Good story Lon, and maybe a pointer to the DNA of careful listening?

You're a good son for moving to help your parents with accelerated living. It's a whole lot better than leaving it to The Avenging [Visiting] Angels and Life Alert.

Quote:


I agree Lon. Sounds like you have a great start. I don't know what my parents had in their console stereo, but I recall a lot of tubes and loving to listen to it! Have fun!

Okay a report back. Received the Marantz AV-560 audio/video processor/peramp tuner and it was in pristine shape, all material in the original box. Hardly used or very delicately used, this was a great processor in its early days close to twenty years ago and at less than a tenth its original sticker price a good deal.

I hooked it up to the Denon carousel, the Pyle turntable and phono preamp, and then routed it to the Eddie Vaughn-modded Decware C amp that I bought recently when my Torii Mk III was in Peoria for an upgrade. Things have been spinning for a while and I must say. . .NICE.

The biggest diference that I noticed between this and the Sony receiver is dynamic contrast. The span from the softest passage to the loudest is more than subtly wider. My father also noticed this right off--with the right recording a very dynamic presentation is there to enjoy.

The built in DAC is better than that in the Denon cd carousel by a noticeable margin. More instrumental separation, more clarity, more detail. And a bit less of an edge to the higher frequencies, and a bit tighter bass.  I'm using a Creative Audio Concepts "Black Knight" coaxial cable and may later try an Amphenol glass optical cable I have on hand.

The turntable and phono preamp also sound improved. The presentation is more dynamic and the tonality is mellower than that through the Sony receiver line stage.

The radio turner is perhaps the same overall in sonic presentation or perhaps a bit improved. I haven't listened as closely yet.

This time my parents sat on the couch and watched me make the exchange of components and connect the new ones, so it was not an "unseen" change. Still, I think they genuinely feel there's an improvement. My Dad noticed the dynamic contrast improvement very quickly, and he said that cds sounded "deeper." My Mom didn't make a lot of specific comments but she did ask me more often than before about the music, "What instrument is that?" "Would you say that music really swings? Sounds like swing music!" Several times she said '"I really like that, this sounds good."

I think the Decware amp and Marantz processor are bringing out more information from the sources and letting the excellent Electro Voice full range speakers shine with their excellence. I'll probably do a bit of tweaking over the next weeks but I am going to be enjoying the music more here, which is good as I get to spend so little time listening to my own system(s) of late.

Well,

Dad has this beautiful old cherry wood stereo cabinet he spent as much as he possibly could on back in '62 and it's perfect for the living room, fits into the perfect spot, looks fantastic (Mother approved indeed). It's eight feet long, speakers are centered six feet apart, and the speakers are '61 alnico magnet full range Electro Voices, just sound wonderful even today. That's got to be the centerpiece of the system, so dictated by the logistics of the room, and by Mom.

So right now it's about as close to a Decware system as it's going to be with this cool little Eddie Vaughn-modded C amp unless I throw a CSP2 and/or a ZBox in between the Marantz tuner/preamp/processor and the C amp. Which I might do in time. But I'm not sure if it will add much, the C amp sounds great with the Electro Voice speakers. It may be that a better source may be the better next step . . . but Dad loves having a carousel and as carousels go this Denon is certainly not the worst.

So I think this is about the most Decware this system will be.

Nah. I don't look around the web at audio stuff. . . drives me a little nuts, I'm happy with what I have and don't need to "educate" myself or tempt myself.

The only thing I really want are some more PS Audio products, PowerBases and AC-12 cords. I have what I really need, but would like about three more of each. But don't want to spend the money right now.

Well, the Marantz AV processor has warmed up nicely and the internal DAC has really improved Redbook sound, and the line stage and tuner section seem more "holographic" than that within the Sony receiver that was the amplification before.

I added Herbie's Audio Lab "Grungebuster" 1.5" dots beneath each of the components, which has helped overrall sound. I'd love to have Tenderfeet instead but don't want to put the money into it right now. The dots get me part of the way there and I had them on hand. I also put the whole cabinet on Herbie's Carpet Spikes which I also had on hand, and that has improved the overall sound a bit.

I knew I was on the right track when I was listening to a recording and a berimbau began playing and seemed to be coming from outside the cabinet and my Mom perked up and said "What was that? Was that on the record?" I think other than Tenderfeet my next step would be to improve speaker cabling and perhaps the interconnects between the Marantz and the C amp. I'm using the 16 guage Monster cable I put in there about 20 years ago for speaker cable, and Audioquest silver interconnects which I had on hand at home, those are great for the money I paid, but there's better out there. But all in good time. I have a great pair of Tara Labs RSC interconnects available, but they aren't flexible enough to use in this instance. And I have a ZBox which may be put into play, but again, that's another pair of interconnects, and another power cord. . . Sigh.

Yesterday I put in a pair of cryo'd Reflector EL84s which need a bit of break-in but have added a sort of "old school" warmth to the sound and I think I'll leave in in place of the 6P15P-EV that came with the amp.

I may replace the Monster Power strip with one of the PS Audio Duets that I took out of the second system at my place when I bought a Dectet last month. THAT will improve the overall sound, and at the moment I have it powering my Jazzmaster Ultralight SE guitar amp  upstairs, which doesn't get as much use as my Bassman TV does.

I ended up putting the EL84s back in the box. Just a bit too polite and smooth after break in, great for some material, but these EV speakers like to be prodded a bit more, and the SV83 variant that came with the amp are better suited.

I took a set of Herbie's Audio Lab Tenderfeet from under the Torii Mk II in my second system and put them under the Marantz AV processor in this system. It always amazes me what just four little blocks do to the sound. Not a huge improvement but a nice sweetening and an added bit of dimensionality. Now I want more for the CD carousel and maybe the amp (though I am not sure they will do much for the amp--it sits inside it's maple case on some Herbie's little Fat Dots and I think what happens after that will be sort of a moot point.)

Okay, possibly the final installment, so bear with me one more time.

Today the ZStage arrived. I decided to use one of the Decware power cords from my second system as I bought a replacement from Mike which will be here soon enough, and also to use the two pairs of MAC "UltraSilver +" interconnects that I had in that system in Dad's system.

I set this up and WOW. This is a substantial improvement in all the "tube aspects" of sound. Haven't had a lot of time to listen, and my parents really haven't heard the new set up yet, but I know it's going to sound great tomorrow and I'm done, I now have a great system here with Decware components inside to listen to, and my folks can really relax into the music now.

Yeah, I'm busy alright. It's sad. I never thought I'd be dressing my Dad and cleaning up after him in certain ways. But then I think: he did that for me.

At least playing around with the stereo there is fun for me and it's interesting to see them noticing the changes and enjoying improved sound. Not that they were skeptics before, they were just. . . agnostic and unknowing about audio stuff.

You're right about the "dirt simple to operate." My Mom has dementia and she could for a while operate a tv with built in DVD player i bought her but now that's beyond her.

I think music DOES help. It allows my Mom something to focus on besides everyone who walks their dog past the living room window. And when she can recognize a melody or hear the words to a song that registers, it's a nice little pleasure for her. Also recorded effects (like say purposedly distorted vocals or sound effects) intrigue her. Dad really does enjoy his "BBM" (Bach, Beethoven and Mozart) and new music challenges him.

It's worth setting something up for your mother-in-law and you're right, no need for audiophile grade stuff.

Discovered that there's a channel imbalance with this ZStage in the "laid back" position which is a shame as that's my preferred spot. I'm certain it's the toggle switch, the weakest point on Decware amps in my experience.

So I've been rolling tubes in the one balanced position and found I had a Mullard military 12AT7 that works best. Have never liked the tube in other applications, but it's great here. I rolled input tubes on the Zen amp as well, really trying hard to like some 6922 and 6DJ8 but coming back to the 6N1p as being the most open, less congested, sweetest treble.

Sounding pretty damned good! I'm going to try not to futz with it any longer.

Well, I spliced an IEC connector onto the Marantz power cord and installed the Shunyata 3S power cord I got from Mike.

The Marantz tended towards a bit of brightness and a very "tight" sound. . . and this cord exacerbated that. I let it roll for a few days but ultimately replaced it with the MAC HC cord I had used previously on the Zen amp in this system. That was a better fit. With either cord the dynamics and sound stage had improved so adding the IEC fitting and a better power cord was a great thing to do to the sound. (The Shunyata 3S makes the Marantz Blu-ray player in my second system at home sound and look fine, a nice fit.)

I also took the Zen amp out of the maple case it was in and put IsoCups directly under the chassis. This was an improvement. The maple case looks wonderful and really dresses the amp up. . . but it muddled the sound somewhat in comparison. So now the amp is shining even more keenly.

Just one more thing I intend to do and that's change the thin Monster Cable speaker cables out for something else. Don't have the something else yet, and it's a big job, so I'm holding off for a while to think of just the right speaker cables. I have some cryo'd Cat-6 on hand. . .but not sure that's the right speaker cable for this application and I want to do this ONCE. . . . Maybe later this month I'll be ready.

Well the California Audio Lab CL-10 was a bust. Not reading discs properly Too bad as this is a beautifully built unit, and the changer transport is the nicest and heaviest duty I've ever seen.

That said the Denon is doing a decent job as a transport and I'm just going to be happy with it. My new CSP2+ is shipping very soon so I'll be putting ye old CSP2 into Dad's system and that should be a joy.

I talked about the CL-10 here somewhere. Yes, it's nice to be spending all this time with my parents. Would be really nice for all of us to be spending less!

Wow, spoiling your parents!  :'(

Cabling is so interesting. I pulled a Decware cord from the system that was feeding my PS Audio Duet before because with the earlier speaker wire I found that an Analysis Plus Pro power cord made the treble sweeter at the expense of a bit of bass. Now with the Styx in place, I put the Decware cord back in between the Duet and the wall and left it warm up over night and now the bass is back, a bit of body is there that wasn't before and the treble is still fine.

Sometimes tube rolling and cable switching drives me nuts, but I have learned how things interact and sometimes you can improve your sound easily using them.

OH Man Lon!  4 1/2 months wait so far for your HR-1s?  I ordered mine on September 19th....which would be Feb. or March 2014 arrival with some luck.  Yesterday I finally unpacked a pair of Zu Audio Soul speakers  and have begun the very painful break in, positioning and tweeking...still not there!  I hooked them up to an old Kenwood SS Amp and I'm beating the piss out of them with high volume Led Zeppelin II over and over again....they must submit!  Mark.  PS...of course I'm not in the room while this torture is occurring.

LR,  I'm not familiar with Megadeath.  The fact that you're 14 years younger than I am may explain this.  I have the  CD Box set of Led Zep's studio work...plenty of speaker abuse in there...  Mark.

I've gone back and forth with output tubes in this hotrod C amp and have decided to stick with cryo'd JJ EL84s. They just have a richness that the system loves, even if they are a little slower.

I should have my new CSP2+ with beeswax caps finally from Decware today and will put my trusty old CSP2 in Dad's system shortly thereafter (though maybe Saturday as all of Friday will be taken up with a very important medical test for Dad).

I imagine that would be a fantastic sounding system when completed!

Lon, you mentioned pulling the MAC HC in favor of a Shunyata cord.  Which one?  Curious because I got several HCs a few months ago, shortly before Steve changed company names and then has since gone silent.  With my desktop speakers, Focal CMS 40, I've been mostly satisfied with the HCs, but wanting to look at other possibilities, especially in terms of tonal balance and warmth. Thanks,

Thanks. I've been wondering whether one of the better lower cost name brand cords would make a difference.  The Focals are powered speakers, each with a pair of 25w AB amps for highs and lows.  I should ask them if the S would cut it.

Yes, I read that, and Shunyata is not alone in this cord distinction.  I can afford Venom 3, but it's the "high current" that's made me wonder. I didn't think powered desktop speakers are high current, especially given that this nearfield setup isn't about loud volumes (sitting 3' from the speakers in a spare bedroom).  The specs show 47k ohm impedance, fuse rating 800mA.