Show us your equipment / kit !

[StephenJK]

 

This is the latest system.

 

From top to bottom:

 

VPI Classic I with outer ring, inner weight and Dynavector DV20X2H,

Korg MR-2000S digital recorder,

Audio Research SP-16 preamp with phono stage,

McCormack SST-1 digital transport,

Arcam FMJ D33 DAC,

VPI Synchronous Drive System,

APC power conditioner,

Bryston 4B-SST2 amplifier,

Fostex GZ-2000 planar speakers.

 

I'm working on a music server, and do like the CAPS. For now, I can play digital files with my laptop, using a Bel Canto USB/SPDIF converter into the AES/EBU port of the DAC. My wife has a newer laptop with USB 2.0 ports, her computer can connect directly to the USB and send 24/96 without any issues.

 

The McCormack was the only transport that was available when I traded in my Bryston BCD-1 player. It was a great player, but I could see that CD prices are falling rather quickly (at least in some markets) and wanted to get rid of it while it still had good value.

 

Stephen

[StephenJK]

 

A bit of an old fashioned system, two channel stereo. Most of the equipment is new except for the speakers, those we've had since about 1982.

 

The goal has always been "straight-wire with gain". If it sounds bad, it's because it's a poor recording.

[StephenJK]

Deleted

[StephenJK]

 

 

 

I'm trying to figure out why some people can embed a graphic image into their post while others only show a link that has to be clicked on - Chris is helping me sort this out and this is a test post of my system.

 

I made the rack last winter, it's rock maple. The shelves are 2" thick and sit on four corner braces. There's a Herbie Audio Labs isolation dot on each brace to support the shelf. The rack also has threaded isolation feet, but those were more to provide some means of leveling the rack. The rack is in a mission style, although the side pickets also keep out the cats quite nicely. The rack is made with floating mortise and tenon joints, it's now more a piece of furniture than anything else.

 

The stereo you see is the latest iteration of a long term development, going back to the late 70's. We only have one system, but it's front and center. The house is an open concept and from where it sits will fill the large open space with music. We do have a TV, but it's a movie machine only and sits in the basement where it belongs.

 

Equipment List (for people who care about those things)

 

Left Side, from the Top

Dell Precision M4500 Laptop, JRiver Media Center 21, 2GB eSATA Drive

Audio Research LS-27 Preamp

Korg MR-2000S Digital Recorder (upgraded to 320 GB drive)

Yamaha TX-350 Tuner (doesn't get used much but then doesn't take a lot of room)

APC Power Conditioner H15BLK

 

Right Side, from the Top

Clearaudio Ovation Turntable with Clearaudio Universal Tonearm, Dynavector Te Kaitora MC cartridge

Audio Research PH-5 Phono Preamp

Arcam FMJ D33 SuperDAC with UpTone Audio Regen

Audio Research VS-115 Amplifier

 

Speakers are Fostex GZ-2000 four way planars. These are a prototype, approximately 12 pairs were made. I've had these since 1982. The edgeless woofers are a synthetic material and the caps with the crossovers are polypropylene, so there's been no issues with components aging or degrading.

 

I know, that's a long time to have a pair of speakers. When we bought them it was a choice between them and the Fostex LS-3 monitors. The planar's are the most neutral and revealing speakers I've heard. They have never failed to resolve in the finest detail every minor change ever made to the system, meaning they seem to be working just fine. If it's a poor recording, it sounds bad. If it's a good recording, it sounds great.

 

There is a Morris chair (also Mission style!) in the sweet spot, but that doesn't get used much. The music can be heard well from the kitchen or dining room at the other end of the house where we spend most of our time when at home. We use JRemote to select music or to change albums.

 

I've been recording LP's for some time now, digitizing them and adding them to the music server. The large rack is blues, jazz, Mofi, and mostly rock and roll from the late 60's to the late 70's with a few titles into the digital age of the mid 80's.

 

The two sections on the top left of the large rack is what's left of my sealed albums. These are all Neil Young titles and are slowly being opened so I can record them. The smaller LP rack is the classical and opera titles. I need to record more of those, especially the FFSS, Blue Backs and the Red Seal mono recordings.

[StephenJK]

We downsized to a smaller house last summer and that meant some changes to the stereo as well.  

 

Top Left

Dell laptop, used for converting digital files and basic USB drive maintenance stuff,

Bryston BDA-2 DAC, a great sounding unit with that quality analog sound they do so well,

Korg MR-2000S digital recorder, upgraded to 320 GB drive,

Yamaha TX-350 tuner for old times sake, doesn't get used much but doesn't get in the way,

APC power conditioner H15BLK, synthesizes correct voltage and frequency for all components.

 

Top Right

Clearaudio Innovation Compact turntable with Clearaudio Universal tonearm and Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua cartridge,

Bryston BDP-2 digital player, a considerable upgrade in sound from using the Dell laptop,

Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista Vinyl phono stage,

Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800 integrated amplifier.

 

Speakers

KEF Blades

 

The speakers are without a doubt the best we've ever had.  I keep thinking that I can improve the system with a better DAC but I have a hard time finding fault with this one.

[StephenJK]

I just went through a significant change to our system.  I had just sold my Bryston BDA-2 and BDP-2 to finance a PS Audio DSJ. 

 

Then I had the option of trading my Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800 integrated along with the Nu-Vista Vinyl for a Devialet 440 Pro system which comes with a great digital stage, as that's the heart of the digital signal processor.  I sold the PS Audio that I had owned for only a couple of months and this is what I'm left with.  

 

The custom made rock maple stereo stand that I had made is no longer needed, this is a nice compact unit from Quadraspire.

 

The room and the kitchen beside are being renovated, so the stereo gets moved around so that I can paint, etc.  That's why the KEF Blades are on pieces of indoor/outdoor carpet (carpet side down) instead of the spikes so they can easily slide around.  

 

Edit: Added Equipment List

 

Turntable light is from Amazon, a TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp 

Clearaudio Innovation Compact turntable with Universal tonearm, VTA lifter and Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua

Korg MR-2000S Digital Recorder 

Devialet Expert Pro 440 system, configured as monoblocks for a total of 440 W per channel

APC 115BLK power converter, really a constant voltage supply with surge suppression

KEF Blade speakers

 

I play from the laptop using an attached 2 TB USB drive.  Software is JRiver Media Center, controlled remotely by iPad with JRemote.