Current state of my 'small' setup.
- Thread starter JohnVF
- Start date
It started life as an AR ES-1 but there’s only a few parts of that left. Also there’s a separate speed controller down to the left of the Luxman. It’s an incredible table. It competes with big-buck tables without looking like one.
Absolutely stunning set up - I’m not familiar with those specific components of course - wish I knew more about Luxman - but the listening zone is superbly implemented. More Modernica pieces there than cited and their addition into a home with 6 over 1 windows is a nice touch. Our first house was a 1940’s one with those same windows. When I designed the new, and still current, one I took that style and had windows and single panel doors milled in 1 3/4 mahogany- bronze weatherstripping and spring balances on windows.
Looking at it …yeah, there’s a lot of Modernica! The Nelson Half-Moon lamp, the big planter, in addition to the cabinet, sofa, and coffee table. About 22 years ago I was on a commercial shoot location next door to Modernica’s original store in LA and I wondered in during a break …and just kind of got hooked on them. It’s maybe not the most obvious fit for a 1916 building but it works.
Aaah yes, that was the Nelson Riddle room, wasn't it? 😁
Not much has changed here. New tonearm/cart and I’m now using the Primare R32 phono stage instead of the Luxman’s built in stage. The Primare is sitting on big cork bottle stoppers from ikea to provide breathing room and to stop the feet on the Primare from scratching the vents on the Luxman.
This isn’t my main rig but I listen to it the most.
what do you notice with the Primare stage vs the Luxman's?
It's just kind of more put together? The Luxman has a very nice phono stage but the image isn't as sorted out and there seems to be a bit more space between instruments, etc, with the Primare. Were I to run two turntables in the setup I'd have no qualms about plugging the other into the Luxman. There's been instances with other carts where I preferred the Luxman...an old Denon DL-207 lomc comes to mind.
Anton D
Site Supporter
Off to an Empire EDR .9!?
Yes that is an Empire EDR.9. I keep forgetting I have that.. I should try it on this new, low-mass, tonearm. I have two different styluses (stylii?) for it, and I can't figure out the suspension...one seems too stiff, the other too compliant. The bane of using 40 year old cartridges.
I would imagine that it would work better on this AT-1100 tonearm, compared to the heavy Sony PUA-286 in the photo.
I'm on a quest to have an example of all the great MM/MI carts from the peak of vinyl right before CD. The one on the table in the recent photo is a Stanton HZ8s Epoch II.
Those are Dynaudio Special 40s. I was unsure about them when I first got them but now I absolutely love them.
I'd love to know what drugs Eames was taking so I could take them too.
asilker
Site Supporter
I'm interested in any subjective thoughts you might have about that amp
It's one of the best sounding tube amps I've heard ....WHEN I can find speakers that it gets along with.I'm interested in any subjective thoughts you might have about that amp
In the first few minutes in this setup, its making a good case for itself but also the idea that I tend to gravitate towards things that have the same sound, as it's certainly in the sonic-family the Luxman lives in, despite it being such a different way to get there.
I set it to 6ohms, seems an improvement over 8ohms. It projects less far out into the room than the Luxman, not surprising, but what is surprising is that it's doing ok with bass on the 86db/w Dynaudios (it's a small room). Very natural sound. It's not shying away from the clarity of the modern Dynaudio speakers. It's not filled with its stock tubes, though I don't quite remember what is in there. I want to say Mullard EL-84s and RCA drivers? Don't remember if I'm using 5751s or 12ax7. I can look in a bit.
I remember watching something on Norah Jones and in the background I saw a Leben CS-300 connected to Dynaudio speakers similar but older than mine. And I was thinking "well, that's not ideal" but... hmm...it works better than I thought.
I think the Luxman wins in the faceoff but there's nothing to complain about. I can hear it struggling just a bit in louder passages. The Luxman doesn't even break a sweat in this small room.
I think the Luxman wins in the faceoff but there's nothing to complain about. I can hear it struggling just a bit in louder passages. The Luxman doesn't even break a sweat in this small room.
