend could have continued here.
Well, Barrys been up as well as Ron, and they've vindicated what I've achieved, plus any number of other visitors who don't want to leave the room .
Barry2013 is up next, and believe it or not Ked, the man who'd rather be painting his toenails than listen to my Zus .
Now, HE is one tough cookie to impress.

 

[PeterA]

Thanks Joshua
At the "gilding the lily" stage now, save for a move to streamer/dac.
So transformed is my digital here that
1- my analog will have to be TRULY stellar to outperform it when it gets reinstalled w all its various mods.
2- for the first time in my life, I'm considering spending a massive sum on my digital not my analog.
2- I'm diving headlong into the shark infested computer audio world
I've pencilled in a dac which by all accounts is a really very special performer, for no money in high end terms (I'm only going to identify it if I buy it), pair it with a good entry level streamer like Auralic or Inuous.
This should give me sound from streaming I'll really find v acceptable.
If I really get the bug, or Heaven forbid start to choose to want to listen to digital over analog, then I make a once and final streamer upgrade to one of: Aurender W10, Computer Audio Design CAT, Antipodes DX, or my likely destination, SGM.
For me to consider £20k on SGM plus mystery dac, over a Kuzma Stabi M, or GPA Parabolica etc etc, is a real testament to how good my room is, but also how revealing while maintaining tonal density the upgrades thru Stacore, Sablon Elites, SR Bs has been.

Marc, if you so enjoy your digital now, why are you planning to change it? I will be curious to read your impressions after you have a chance to listen to your upgraded/modded analog front end. And I am a bit confused. Just a little while ago you started a thread about investing in your "last" analog source, but now you seem more focused on improving your already stellar digital. Could you explain your current thinking about where you want to put your resources and why? Perhaps your room and electric supply plus Stacore are now allowing you to truly hear your components and their interaction and this has a new and profound effect on your plans.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Peter, I'm an unashamed RBCD man.
Computer Audio fills me w dread
And until 6 months ago, despite my Eera being great, it was never SO good that I'd ever consider preferring digital.
Well, the unthinkable has happened.
My room, grid impvts, recent upgrades have supercharged my digital.
One of my two lines in the sand has been crossed (mids tonal density, upper bass textural palpability, tonal variation btwn recordings), and the second one almost (jump factor, dynamic noise floor) - cds here still not quite having the shock and awe of analog.
This is radical for me, like a change of religion if I'm honest.
So many cds really feel like I'm listening to vinyl.
Now, I'm not ditching vinyl, I love great vinyl and hear good setups at least once every couple of months, and I know what I want to achieve with a whole bunch of mods to my current setup, and I know Stacore will max things out.
And now we have the world of computer audio, w new music to find, and whole classical and jazz library awaiting.
So w digital so peaking in my mind, my 100% positive experience w SGM/Tidal/Roon/HQP over the last 18 months, and deeply held belief that if i TRULY want to beat where my digital is and where SGM can take it, I'll have to find 2x SGM budget on SME 30/12, Kronos, AF2, GPA Monaco 2.0, TW Black Knight.
I can't contemplate this.
For the very first time, I'm more excited by digital than analog.
Yes, yes, I know I haven't listened to analog regularly in 18 months, I may be talking out of my arse, it's just how I feel deeply.
Digital has taken a big leap in my system, this is no understatement.
Just ask Ron, he couldn't get enough.
PS cannot use my Eera in computer audio, no Digital IN Jack, so new dac and streamer needed.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you for the very kind words, Marc (but I think the hyperbole police have been notified).

It was my pleasure to visit you and Irana.

Christian, yes the space gives Marc a lot of flexibility. It is great to have so much space behind the listening position, and the flexibility of a 10' x 10' equipment room.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ron, the police have more important things to do, we should be left to exaggerate and hyperbolise (is that a word?) as much as we like!
Anyhow, you're welcome to return when the tt is in and you can complete yr report.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Peter, one last thing.
I hate Computer Audio as a medium.
With a passion.
For me to finally have got where I want w my RBCD, and now have to find significant extra expense, grr!
I have high hopes for this new dac, and if it "does" for me w an inexpensive streamer like Auralic Aries or Inuous Zen, I'll be happy to stick and not go stupid spend on SGM etc.
However, if I find I'm discovering album after album not on cd or lp, and I truly want best quality, than SGM spend will happen.
What I'm fairly certain of is that uber spendy analog upgrade is less and less likely to happen.

 

[DaveC]

Nice system and nice home, congrats!

 

[Rodney Gold]

Marc .. get a roon ready DAC and either use ethernet or wireless to it..this is where the bucks should be spent..tons to choose from

https://kb.roonlabs.com/Partner_Devices_Matrix

Roon is a marvel and combined with tidal will do you real good and get you out of the luddite state of mind
You dont need any fancy puters for Roon and control is via an ipad/droid pad..undoubtedly you have a wireless network in the house..

dont get sucked into the maelstrom of snake oil surrounding computer audio

Very simple to set up and Roon user interface is by far one of the best..it has room correction and some other stuff built in
My pal who is 74 recently went big time into computer audio .. he is no IT geek..(he has analog as well) and he managed.
computer audio is the same as cd audio.. you just are managing a huge virtual jukebox.

 

[Ron Resnick]

. . . I hate Computer Audio as a medium.
With a passion . . .

+1

I am never connecting a computer to the stereo.

 

[bonzo75]

+1

I am never connecting a computer to the stereo.

Ron, you can rip files from your AS using Tascam and stream them to a dac