Tom Martin's Review Backgrounder

 
Musical interests: bluegrass, English folk music, classic rock, pre-war blues, female singer/songwriters, symphonic music (primarily 1780-1920), opera, chamber music.
 
Listening concerns:
 
1. Realism triggers -- spatial presentation, tonal accuracy, dynamic contrast
 
2. Realism inhibitors -- images that stick to the box, bass bloat, treble etch/grit, obvious sonic fog (lack of basic transparency)
 
Music background:
 
Past board chairman, Austin Lyric Opera
 
Primary live interests/venues: Austin Lyric Opera (Long), Dallas Symphony Orchestra (Meyerson), Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra Hall), One World Theater, Backyard, Stubbs, Telluride Bluegrass Festival
 
Instruments: Martin 000-18GE
 
Room:
 
Plain rectangle, 26' x 19' x 12'
 
Concrete floor, drywall on stud walls and ceiling. HVAC isolated and ductwork designed to restrict ambient noise.
 
First reflection points treated with RPG abfusors. Ceiling and rear wall treated with RPG diffusors. RPG bass traps (20 units, tuned to room modes), floor treated with multiple carpet layers.
 
Power supplied by eight dedicated 20 amp, 120VAC circuits.
 
Current reference equipment:
 
mbl 101e L/C/R speakers, mbl 121 LR/RR speakers, mbl 9008 x 4 mono amps (L/R bi-amped), Audio Reseach 300.2 center, nuForce Ref 9 amps (LR/RR), mbl 6010D preamp, Audio Research LS 26 preamp, Meridian 861 processor, Wireworld Gold Eclipse interconnects, Tara Labs The One speaker cables, Shunyata Research Python power cables, VPI Super Scoutmaster turntable, Dynavector DRT XV 1S cartridge, Aesthetix Rhea phono preamp, EMM Labs CDSA CD/SACD player, Esoteric DV-60 Universal player, PS Audio Premier Power Plant regenerator, Woo Audio WA 22 headphone amp, Luxman P200 headphone amp, PS Audio GCHA headphone amp, Head-Direct EF1 headphone amp, Sennheiser HD 800 headphones, Denon AH-D500 headphones, Grado 325is headphones.