Loading...

All components in BOLD are loaned or in for review; all components in standard face are owned by me.

Tannoy Westminster Royal SE based system:

The Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers have external Duelund CAST crossovers, Duelund DCA12GA tinned-copper speaker cables, restored and hot-rodded vintage McIntosh MC30 monaural amplifiers, Duelund DCA20GA tinned-copper interconnects, restored and hot-rodded vintage McIntosh MX110Z tuner-preamplifier, shielded Duelund DCA20GA tinned-copper interconnects from the MX110Z to bespoke Intact Audio nickel-core monaural step-up transformers, which connect to a Pete Riggle Audio Engineering 12.5-inch Woody SPU tonearm. The Woody SPU tonearm and a 12-inch Thomas Schick tonearm reside upon an Artisan Fidelity "Statement" dual tonearm plinth, which houses my Classic Turntable Company "Classic 301" (a very hot-rodded Garrard 301). Phonograph cartridges are the Ortofon SPU Mono CG 25 Di MkII mono phono cartridge (Schick), and the Ortofon SPU Classic GM MkII stereo phono cartridge (Woody SPU).

Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre based system:

The loudspeakers are restored vintage Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre loudspeakers with Hiraga-inspired crossovers, Duelund DCA16GA speaker cables, a Leben CS-600 integrated amplifier, with Belden 8402 microphone cable interconnects connecting it to a Leben RS-30EQ phono preamplifier, connected to an Auditorium 23 step-up transformer (SUT) with Belden 8402 microphone cable interconnects, which in turn connects to a Thomas Schick 12-inch tonearm mounted on an Artisan Fidelity Thorens TD124 Statement Long-Base turntable. The phonograph cartridge used as a comparator was the Denon DL-103 with an Audio MusiKraft tunable cartridge shell.

Altec “Stokowski” A7 Voice of the Theatre based system:

These particular vintage Altec’s were custom made for conductor Leopold Stokowski by Altec circa 1961-1964, for listening to music in his apartment, back when Dr. Stokowski lived just off of Park Avenue in New York, and before moving back to London to further his recording career.

The Stokowski Altec’s individual components are generally representative of early Altec A7 Voice of the Theatre loudspeakers, with 803B 16-Ohm bass drivers housed in 825 style bass horn cabinets, Altec 804A 16-Ohm compression drivers on Altec 511B horns, and Altec N-500-D crossovers.

The primary difference between production Altec A7’s and Mr. Stokowski’s Altec’s are the massive wooden cabinets the speakers were enclosed in to make them domestic-friendly from an appearance standpoint. 

The speakers are connected with Western Electric WE16GA speaker cables to a SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier, which is connected to a Mhdt Havana USB DAC by Belden 8402 tinned-copper microphone cables.

The source is a MacBook computer, connected to an Mhdt Havana USB DAC with an Art of Tone DIY USB interconnect, and wall AC is provided by Acoustic Revive Power Reference power cables.

Altec 832A Corona based system:

Vintage (circa 1957) Altec 832A Corona loudspeakers, consisting of Glenn of California cabinets, Altec 803A bass drivers, Altec 802D compression drivers, Altec 811B HF horns, and Altec N800E crossovers.

The Coronas are equipped with Spec RSP-AZ9EX Real Sound Processors (impedance compensators), Duelund DCA16GA tinned-copper speaker cables, and powered by an Almarro A205A single-ended-pentode EL84 integrated amplifier, which is connected to wall AC with an Acoustic Revive Power Reference TripleC NCF AC power cord, and with Acoustic Revive RCA Absolute FM Interconnects (in for review) connecting it to a Mhdt Paradisea+ USB DAC.

The Mhdt Paradisea+ USB DAC is connected to wall AC with an Acoustic Revive Absolute Power Cord (in for review), and is connected with a Locus Design Group Polestar USB cable to my iMac computer that I use as a source to stream music and play CDs.