System #152 (Prodigy, Theater, Ascent, Script, Descent)

[philox]

Pcar, yes I see it in your list now. I have the Rega Planer 3 with Grado Sonata cart to an Aragon 47K phono pre-amp. I upgraded the turnable with Cardas cart inner wires to an outbox that mounts under the turntable which you can put your own after market cables. Let me know if your interested in such an upgrade. I also wish I had an TNT LP player but I can't kept up with the house Have you ever tested the same LP with the same CD for comparsion?

 

[Robin]

Can I Tell You What I Would Do...?

I have been thinking about that too... I have NO IDEA WHAT I AM GOING TO DO WITH THEM! Isn't that TERRIBLE?! Probably put them in Zone 2 where the Aerius i were before I sold them the end of last year. Good timing I guess.

They are REALLY begging for more power than my little Rotel RB1050 in zone 2 duty though! I am not sure at this point. I'll figure something out. I didn't want to let this deal get away because I thought about it to much though!

I'll of course keep you posted and provide pics when the time comes.

James,

I would Buy the Two Biggest most powerful mono-block amplifiers I could afford. Like Pass Labs X-1000's or MBL own feet foot long mono-blocks 9011and drive them balanced with the sweetest preamp I could find maybe even MBL's largest preamp 6010 D. And a great source like the Marantz SA-7S1 or the Esoteric or even MBL's 1621 A. I am sure you will fine the greatest gear and cabling to do them proud to really make them sing. Enjoy the audio quest, it's the most fun the audio search...

 

[Pcar928fan]

Have you ever tested the same LP with the same CD for comparsion?

No, but I should do that...I have several copies of the Star Wars sound track as well as the album version for each of the original trilogy... I might get to that this week! I'll let you know. In general I listen to my CD's in 5 or usually 7 channel surround mode (very wild experience...I mean it is coming at you from ALL DIRECTIONS!) and my vinyl in 2 channel mode... I'll keep you posted!

 

[Pcar928fan]

I would Buy the Two Biggest most powerful mono-block amplifiers I could afford. Like Pass Labs X-1000's or MBL own feet foot long mono-blocks 9011and drive them balanced with the sweetest preamp I could find maybe even MBL's largest preamp 6010 D. And a great source like the Marantz SA-7S1 or the Esoteric or even MBL's 1621 A.

Robin,

Are you going to donate to that cause?! LOL! All that will have to wait for awhile. As Joey noted the other day I have been on an upgrade TEAR lately and it is time for that to come to a screeching halt... At least for awhile! I would love to pay off the hanger and a credit card and then add on to the house so I can REALLY go crazy with gear... Dedicated home theater room baby! With either a dedicated 2 channel listening area at the back or use the parlor area that will be outside the theater for that!!!

That is in my 3 year plan...but we will see how things go. If they go really well, I will be able to make that, if they go so-so it will probably have to go 5 years, if it goes like last year, it will be 7... No biggie... I still won't be 50 by then...not that it makes any difference how old you are as long as you are having fun!

 

[Robin]

MBL 101A's

Robin,

Are you going to donate to that cause?! LOL! All that will have to wait for awhile. As Joey noted the other day I have been on an upgrade TEAR lately and it is time for that to come to a screeching halt... At least for awhile! I would love to pay off the hanger and a credit card and then add on to the house so I can REALLY go crazy with gear... Dedicated home theater room baby! With either a dedicated 2 channel listening area at the back or use the parlor area that will be outside the theater for that!!!

That is in my 3 year plan...but we will see how things go. If they go really well, I will be able to make that, if they go so-so it will probably have to go 5 years, if it goes like last year, it will be 7... No biggie... I still won't be 50 by then...not that it makes any difference how old you are as long as you are having fun!

James,

Sounds like a reasonable plan of action.

Good luck but more importantly enjoy your new MBL 101A's...

 

[Pcar928fan]

James,

Sounds like a reasonable plan of action.

Good luck but more importantly enjoy your new MBL 101A's...

Thanks Robin, that is the plan, but it does not look like I will get them till next week now at the earliest. The guy that picked them up and is storing them for me at his office is out of town starting 3P on Friday and I am not sure my fly buddy and I will be able to get out there before then this week...we may have to fly out mid week next week or I may have to drive out on a LONG day trip (about 12 hours total) the following weekend to pick them up myself.

They will be underpowered for awhile but that is ok... they will be here and that is the good part... If I get the urge I can probably move them in place of the Prodigy temporarily and get some good power to them for testing...

 

[philox]

Pcar, the new center rack with the Theater speaker looks great and makes your whole system look balance. Did you ever post your zone 2 system?

 

[Pcar928fan]

Pcar, the new center rack with the Theater speaker looks great and makes your whole system look balance. Did you ever post your zone 2 system?

Thanks philox! It has been interesting to listen to the Prodigy w/o the TV in place and now with it in place vs. the previous TV/gear rack and the Prodigy.

Without a TV between them there was a LOT MORE SOUND! Obviously we are trapping some sound behind the new TV. The previous TV was not nearly as tall and just did not sound as good, also the center channel was not quite pointed correctly so there was not as good a center sound as there is now. I have been watching A LOT of moives and for whatever reason the system seems to sound better than with the old TV in place, maybe it has something to do w/ partially blocking (old set up) vs. fully blocking the space between the Prodigy. I am not sure, but I know I LOVE IT! Maybe the Prodigy were just a bit to loud and were overpowering the surrounds without being fully blocked in the middle...

philox, I did not specifically talk about my Zone 2 set up that I know of, and the MBL 101a speakers are not in yet. Tom just thought he had to wait a long time! How long has it been since I agreed to buy those puppies? The earliest we will get them is Friday but it looks more like next week frankly.

The Zone 2 used to be Aerius i powered by the Rotel 1050 amp and the Rotel RSP 1098 processor and whatever source I was listenting to. The only thing that will change in a week or two will be the speakers.

Eventually the 101's will be in either a dedicated 2 channel set up or part of a 4th HT set up (one in the living room w/ the Prodigy, one in the bedroom w/ Bose, and one in the garage with Bose...currently) if I am able to add the dedicated HT to the house.

 

[Robin]

MBL 101A's...

Thanks Robin, that is the plan, but it does not look like I will get them till next week now at the earliest. The guy that picked them up and is storing them for me at his office is out of town starting 3P on Friday and I am not sure my fly buddy and I will be able to get out there before then this week...we may have to fly out mid week next week or I may have to drive out on a LONG day trip (about 12 hours total) the following weekend to pick them up myself.

They will be underpowered for awhile but that is ok... they will be here and that is the good part... If I get the urge I can probably move them in place of the Prodigy temporarily and get some good power to them for testing...

James,

Please if you do get a chance to try them out in your main system, if you could tell me (us) how they sound, that would be just wonderful... :cheers:

 

[Pcar928fan]

James,

Please if you do get a chance to try them out in your main system, if you could tell me (us) how they sound, that would be just wonderful... :cheers:

Maybe I can get the local ML junkies to come over and help move them around and plug unplug some speaker wire and that way we can ALL hear it and each give a nice personal experience... Anyone in Austin want to help w/ that on some Saturday a couple of weeks out?

 

[Pcar928fan]

Man, this is sad...I have not updated this thread in a LONG TIME! The main system has not changed but the MBL's have been set up for a long time... Of course not having a job for the last 2.5 YEARS has curtailed my GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) problem for the time being... Happy to report a new job starts in less than a month and the pay will be a near match for the job I left, so maybe I'll be able to do that house addition eventually... Here is the MBL set up and the most recent additions to the garage as well!

Well, I thought I was going to upload pics, but I have NO IDEA how to use this NEW AND IMPROVED forum... it is KILLING ME! SO, I guess no new pics will be added... I am sure all this was supposed to make things easier, but it is NOT WORKING THAT WAY FOR ME! Damn it...

 

[Bernard]

James, congratulations on the new job, and here's to your having GAS problems.

I agree that it is a bloody PITA trying to download pictures on the new forum. I have managed to do it, but was not sure it worked until after I submitted it. A couple of times I downloaded the wrong picture, though, and it was bloody convoluted to fix it.

 

[STV]

Hi James!

Great to hear from you! I haven't visited this site in a while, so sorry for this late post. First off congrats on the new job!! And I'm really looking forward to those pics (if this site will just cooperate with you).

My setup has pretty much remained the same. About the only things I've added from the last time we exchanged e-mails is a Denon A1UDCI Universal Blu-ray player, a second ML Descent sub, a pair of Scripts (for rear center surrounds), and an Oppo BDP-93.

The TV (Sony 70XBR2) is still in use and working great! I just hope that it continues to do so for a while longer, as this TV is well known for optical block issues. I'm still on the first lamp, but am now needing to replace it soon. Do you still have your 70XBR2?


Seth

 

[RedRaider]

Very nice setup bro...

 

[Pcar928fan]

Bernard,

You can see that I had a little GAS today over in the MBL sale price thread... Added the "PROPER" power to my MBL101's... MBL 8011am's! YES! A pair of GORGEOUS mono blocks for my babies! I am not even going to try and post pics tonight, but here is a link to my A'gon pics of the 2 channel MBL system...though without the amps. I just picked them up today and have no idea where I am going to put them physically. The Rotel bits work great where they are at, but these babies are WAY to big to sit under the couch!

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1167787330&view

 

[Bernard]

James,

Congratulations on your new acquistion; the stars were indeed aligned for you. I'm looking forward to reading about your impressions on your "new" system. I heard the 101's at shows a couple of times, and really enjoyed them. Those 8011am's are real monster amps, but are too gorgeous to be relegated to a place under your couch. I'm sure they generate enough heat to cook a couch potato.

I hope you soon sort through the vagaries of posting pictures here and bless us with pictures of your new setup. I had thought that MBL owners were just shy about posting pictures of their non-ML systems (yes, you too Gordon), until I re-read the posts above.

 

[Wardsweb]

Congratulations James - Prodigy's and 101's, man you're living right. If you're even down San Antonio way, I'm just off I-35 on the northeast side. You need to stop by for some tunes.

 

[Pcar928fan]

Thanks guys, I am going to get Steve over here real soon and we are going to set these bad boys up and see what we have!

 

[Pcar928fan]

The MBL 8011's are now powering my MBL 101a's! WOW!!! SO SWEET!!! I can't even tell you! Now if I can find a SimAudio Moon P3 preamp I will be in heaven! Till then I am looking in to an ARC SS pre that might fit the bill... It is really hard to find SimAudio gear!