DrumTemp's System

[DrumTemp]

After a long move to a new house, and remodeling of the media room, I finally have my system installed. Sounds Great...especially after setting the eq on the Quatros using Richards new instructions (from the video).

System details:

Vpi Avenger Reference, Graham Phantom III, Benz Micro LPS, Graham tonearm cable.

Audible Illusions Mod 3B with Gold phono board.

Oppo BDP-103 SACD/BluRay/CD player.

Pass Labs X260.8 amplifiers.

Vandersteen Quatro CT speakers.

Furman Elite 15 (for source components).

Audioquest Yukon, NRG-Z3 & Pangea power cords, Mogami, Canare 4S11 Separate Bi-Wire.

3 x 20 amp dedicated/equal length power lines.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by DrumTemp
Added speakers

[Steve Edwards]

Doesn't get much better than that DrumTemp!  ............  and love the rug!  I bet it sounds incredible

[bkeske]

Fantastic room! Enjoy the music.

[TomicTime]

wow ! just fantastic;-) the diffusers / absorbers - whar brand ? Love tge carpet 2….. and obviously the music system

best to you

Jim

[DrumTemp]

Thanks all! The room treatments are from GIKacoustics. The rug by Wayfair. 🙂

[ctsooner]

I have always liked the rooms that use the GIK stuff.  I love how clean your set up looks.  I have so many unwielding cables and cords, that it's a web behind my cabinet (TV cabinet so it doesn't show).  I use lifters and keep the cords away from the cables the best I can, but I am jealous of those who have such great looking and clean set ups, lol.

[Holmz]

Very nice

[GdnrBob]

Very handsome room.

I was unaware Wayfair offered such a nice rug.

B

[DrumTemp]

2 hours ago, GdnrBob said:

Very handsome room.

I was unaware Wayfair offered such a nice rug.

B

Thanks! If you go to the Wayfair website, type in "music theme area rugs." You'll see this one on the first page in various colors.

[Bruskie]

@ Drum Temp;  The room looks amazing!!   I bet you get a nice soundstage with the speakers there.  Love the rug!!

I know the feeling well of moving and changing EVERYTHING about the listening room. Been through it 3 times in 4 yrs now and we finally settled here in Colorado when we bought this past spring. You posted on my thread last week that you really liked the Pass X250.8 with the Quatros. I see here, however, that you are running the mono X260.8s with the Quatros. Do you find a significant difference between the Pass mono vs. stereo amps? If so, how would you describe the difference?

I have been considering the X260.8 monos, or, even one of the Pass class A monos.  Maybe the XA160.8??

Thanks,

Bruce

[Richard Vandersteen]

Discover what the Quatro CT is capable off by borrowing the M5-HPA before making any changes.  The Quatro and KENTO were designed with them.  You will be amazed!

RV 

[ctsooner]

8 hours ago, Richard Vandersteen said:

Discover what the Quatro CT is capable off by borrowing the M5-HPA before making any changes.  The Quatro and KENTO were designed with them.  You will be amazed!

RV 

No question there.  I'm still amazed daily by how great it works together.  I've always like active speakers.  It makes so much sense as you the compromises are minimal.  

[DrumTemp]

Hi Bruskie,

Prior to the X260s, I owned the 250 for 3 years. I really liked it, but felt (after time) that maybe the 250 was just a little soft sounding in the upper mids/highs. That could also have been room related as well. I'd read other owners impressions of the 260s of being more vivid, wider and deeper soundstage, and a greater amount of class A operation (33 watts). I always wanted to own mono blocks, and with the quatros own separate amps it seemed a natural progression. I was able to audition the 260s (thanks to Reno Hifi) in my own home and compare the amps using my own equipment. The 260s were better overall in the above mentioned attributes and I was quite won over. Granted, if I hadn't done the comparison, the 250 would still be in my system and I'd be none the wiser, but still a happy listener! Mark, at Reno HiFi (now in Phoenix) gave me a good trade in price for the 250 and a good price on the 260s (which, like the 250, were 1 month old demo models). The Pass line up, as you probably know, is X series then XA. The X260s (I'm told) is really in the middle of the two, and being the only mono blocks in the X series.

As Richard suggested, if you're able to audition the M5 amps, do so and compare...listen for what you like. Nelson Pass has been around (and in business) as long as Richard and I've followed both through out the decades...audio icons!  I've owned Vandersteen speakers since 1991, and have been extremely happy with them.

Play On! 🙂

[Bruskie]

Thanks both Drum Temp and Richard for the feedback. I will take the time to demo both of these amps down the line. First I need to demo speaker bi-wires.....

Bruce

[Holmz]

Could differences might even be apparent with just zip-cord?
Personally I would be doing cabling decisions after the amp and speakers are chosen.

[GdnrBob]

13 hours ago, Holmz said:

Could differences might even be apparent with just zip-cord?
Personally I would be doing cabling decisions after the amp and speakers are chosen.

Cables will also contribute to overall sound quality, so I would say get good quality cables -esp. ones that work well with the speaker, and do any tweaking later after deciding which amp you like.

Another 2 cents...

B

[ctsooner]

Does the pass line use feedback? I have enjoyed their gear in the past. I chose the Ayre AX5/20 over he Pass due to more detail and after nearly a month going back and forth, the Ayre sounded more correct to my ears in my system. Faster, more detail and large stage swayed me. The Pass was a bit warmer, but in extended listeni g the Ayre was more accurate and right sounding. Could easily enjoy either. 

[DrumTemp]

What I've heard from Nelson is he limits and balances feedback to achieve  measurements he's looking for, as well as a lot of extended listening/tweaking/listening.

[DividedSky]

Such a balanced and cohesive look!  Very well executed and I’m certain the sound is stunning!