Mr. Lee's System

[Audio_Builder]

The listening room has been finished for a year but it needed more speaker to fill the space. I figured I would start off the New Year with some new speakers. I am happy with the results. Now to listen!

Source:
Fan less music server running Foobar. Intel motherboard with optimized Windows XP. Custom I2C interface with low ppm clock and dedicated power supply.
Non-oversampling 16-bit R2R DAC. I2C input only. Non-traditional brick wall filter. Transformer coupled tube output stage with Electra-Print custom output transformers.

Pro-Ject 5.1 TT with TIZO 35mm Acrylic platter, Cardas Litz tonearm wire, CNC copper RCA jacks, and Ortofon Quintet Black S cartridge.

AcousTech phono preamplifier with upgraded opamps and Tango step-up transformers.

Preamp:
Low gain single tube stage transformer coupled preamp with wireless remote control. Custom Electra-Print output transformers. Left and Right channel components hand matched.

Amplifies:
Single Ended 300B amplifier with low gain drivers stage. Mercury vapor rectifier. AC filaments with less than 1mV residual hum. Plitron output transformers.

Push Pull KT-66 amplifier. 10 Watts per channel. No Global feedback.

Speaker:
Four Altec 416 in ported cabinet. TAD 4002 compression driver on a RCA World's Fair Horn. Bi-amplified with passive and active analog crossover.

Room:
Detached building. ~20 ft x ~30 ft with 12 foot ceilings. Room designed as Mastering suite. Dedicated isolate power.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

Looking good @Audio_Builder, I can bet the sound quality is very high? What is the highlight of your setup?

 

[Audio_Builder]

Great question! The DAC took over a year to develop and is a main contributor to the high sound quality, but the highlight is just the overall ease of the music. It just envelops you.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

Great question! The DAC took over a year to develop and is a main contributor to the high sound quality, but the highlight is just the overall ease of the music. It just envelops you.

DAC are way harder than most people think. Some companies just use a trendy DAC chip, and call it a day. I believe, that you as well understand that it is much deeper than that. That's why we still use BurrBrown DACs. Because of the sound.

 

[Gregadd]

"That's why we still use BurrBrown DACs. Because of the sound."
You guys get them to sound better than I ever heard before.

 

[morricab]

DAC are way harder than most people think. Some companies just use a trendy DAC chip, and call it a day. I believe, that you as well understand that it is much deeper than that. That's why we still use BurrBrown DACs. Because of the sound.

Love BB PCM63k and BB PCM1704k.

 

[DasguteOhr]

I recommend listening to the new Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) very promising. The burrbrown or ultraanalog dacs are really good.

Audio D/A Converters | Audio Components | Products | Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM)

AKM’s audio D/A converters (DACs) provide solutions for high quality audio system with the original digital-analog mixing technology.

www.akm.com