Updated: my current system

[murali]

(Sorry, no photos as I am "there" and not "here".)

Audio & Home Theater integrated System:

Amplifier: Aesthetix Atlas stereo hybrid (2 X 200W 8 ohms, 400W 4 ohms)
Preamplifier: Audio Research Reference-3
Speakers: Vandersteen Quatro wood
Sources: CD Player - Ayre C-5xe, Yamaha KX-W382 tape deck
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.: Speaker Cables/Interconnects: Audioquest Volcano double biwire speaker cables, Sky balanced IC from source to preamp, Cheetah balanced IC from pre to power amp
Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.): Richard Gray RGPC-400, VH Audio Flavor-4 power cords with Furutech plugs in power amp and preamp, Tel wire power cord with Oyaide beryllium plugs in CDP, Van den Hul Mainstream power cords for speaker amps, Solid Tech Rack of Silence for the sources and preamp, and Taoc ARS stand for amp.
Tweaks: Solid Tech Feet of Silence under preamp, Finite Elemente spider ceraballs under CDP, Taoc TITE-46PIN footers under power amplifier, Furutech RD-2 disc demagnetiser.
Room Size (LxWxH): 19 x 10 x 15 ft
Room Comments/Treatments: Curtains all around, bookshelves, floor carpet etc

Video/HT System: Integrated
TV/Projector: Pioneer Kuro KRP-500P
Processor/Receiver/Amplifiers: Rotel RSP-1068 processor, Ayre V-5 (2 X 150W 8 ohms, 300W 4 ohms) for center and rear channels, Rotel RMB-1075 (5 X 125W) for surrounds
Speakers (Center, Surrounds, Sub): Vandersteen VCC-5 center, VCC-1 rear and VSM-1 surrounds
Sources (DVD/VCR): Oppo BDP-93
Other HT Gear: Audioquest Mont Blanc speaker cable for center channel, Kimber KWIK-12 speaker cables for surrounds, Audioquest Cheetah and King Cobra interconnects for front and center channels, Townshend Isolda DCT IC for surround channels, XLO Ref 2 Type 10A power cord for DVD player, Flavor-2 power cord for processor, Flavor-4 power cord for power amp, BDR cones under processor and DVD player, TAOC rack.

Standby (used): Vandersteen 2Ce Signature speakers, VTL 5.5 preamplifier, Pioneer DV-LX50, Sharp VCR.
cheers.
murali

 

[just4kix]

Superb setup. Room height = 15 ft? Really? You must be living in a palace. :licklips:

p/s. I have just developed nice hues of green.

 

[spirovious]

Congrats,we will expect photos later.

 

[Kittu]

Awesome setup , but no pics..:sad:

 

[jk_chaos]

Wow The Pioneer Kuro!!! Congrats!!

Expecting pics here soon..

 

[square_wave]

Great system Murali !

Amplifier: Aesthetix Atlas stereo hybrid (2 X 200W 8 ohms, 400W 4 ohms)
Preamplifier: Audio Research Reference-3
Speakers: Vandersteen Quatro wood

You have one of the best and carefully chosen / assembled systems on the forum. Do post some pictures when you have the time !

 

[murali]

Great system Murali !

Amplifier: Aesthetix Atlas stereo hybrid (2 X 200W 8 ohms, 400W 4 ohms)
Preamplifier: Audio Research Reference-3
Speakers: Vandersteen Quatro wood

You have one of the best and carefully chosen / assembled systems on the forum. Do post some pictures when you have the time !

Thanks. I spent quite some time contemplating the power amp upgrade from the Ayre V-5 which itself is excellent with my older Vandy 2Ce but for the Quatro wood which comes with its own built-in sub and amplifier, plus a high pass filter, I needed a marginally better one. Ayre itself makes the MX-R monoblocks which is beyond my reach. I also considered all-tube amps like the Quicksilver, Rogue and Audio Research Ref-110 but finally went for the Aesthetix hybrid. Once I am back in India permanently, before long, I don't believe I will have the wherewithal to keep changing tubes of the power amp frequently and hybrid appears to be the best compromise. Audio Research itself makes such hybrids (I think DS series) but the best I find is the Aesthetix.

cheers.
murali

 

[rud3dawg]

I honestly dont have a clue as to how the speakers sound .. but for the rest.. like the VDO and the Conditioner Rack and teh tweaks.. va va vooom!!!!! look @ the size of the room .. Gratzies!!! The specs look really great.. please post some pics and also a VDO if possible ..

 

[sidvee]

. Ayre itself makes the MX-R monoblocks which is beyond my reach.
cheers.
murali

I guess since you already have the Aesthetix this is moot, but Ayre also makes the VX-R stereo amp, carved out of a solid billet of aluminum. Audire, is the India dealer for this amp. I was considering this, in my quest for an upgrade.
Fantastic setup btw! As a former ARC owner (albeit the much lower LS26), I can relate to the fact that the Ref3 is amongst a handful of best pre-amps. in the world today. The music must be heavenly.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[murali]

I guess since you already have the Aesthetix this is moot, but Ayre also makes the VX-R stereo amp, carved out of a solid billet of aluminum. Audire, is the India dealer for this amp. I was considering this, in my quest for an upgrade.
Fantastic setup btw! As a former ARC owner (albeit the much lower LS26), I can relate to the fact that the Ref3 is amongst a handful of best pre-amps. in the world today. The music must be heavenly.
Cheers,
Sid

As far as I have searched, Ayre is the best solid state amp to pair with the Vandy speakers and that is why I used the V-5 with the 2Ce Signature speakers. Quatro (wood) is a league above the 2Ce and under the great 5A Signature and Richard (Vandersteen) himself uses the Ayre MX-R monoblocks. But a pair costs more than double I paid for the Aesthetix stereo. Ayre themselves have the V-1 amplifier @200W but somehow, I wanted the tube magic and hence settled for the Atlas. Vandersteen speakers sound best with tube amps of Quicksilver, Rogue and of course, the venerable Auido Research. The ARC Ref-110 looked so tempting, though costing around 25% more than the Aesthetix, but as I said, I don't want to keep changing tubes every year or two in a power amplifier.
Though I have invested quite some money, have to draw the line somewhere. Even the Quatro, I was planning for the cloth version only and not wood, but later buying directly from Richard, got a reasonable discount on the wood version whose tweeter and mid-range drivers are the same used in the 5A model.
Yes, they make good music and I can listen to them for hours. But one has to get used to the science of the type of equipment I have chosen, like the time-and-phase-cohesive (with the simplest first order crossover) speakers of lower sensitivity but the best imaging and focus, zero global negative feedback electronics (the Ayre CDP, ARC preamp and Atlas power amp) etc to really appreciate their performance relative to the several many of us may have listened to.

I think I have said enough and time to withdraw.
Thanks to all for their responses.

cheers.
murali

 

[olly42]

Congratulations Murali you have some serious equipment Pics please