Fred's hybrid digital/tube analog setup

[FredRydr]

From the bottom up:

- SD/A-360...I owned since new.
- TX-8...I may replace it with a CT-23 tuner/sonic holography preamp I picked up for cheap, but it needs some work. Is the TX-8 is more sensitive? Research required.
- Peachtree Nova digital to analog (tube) converter. With the TX-8, it replaced my MXR130 receiver. A more robust version is due out from Peachtree in December, the GranPre, but I need music now.
- Out of sight are the Sonos ZP90, which provides the digital signal to the Peachtree and controlled from wireless devices all over the house (docked or not) and the Sonos BR100 which is connected to my modem/router and passes data from all over the world.
- Linex speaker switch
- Sonos dock, which really wasn't necessary
- Apple iPod 4th gen 32 gigabyte as the main controller and storehouse for digital music
- down below and not yet installed, Carver's Sunfire TS-SJ8 subwoofer should just fit underneath the desk

On the other side of the room are a pair of new PSB Image T5 tower speakers on trial. I was impressed with their shallow depth of just over a foot, a real plus because of the shape and layout of the room. But the sound doesn't convince me, and I will be looking/listening around for alternatives. Perhaps the TS-Sj8 will resolve it. In the adjoining room, my old pair of KEF C10 shelf speakers sound good again, now that they're actually on a shelf and off the floor.

This system can be accessed and controlled from the iPod, but also from other stuff: two iPhones, an Android phone, the iPad2, my wife's iMac with a terabyte of unused memory for big lossless files, my office Dell notebook, and on and on, all by way of Sonos apps and programs. And it runs Pandora and many other similar online music, streaming radio stations, digital music files, and more.

But the stack of equipment in the photo makes it sound "human."

Fred

P.S. In the foreground is a genuine 1980s Carver patch cord. Offers?

[frenchguy]

Fred, I have a ct-23 that would be good for parts if your interested, even has a working remote that is hard to come by & have seen go for $100 alone, would sell it to you cheap as would rather it went to a forum member, let me know, frenchguy

[hewlew1]

Al, PM me with your asking price if you would , I may be interested. Thanks, Harry

[FredRydr]

Fred, I have a ct-23 that would be good for parts if your interested, even has a working remote that is hard to come by & have seen go for $100 alone, would sell it to you cheap as would rather it went to a forum member, let me know, frenchguy

Okay Al and Harry. I'm not quite used to how things work in this forum, yet.

Fred

[angelod307]

Fred, I have a ct-23 that would be good for parts if your interested, even has a working remote that is hard to come by & have seen go for $100 alone, would sell it to you cheap as would rather it went to a forum member, let me know, frenchguy

Okay Al and Harry. I'm not quite used to how things work in this forum, yet.

Fred

well, when possible, i get your address then come by for a visit while you are vacation. haha.. no just kidding, what do you mean how it works. is there a pattern or something.... oh yeah, hi.

[frenchguy]

I did not hear from you fred so I assumed that you were not interested, I guess I should of waited to see if you wanted it, sorry!! Harry offered me $75 & I told him ok!! it has display problems & when my carverfest tube amp had a tube go bad it sent alot of feedback thru my speakers even though the pre,s volume was all the way down to 0!! when I got back home & hooked up pre to my tfm 42 I had nothing so offered it up for sale as is! very sorry for not waiting on your reply!! lesson learned!! will not do that again! hope you dont have hard feelings because of this!! my sincere apology!!

[jjptkd]

If you're looking for some new speakers I'd recommend Klipsch as they are very sensitive and sound sound great with the Peachtree. I'm a big fan of almost anything that was put out by them in the '80s and '90s, the KG line is a great budget speaker for example. I have a pair of KG 4.5s just sitting that are only about 12" deep with a front firing port so they can be pushed up against the wall. These are great speakers and usually sell for the $150-$250 range. Heresy's are also a great smaller speaker, especially since you have a sub but they'll run you closer to $500 a pair.

[FredRydr]

I am not an audio techie, but I was hooked on Carver because of the tuner sensitivity of "The Receiver" back in the mid 80s.

My TX-8 that I bought recently has never sounded great. Mediocre, actually. If I change to mono on the tuner, noise disappears. But the TX-8 has not been as sensitive as the tuner in my older MX-130 that I sold here several months ago.

As usual, my choice is fix or replace (with another Carver tuner, please). I much prefer the slim design for my little stack of equipment, but I can deal with a couple more inches in height. (I've been looking for a TX-14, figuring it was the most up-to-date slim Carver tuner, but they never appear on the market.) Is there a consensus on which model is the most sensitive Carver tuner? There are plenty of TX-11 units on the market - for good reason? Or does tuner sensitivity deteriorate over time and a repair of my TX-8 would resolve the matter? Or should I turn my attention to the CT-23 I bought for cheap and have a technician check that out, instead?

Thanks for your opinions.

Fred

[TNRabbit]

The TX-11 is considered the finest Carver tuner. I believe the b model is preferred over the a model.

[Chauss]

I have one of those!

[FredRydr]

The Peachtree Nova now sits on top of a TX-11b I snagged, so the TX-8 waits for a new home (see my classified ad). Rolland has the SD/A-360 CD player for a mechanical repair to the tray.

However, most listening nowadays is through the Sonos and Peachtree Nova, even radio stations.

Fred

[tinpan]

How do you like your Sonos

[FredRydr]

How do you like your Sonos

It is the most used part of my system, operating through the Peachtree Nova amp-DAC. It essentially has retired other music sources, and it sure frees up a lot of space. I no longer use vinyl or tape. I have the SD/A 360 (just refurbished) for CD media, but I don't buy CDs much anymore. This is my system now. Not in photo: the Sunfire woofer, three rooms of speakers and the various Apple devices the family uses around the house to control the Sonos (iPod, iPhones, iPads, MacBook, iMac):


If you're thinking of going to Sonos to access online music, look seriously at the Peachtree products. Of course, listen first. http://www.peachtreeaudio.com/products/ ... s-dac.html They recently came out with their 440-watt "Grand Integrated" unit, but my set-up still brings me plenty of smiles.


Fred

[FredRydr]

Update





From the bottom up:

- SD/A-360...I owned since new.
- TX-11b...The welcome replacement for the TX-8. What a unit!
- Peachtree Nova digital to analog (tube) converter. (With the TX-11b, it replaced my MXR130 receiver that I sold here.)
- Inside the Nova is the Sonos ZP90, which provides the digital signal to the Peachtree and controlled from wireless devices all over the house (docked or not)
- Linex switches unit for PSB and KEF speakers (below)
- Sonos dock containing an iPod 4th gen as the main controller and storehouse for up to 32 gig of digital music
- Carver's Sunfire TS-SJ8 subwoofer



- PSB Image T5 tower speakers



- KEF C10 shelf speakers in the library...I've owned these since Carver released the MXR130



- Sonos S5 in the garage

A Sonos BR100 is wired to the modem/router in my home office that in turn wirelessly streams to the ZP90 (above). This system can be accessed and controlled from the iPod, but also from other stuff: iPhones, iPads, an iMac with a terabyte of unused memory for big lossless files, my office Macbook Pro or Dell Latitude PC, and on and on, all by way of Sonos apps and programs. And it runs Pandora and many other similar online music, streaming radio stations, digital music files, and more.

I'm the kind of guy that tries to get something that lasts a long time without constant updating. The most likely replacement would be the Sonos stuff, just because technology changes could make it obsolete earlier than the rest of the equipment. And the SD/A 360 might become another Victrola when CDs disappear. Nonetheless, I've been casually looking at turntables, even though I only own one vinyl album. Besides, I have to keep in mind that I have limited space for a collection of 33rpm albums.

Fred