It was very helpful and kind of Tomasz and Paul to share their intentions for 2020. This can help us all to plan any upgrades and buying decisions for the year ahead.
So what is afoot for the year ahead ? I will start things off
*finish my last two nva amp board based amplifiers
*finalise my speaker design
*finish my cd player modifications
*play and refurb my record players
That should be enough for this year. I think 2021 will be the year for building the final products and housing all the electronics in a sideboard type enclosure.
After getting my TAS upgraded I'd just like to actually use mine a bit more!!
Audio Grail "Sable" Garrard 401 with Cumbrian Green Slate plinth / Audiomods 6 / Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC, Parasound JC3+, NVA INT400sa. (Oh and a Copland CDA823 CD Player, for when I fancy a bit of the devil's spawn!)
Build something for myself for once
Probably a direct drive deck out of a dual eds1000 motor.
Fix the Cole lcr phono stage I have been given, It sounds really special but it needs some work to get it back to its best.
Thinking about it, I haven't done anything with my own setup in a couple of years, I've been playing with other people's stuff. There is something to be said for stability in a system, I am happy with mine, it doesn't need any new boxes or mods or cables to cure any perceived ills.
I do have product ideas, but wether I get them developed is another question entirely
I'm really happy with my system just now. However, I'm caught in a dilemma. I'd like to simplify to a single source and reduce the overall size. My aim would be to try the A80's when Paul puts them up for loan to try and make a decision before there's and extra 20% VAT on them. The other problem is that this part of the year is reasonably expensive for me and I've got car problems that may mean significant expenditure as well.
Life's a bitch then you die. Happy 2020.
Blusound Vault 2, P50SA, A80's, BMU, TIS, LS7, MA PL200, Meridian 506 (18 bit).
Modded Belles A150 MK2, P90SA, & NVA SSP cables, and LS5.
Leak Stereo 20 & First Audio Classic Copper V2
Modded Lenco GL75 with Saturn arm, heavy custom plinth. Nagaoka MP500.
Nottingham Audio Hyperspace + heavy kit, + Origin Live Conqueror + Koetsu Black
Tom Evans Micro Grove MK2 MC phono
Bluesound Node2i (x2) both with latest power upgrades.
Topping D90MQA and Topping D90SE
Audiolab 6000 CDT transport.
All NVA cables
I started 2019 without any upgrade plans for my setup. I had just installed the Allo DigiOne Signature as my main streaming source and was very satisfied.
So, what went wrong?
Doc's lost demo gear suddenly reappeared after sitting in the back of a warehouse for 10 years. The guy selling it on Ebay hadn't realised that it had been stolen. From that I acquired the original prototype pair of Cube2 mkII.
After we lost Richard to the great gig in the Sky, a BMU came up for grabs, so I grabbed. He had often nagged me to get one.
Needed a DC Blocker to go with that. It came from Bulgaria.
Getting curious about cheap ChiFi led me to Aliexpress, two disappointments later things finally got interesting with a nice LPSU for a Pi and several seriously impressive DAC's from Topping and Teradak.
Ending the year with the semi-accidental discovery of the Asus Tinkerboard and USB audio.
Actually it was a rather good year for the HiFi. So, for the record, I have ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION of upgrading the stereo this year.
We'll see what happens....
Upstairs: VinylPro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d NVA: Cube2 + LS6+ Sabaj A10a (2) + Little Bear MC2 Downstairs: VinylLogic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC NVA: P50 (phono)Aiyima A07 MAX (2) + Arcam One HP: Allo DigiOne + Sabaj A10d + AQ NightOwl Office: Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith 887 + German Maestro GMP 450
No plans for 2020, apart from the A80s upgrade, as I am more than happy with the sound of everything I have.
2019 was a big year mainly because of the Mscaler. After hearing it in my system I could not be without it. This is all down to the transparancy of the NVA kit as it did not do much for me at the dealers where the partnering equipment with WAF speakers cost more than my system. I can see why opinion about the Mscaler is split, a transparant system and a DAC with dual BNC inputs are essential. The other major upgrade to the main system was the P90 SA modification which improved SQ as well as eliminating the crackling. Worthwhile tweaks have been the MCRU power supply for the Qutest, better quality dual BNC cables, ferrite rings and Audioquest Carbon USB cable.
Before the Doc's sad passing I bought the NVA starter system, which was on offer, for the bedroom. This was a real steal. I found out exactly how good the P20 is when operating in the main system during the P90 upgrade as the A20 is now. One purchase did not work out and had to be returned twice, the Chord Poly. If it had been made c!ear at the outset that it was not compatable with my router it would have saved hours of frustration.
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Lindy cat 6 US ethernet cable
Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ
Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Black
Cubix upgrading the guts and woofer's, going back to the Planar 8 after flirting with yet another LP12, modifying my LS6 cables, building even more whizzy interconnects and maybe upgrading my A70s to the latest A80s, fitting a dedicated earth circuit and finally installing a dedicated FM Ariel.
Modified Airlink BPS 3110S with LDA DC filter
TTs, Kenwood KD 8030 with AT OC9XSH, Opera Consonance Wax Engine mk2 with modified Apheta 2 MC cart, PT TOO awaiting restoration.
LDA MCJ3 phono,Schiit Freya plus pre amp, NAD M23, Audiolab 9000 CD transport, Denafrips Pontus 2 DAC, Mano Ultra2 streamer, Cisco switch, Audio Technica ATH 70 cans, Serhan Swift Mu2 mk2 speakers & NSNO W48.5 speaker cables