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Stereopal Featured System:   Kenneth Shum                                                                                                    Sept 2, 2005

               

                       

                   

 

 

Once in a while, you’ll stumbled into some truly stunning setups which you will die to get a listen to. 

 

One look at it, and you’ll know the person who owns it has gone much further ahead than me in the journey towards audio nirvana.   Or, Ken could very well be There already ?

 

To the non-discerning, the look of these things may arouse a stern  …….   “what the hell are these “ …. type of reaction.

 

But for those who had been touched by Vitavox’s magic, there mere thought of owing such a set up will be like seeing a mirage in a dessert.

 

For now, I shall dream on ………

 

 

 

System Components:

 

CD/SACD:         Marantz SA11S1

Crossover:        Yamaha Digital D2040 4 way stereo (24db/oct slopes)

Amp 1 (Tweeters):        DIY SET 45/2A3 monoblocks

Amp 2 (High Mid):         Quad II monoblocks

Amp 3 (Low Mids):        DIY SET 300B amp monoblocks

Amp 4 (Bass)    :            Mcintosh 240 6L6/KT66 PP amp

Amp 5 (Line pre amp):  DIY SET 45 with input & out transformers

 

Speaker Details:          

Tweeters:          Dukane Ionovac plasma - 8khz+

High Mids:        Vitavox CN157 dispersive with Altec 288-16G drivers. - 1khz to 8khz.

Low Mids:         Vitavox CN129 220hz Multicell horn w/ Altec 290-4G drivers- 280hz to 1khz.

Bass:                 Onken W with dual Altec 416-16Z woofers <280hz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kenneth’s Comments:

 

Music I like:     

 

Classical jazz, Blues, 60's-70's rock, baroque Classical

 

 

General:           

 

My current system is based on the 4 way Onken systems I had seen in the Japanese MJ magazines. Since the wooden Onken horns were almost impossible to get and way too expensive for my blood, I decided to use the Vitavox components (salvaged from a local theater) you see here.

 

I had just about completed assembly of the whole system when I got posted to the Middle East for work. As a result, much of the tuning hasn’t been done, but the first impressions were pretty positive, especially the sense of scale. Jazz trios sounded small & orchestral works big. Excellent!!

However, a couple of months ago, I did manage to get back home for a short vacation and added the; Dukane plasma tweeters (replacing JBL 2405), Sierra Brooks round wood 500hz horns with Vitavox S2 drivers, the PS Audio P600 & P300 and Mogami 2803 OCC interconnects.

 

 

Future plans:

 

Finish tuning it ! 

 

I may make some changes down the road, such as:  Upgrading all the power cables to a special type with ferrite powder impregnated insulation. (I already have the spool of wire, but just need to get home and do it)

 

DIY solid silver speaker cables. I’m planning to buy the stuff in bulk, insulate (Fiberglass tubing) each conductor individually and braid.

 

Replace the MC 240 with a dedicated solid state bass amp. Actually this amp was almost complete when I had to go overseas. If you look at the main picture, it is the lower most component in the rack with the blue capacitors.

 

Move the SET 300B monoblocks to high-mid duties and use SET GM70 monoblocks for the mid-lows. One of the completed monoblocks can be seen in the main picture, left bottom.

 

Get my turntable (Licensed Western Electric 12D) setup.

 

 

Tweaks:

 

The rear wall behind all the equipment has been treated with 4 inches of mineral fiber damping material and 2 inches of paper pulp soft board for absorption and  undulating strips of vertical MDF boards for refraction.  C37 lacquer on all the drive unit diaphragms.

 

 

45 / 2A3 Amplifier & Quad II

 

DIY 300B Amplifier

 

45 Line Preamp

Stunning Horns

 

 

 

 

Vitavox.

        

              Plasma Tweeters

 

 

 

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