Listening Room - JE Labs

Hi-Fi Lounge, late 2008

I started this blog in 2011 and overlooked the fact that I haven't posted details of my systems. Visitors who remember the defunct site will be familiar with most of the components apart from a change in venue.

Stereophonic Hi-Fi

Garrrard 301 

Ortofon RMG309 + SPU GME

SME 3012 + Denon DL103S

Thorens TD124

SME 3012 + Denon DL103R

Audio Technica ATP12T + Denon DL 103

MC step-up transformers
Altec 4722 + Tamura TKS83

Sony DVP NS500V
Dyna FM3 MPX
Scott LT110B FM tuner is out of commission ;(

JEL Preamp DX 

JEL SE300B monoblocks
Tamura F7002 OPTs

JEL SE2A3dx
Tango NY15S OPTs

Radiotron SE2A3
Tango U808 OPTs

JEL Simple 45
Tamura F745 OPTs

JEL SE171A
Tango H5S OPTs

Altec 2-way
JEL/N1600C crossover

Open Baffle, Altec 755As, 755Cs and Altec 755Es are
currently in storage at an undisclosed high security facility ;)

Monophonic Hi-Fi

JEL Mono Playback

Rek O Kut B12H
Tonearms:
Right - Velvet Touch Viscous Damped
Left - Pickering 190 + GE RPX 78rpm stylus
Back - Argonne AR600 + GE VRII Triple Play

GE RPX + Denon DL102

iPod Nano doing double duty as a digital music server and FM receiver
until I find time to fix my other Dyna FM3 tuner
that served in this system for the past 7 years

Tamura line level stereo > mono mixer

+
signal processor ;)

JEL Mono preamp with variable EQ
6SL7 phono + 6F8G line stage

Mono Amps
Left--->Right
JEL SE71A 
Hammond 125ESE OPT
JEL SE10dx
Tamura F7004 OPT
JEL SE2A3dx
James 6123HS OPT

Altec 605B Duplex

Mondrian inspired OB + RCA 501S1

After almost 20 years, both systems have traveled half way across the globe with no significant changes apart from a couple of tweaks ;) 

Listening Room - Harana Audio

Altec 605B Duplex

After years of storage the Altec 605B is recommissioned in the mono system. The plywood open baffle is painted in gray primer as an homage to Altec utility cabinets. I am using the stock Altec XO N1600C circuit but built using paper in oil caps and a low DCR choke. 

"Benny Rides Again" Chess Records, mono LP

Asano, MJ and Stereo Sound Tube Kingdom

The Bookshelf

In the past, I've posted pictures of books and magazines which shaped my audio DIY journey like Sound Practices, Radiotron 3rd edition and RCA tube manuals. The following publications were also significant influences, despite my not being able to understand Japanese. The schematics and high quality pictures speak for themselves.

Asano -- Volume 1 and 2

Isamu Asano (1914-1981) was a banker who built amplifiers as a hobby. His projects were compiled in these two volumes.

A 3 stage RC coupled 27>27>45 SE amp.

A single-ended Western Electric 205D triode driven by two stages of type 56 triode.

Mr. Asano also contributed articles to MJ.

MJ - Audio Technology

MJ articles cover vacuum tubes all the way to the latest in digital technology.

Some issues may feature a listening room or two...

or even a recording session

technical graphs

Stereo Sound Tube Kingdom

A quarterly vacuum tube(centric) publication + special issues devoted to classic equipment and components.

Issue No. 3, 1996

This was the source of inspiration for my Open Baffle project.

The Altec 618  2 cubic foot sealed cabinet for the 755A

A Japanese DIYer's take on a Western Electric SE104 amp

Western Electric 753C speaker system: Jensen 15" woofer and WE32A horn + WE713A compression driver

A couple of featured listening rooms

Speaker system: Jensen EP807 bass reflex cabinets loaded by WE TA4194A woofers, KS6373 horns with WE555 drivers with tungar PS for the field coils
Amp: WE91B
Preamp: WE129
Turntable: EMT 927st

Speaker system: 2x755A in flat baffles with auxilliary Jensen cone tweeters driven by Altec 127 amps fed by 2 x Altec 1567A preamps. Sources: Thorens TD521s turntable and Accuphase DP70 CD player

Field coil speaker system powered by Tungar PS: Altec VOT 825 bass bins loaded by Magnavox 15" woofers, WE555 + WE3 horns and Kanno 597 (WE clone) horn super tweeters
Ampifier: Western Electric 118A (PPP 6L6)
Preamp: Western Electric RA1214
Turntable: Rek O Kut 16" turntable with Ortofon RMG309 + Gray 108 tonearms

This level of quality does not come cheap and depending on the exchange rate, an issue can cost anywhere between US$30-$50.  But it's invigorating to sense the innate passion of Japanese culture by thumbing through the pages.