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Ed Momkus
Senior ReviewerIdeally, any serious audio system starts with the room and the power. First I will describe the room. For those interested, my article in Dagogo describing my room rebuild includes photos of how the room was constructed, as well as numerous construction details. ROOM CONSTRUCTION. I have a dedicated 2-channel listening room that is 28’ (north and south walls) x 24.7’ (east and west walls) x 8.5’ high. The north (front) wall is an exterior structural wall and has a 13.3’foot strip of 5 parallel elevated windows arranged in a row 5’10” above the floor which allow the room to get natural light. These windows are fitted with Marigo Audio window tuning dots, which do a very effective job of attenuating the minor vibrations and reflections caused by this elevated narrow strip of window glass. The south (rear) wall has an 8 foot wide opening that can be opened or closed with sliding wooden doors depending on the listening configuration desired, and/or to reduce the volume of music escaping from the room. The optimal listening configuration is with the sliding doors closed. The east and west walls have standard wooden doors leading into adjoining rooms and incorporate a modest amount of soundproofing. The north wall is framed by ASC bass traps configured as columns in the left and right corners and as a soffit along the intersection of the ceiling and north wall. Though the floor is supported by concrete strips for stability, it is raised 2 feet above a concrete foundation. The space between the underlying foundation and the floor is filled with Owens Corning fiberglass and acts as an additional large built-in under-floor bass trap. There is an 8 inch wooden grate in the floor where the floor adjoins the north wall that allows sound to filter into this built-in bass trap under the floor. This configuration in effect creates rectangular bass trapping that “frames” the area behind the speakers along the side wall corners, the ceiling, and the floor. In addition, the upper left and right corners of the south wall have built-in bass absorption, and ASC high frequency absorption is mounted on the ceiling at key reflection points. (No side wall absorption is needed because of the long distance between the main listening position and the side walls, which is in turn a consequence of the the “width-wise” room configuration described below.) The floor is carpeted wall-to-wall (except for the wooden floor grates along the north wall) with what is in effect a Persian rug. Persian rugs generally have the densest fibers of any commercially-available carpeting, and the effect is to lower the room’s noise floor by several decibels. (Below I will describe how I avoid the dead-sounding effects of too much absorption.) POWER. In addition to the typical electrical service that provides lighting and standard outlets to the room and the rest of the house, the room has 4 separate 20 amp circuits/outlets fed by a separate electrical panel dedicated to audio. The in-wall electrical cables that run from the dedicated electrical panel to each outlet are matched to the function of each outlet. Two circuits that each serve a monoblock amp employ 8 gauge wiring, and the other two circuits use audiophile 10 gauge wiring made by JPS Labs. The audio outlets are Furutech NCF, and each connection between panel, wires and outlets is secured using silver electrical paste. GENERAL EQUIPMENT AND SEATING CONFIGURATION. The room is arranged “width-wise”, with the speakers placed 4 feet away from the north wall and generally projecting music towards seats positioned several feet away from the south wall. The speakers are 9.5 feet apart and 9 feet from each side wall. The monoblocks are each situated along the north structural wall, behind and slightly between the speakers. A custom designed copper and jatoba wood equipment stand to the left of the left speaker houses the main source equipment. Additional custom dual turntable shelves are drilled into the structural studs of the north wall to the left and right of the speakers and are used for other equipment that comes in and out of the system. PRINCIPAL AUDIO EQUIPMENT. My source is the Laufer Teknik Memory Player. It is a fully-integrated server that incorporates a DAC, internet streaming, and room correction. I am currently in the process of comparing its DAC and room correction to the DAC and room correction of my beloved Legacy Audio Wavelet. If the MP’s room correction can match that of the Wavelet I will end up moving the Wavelet to a separate bookshelf and subwoofer system I have in the house, as the Wavelet also incorporates a very high quality crossover. I use Stealth Audio USB T-Select usb cable from server to the Wavelet. As mentioned above, the Wavelet has served as my DAC, preamp, and crossover for several years. Several reviews have been written about this superior component. See my own review in Dagogo. My speakers are the Vivid Audio G1 Giyas. See my review in Dagogo. Also see my comments below about Synergistic Research speaker tweaks. Amps are the Electrocompaniet Nemo monoblocks, which are getting long in the tooth, but nonetheless sound incredibly natural and tubelike to my ears. See my comments below about my experience with tweaking these amps with Synergistic Research and Kimber Kabyle products. The amps are plugged directly into the wall with Kimber Palladian power cords. After long experimentation, I believe that they sound best this way. Speaker cables are Stealth Audio Dream v16-T biwire. The source components receive power via Lessloss DFPC Reference PCs and three (yes, really three - long story) daisy-chained Lessloss Firewall power conditioners (original version). ROOM AND EQUIPMENT TWEAKS. Don’t let the term “tweaks” mislead you. The following items are important and integral to the sound of the system. I use Synergistic Research HFTs, ECTs and MIG 2.0. The MIG 2.0 footers are under source components. The HFTs are used in connection with the Synergistic Research Atmosphere and Black Box. They are placed on the room walls and on the speakers. The Atmosphere and the Black Box are located between the two speakers. The ECTs are used on/in the monoblocks, Wavelet and speaker cables. The monoblocks sit on double-mounted Walker Audio Prologue amp stands (one amp stand placed on another amp stand) and Walker Valid Points. Come and listen!
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Articles & Reviews
By Ed Momkus November 28, 2009
By Ed Momkus February 19, 2008
By Ed Momkus October 22, 2006
By Ed Momkus July 30, 2010
By Ed Momkus November 21, 2007
By Ed Momkus December 22, 2006
By Ed Momkus October 03, 2011
By Ed Momkus October 23, 2020
By Ed Momkus March 02, 2014
By Ed Momkus December 19, 2008
By Ed Momkus December 02, 2010
By Ed Momkus January 30, 2023
By Ed Momkus November 03, 2011
By Ed Momkus January 28, 2015
By Ed Momkus March 06, 2023
By Ed Momkus November 06, 2005
By Ed Momkus September 11, 2016
By Ed Momkus November 17, 2017
By Ed Momkus June 22, 2006
By Ed Momkus October 03, 2014
By Ed Momkus January 29, 2010
By Ed Momkus December 23, 2006
By Ed Momkus February 08, 2017
By Ed Momkus January 25, 2017
By Ed Momkus September 03, 2011
By Ed Momkus March 29, 2010
By Ed Momkus September 20, 2008
By Ed Momkus November 28, 2009
By Ed Momkus January 05, 2015
By Ed Momkus July 19, 2009
By Ed Momkus July 21, 2007
By Ed Momkus February 20, 2008
By Ed Momkus August 23, 2006
By Ed Momkus May 22, 2007
By Ed Momkus November 30, 2010
By Ed Momkus February 16, 2009
By Ed Momkus May 19, 2008
By Ed Momkus April 29, 2010
By Ed Momkus June 02, 2011
By Ed Momkus November 03, 2011
By Ed Momkus April 04, 2012
By Ed Momkus January 19, 2009
By Ed Momkus February 01, 2010
By Ed Momkus April 16, 2009
By Ed Momkus February 20, 2010
By Ed Momkus August 20, 2008
By Ed Momkus September 21, 2017
By Ed Momkus November 21, 2022
By Ed Momkus October 28, 2009
By Ed Momkus January 01, 2021
By Ed Momkus April 08, 2021
By Ed Momkus April 22, 2006
By Ed Momkus October 03, 2011
By Ed Momkus June 20, 2008
By Ed Momkus April 17, 2017
By Ed Momkus March 02, 2011
By Ed Momkus December 28, 2009
By Ed Momkus July 30, 2010
By Ed Momkus September 20, 2008
By Ed Momkus September 20, 2008
By Ed Momkus January 20, 2008
By Ed Momkus August 04, 2012
By Ed Momkus March 09, 2015
By Ed Momkus October 19, 2008
By Ed Momkus April 02, 2011
By Ed Momkus June 30, 2010
By Ed Momkus August 22, 2009
By Ed Momkus May 01, 2009
By Ed Momkus March 04, 2016
By Ed Momkus April 11, 2009
By Ed Momkus March 03, 2015
Ypsilon BC-1 Balanced Converter Transformers Review
Audio Accessories | No Comments »By Ed Momkus November 28, 2009
YG Acoustics Kipod Studio Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus February 19, 2008
XLH M-2000 Monoblock Amplifiers Review
Amplification | Mono Block | Solid State | No Comments »By Ed Momkus October 22, 2006
Weizhi PRS-6 Power Conditioner Review
Audio Accessories | Power Conditioners | No Comments »By Ed Momkus July 30, 2010
Walker Audio Ultra Vivid Digital Disc Cleaner
Audio Accessories | No Comments »By Ed Momkus November 21, 2007
Walker Audio Talisman Digital Disc Treatment Review
Audio Accessories | No Comments »By Ed Momkus December 22, 2006
Vogel Cable X-Link Digital Cable Review
Cables | Digital Cables | No Comments »By Ed Momkus October 03, 2011
Vivid Audio Kaya 90 speakers Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus October 23, 2020
Vivid Audio Giya G1 Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 4 Comments »By Ed Momkus March 02, 2014
Upgrade Company Esoteric P70 CD Transport and D-70 DAC Digital System Review
DACs | Digital Sources | Disc Media Players | 2 Comments »By Ed Momkus December 19, 2008
UltraBit Platinum-Plus and CleanDisc Disc Cleaning Solution Review
Audio Accessories | No Comments »By Ed Momkus December 02, 2010
Townshend Maximum super tweeters Review
Speakers | Super Tweeter | 4 Comments »By Ed Momkus January 30, 2023
Tara Labs Zero Gold Interconnect Review
Cables | Interconnects | No Comments »By Ed Momkus November 03, 2011
Tannoy Prestige Canterbury Gold Reference speakers Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 7 Comments »By Ed Momkus January 28, 2015
Taket-Live super tweeter and WHDPURE woofer enhancer Review
Speakers | Super Tweeter | 23 Comments »By Ed Momkus March 06, 2023
Synergy between Electrocompaniet Nemo Monoblock Amplifiers And Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 800D Speakers
Commentaries | Dagogo Classics | The Columns | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus November 06, 2005
Stealth Audio Cables Varidig Sextet V-14T digital cable Review
Cables | Digital Cables | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus September 11, 2016
Stage III Concepts A.S.P. Proteus power cable Review
Cables | Power Cables | 7 Comments »By Ed Momkus November 17, 2017
Sphinx Project Eight Preamplifier and Project Eighteen Monoblock Amplifier Review
Amplification | Mono Block | Preamplifier | Solid State | No Comments »By Ed Momkus June 22, 2006
Sonus faber Venere 3.0 Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 10 Comments »By Ed Momkus October 03, 2014
ShengYa CS-6 Tube Preamplifier & PSM-600 Monoblocks Review
Amplification | Mono Block | Preamplifier | Solid State | No Comments »By Ed Momkus January 29, 2010
Rotel RB-1092 Amplifier Review
Amplification | Digital | 6 Comments »By Ed Momkus December 23, 2006
Rebuilding My Music Room, Part 2
Spotlight | System Profiles | 7 Comments »By Ed Momkus February 08, 2017
Rebuilding My Music Room, Part 1
Commentaries | Spotlight | System Profiles | The Columns | 7 Comments »By Ed Momkus January 25, 2017
Qsonix Q205 High Performance Digital Music Server Review
Digital Sources | Music Servers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus September 03, 2011
Qsonix Q105 Digital Music Server Review
Digital Sources | Music Servers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus March 29, 2010
Plinius Tautoro Preamplifier & SA-201 Stereo Power Amplifier Review
Amplification | Preamplifier | Solid State | 2 Comments »By Ed Momkus September 20, 2008
Plinius SA Reference Amplifier Review
Amplification | Mono Block | Solid State | 2 Comments »By Ed Momkus November 28, 2009
Pass Labs Xs 300 Dual Chassis mono amplifiers Review
Amplification | Mono Block | Solid State | No Comments »By Ed Momkus January 05, 2015
Pass Labs XP-20 Preamplifier Review
Amplification | Preamplifier | Solid State | 3 Comments »By Ed Momkus July 19, 2009
Pass Labs X600.5 Monoblock Amplifiers Review
Amplification | Mono Block | Solid State | No Comments »By Ed Momkus July 21, 2007
Pass Laboratories X0.2 Preamplifier Review
Preamplifier | 2 Comments »By Ed Momkus February 20, 2008
Oracle CD 2500 CD Player Review
Digital Sources | Disc Media Players | 2 Comments »By Ed Momkus August 23, 2006
Music Hall Maverick SACD CD Player Review
Digital Sources | Disc Media Players | No Comments »By Ed Momkus May 22, 2007
MIT Oracle MA-X Digital and Oracle MA-X Proline Cable Review
Digital Cables | Interconnects | 7 Comments »By Ed Momkus November 30, 2010
Millennium’s M-CD-Mat Carbon CD Damper Review
Audio Accessories | Digital Sources | No Comments »By Ed Momkus February 16, 2009
Lyngdorf RP-1 RoomPerfect Room Correction Device Review
Audio Accessories | Room Accoustics | 3 Comments »By Ed Momkus May 19, 2008
Linn Majik DS-I Integrated Amplifier and Digital Stream Player Review
Amplification | Digital Sources | Solid State | Stream Music Services | No Comments »By Ed Momkus April 29, 2010
Linn Digital Streamer, Kontrol Preamplifier And 4200 Amplifier Review
Amplification | Digital Sources | Preamplifier | Solid State | Stream Music Services | No Comments »By Ed Momkus June 02, 2011
Linn Akurate Aktiv 242 Speakers & Akurate 2200 Amplifier Review
Amplification | Floorstanding Speakers | Solid State | Speakers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus November 03, 2011
Lindemann 825 HD Disc Player Review
Digital Sources | Disc Media Players | No Comments »By Ed Momkus April 04, 2012
Lindemann 820S SACD Player Review
Digital Sources | Disc Media Players | No Comments »By Ed Momkus January 19, 2009
LessLoss Firewall Power Distributor: Follow-up Review
Audio Accessories | Power Conditioners | No Comments »By Ed Momkus February 01, 2010
LessLoss Firewall Power Distributor Review
Audio Accessories | Power Conditioners | No Comments »By Ed Momkus April 16, 2009
LessLoss Dynamic Filtering Power Cable Signature Review
Cables | Power Cables | No Comments »By Ed Momkus February 20, 2010
LessLoss Audio Devices Dynamic Filtering Power Cable Review
Cables | Power Cables | No Comments »By Ed Momkus August 20, 2008
Legacy Audio Wavelet Review
Audio Accessories | Digital | Digital Sources | Preamplifier | 14 Comments »By Ed Momkus September 21, 2017
Kan Sound Lab Mewon TS-001 ribbon super tweeter Review
Speakers | Super Tweeter | No Comments »By Ed Momkus November 21, 2022
Janszen Loudspeaker Model One Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus October 28, 2009
Inakustik Reference LS 4004 Air Speaker Cable, Reference Digital 2404 Air Coax cable and Reference High Speed USB cable Review
Cables | Digital Cables | Speaker Cables | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus January 01, 2021
Gryphon Antileon EVO solid-state dual-mono amplifier Review
Amplification | Solid State | 3 Comments »By Ed Momkus April 08, 2021
Genesis Advanced Technologies G6.1 Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus April 22, 2006
GamuT M’inenT M7 Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus October 03, 2011
Eventus Audio Lysithea Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus June 20, 2008
Esoteric Grandioso C1 Line Stage Preamplifier and Grandioso M1 monoblocks Review
Amplification | Mono Block | Preamplifier | Solid State | 5 Comments »By Ed Momkus April 17, 2017
Empirical Audio Overdrive DAC, Pace Car Reclocker, and Monolith Battery Supply Review
DACs | Digital Sources | Preamplifier | No Comments »By Ed Momkus March 02, 2011
Electrocompaniet EMC 1 UP CD Player Review
Digital Sources | Disc Media Players | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus December 28, 2009
Dynaudio Confidence C4 Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 3 Comments »By Ed Momkus July 30, 2010
Daedalus Audio Ulysses Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | No Comments »By Ed Momkus September 20, 2008
Coincident Speaker Technology Total Victory IV Floorstanding Speakers Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus September 20, 2008
Canton Vento Reference 7 Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 4 Comments »By Ed Momkus January 20, 2008
BSG Technologies QOL Signal Completion Preamplifier Review
Preamplifier | 3 Comments »By Ed Momkus August 04, 2012
Bricasti Design Model 1 USB DAC Review
DACs | Digital Sources | 4 Comments »By Ed Momkus March 09, 2015
Bowers & Wilkins 800D Floorstanding Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 5 Comments »By Ed Momkus October 19, 2008
Bamberg Audio 5TMW Speaker Review
Floorstanding Speakers | Speakers | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus April 02, 2011
Aural Symphonics Echelon Digital Cable Review
Cables | Digital Cables | No Comments »By Ed Momkus June 30, 2010
Aural Symphonics Chronos Interconnect & Hybrid v3 Speaker Cable Review
Cables | Interconnects | Speaker Cables | No Comments »By Ed Momkus August 22, 2009
Audiotop Digital Mold Release Formula Review
Audio Accessories | 3 Comments »By Ed Momkus May 01, 2009
Audio Reference Technology Power Distributor Review
Audio Accessories | Power Conditioners | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus March 04, 2016
Aaudio Imports/Musical Artisans, February 2009 Chicago Event
Event Reports | Of Grey Matter | Spotlight | No Comments »By Ed Momkus April 11, 2009
A.R.T. Super SE cable system Review
Cables | Interconnects | Power Cables | Speaker Cables | 1 Comment »By Ed Momkus March 03, 2015