My main goal for a high end system is truth of timbre and articulation.

MartinLogan Odyssey - heavily modified, Mundorf crossover (CFC-14 coils & Supreme caps) & M6 binding posts, Mundorf woofer attenuators, structural modifications; see this and this
REL Stadium III
Spectral DMA-500AR monoblocks
Spectral DMC-30SV
Spectral SDR-3000 xport
Berkeley Alpha DAC modified
VPI Aries 3 table w/ liquid-floating platter/10.5i arm modified/SDS speed controller - granite, Sorbothane, & EAR Isodamp C-1002 isolation
Ortofon A90 cartridge
Pass XP-25 phono heavily modified - see this and video
Revox B77 MkII R2R
Nakamichi Dragon modified by Willy Hermann Services
Magnum Dynalab Etude FM modified
MIT Matrix 50ic & Matrix HD90.1, MIT MA-X AES/EBU; MIT MA-X phono; Kimber Hero - all with custom shielding
MIT Z Strips; Shunyata Black Mamba CX/HC power cords; MIT Magnum Z-Trap
Shunyata Typhon
Zoethecus stand

System close-up

Amplifier detail - protection, driver stage, output stage with individually regulated power supplies per output device

Preamp detail
Mods/Tweaks: Bass attenuation with adjustable Mundorf 60W 0.5 or 1.16 Ohm resistor network; 2.2 Ohm in-series with 10" woofer; aluminum 10"" woofer; custom-designed Mundorf crossover; Sorbothane & aircraft-grade EAR Isodamp C-1002 isolation under turntable. The speakers' + sub frequency response (RadioShack SPL meter, corrected as per Rives) at the listening position is as follows (ref at 1kHz):

Some great recordings I use for evaluation:
Classical:
Other:
More pics at http://www.whatsbestforum.com/album.php?albumid=8
ack

MartinLogan Odyssey - heavily modified, Mundorf crossover (CFC-14 coils & Supreme caps) & M6 binding posts, Mundorf woofer attenuators, structural modifications; see this and this
REL Stadium III
Spectral DMA-500AR monoblocks
Spectral DMC-30SV
Spectral SDR-3000 xport
Berkeley Alpha DAC modified
VPI Aries 3 table w/ liquid-floating platter/10.5i arm modified/SDS speed controller - granite, Sorbothane, & EAR Isodamp C-1002 isolation
Ortofon A90 cartridge
Pass XP-25 phono heavily modified - see this and video
Revox B77 MkII R2R
Nakamichi Dragon modified by Willy Hermann Services
Magnum Dynalab Etude FM modified
MIT Matrix 50ic & Matrix HD90.1, MIT MA-X AES/EBU; MIT MA-X phono; Kimber Hero - all with custom shielding
MIT Z Strips; Shunyata Black Mamba CX/HC power cords; MIT Magnum Z-Trap
Shunyata Typhon
Zoethecus stand

System close-up

Amplifier detail - protection, driver stage, output stage with individually regulated power supplies per output device

Preamp detail
Mods/Tweaks: Bass attenuation with adjustable Mundorf 60W 0.5 or 1.16 Ohm resistor network; 2.2 Ohm in-series with 10" woofer; aluminum 10"" woofer; custom-designed Mundorf crossover; Sorbothane & aircraft-grade EAR Isodamp C-1002 isolation under turntable. The speakers' + sub frequency response (RadioShack SPL meter, corrected as per Rives) at the listening position is as follows (ref at 1kHz):

Some great recordings I use for evaluation:
Classical:
- Holst: The Planets/Mehta Los Angeles Phil/LP Decca 6529 and XRCD24
- Holst: The Planets/Buzz Brass/Fidelio LP FALP028
- Bruch: Scottish Fantasia/Horenstein LSO Oistrakh/LP Decca 6035
- Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique/Kojian Utah Symphony/Reference Recordings LP RR-11
- Berlioz: Requiem/Abravanel Utah Symphony/Vanguard LP VCS10070
- Dvorak: CTO for Cello & Orchestra/Janos Starker/Dorati-LSO/Mercury LP SR90303
- Rimsky Korsakov: Scheherazade/Reiner-CSO/RCA LP
- Mahler: Symphony #2/BSO, Ozawa/Philips 420824-2
- Mahler: Symphony #2/LSO-Solti/Decca LP
- Brahms: Violin CTO/Heifetz-Reiner-CSO/RCA LP
- Beethoven: Appasssionata/Kamiya playing the Bosendorfer Imperial/RCA Direct-to-disc LP RDCE-4
- Beethoven: Violin CTO/Heifetz-Munch-BSO/RCA LP
- Beethoven: Symphony #9/Solti-SCO/Decca LP
- Mozart: Symphonia Concertante/Oistrakh/Decca LP
- Charpentier: Te Deum/Harmonia Mundi CD 901298
- Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man/Oue, Minnesota/Reference Recordings 93
- Guilmant: Symphony #1 for Organ and Orchestra/Tracey, BBC Phil/Chandos 9271
- Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances/Oue, Minnesota/Reference Recordings LP RM-1504
- Rutter: Requiem/RR 57
- Saints/Saens: Symphony #3: Telarc 80274 LP. Also BSO/Munch/XRCD24
- Shostakovich: Violin Concertos No1 op.99, No2 op.99/Scottish National Orch,Jarvi,Lydia Mordkovich/Chandos 8820
- Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition/CSO, Reiner/XRCD2
- Ramirez: Misa Criolla/Jose Carreras/Philips 420955-2
- Stravinsky: Rite of Spring/Oue, Minnesota/RR 70
- Mozart: Requiem/Dorian 90310
- Various: Joel Fan: World Keys (piano)/RR 106
- Britten: Britten's Orchestra/RR 120
- Liszt: Nojima Plays Liszt/RR 25
- Pipe Organ: Felix Hell; Mary Preston/RR 101 and 113
- Orff: Carmina Burana/Telarc 10056 LP (BTW, this is back in print)
Other:
- Jarrett, Peacock, DeJohnette: Inside Out/ECM 1780
- Dick Hyman: From the age of Swing/RR 59
- Miles Daivs: Kind of Blue/Columbia LP
- Brubeck: Take Five/Columbia LP
- Paquito D'Rivera: Portraits of Cuba/Chesky JD145
- Mongo Santamaria: Mambo Mongo/Chesky JD100
- Bill Evans Trio: Sunday at the Village Vanguard/XRCD
- Keith Jarrett: La Scala/ECM 1640
- Proteus 7: For Your Ears Only/Dorian xCD 90258
- Krall: Live In Paris/ORG LP
More pics at http://www.whatsbestforum.com/album.php?albumid=8
ack

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