• 10-10-2013, 05:01 AM
    Florian
    5 Attachment(s)
    She is done after 7 years!
    Hello everyone,

    many many years ago i started in this forum. 7 years ago i bought a troubled super speaker which needed some loving. After 7 years, she is finally done and here is the result. List of equipment and pics. Enjoy :biggrin5:

    • Apogee Acoustics Grand (New TW, MRT, BASS Ribbons)
    • NAT Utopia Single Ended Triode Preamp; No Feedback
    • Custom Developed CAP Coupler
    • Monarchy Audio NM24 Tube DAC (Tesla 6922)
    • Monarchy Audio DIP (Jitter Killer & Masterclock)
    • PS Audio P1000 Powerstation
    • NAT Phono Signature (Battery Powered; Single Ended Triode; No Feedback)
    • SME 20/2A (SME V Gold ARM; All NEW Suspension and OIL)
    • Ortofon Statement (Low output MC System)
    • 2 Mono NAT Audio SE3 Midrange AMP (Single Ended Triode; VT4C Based; 54 Watt Class A)
    • 2 Mono NAT Audio SE2 Midbass AMP (Single Ended Triode; VT4C Based, 52 Watt Class A)
    • 2 Mono NAT Audio SE1 Tweeter Amp (Single Ended Triode; VT4C Based, 15.4 Watt Class A)
    • Six Custom Developed DC and Distortion Watchers with Emergency driver shut off function
    • Virtual Dynamics cabling for electronics (power and interconnects)
    • Behringer Ultracurve DSP (Digital only) adjustment to lower subwoofer output
    • Hales Transcendence 8 (With Beryllium Tweeters) for Movies

    Attachment 9505Attachment 9506Attachment 9507Attachment 9508Attachment 9509
  • 10-10-2013, 05:45 AM
    Hyfi
    Awesome setup. Thanks for sharing the pics.
  • 10-10-2013, 06:52 AM
    JoeE SP9
    Looking very good there Florian. I'm sure it sounds even better than it looks. If I'm ever in the neighborhood I'll stop by.
  • 10-10-2013, 07:53 AM
    blackraven
    Florian, will you adopt me so I can play with your gear daily. I would love to hear those Apogee's.
  • 10-10-2013, 09:19 AM
    Florian
    Thank you guys! If you are ever in Germany or Switzerland let me know and you can hear it. I am always open to adopt rich people which can help me save for a house :-)
  • 10-10-2013, 10:11 AM
    harley .guy07
    I can only wish some day I can attain a system that looks that cool. I am sure not only 7 years for the speakers but it has taken you a long time to acquire that much audio goodness in one system. I would have to have a long talk with my wife though because I don't think she would go for all of that in one room!!
  • 10-10-2013, 12:04 PM
    JohnMichael
    Florian your system is impressive! It has been fun through the years watching it come to fruition. Now that the system is complete you might have some spare time to tell us about the choices you have made putting the system together.
  • 10-10-2013, 12:50 PM
    Florian
    Hello John,

    you are right of course. I think a good approach is to tell everyone that although you must earn a good salary to afford this, you can, like me start slow and trade your way up over some years. This system i shared is worth a lot of money, well over 300K, but it came a long way. Below you can find, from memory my system history:

    • Onkyo THX F-2 Front Speaker
    • Onkyo THX System One (Surround Speaker)
    • Magnepan MG 0.5
    • Magnepan 1.6
    • Magnepan 3.6
    • VMPS VM30RM
    • VMPS 626
    • Magnepan 3.6SE
    • Apogee Scintilla
    • Apogee DIVA
    • Acoustat Spectra 11
    • Apogee Caliper Signature (Second System)
    • Apogee Grand
    • Apogee Stage (Third System)
    • Apogee Fullrange (Opportunity)


    Power amplifier history

    • Onkyo TX-DS555
    • Onkyo TX-SV919THX
    • Onkyo TX-DS939THX
    • Harman Kardon AVR7000
    • Marantz SR5400
    • Marantz SR7200
    • Cambridge Audio C500 & P500 (First separate components)
    • Cambridge Azur 540R
    • Pathos Acoustics Classic One
    • Krell KSA150
    • Sphinx Project 14 (3 pairs)
    • Koran Acoustics Monoblocks (Tube)
    • Ampzilla 2000 Monoblocks
    • Ampzilla 2000 Stereo Amp
    • Krell KSA250
    • Krell KSA100
    • Krell KRS200 (2 Monoblock)
    • Krell KRS200 (Another 2 Monoblocks)
    • CAT JL2 Stereo Amp
    • NAT Audio SE2SE (2 Monoblocks)
    • NAT Audio SE2 (2 Monoblocks)
    • NAT Audio SE1SE (2 Monoblocks)
    • NAT Audio SE1 (2 Monoblocks)
    • NAT Audio SE3 (2 Monoblocks)


    Preamplifier history

    • Jolida 300b
      Krell KCT
    • TACT RCS 2.0
    • TACT RCS 2.2XP
    • CAT SL1
    • NAT Audio Plasma
    • NAT Audio Utopia


    Stay tuned for my system philosophy ;-)
  • 10-10-2013, 02:02 PM
    TheHills44060
    For the love of all that is good and decent I am worshiping those Hales!
  • 10-10-2013, 04:34 PM
    thekid
    Flo

    Congrats!
    It looks like you found the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow!
  • 10-11-2013, 12:53 AM
    Florian
    1 Attachment(s)
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheHills44060 View Post
    For the love of all that is good and decent I am worshiping those Hales!

    That was my first and only good box speaker, at least to my ears, which i really liked. I heard them back when i was 17 and found them again almost 13 years later and had to get them. The original tweeter (not that good) fails on most of them. These have the ScanSpeak Illuminator Beryllium Tweeters.

    Cheers

    PS: Since you like em, here goes a pic during my Grand restauration.

    Attachment 9510
  • 10-11-2013, 12:56 AM
    Florian
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by thekid View Post
    Flo

    Congrats!
    It looks like you found the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow!

    Oh yes, but it was a lot of struggle. I had to rebuild them twice due to incompetence of the German installer. My NAT Amps are also modified and tested. Now i am working on placement, which is not that easy as my room is a tad too small. But big rooms can create big problems as well.
  • 10-11-2013, 05:40 AM
    Feanor
    That's one awesome crap load of stuff, Flo. Congratulations!

    What's next? ('cause there's always a 'next')
  • 10-11-2013, 08:04 AM
    E-Stat
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Florian View Post
    After 7 years, she is finally done and here is the result.

    Cool! So, what "transport" feeds the DAC? I see a monitor. I gather you have a music server?
  • 10-11-2013, 09:50 AM
    Florian
    Hi there, my main source is Analog but for digital i use an Apple TV which hosts none compressed music. Then i feed it to the Monarchy DIP which removes jitter and has a masterclock for signal regeneration. Cheers
  • 10-11-2013, 09:52 AM
    Florian
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Feanor View Post
    That's one awesome crap load of stuff, Flo. Congratulations!

    What's next? ('cause there's always a 'next')

    Hi Feanor,

    good question. Next steps are to build a house. I am 30 now and the HIFI is sort of done. I havent heard something i liked better, so for now i am content.

    Cheers
  • 10-16-2013, 02:26 PM
    frenchmon
    That's the magic word...content!
  • 10-16-2013, 03:47 PM
    kevinc666
    WOW, just WOW!
  • 10-19-2013, 05:43 PM
    Brian Beck
    Florian, Didn't I see your Grands for sale on Audiogon a short time ago?

    Happy here with my Apogee Divas driven in bi-amplified mode by big ARC tube amps. The best sound I have had in my home, by far, in my 40-year hi-fi journey...
  • 10-19-2013, 06:40 PM
    hifitommy
    being familiar with the sound of the grands, i am envious but then my system sounds prety much OK. its a real commitment to put together and keep running a nice system but ever so rewarding.

    its great to see you are enjoying your rewards.
  • 10-20-2013, 12:50 AM
    Florian
    Hello Brian,

    i used to have DIVA`s as well on tube amps :-) In fact it was my second Apogee after the Scintillas. The speakers on Audiogon were mine before i decided to rebuilt the speaker from the ground up. Now that she is done, i had the ad removed because i did not find anything i liked more.

    Cheers :-)
  • 10-20-2013, 12:50 AM
    Florian
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hifitommy View Post
    being familiar with the sound of the grands, i am envious but then my system sounds prety much OK. its a real commitment to put together and keep running a nice system but ever so rewarding.

    its great to see you are enjoying your rewards.

    Send you a PM ;-)