Ok fellas,

Time to post some pics of my new system as it takes shape..

Last saturday I bought a nice rack from a local hi-fi dealer. It's actually comprised of several removable sections using spikes for better isolation. 30 bucks per section. Not a bad price for an "audiophile" rack methinks...

On top is my newly arrived VPI Scout. I haven't even removed it from the box yet!

Then it's the PH3 phono preamp.

The third shelf now houses a Sansui 1000A tube receiver (to fill up the space). But it's reserved for a SP-16L preamp that I have on order.

Next comes the Squeezebox and DAC-60 tube DAC.

Finally on the bottom, the VS110 tube amp.

Next to the rack is the Vandy 2W subwoofer.

Nothing is hooked up yet.

I still need to buy new speaker cables and interconnects as well as a plexiglass dustcover for the turntable

This is getting expensive... So far I've spent 7 grand on the rack, table, power amp and preamp. The rest of the stuff I already had...

Here's another more "panoramic" shot of the setup. I'm really diggin' my new "Rat Pack" poster!

Nestor,
you'll have to supply more pic's when that tt set up, and include your impression of how it all sounds.

Oh definitely Scott.
This is going to take time. Specially the fastidious alignment of the cart, plus VTA, etc.

Also, I have a lot of dust here due to the carpet, so I think I'll keep the table in the box until I get the dustcover.

Looking at my finances right now, seems I'll have to sell even more stuff on eBay in order to get the new cables and dust cover.

The SP-16L preamp is $2000 brand new from the local dealer. I thought about buying used, but then again, this is the system I'll have for the rest of my life!

Crooner,

Did you sell off the 1980 then?

I like the looks of the new system quite a bit, but I thought
that 1980 was your baby?

Scott

Oh yeah, I parted with it.
I had to in order to able to afford this stuff!

I am yet to fire up my new system (the preamp arrives tomorrow), so it's going to be interesting to compare it to my old one.

Stay tuned!

Ok guys here's an update on my new system:

My preamplifier arrives tomorrow but in the meantime I ordered some interconnect cables, managed to hook up the Kimber 8TC cables to my Vandersteens and setup the VPI Scout turntable.

With my new rack location I was able to use the Kimber for biwiring runs to the 2Ce signatures and a regular run to the sub.

I used automotive "'O-ring" connectors instead of spades for the 2Ce signature barrier strips. This is recommended by Richard Vandersteen and they do fit quite nicely.

Here is a pic of the VPI Scout in the rack. I added a slab of granite at the bottom. Might change that to maple in the future.

I am using my present Benz Glider M2 at 2 grams of tracking force.

Here's a closeup of the alignment jig provided with the JMW-9 tonearm.

Managed to get the cart aligned as best as I could.

I added Nordost Blue Heaven interconnects....

In order to use the Vandy 2W sub, I need to roll off the response of the power amp using a simple first order high pass filter. This consists of a simple capacitor in series with the input signal to the amp.

This cap, though, tends to color the resulting sound. Hence, I had to find the finest cap for this application. One that would preserve resolution and reasonably transparent.

I ended up using VH Audio's V-CAP which is a Teflon film tin foil reference grade capacitor. 40 bucks for a 0.022 uF value. Not cheap but what the heck.....

Instead of building an external box to house the capacitors (one for each channel) which would require double runs of interconnects, I decided to hard wire the caps inside the VS110 amplifier itself.

Here's a nudie of the amplifier with the chassis upside down. Space was tight and working with silver solder is a pain, but I was able to do the job in around 20 minutes.

Here's a shot of the amplifier's initial testing and bias adjustment. Good thing the rack is modular so it was easy to remove the other shelves leaving much better access to the amp for this task.

ARC specifies 65 milliamps of current for each 6550 tube, equivalent to "rich" Class AB operation. To adjust bias they provide a plastic tool that you insert on the holes provided near each tube. The tool drives a bourns pot on the PCB.

To measure the resulting voltage you use a standard digital VOM with the probes inserted on the rear banana jacks ( a pair for each tube).

Nice!

Thanks!
The preamp arrived today. It came all the way from Toronto, Canada. I decided to buy used via Audiogon and saved around $700. Not chump change and it helped fund my cable purchases and the dust cover for the scout.

I am hooking everything up tonight. Can't wait to flip that switch!

Very nice! I'm looking forward to your review of the now complete system.

- JP