Styxtrekr, This is probably more detail than you asked for, but am convinced that environment is at least as important as inheritance in audio systems, and that other readers may want more depth. I am using a Classe DR-6 as a linestage. It runs to the amps in balanced mode currently through StarSound's Sonoran Plateau interconnects. The phono stage is a lozenge-shaped tube unit from a small US company called Thor and runs single-ended through Siltech cables that have been upgraded with Xhadow connectors. Both preamps take PS Audio regenerated power from Synergistics Tesla-treated power cords. The Classe is on full-time but tube-life concerns require the Thor is switched off until needed. Both use AMR Gold fuses.
Support for the components is as follows:
1. The Thor with its separate round power supply gave me fits when first installing the D-Sonics. I had been using Audio Advisors' Spiked, 3 shelf MDF and steel tube Euro racks behind each speaker with the amp on top, Thor in the middle with its power supply on the bottom on one side. The other amp rack held the Classe power supply on the bottom shelf. The middle shelf was empty. All footers were factory stock rubber feet except the main body Thor that had factory-installed Star Points brass cones. This arrangement had served me well for more than 10 years with various lesser cable combinations and 3 different turntables without any noise problems. Inserting the D-Sonics into the same vertical stack as the Thor and its power supply resulted in low-level broadcast of professional baseball games through the speaker on the side nearest the Thor. Moving it to the other channel resulted in the broadcast moving to that side. Sorting this mess out caused me to do some serious research on RF interference, but easily cured by physical placement. I tossed the racks and drafted a pair of knee-high granite end-tables into service for the amps and a beefy rock-maple 3-leg round stool about 6" taller than the end-tables allowed me enough space to separate it from the amp until the ball-game went away. Today, the stool and granite tables have been modified with Herbie's dots and all legs have been threaded to hold stainless steel carpet piercing spikes. While the top of the stool is solid maple and could serve well as a vibration sink, the Thor seemed over-sensitive to RF interference, so I ordered a custom 18" x 4" round maple platform and mapleshade isoblocks. I removed the brass points from the Thor and installed them on its power supply, which now resides on its own 15" x 2" maple platform on a built-in hutch two feet behind and four feet away from the nearest amp. The Thor currently sits on Eden Sound TerraStone footers.
2. The classe is on the center shelf of an early VPI TNT stand. Like all things VPI, it is massive and rigid 4" steel tube legs welded together with steel bars that double as shelves. each leg holds up 25 pounds of lead shot and sand. The bottom of each leg is a welded steel plate threaded for footers. The main rack, fully loaded, probably weighs more than 350 pounds. I am currently using Mapleshade threaded carpet-piercing brass footers. The bottom shelf now supports a PS Audio PPP on its own 18" x 20" x 4" maple platform. The Classe is relatively tall as preamps go, limiting me to only a 2" tall plaform without interfering with the controls. Both Classe and PPP are on Herbie's roller and cup footers. The stand came originally with a beautiful black acrylic top sized for a TNT. At 27" x 21" x 1", it seemed a bit rubbery under the more massive SSM that I have now, so I replaced that with a 4" maple platform of the same dimensions. The original top was threaded for pointed set-screws to couple it to each leg in the base. I judged this to be a point where the platform should be decoupled from the base, so I put the new one on four heavy-duty Mapleshade blocks.
3. I installed Adonis threaded brass points into the old top shelf to spike it to the floor through the carpet and it now supports a pair of 18 x 12 x 3" maple platforms so the Classe power supply and the VPI SDS can have their own isolation platforms, complete with brass footers and isoblocks. The shelf also supports a rock maple vanity seat decoupled by Herbie's Dots. This gives a good foundation to another 20" x 16" x 3" maple platform for the CD player.
4. Future plans include floor jacks in the basement under the main rack and I think I want to buy Revelation Audio silver umbilical cords on both preamps.
