System Photos!

Holy PMC :exploding_head:

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Yeah, yeah… Enough about that damn prince… :face_with_symbols_over_mouth: I wouldn’t be surprised if someone found out he was homosexual… :grin:

:joy::joy::joy::sunglasses: It doesn’t matter

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Here’s the output of my system in “resting” mode. The speakers are closer together than when I’m focused on music and their grilles are on. I’ve since put on ISO-Acoustic GAIA IIs which makes moving them around much easier.

The speakers themselves were made for me by Richard Marsh as an experiment - he had made a pair for himself and wanted to see if they could be improved, prior to actually manufacturing them. The cabinets came from somewhere in Canada (all I know), the drivers are Dynaudio (including their Esotar tweeter), the crossover components are, of course, Richard’s own post-MIT REL caps, and the wire is principally from Cardas.

He reported that they were about 20% better, and redid his pair. But he decided, for whatever reason (probably effort vs. marketing) not to make them. They’ve stood me in good stead since ‘95. Though lately I’m lusting for a pair of Magnepan 3.7i’s. And can’t wait to hear Mark Porzilli’s newest columns in the next few weeks and the BIG PS Audios, the AN-1.

(For those unaware, Mark Porzilli is the principal designer behind the Pipedreams and the Scaena. I’ve got some photos of his latest, but not permission to distribute them.)

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Best. Elephant. Ever. (At least I think that is an elephant on the wall behind the speaker.). And lovely looking setup.

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My setup with my brand new PS Directstream DAC Junior.
The rest of the system are
Technics SU-G700 amp
Dynaudio Special Forty speakers
Project 2Xperience DC with Soundsmith Otello pickup
and an old Pioneer CD player and Nakamichi cassette deck

I´m very happy with my new DAC and the improvement in details and imaging in my system.

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Yes, an elephant and it’s eye, painted by Denise Monaghan, a friend. I love it.

Here’s a photo of the other stack: VPI table on loan from VPI, BHK pre (replacement for my beloved EAR G-88), Magnum-Dynalab Etude surrounded by a couple different phono stages on loan from manufacturers, and my brand new BHK 300 amps - all on a Finite-Elemente Spider stand.

And a bunch of headphones - my old Grado HP-1s, Sennheiser 650s, Audioquest Nighthawk Carbons, HiFiMan.

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In case any one is curious: KLH NIne Electrostatic Speaker rebuild work list

Rebuild woofers
Replace original woofer diaphragms with modern film and coating
Apply proprietary coating to woofer signal electrodes to render them arc-proof
Modify tweeter mounting frames and replace tweeter panels with new JansZen z87 panels
Damp upper treble backwave
Increase woofer damping
Add tweeter electrical network
Rebuild supplies
Replace selenium diodes in multiplier circuit with silicon diodes
Add crossover overlap compensation network
Modify transformer resonance damping network
Add current limiting resistor to woofer bias network
Replace binding posts with WBT nextGen
Replace proprietary mains inlets with IEC320 C14 inlet
Replace the signal and supply fuses, doubling the value of the signal fuse to reflect the higher power handling capacity after arc-proofing
Replace phenolic supply interface terminal block with FR-4 (fiberglass/epoxy)
Refinish supply enclosure
Replace speaker panel bias wiring
Cut out area of front perforated sheet metal from ahead of tweeter panel and weld in wire mesh
Revise ground connection of rear grill, refinish rear grill, disassemble frame and reassemble using sturdier corner joinery
Repair dings and gouges in frame where possible
Refinish solid walnut frame with seven coats of hand rubbed Tung oil
Replace grill cloth with your choice of open weave, fine linen
Restore base/riser
Add acoustically transparent barrier membranes stretched on frames to both sides of
speaker panels to prevent incursion of particulates
Extended testing to ensure functional stability and compliance to specifications

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Yikes. And I thought moding my Maggie’s was a DIY challenge. Hats off to you.

I’d love to follow your progress. Maybe a dedicated thread?

As to gouges in the wood, I’ve used wood fill epoxy to satisfactory results on small to medium damage. It’s available in various wood tones so matching to walnut shouldn’t be a problem. Because I’m “that guy” I’ve drawn in grain with stain pens to further hide the repair.

Impressive doctor…! Can you post a picture of the backside of one of those panels…

In my short time as a member of the forum the systems photos thread has been a favorite, I’m sorry to see it “cooling off” just a little bit.

Much more of a lurker and learner than a poster, which is probably a good thing for the rest…,

Adding a few photos of my “work apartment” system, I travel between 2 cities for work…while not in the league of many of the systems posted on the thread, it’s sounding pretty good.

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It is a great system. I bet you have sole control of the remotes. :smile:
Chas

What is that “open” box… Phono preamp…?

With all that PS gear you should be on @Paul Christmas card list.

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I’ve slowly (or not so slowly?) been replacing my older equipment with the various designs and designers - BHK for Tim de Paravacini and Richard Brown (I might yet go for Tim’s 912 though) and Ted Smith for the old Theta team.

It’s a Klyne SK-5 using it currently as both line & phono preamp
-JP

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System tweak acquired last week from a very nice chap from Loch Erne in Northern Ireland. Significant improvement in soundstage.

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That’s a tweak I can get behind. Best summer cocktail ever!

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Gin and tonic is not a cocktail. Cocktails have little umbrellas in them and are named after nuclear test sites in the Pacific.

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