JE Labs Man Cave 2024

This is the side of the man cave where I spend a lot of time listening and evaluating new projects.

In the coming months, I will be talking about phono preamps, autoformer volume control, revisit the transformer coupled line stage topology, SE amps, etc. I will also continue my classic Japanese idler-driven turntable series, feature a couple of SE-DHT amp-friendly drivers + more.

Most of the audio components listed below are hyperlinked if you mouse over the text. Those that are not will be linked once the article is uploaded.

I like to taste new sonic flavors that are within the DIY realm😊

JEL man cave tour

Build/Modify/Restore/Test Cave

Test Equipment: Hitachi V650F 60 MHz scope, Kenwood AG-203 sine/square wave audio generator, Fluke 8050A, 87 & Triplett 9045 True RMS DMMs, Heathkit IM-21 AC VTVM, Proster BM4070 LCR Tester, General Radio W5MT3A Variac, Hakko FX888D and Weller WTCPS soldering stations

HiFi Listening Station

Turntables: Twin-armed Thorens TD124 + Realistic Mark 8 (coming soon) or another Japanese idler turntable of the month

Tonearms: on the TD124 = Alfred Bokrand AS309 + SME 3012, on the Mark 8 = Grace G565, Tokyo Sound ST900 and Musicmaster Model 12 + Denon DL102 (connected to the mono system below)

Phono Cartridges: Ortofon SPU #1s, Denon DL103, Goldbug Clement II, Fidelity Research MC44, GAS "Sleeping Beauty", Sony XL44, Shure M3D or M7D

MC Step Up: Tamura TKS83, Altec 4722, 15095 and RCA MI12399A

CD Transport: Magnavox CDB650

Streaming Device: Raspberry Pi 3B+/Volumio/AlloDigiOne

DAC: nosTDA1541tube + 2 x UTC A20 333:500

Phono preamp: 6SJ7 passive RIAA EQ 6SL7 + 6SN7 CF

Line Stage: 12B4A, 6F6/6V6 in triode mode or 6AH4 + line out transformer

Intact Audio 28-position nickel AVC

Amps: Radiotron SE2A3 + Finemet FM-6WS, Simple 45 + Tamura F475, Simple 46 + Noguchi PMF10WS

Speakers: Altec 755A or 755C in Silbatone cabinets

Alternate Speakers No. 1: Altec 406-8Ys in Coronado bass bins + Lycan WP12024 horns + 806 compression drivers with 34852 diaphragms

Alternate Speakers No. 2: Altec 414As in Madrid bass bins + Lycan WP12024 horns +

802 compression drivers with 20275 diaphragms

Monaural HiFi

Phono preamp: 6SL7 variable passive EQ 

Line stage: James 4120N plate choke loaded & triode connected 6C6 + 6SN7 CF + 5992 (Bendix slow start 6X5 with 1.2A filament) tube rectified outboard power supply

FM tuner: Sherwood S3000-II FM tube tuner

Streaming Device: Raspberry Pi 3/Volumio 

CD Transport: JVC XL-Z411

 

DAC: Audio GD NOS R2R-11

 
Stereo to mono transformer mixer: 2 x Altec 15356

Turntable: Gray Research HF500

Tonearm: 108C viscous damped tonearm

  
Phono cartridge: GE RPX Pro and VRII Pro

 

Amplifiers: Choke-Capacitance Coupled (James 4120N) 2C22/7193 > 2A3 > Hashimoto H203S, SE46 mono amp = 6C6(T) > 46 (T) + UTC S14 OPT (see Jo Stafford video) and SE210 mono amp = 6J5 + 210 + Tamura F7004 Permalloy OPT (see Martin Denny video)

 

Main speaker: Altec 756B + 32C + 23746 = mini 757

Alternate mono speaker: GE A1-400 co-ax speaker in a tuned pipe corner enclosure designed by Norman H. Bates

Main HiFi Lounge

Although I cart off components to the other set up (or vice versa) for cross referencing, I try to keep this set up constant so it can function as a reference point. 

Turntables: Garrard 301 + Garrard 401

Tonearms: Ortofon RMG309, SME 3012 + Alfred Bokrand AB309

Phono Cartridges: Ortofon SPU-G, SPU-GM, Supex SD900 MKIV + Fidelity Research FR1 MKII

MC Step Up: Finemet FM-MCT1, Altec 4722 and 15095

Streaming Device: Raspberry Pi 3B+/Volumio + Musical Fidelity V-Link S/PDIF converter

CD Transport: Marantz CD52II + Sony CDP505esD

DAC: nosTDA1541tube + 2 x Western Electric 111C 1:1 repeat coils

FM Tuner: Yamaha T-2

Phono Preamp: RCA derived 5691 passive RIAA EQ

Line Stage: Intact Audio nickel plate choke loaded 76

Amplifier: Komuro inspired 37 + 6F6(T) + 300B monoblocks with Tango NY15S Permalloy OPTs, CCC 6A6 + SE2A3 + Tamura F7002 Permalloy OPTs and 5693 + 171A + Tango H5S OPTs (coming soon)

Speakers: Altec 753C

Left side: record cleaning station, camera collection, books, music scores + CDs

Right side: CDs, LPs + more hifi

Sweet spot

Happy Listening in 2024!😊