Share your Upgrades/Changes for 2008

[RUR]

2008 was major overhaul year on the 2ch rig:

• Sequel II>Vantage
• Aragon 4004>Rogue M150 monoblocks
• Aragon 18K>Modwright LS36.5
• Cal Audio Sigma/Delta>Denon-Modwright Platinum 3910
• Lots and lots of tube-rolling
• No room treatments>RealTraps corner mondos/mini-traps/micro-traps + ASC Tube Traps
• Added mini-split A/C system to tame the Rogue space heaters

and I've got a pair of VTL 450 monoblocks in the queue for audition. Waiting for repairs, thanks to the UPS gorillas.

In the MBR setup:

• Samsung BD-P1200>Denon DVD3800 BDCI

A very busy year!:music:

 

[TomDac]

reQuests > Summits
PS3
new carpet
new furniture
new paint

 

[lonergan2468]

Modifications

My Quest panels are nearly run in, waiting on a pair of granite plinths to place underneath them.I want to make modifications to my Spark Cayin CD17A cd player. New chips and tubes, hopefully.. If I was wealthy, like some, I would like Krell power amps, but I will have to make do with my lousy Audiolab 8000Q and 8000M

 

[Cherian]

Speakers: From Scenarios to Monolith III using passive crossover then to active Crossover

Amp: Monarchy SE-100 Mono blocks to Conrad Johnson MV65 to Conrad Johnson Premier 350 to Conrad Johnson Premier 350 and Premier 140 bi-amped.

Preamp: Conrad Johnon PV14LS to Premier 16LS

CDP: CEC CD3300R to Shanling T-100 to Esoteric DV-50S

Samsung 50" 1080P plasma TV

I must admit it is all sounding so good right now.

 

[Diamonds]

Me -
Subs - James 1200 - Dali Euphonia - 1 JL Audio F113 - Now 2 JL Audio F113
Amps - Pass Labs X600.5 to Conrad Johnson LP140 Mono
Preamp - Pass Labs X1 to Conrad Johnson CT5
CD Player - Musical Fidelity KW Super System to Esoteric X-05
Multi-Channel Amp - McCormick HT5 - NuForce 7 Channel
Multi-Channel Pre/Pro - Cary Cinema 11 - NuForce - NAD Master Series
Power Cond - Shunyata to Tara Labs
Cables - Acoustic Zen to Tara Labs

Holy cow that was a lot! I have liked all my changes if I have not liked them, then I have got something else until I have.

More upgrades to come in 2009 - Turntable is one and perhaps new speakers.

The Kid
Speakers - Dali Helicon 400 - Dali Helicon 400 MK2 - Dali Helicon 800 MK2
Center Speaker - Dali Helicon C200 to Dali Helicon C200 MK2
Amplifier - Pass Labs X150 - McCormick MT5 - Conrad Johnson MET 150
Pre Amp - Pass Labs X1 - Conrad Johnson Met 1
Subwoofer - Martin Logan Abyss to JL Audio F113
Phono Stage - Jolida 9A to PS Audio GCPH Phono (Xmas Present from me)

I think my son will be upgrading his turntable this year and his DVD player. Other than I think he is pretty good.

The reason why I put up both systems is because it is my money that makes them happen. I help my son so we can bond and have something to do together. We both really enjoy it.

Thanks!
-D

 

[churchill]

Lets see, I now have dedicated listening room that was finished about 20 days ago!

Electronics wise everthing was purchased in Novermber and December.

ML Vista's
Rotel RC995 Pre-amp
Pass Labs X250 Amp
Lexicon RT-20 Multi Player
Straight Wire Rhapsody Bi-Wire Speaker Cable
VTI Amp Rack
ATS Acoustic Panels
PS Audio Power Ports

Finally, a nice 2 ch system coming together!

 

[Burke]

Pioneer Elite receiver to Integra DTC 9.8 pre/pro

added three Sanders ESL Monoblock amplifiers for L / C / R.
moved Sanders ESL 2ch from front to surrounds and stopped using receiver amps altogether.

added Real Traps Mini HF trap behind center channel.
added 10 new DIY 2' x 8' x 4"" traps, all 4 corners, behind ML Summits, side walls behind Script i (surrounds) and complete rear wall behind rear surround Script i.

Moved all amplifiers to craw space under the media room.

The biggest difference came from the room treatments and tweaking the ML Summit placement.

Next year, remove all of the DIY room treatments, and build new walls within walls, Basically all four walls will become room treatments, I have the plans back from the architect, construction to start in Jan (hopefully), was to completed by 2nd week of Dec, but that did not happen.

 

[tonepub]

Just when I thought I wasn't upgrading anything this year any more,
a nice box from Sooloos arrived with a twin store in it. The good news is this will hold 4600 more CD's!

Hmmmm.

 

[Gordon]

This was a MAJOR year for me. I have one piece left from last years system.

The best and most significant change was the the move from Paradigm S8 to the Vantage then to Spire. Speaker change from box to ESL had the biggest and most profound change in my system.

Traded in MC352 amp for a pair of 501 mono's.

Traded in the MCD201 CD/SACD player for the the transport and DAC.

Wired system up with Mapleshade speaker wire and ICs.

Installed 6 RealTraps which was the most difficult to get past the wife!!!!

Purchased a new Billy Bags Audio rack.

Became a member here and met some great people.

2008 was my year to spend. 2009 looks like a new deck, hot tub and a trip to Rome. Guess 2009 belongs to my wife!!

Gordon

 

[Kenscollick]

I spent most of the year just enjoying the music probably picked up 30 new ones a few dogs but for the most part great music.

One of the reasons was my upgrading of my Synergistic Research cables to the Tesla series late in 2007.

The "bug'" seems to hit in the Fall coinciding with the Whitetail rut, I found a pretty good deal on a Wadia 581se also with the Great Northern Statement Mod. This is a nice upgrade on the 861 building on what i liked in the older Wadia, sonically stunning. A quick and very enjoyable trip to Wadia i upgraded to the i giving me both digital and analog inputs allowing me to add the Wadia 170 itransport. This is a very cool ipod dock taking the digital signal from the ipod and using the DtoA in the 581.

With the not so insignificant changes I am completely satisfied [for now]

my system:
http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=169

 

[Rich]

Only one upgrade/change in the past year, my daughter grew from an infant to this. Unfortunately, that has limited my time available for playing with my system, or for that matter, posting it on this forum. I will get around to that very soon, though. I promise. Really. I'm not just making this stuff up, you know.

 

[Bernard]

Only one upgrade/change in the past year, my daughter grew from an infant to this. Unfortunately, that has limited my time available for playing with my system, or for that matter, posting it on this forum. I will get around to that very soon, though. I promise. Really. I'm not just making this stuff up, you know.

Rich, really cute kid! I guess she's sticking her tongue out at those of us who are waiting to see pictures of your system !

 

[TomD]

Nothing can compare to Rich's "upgrade," what a doll.

2008 was a very good year for acquiring upgrades. Since i had absolute crap, anything i purchased turned out to be a serious upgrade, relatively speaking.

Amplification:
a Yamaha 5.1 receiver functioning as an amp and processor along with a Carver TFM-25 to a Sunfire TGA-5200.
The Carver drove the mains and is now driving the rears, the TGA is bi-amped to the mains and drives the center

Processing:
Above said receiver to a Lexicon MC-12B

Power Conditioning:
Absolutely nothing to a Panamax M5100-EX and a M4300-PM
Before these MLs appeared, i always thought that power conditioners were for the truly obsessive fanatics, still do.

Cables:
Lengths of Phoenix Gold (that "highly stranded" stuff) bi-wired to the mains to Tara Labs Helix 6 cable for the mains and center (five in all)

As for the rear cable, i am truly too embarrassed to say what was replaced. But what the hell, you won't tell anyone. Just think the freebie stuff that came with your first speakers. But now they are connected with Audioquest X2 cable (14 gauge).

Interconnects:
An assortment of garbage to mostly Audioquest Copperhead.

This system still has a long way to go. The next improvements will be a CD player (possibly a Marantz SA11S1) and a subwoofer (preferably a Depth).

And of course i must acknowledge my most outstanding best buddy, who happens to by my wife, for supporting this need? obsession? hobby? desire? whatever, no WAF here.:cheers:

Her "contribution" to the listening room was that we purchase new furniture, which wound up being a Clayton Marcus semi-circular type couch and a Harden oval-shaped solid cherry coffee table. Fits real nice in front of the speakers and TV. We got the table at a great price off-the-floor, but the couch hurt. I much rather have been cheaper with the furniture and spend it on sound reproduction, but then i have no taste.

Can't blame us for the poor economy.

 

[tsmooth]

Where to start???

Wow, pretty much my whole journey has took place this year. We moved from an appartment to a house where I could put a theater.

Speakers : Polk -> ML Source/Monitor Audio -> ML Vista/Motif/Vignette/Dynamo

Source: Denon 1910 -> Denon 2930 / Samsung BD-2550 blu ray

Receiver: Denon 2807 -> Denon 3808

Amp: Nothing -> Rotel 1080 -> Sunfire Cinema Grand

Projector: Benq PB 6100 -> Sharp XVZ-3000 (big jump to HDMI)

Put together treatments for the theater which was a great upgrade.

All this was done thanks (I think) to looking at this site all the time and wanting to buy more stuff.

What next: I NEED at least a depth, but I would probably be shot if I brought a new electronics box into the house.

 

[taylode]

This was a MAJOR year for me. I have one piece left from last years system.

The best and most significant change was the the move from Paradigm S8 to the Vantage then to Spire. Speaker change from box to ESL had the biggest and most profound change in my system.

Traded in MC352 amp for a pair of 501 mono's.

Traded in the MCD201 CD/SACD player for the the transport and DAC.

Wired system up with Mapleshade speaker wire and ICs.

Installed 6 RealTraps which was the most difficult to get past the wife!!!!

Purchased a new Billy Bags Audio rack.

Became a member here and met some great people.

2008 was my year to spend. 2009 looks like a new deck, hot tub and a trip to Rome. Guess 2009 belongs to my wife!!

Gordon

Well Gordon, it looks like only your preamp is the weak link. That is if a 2200 can be considered a weak link. :bowdown:

 

[Gordon]

Well Gordon, it looks like only your preamp is the weak link. That is if a 2200 can be considered a weak link. :bowdown:

The C1000 with tubes is next on the list. After the deck, tub and vacation

 

[tegan512]

Okay this has been a big year for me in upgrades. I doubt I’ll have another this large again.

Upgrades

Speakers- Paradigm Cinema 110 mains & Cinema 110 center -> Vista’s and Stage. What can I really say other than this was moving into a whole new world. This took my 2ch & HT experiences from background noise to immersion into the music. Best upgrade I’ve ever made bar none.

Amplification- Denon 3805 -> Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature 5 x 405. This allowed me to Bi-amp the Vistas and opened the ML’s up in a way I had to hear to believe.

Digital- Apple TV with 500GB external HDD as a media server
Channel Island VDA-2 DAC with a VAC-1 power supply

Interconnects – Monster Cable Ultra -> Single cable Analogue Two

Speaker Wire- Monster Cable generic -> Signal cable Ultra (bi-amp configuration)

Furniture- Generic TV stand -> Salamander Designs Synergy Stand.

Planned purchases for 2009:

Signal Cable Power cords to replace the stock power cords.

Script I’s to replace my Paradigm surrounds if I can ever actually find a pair for sale

On a final note I'd like to thank all the fine folks on this forum for their advise over the last few months. Your advise and postings have been invaluble for pointing me in the right direction when I've looked to upgrade each of my components. I look forward to being part of the forum for many years to come.

 

[TrumpetDoug]

Upgrade

Was a good year of upgrades for me.

Amp - Threshold to CJ Evolution 2000

Preamp - NAD to CJ Premiere 14

Plus a component rack for all that I can live with for now. Here are a couple of pics for ya.

Doug - out

 

[FISH_MAN]

this was a major year in audio for me I upgraded mains from vantage to Spires
center from cinema i to Stage and from an outlaw 990 prepro to a lexicon mc-8b
and purchased a Marantz sacd player and a pro-ject turntable ! my wallet is a few inches thinner ok maybe more than a few inches but I do get real enjoyment from all of my audio gear. happy new year to all :^)

 

[theWB]

Purchased Summits in June and CLS IIs in October.

Best change was when my new listening Buddy arrived in September.