Here it is folks. Last sneak preview of the new Legend Achilleas Amplifiers from Aries Cerat before they are completed and shipped to Austin in Billys newly redesigned room.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Full Limited Edition Aries Cerat System Build and World Exclusive LEGEND Series!
- Thread starter Believe High Fidelity
- Start date
Full limited edition system is probably akin to a unicorn for most of us mere mortals.
Nice to watch though.
One listen to Symphonia and you might just start believing in them.
Hi all
I am sorry I have been gone a while. Unfortunately, work and family issues sucked me into the vortex of earthly crises-including a 3 week stay at the Auburn Veterinary hospital in Alabama with our dog. I think Joshua fell into the same abyss so the thread went quiet. A unicorn in Austin means a person who was actually born here and did not migrate from other places. Austin has been so delused by outsiders that we went from quaint colonial to jam packed urban in a short span but back to the thread...Since all the gear has been manufactured and acquired, the only Unicornesque aspect of the build is the construction of the room itself.
Most of the delay was initially a result of acoustic consultation(Sound Sense)that resulted in a plan to replace the ceiling with a material called Star Silent. This material would absorb high and mid frequencies and allow the attic to act as as a big bass trap. Once the computer spit out the appropriate echo readings considerable work went into planning the installation. This included lifting the foundation of the house, removing the ceiling and all the insulation sitting on top of it. Since the house is a ranch from the fifties it was quite a process removing it in an environmentally appropriate fashion. Then new insulation had to be reapplied to the roof with a radiant barrier. My reef began suffering as a result of the construction so we had to find a way to better isolate it. Raising the foundation broke the seal to the glass walls allowing water into the area where the gear is stored during a month of record monsoon rainfall here. We had to reseal the entire outside barrier. In preparation for the new all wood floor(thank David K for this one)we had to remove all the existing flooring which involved two generations of flooring and a ton of rubber from previous underfloor heating. We had to install a more robust electrical supply to the pole as we did not have sufficient juice for the new system and lighting. Since we were removing the ceiling, We took the opportunity to replace the existing lighting with something gentler on the eyes. We also thought that since the ceiling was down we should replace the current network cable with a fiber optic one to better isolate noise from the new NAS. Yes there will be linear power supplies to NAS, router, and all the fiber optic to copper converters along with Telegartner network switches. At this point in time all the above construction is complete and application of the Star Silent ceiling began last week. It’s a tedious process and the installers expect two more weeks to complete. Then we can lay the wood floor. Plywood has already been placed. Curtains have been ordered for the expanse of glass in the front and the rear of the room. They will be backed with acoustic absorbent materials and can be opened and closed to tune the room. Shoji screens were made to block off a sound “anomaly” coming from the kitchen along with tall barstools for the same purpose. Pending is still a light fixture in the kitchen to further diffuse the anomaly and diffusion screens besides the record case to smooth out further audio nasties. The AS-2000 turntable is en route and David is constructing two additional stands to house the audio gear. I hope to seem him and Stavros in January for the initial calibration and system launch. As they say in medicine when you hear hoof beats, look for horses not unicorns. Will try to get some construction pics out this week. Photos are of new Achilles not Legend amps and our dog with feeding tube. Thanks for your patience.
I am sorry I have been gone a while. Unfortunately, work and family issues sucked me into the vortex of earthly crises-including a 3 week stay at the Auburn Veterinary hospital in Alabama with our dog. I think Joshua fell into the same abyss so the thread went quiet. A unicorn in Austin means a person who was actually born here and did not migrate from other places. Austin has been so delused by outsiders that we went from quaint colonial to jam packed urban in a short span but back to the thread...Since all the gear has been manufactured and acquired, the only Unicornesque aspect of the build is the construction of the room itself.
Most of the delay was initially a result of acoustic consultation(Sound Sense)that resulted in a plan to replace the ceiling with a material called Star Silent. This material would absorb high and mid frequencies and allow the attic to act as as a big bass trap. Once the computer spit out the appropriate echo readings considerable work went into planning the installation. This included lifting the foundation of the house, removing the ceiling and all the insulation sitting on top of it. Since the house is a ranch from the fifties it was quite a process removing it in an environmentally appropriate fashion. Then new insulation had to be reapplied to the roof with a radiant barrier. My reef began suffering as a result of the construction so we had to find a way to better isolate it. Raising the foundation broke the seal to the glass walls allowing water into the area where the gear is stored during a month of record monsoon rainfall here. We had to reseal the entire outside barrier. In preparation for the new all wood floor(thank David K for this one)we had to remove all the existing flooring which involved two generations of flooring and a ton of rubber from previous underfloor heating. We had to install a more robust electrical supply to the pole as we did not have sufficient juice for the new system and lighting. Since we were removing the ceiling, We took the opportunity to replace the existing lighting with something gentler on the eyes. We also thought that since the ceiling was down we should replace the current network cable with a fiber optic one to better isolate noise from the new NAS. Yes there will be linear power supplies to NAS, router, and all the fiber optic to copper converters along with Telegartner network switches. At this point in time all the above construction is complete and application of the Star Silent ceiling began last week. It’s a tedious process and the installers expect two more weeks to complete. Then we can lay the wood floor. Plywood has already been placed. Curtains have been ordered for the expanse of glass in the front and the rear of the room. They will be backed with acoustic absorbent materials and can be opened and closed to tune the room. Shoji screens were made to block off a sound “anomaly” coming from the kitchen along with tall barstools for the same purpose. Pending is still a light fixture in the kitchen to further diffuse the anomaly and diffusion screens besides the record case to smooth out further audio nasties. The AS-2000 turntable is en route and David is constructing two additional stands to house the audio gear. I hope to seem him and Stavros in January for the initial calibration and system launch. As they say in medicine when you hear hoof beats, look for horses not unicorns. Will try to get some construction pics out this week. Photos are of new Achilles not Legend amps and our dog with feeding tube. Thanks for your patience.
Attachments
Oh, and the giant speakers in the pic represent Aires-Cerat assault on the state of the art. I have the Symphonias which I love but am thinking of mortgaging some properties to acquire them. I have truly gone over the edge. We all grieve in different ways.
I am sorry to hear about your dog, we have 2 border collies and love them like our our kids.
AC System
You are on the case I see. Room acoustics are a bit of a nightmare, and affect things a lot, especially if you play loud. Yes Aries Cerat, like great wine, you can't stop once you start LOL. I never thought I would be a distributor for example, but TBH it fits my enthusiasm for Stavros's products.
Those horns are the ones at the test room in Cyprus. I have no idea how UPS could ship something that big, but we ship cars around, so must be possible? Totally understand your passion Billy for music, it is a big thing in my life as well.
Billy thank you so much for the update, dogs are family and I hope the little one is getting better. Did you move up from Symphonias to Contendo Reference? I missed that part, please give us your opinion on how they sound compared to the Symphonias when you are able to.TIA.
Some pictures of the top (output) chassis of Achilleas..
Just shipped is the Flagship Bespoke FCL arm from Primary Control being added as one of the 4 new arms in the system finished in Satin housing with Curly Birch
Hello Billy and Aries dealers,
Any more info on the cool new horns. Drivers, crossover points etc.
Cheers
Any more info on the cool new horns. Drivers, crossover points etc.
Cheers
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