Yesterday, Justyn and I had the pleasure of upgrading a high-end listening system for a long-time friend and customer in Bellevue.

Martin is a true music lover, and we have collaborated on his system for over 15 years. He recently decided to return to vinyl, so we provided a reference VPI turntable paired with the iconic Aesthetix IO phono preamp.

During the installation, Martin also chose to trade up his Nordost power cables, upgrade his cartridge to a Clearaudio Jubilee, and add a Nordost Odin tonearm cable.

To ensure the best possible performance, I reached out to my mentor, Garth Leerer, who put us in contact with industry-leading vinyl setup expert Ken Bowers. While Justyn and I handled the rack rebuild and remounted the Samsung Frame TV to accommodate the new equipment height, Ken meticulously mounted the cartridge and calibrated the turntable.

Eight hours later, we all gathered to listen. From the moment the needle hit the groove, it was clear that this was one of the finest vinyl presentations I have ever experienced. Even though the gear still needs time to break in, the sound is already spectacular and left everyone with a huge smile. We at Nuts About Hi-Fi are so grateful to be part of Martin’s musical journey.

Justyn, Erik, and I successfully completed the installation of Dan and Cindy’s new stereo system in Gig Harbor yesterday.

This project was the culmination of Dan’s passion for high-quality stereo sound, which began two years ago when we upgraded his great room with Focal speakers and a JL Audio subwoofer. That initial project led him to design and build a dedicated music room.

Due to permit restrictions, Dan and his wife, Cindy, utilizing her background in commercial construction, meticulously reconfigured a bay in their existing garage to create a room dimensionally engineered for optimal sound.

The System Components

Speakers:
Focal Sopra 3s and JL Audio’s flagship Gotham subwoofer, ensuring full-spectrum coverage.

Amplification/Pre-amplification:
All Aesthetix components, including the Calypso Eclipse preamp and a pair of Atlas amplifiers.

Source:
Tidal music via a Roon Nucleus, feeding into a Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC.

Cabling/Noise Reduction:
Nordost products, including their Network Switch, power supply, shielded Ethernet cabling, and Sort Kones on every audio component.

The final stage will be acoustic treatment. Cindy has chosen beautifully made quilts to manage mid- and high-frequency reflections. Their listening love seat should arrive in the next few weeks.

This system already sounds incredible. I will update you once the final touches are complete.

Thank you two so much for becoming a part of our Nuts About Hi-Fi family.

Last Friday morning, Justyn, Erik, and I had the pleasure of upgrading a truly amazing sounding system that belongs to my good friend and long-time customer, Gary. We have been working on building this system together for over ten years. Music has always been an extremely important part of Gary’s life, and despite unfortunately losing his eyesight a few years ago due to medical issues, he has maintained a keen ear for fidelity.

These recent upgrades included the amazing Focal Maestro Utopia EVO loudspeakers and a pair of Aesthetix Atlas Signature monoblock amplifiers.

Technology now allows Gary to stream high-resolution recordings to these components using Amazon voice commands. While this technology is not yet perfect, it does enable him to access his music collection easily.

Gary is telling me he is loving these upgrades. We plan to return in a few weeks after his Maestro speakers have broken in to tweak the acoustics and install the floor spikes.

Enjoy the Music,
Jim Lee