Steve's current playback systems

I get many inquiries a day from people asking me what gear I use and I direct them to my profile. However, the main question asked is: "What exact gear is used in each of your systems?" I've decided to repost this here in the Audio Hardware section for a while. Hopefully this will answer your questions. Why do I use this or that gear? Well, I like the sound of it all and some of it fulfills a specialized need that I may have in working on a project. Practically all of the gear listed below is used by courtesy of the manufacturers and are long-term loans. Believe me, I get crates of new gear every month; most of it goes back. If I don't like it, I don't use it. Life is too short!

Disclaimer: These are my systems as they are right now. This is subject to change, mainly dependent on what I am currently reviewing or working with. That being said, this is my current list.

Current systems: (Revised July 23, 2007):

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Listening room system:

Japanese Concert Fidelity 6B4G monoblock amplifiers

Joule Electra LA-150 line stage

Modwright Sony 9100ES Platinum Signature Truth CD/SACD player

Arriving in three weeks:
Continuum Criterion turntable + Copperhead tonearm on custom Stillpoints ESS rack and Einstein Audio MC Phono stage and MC cartridge with custom Stereovox cables, speaker wire and LectraLine powercords

Kubala-Sosna Emotion power cords and 20 amp IEC cord, Concert Fidelity speaker wire, FMS interconnects, GroverWire, Argento balanced

Sound Application "LineStage" power conditioner

Escalante Design Fremont speakers and stands with Audio Points

Symposium Acoustics platforms and Rollerblock suspension system

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Studio system:

Japanese Wavac EC-300B 10 watt single ended triode (SET) amplifier with Western Electric NOS 300B tubes

McIntosh Labs MC402 amplifier

McIntosh Labs C46 audio control center

Metronome Technologie CD3 Signature

Sutherland Ph.D phono stage

Music Hall MMF-7 turntable

Shure V15VxMR cartridge

Australian Whatmough 202 Leadline monitors and stands

German Tidal Amea monitors

Symposium Acoustics platforms and Rollerblock suspension system

Sound Application "LineStage" power conditioner

Symposium Acoustics Isis Custom rack

Kubala-Sosna Research Emotion Interconnects, power cords, 20 amp IEC cord, speaker cable and internal and external studio wiring.

Additional studio gear:

1959 Ampex 351-2-P, Ampex AG-440-4

Emotive Audio Epifania line stage

Joule-Electra LA-200 line stage

Argento Audio Serenity balanced interconnects

British Klark-Teknik DN-360 1/3 octave graphic equalizer

George Massenburg Labs GML Model 9500 Series II mastering parametric equalizer

Vintage 1965 Universal Audio Model 500-A equalizer (stereo pair)

Teletronix Model LA-2A leveling amplifier (stereo pair)

VAC Standard Musicbloc 160 monoblocks

VAC Standard Preamplifier Mk II with MC and MM phono stages

Sony SACD-777ES (for SACD)

Concert Fidelity CF-040 line stage

Urei 1176 Blue Stripe (stereo pair)

1962 Ampex MX-35 mic/line mixer

Tascam BR-20 modified open reel tape recorder

Rogers BBC LS3/5a speakers (for near field)

Venture Grand Excellence III speakers from Belgium

German AKG C 414 B-TL II microphones (stereo pair)

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Headphone systems:

WooAudio6 Single-Ended Class A Tube Headphone Amplifier, Channel Islands Audio VHP-1 Mark II Solid State Headphone amplifier, Sennheiser HD-600 headphones with Stefan Audio Arts Equinox cable upgrade, AKG K-701 headphones with Ken Ball ALO Audio upgrade, Ultrasone Proline 2500, Oritek Audio X interconnects

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Vintage system:

Amplification:
1959 McIntosh MC30 monoblocks, 1961 Marantz 8B, 1960 Dynakit Stereo 70, alternating

Preamplifiers:
1961 Marantz 7C, 1966 McIntosh MX-110-Z, alternating.

Tuner:
1965 Marantz 10B, 1966 McIntosh MR71, alternating

Turntables:
1959 Swiss Thorens TD-124 with original 1959 ESL arm and ESL "sweeper" and Shure M44 cartridge with various vintage matching microgroove and 78 RPM styli & Thorens TD-160 turntable with Signet TK10ML cartridge

CD Player:
1986 Denon DCD-670 from my DCC office. (Still works great!)

Speaker System:
1967 Tannoy Lancaster 15" Dual-Concentric Gold ($50.00 at the Salvation Army Store)

Cables:
Monster cable Pro-Link 400 interconnects and Monster speaker wire

 

Jay,

Compare the two? Really apples and oranges. Power is different, tubes are different, design is different and price is certainly different.

The Mac has a more forgiving, full-bodied sound and is compatible with many different types of speakers. The VAC has a less romantic, more analytical presentation but with more power. Which ever sounds the best to you is of course totally dependent on what wire, speakers, preamp, CD player you use and (of course) your personal taste.

The Mac 275 Mark V is probably one of the best deals in high end audio; nothing like it at that low price point.

 

Ummm, upgraded power supply and playback amp mainly. The stock version sounds a bit too sterile.

 

It's up at Tone Audio at the moment then back to MacLand. I'll miss that little baby.

 

Pending. Guess there really is only one of them.

 

No, when it goes, it goes. I don't use it that much; should last for years unless I do something stupid.