Most extreme Von Schweikert system on the planet?

[jimmy]

Hi Steve,

How've you been, my friend? It's been such a long time since Jack and I visited! I trust all is well. I was elated to hear that you will be coming over next year and look forward to seeing you and meeting the Mrs. with much anticipation. (So much, if fact, that I am posting for the very first time!)

I noted some questions you had that I will take the opportunity to reply to... the dimensions of the room are 8.5m or 28ft in Width, by 12.5m or 41ft in Length and with a ceiling height of 4.3m/14ft. The RT60 is around .4, post the "re-tuning" Jack referred to earlier which results in neither a "dead" nor "too lively" a room.

I hope your travel plans don't change between now and August... It would be really great to get together after all this time, glass in hand while listening to music! (After a good dinner, of course!)

Very best, Steve. See you soon, my friend!

Jimmy

 

[Steve Williams]

Hi Steve,

How've you been, my friend? It's been such a long time since Jack and I visited! I trust all is well. I was elated to hear that you will be coming over next year and look forward to seeing you and meeting the Mrs. with much anticipation. (So much, if fact, that I am posting for the very first time!)

I noted some questions you had that I will take the opportunity to reply to... the dimensions of the room are 8.5m or 28ft in Width, by 12.5m or 41ft in Length and with a ceiling height of 4.3m/14ft. The RT60 is around .4, post the "re-tuning" Jack referred to earlier which results in neither a "dead" nor "too lively" a room.

I hope your travel plans don't change between now and August... It would be really great to get together after all this time, glass in hand while listening to music! (After a good dinner, of course!)

Very best, Steve. See you soon, my friend!

Jimmy

Hi Jimmy

Thanks for taking time off from your busy schedule to say hello. My wife is indeed on board and I look forward to meeting all of your friends and family as well as some great listening sessions. Anything else is all gravy. Jimmy your room belongs in the Smithsonian

 

[mullard88]

Hi Steve,

Your plan definitely sounds fantastic. I am thrilled as I look forward to meeting you and your wife.

 

[jimmy]

Hi Steve,

It's a pleasure being directly in touch after all this time! It's great to know that the trip is firmly lined-up and that we will finally have a chance to spend some time with you here. Thank you very much for the kind compliment, my friend. Your room does too. Very best and see you after Hong Kong '16!

 

[JackD201]

You're a lurker no more! LOL!

 

[jimmy]

Hi Jack! We'll know if I still am after we see how may posts I will have logged in by 2017... 3 after close to 6 years still makes me one! LOL!

 

[Steve Williams]

Jim

I know time is a premium for you but your room is a jaw dropper and I know members would love to hear some first hand stories about what's in rotation now.

 

[jimmy]

Hi Steve,

I'm (finally!) starting to find how relaxing participating in the forum can be. Yes, the photos in the thread are quite outdated. Are your referring to the equipment that is in use now?

 

[Steve Williams]

Jimmy

your room from the ground up is so special and well constructed. Being in a hot humid climate, there is always concern for tape and perhaps vinyl storage. You have left no stone unturned. I watched Jack's photos and description of the build out and I was simply fascinated. So many arms, turntables and cartridges along with the best of the best reel to reel tape decks I for one as I am sure others as well would love to read about your experiences in your room along with some updated photos Jim. Which table, arm and cartridge is your go to one etc. Finally, we are all waiting to hear, read and see photos of your new VS speakers that you commissioned Albert to build for you. That in and of itself would be great reading for all of the members.

 

[LL21]

Jimmy

your room from the ground up is so special and well constructed. ... I am sure others as well would love to read about your experiences in your room along with some updated photos Jim. Which table, arm and cartridge is your go to one etc. Finally, we are all waiting to hear, read and see photos of your new VS speakers that you commissioned Albert to build for you. That in and of itself would be great reading for all of the members.

+1!

 

[jimmy]

Hi Steve,

I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to commission the design, and subsequently build the room literally from ground up. The structure which houses the Music room (as seen in a photo in this thread) was "designed and built" around the room, which accounts for the roof height and pitch seen in the photo. As a consequence of the implements introduced to address both insulation and isolation, have had no issues with humidity.

In general description, under the roof tiles (of the structure) were installed the under-sheeting, followed by 2 layers of 1" thick (for a total of 2") insolation material and finally, a layer of moisture and heat resistant Gypsum board which seals the entire "upper cavity" of the room. (Within this portion or cavity will be found the air-conditioning supply and return, as well as the mechanical exhaust system ducts.) At the bottom-side of this "cavity" are aluminum frames that run the full length (and width) of the room, on which another 2 separate layers of the aforementioned Gypsum board/s are mounted, which, to my recollection, are of pre-specified thicknesses and densities. This forms the "ceiling" of the room; on which the acoustical implements (including the mid-band diffuser as well as the rear-room ceiling mounted bass traps) are mounted.

Practically all the in-room wall surfaces are actually Pressure Traps with an estimated thickness of approx. 5" all around, described as; Concrete (outer wall), aluminum framing (to which is mounted a) layer of the Gypsum board (pre-specified thickness and density); with a specified absorbtive material loaded in the intermediate space between the concrete wall and Gypsum board. All the Guilford fabric clad acoustic implementations seen (including the self-supported Lp shelves at the rear) are built/mounted on or attached to the "Pressure Trap" walls. The only portions not built out as a Pressure Trap are two small windows at the rear of the room (which open to an interior portion of the outer structure) and a portion at the center-rear of the room on which a large RPG diffuser is mounted. (A brief note on the Gypsum board/s... the advantage of this option to say, wood, is that they are more resistant to moisture and have a base of thicknesses and "densities" which make them more ideal for the application/s; at least in our side of the world.)

Finally, the entrance door to the music room is fitted with magnetic "refrigerator door" seals, which come in contact with metal strips fitted onto the door itself; adding the ability to "seal-off" the room from an interior "entertainment" area that is within or inside the structure.

The foregoing, on top of the purposes these serve acoustically, also enabled me to "isolate" the room from outside humidity, as well as to virtually eliminate "condensation" within the music room; the mortal enemies of vinyl, tape and our tape transport mechanisms. As a related note, it takes well over 24 hours to effect a 4 to max 5 degree (celsius) increase in ambient temperature from the time the A/C system is shut down; even in the height of summer. The figure is lower during the off-summer months.

I will pause and touch on the Electrical aspect of the room later on; being the 2nd, often "under-rated" key factor in optimized music reproduction along-side the room...

 

[Steve Williams]

Jimmy

What an architectural feat and what a gorgeous outcome. I can't wait to lay eyes and ears on your room

 

[jimmy]

Hi Steve,

Thanks again for your kind words. We're all looking forward to your visit with much anticipation. I can't wait to lay my eyes and ears on your new music room myself, my friend!

 

[amirm]

Great write-up Jim. One question: did you say you used aluminum studs? We have steel but have not heard of aluminum. Is that a common framing structure there? It would be quite a bit more expensive here.

 

[JackD201]

Great write-up Jim. One question: did you say you used aluminum studs? We have steel but have not heard of aluminum. Is that a common framing structure there? It would be quite a bit more expensive here.

Is that so Amir? Stainless steel framing is more expensive than aluminum here at least at the time we were constructing. At the time, steel prices were through the roof as China was buying up all the steel in the region including scraps for the construction of the Beijing Olympiad's facilities.

WBF member Jadis' business was aluminum construction products. Too bad they moved away from that business. We could've used the cost savings via audio buddy discounts.

 

[jadis]

Is that so Amir? Stainless steel framing is more expensive than aluminum here at least at the time we were constructing. At the time, steel prices were through the roof as China was buying up all the steel in the region including scraps for the construction of the Beijing Olympiad's facilities.

WBF member Jadis' business was aluminum construction products. Too bad they moved away from that business. We could've used the cost savings via audio buddy discounts.

That's right, Jack. China not only brought up steel prices then, but also scrap aluminum prices. Our trusted suppliers were not answering our phones and quietly shipping them to China. It was one of the reasons why our business became difficult to sustain. Stainless steel is indeed more expensive than aluminum here. Had I still been in the business, not only will you and Jim get audio buddy discounts but I will extrude or fabricate anything that you guys desire, down to the last millimeter spec.

 

[jimmy]

Thanks, Amir. Yes, aluminum framing has become the norm here. In fact, I quite interestingly have not seen any steel framing used for the purpose described. Aside from the points raised by both Jack and Jadis, we do not have any real Steel industry to speak of here; which accounts, in added part, for the more favorable price of aluminum over steel locally.

Jim

 

[Dimfer]

while aluminum might be more expensive than steel per pound, it is lighter than steel, so the price per square foot might not be as big as you would initially think. both products are priced per pound and consumed by square foot. aluminum is generally easier to work with as it is softer, so there could be construction cost savings as well to bring the net cost even closer.

BTW, I am excited to see the future development of this extreme system.

 

[jimmy]

Hi Dimfer,

Let us know when you plan to visit home. It would be great to get together on your next trip here!

Jimmy

 

[Steve Williams]

Hi Dimfer,

Let us know when you plan to visit home. It would be great to get together on your next trip here!

Jimmy

Now wouldn't it be great if it were when Cathy and I are there. I've had the pleasure of meeting dimfer