Update: Perfecting my Desktop System With Headphones, Speakers, and Spatial Audio

Thanks for the update Bob. I too use @mitchco filters on my desktop. In fact, I'm listening through the SRA1 and his filters now. The least expensive, largest upgrade, you can get in HiFi. 

You should check-in with @DuckToller about the Meze headphones. He's a big fan as well :~)

@DuckToller  I am excited to hear what your thoughts are on the Meze 109 Pro.  I love the fit! More later.

1 hour ago, bobfa said:

@DuckToller  I am excited to hear what your thoughts are on the Meze 109 Pro.  I love the fit! More later.

101% -  entering my ears between these cushions feels like a thalasso therapy (less wet -  but what a pleasure ...;-)

Awesome. Love hearing about this sort of thing. My music irritates my wife and consequently I seldom listen through my big rig lately. Been looking at the Kali In8 version 2 online for a while - seem to have enough bass to not require a subwoofer. Have a Black Ice Audio  DAC and a Massdrop Cavali Tube Hybrid (just an interim amp as it doesn't have pre-amp capability but drives my Planars better than the built -in on the Black Ice) and Hifiman Edition XS. Headphone sounds great, but the fit on these are terrible for my head. Had Hifiman 400S before this and they felt and fit great. I hate the way the Edition XS fits but love the sound. 

Would love to hear more impressions from you about the Kali's.

@mstulken

I have not heard the IN-8 speakers and they do not fit the size of the spaces I have been dealing with.  I feel that they are just way to big for the desktop. The 
IN-5 is quite large!    For near field listening the IN-5 fit my needs perfectly.    The ability to control the internal DSP to adjust for placement is a big plus.  They also have both balanced and un-balanced inputs. 

I am very happy with the Meze 109 Pro headphones as are a wonderful addition to the setup.  

Finally the JDS Labs Element III just works as expected.

RJF

Thanks for the update, for the last 10 years I've been using a desktop for my hifi listening but with passive bookshelves like Audience Ones, Mini Maggies and my latest the Mark Sota Cesti MB with a combination of amps from PS audio and LTA, but this year i decided to simplify my set up with active speakers, i considered going KEFs but after hearing so many stories of poor customer service, now i am considering getting the iN-5 or Vanatoo speakers.  I was concerned about the size of the IN5 but my set up is similar like yours so i think i can fit them.  Thanks for the plug to @mitchco I just contacted him for my HD8XX and ZMF Verite Open. 

You could mock up the speakers with a fashioned cardboard box!  I have them placed very close to the front wall with no issues thanks to the DSP controls. I will try to post a couple more pictures!  

When I worked at Audio Consultants I spent some time with the Mini Maggie’s,  they were pretty cool.  

Also getting the IN-5 or others for that matter off the desk with some sort of isolation system is pretty critical to my ear.  When selecting studio monitors remember that consumer and pro audio levels are a lot different.  The In-5 is switchable.

I built my system primarily for headphones, but the speakers just jumped into the picture at the last minute 😇

RJF

Schiit Audio released 2 desktop amplifiers today.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-improbable-start-up.701900/page-7428#post-17419323

https://www.schiit.com/products/rekkr

https://www.schiit.com/products/gjallarhorn

They could be part of a much more complex system with separate DAC, Preamp, etc…. I am sure that Schiit would love to sell more gear!

I’d love to know more about that power switcher (?) under your monitor. @bobfa.

@JoshM  That is an old (30 years) PC systems  monitor stand with a power strip on the back that has individual switch’s on the front.  I have a couple of them.  The Neon lights in the switch’s have started to go bad unfortunately.

https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/pdp/lorell-acusb-monitor-stand-lro10522.html  Is a more modern version.

1 minute ago, bobfa said:

@JoshM  That is an old (30 years) PC systems  monitor stand with a power strip on the back that has individual switch’s on the front.  I have a couple of them.  The Neon lights in the switch’s have started to go bad unfortunately.

 

https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/pdp/lorell-acusb-monitor-stand-lro10522.html  Is a more modern version.

 

Need the vintage!