Hello all!
Haven't checked-in in a while as I am currently in the process of moving from Baltimore to Denver for a new position. Glad to see that my fellow Thiel owners are as active & passionate as ever!
I have made several additions & updates to my system. I still have my 3.5's with the Bass Equilizer that was recently repaired by Rob Gillum. Still have an all vintage Audio Research front-end with a D240 MKII solid-state amp (looking out for a second one so I can run them as mono-blocks), a tube LS-7 pre & a tube PH-3 phono stage. Turntable is my vintage Technics 1200 MKII with a Shure M97xe MM cartridge. Interconnects are AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA`s. All power cables are stock, plugged into a Tripp Lite LCR2400 line conditioner. However, I've made three important updates...
First, I am now using a Bluesound Vault 2 for streaming & digital file/CD playback duties. I must say that I am THRILLED with this product! It's so easy to use & it is extremely versatile. I was able to rip my 500+ CD collection to its internal HD & the playback is every bit as good (maybe better?) than I got from my Denon 2900 player. As far as streaming goes, I'm using it mainly for Tidal & can tell you that the sound quality is simply amazing. The Masters/MQA & cd-quality stream decoding is better than my former PC/Meridian Explorer 2 DAC set-up & the Vault doesn't have any issues with drop-outs or other connection problems. The Bulesound app is very easy to use as well & the integration to Tidal & Roon is excellent. I'm considering an upgrade to a Mytek Brooklyn DAC to get even better sound. My only gripe is that the Vault 2 can't rip/play SACD`s. Guess nothing's perfect...
The other thing I did was introduce some MIT gear into my system. I've always been interested in their "Network Box" & "Poles of Articulation" technology. Well, I'm not technical enough to tell you how it works, but after replacing a fine set of Gotham SPK-8 speaker cables with their AVT-3 cables, I`ve noticed that my 3.5's have a fuller bottom-end with much more detail than before. The bass now goes deeper, with much more definition & presence. Mids are similar as before, but the highs are now better controlled, with a detail that never becomes shrill. Any "bright" sounding tendencies are dramatically reduced or outright eliminated. For $120.00 used, best affordable update I have ever experienced!
To add to the MIT experience, I replaced the AudioQuest Golden Gates running from the Bass Equalizer to my amp with a pair of MIT Terminator interconnects. This opened things up further in terms of overall detail & added a dramatically deeper sense of depth. I paid $80 for these cables & again, I couldn't be more happier with the added performance I got for the price I paid.
While I was extremely happy with my system before, I am now blown away with the sound I am getting. While I know that there are certainly limitations in sticking with the "vintage" route to system building, I can't help but feel like I'm getting way more performance & enjoyment than what I'm spending. And it all revolves around the Thiels. While my system components may change, I do know that they will change with the intention of making these remarkable speakers sing ever better!
Thanks for reading & I hope you are all enjoying your music!
Arvin
