Installations

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of helping a client fine-tune this incredible listening system. I really wish everyone could have the opportunity to hear this one.

The system features a pair of Focal Sopra 3 speakers paired with the awesome JL Audio Gotham subwoofer. The electronics include a Mola Mola Tambaqui Roon-ready streaming DAC, an Aesthetix Calypso preamp, and Atlas monoblock amplifiers.

For noise and vibration control, we used Nordost cabling throughout, the QB 10 primary earth AC grounding technology, and their Q Kore system to catch and eliminate any spurious noise between the components themselves. Their Qnet Ethernet cabling and a dedicated Qnet switch reduce any noise from the network system. We also used Sort Kones and Sort Füt components to reduce vibration for all the gear and main speakers. Additionally, handmade quilts created by the customer’s wife were strategically placed throughout to capture unwanted room reflections.

After listening to several recordings, the results were so impressive that I didn’t want to leave. As we listened to Mick Jagger belt out how he’s still unsatisfied even after all these years, I thought to myself, this is what Nuts About Hi-Fi is all about: helping our customers create a space that musically takes you away, allowing you to understand what the recording artists were feeling themselves and inviting you to be with them in that space and time.

This past Saturday, the team from Nuts About Hi-Fi attended the soft opening of Char Kitchen Restaurant and Bar. Over the past year, we had the pleasure of installing 16 large flat-screen monitors, dozens of Focal speakers and subwoofers, 16 amplifiers, and a robust network system, all managed by a Control4 system.

This new waterfront venue offers an incredible view and is truly a local jewel. The food and drinks were delicious, and the service was excellent. Owners Chuck and Cassie Huck are wonderful people, and I highly recommend visiting their new space. The food was outstanding, and be sure to save room for dessert.

We recently completed another successful installation of the Nordost Sort Fut system.

These were installed on a pair of Focal Maestro Utopia speakers, which are among the heavier models we carry.

We used floor jacks to maintain perfect positioning and the Nordost laser target kit to get these as perfect as possible.

My customer shared in a text that he is “thrilled with the results. It’s almost like a new set of speakers.”

We are now planning to install these on other speaker systems he owns.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of helping a good friend and customer upgrade the sound of a beautiful pair of Focal Sopra 3 tower speakers.

We installed these speakers a couple of weeks ago using the supplied floor spikes provided by Focal. My customer decided to buy a set of Nordost’s Sort Fut.

These devices are used to sense cabinet vibrations generated while playing music. They then extract these vibrations creating a path of least resistance to the surface they are sitting on. An added benefit is they also allow for perfect leveling of the speakers.

I just received these texts from my customer:

“I played a familiar track, (Ernest Raglin’s Ball Of Fire). It has horns and a guitar popping across the sound stage. The instruments are precise as I have ever heard them and I’ve heard them a lot over the years. I am glad I had to wait 2 weeks for the feet. I never would’ve known what they are doing. SImply amazing!”

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

Hi folks,

I wanted to share some exciting customer feedback we recently received.

One of our valued customers upgraded his speaker system to the Focal Sopra N°3s and included the matching center channel. The customer, who is located in Scottsdale, handled the setup himself with the help of a friend.

I spoke with him last night, and he shared that the sound quality is even better than he had imagined. This is fantastic news and a true testament to the quality of the products we sell.

Enjoy the Music,
Jim Lee

Hi folks,

We have an exciting system update to share!

Yesterday, Justyn installed our first set of the new Aesthetix Pallene and Dion components. Our valued customers, who ordered these a couple of months ago, noted a significant improvement over the Marantz Model 50 integrated amp we were using as a placeholder. I will be meeting with them later this evening and look forward to hearing more about their experience.

Here is a recent review from Absolute Sound Magazine.

I wanted to share some photos of a recent Vicoustic cinema premium panel installation that Eli and Erik completed last week for a customer on Bainbridge Island.

I called the customer the following morning to get his thoughts, and he was very pleased with the new look. More importantly, he and his wife are thrilled with how the room now allows them to hear every nuance of their soundtracks, and it has significantly improved their ability to hear dialogue.