Show us your equipment / kit !

[wgscott]

When you attach and upload your image, it tells you the URL, so you can just select and copy the url and stick it in the img tags:

 

 

[JS21]

A recent pic before my mac mini purchase a few months ago. It replaced the APL modded 3910 CD player.

 

[KingStyles]

Its a work in progress

 

[netchord]

Cello Pallette?

 

[wgb113]

Nice setup! Who are your room treatments by?

 

Bill

 

 

[JS21]

Thank you Bill.

They are by GIK Acoustics. 244's and Tri-traps. Works wonders in my room.

 

[wgb113]

FedEx dropped these off today:

 

 

Too early obviously to post impressions and I'll work on better pictures as I get the room cleaned up.

 

Bill

 

[DiminishingReturnsOfficer]

This is a good idea. Its nice to see what you guys have; there are some very well thought out systems on here. I have to admit being just a tad envious of some of your gear! Mine system sounds great and brings me a lot of satisfaction. Like with most people, the system is a work in progress, but I have finally gotten to a point where I don't feel that there is any particular weakness that serves to limit my listening experience. Not visible in the picture is the entire computer part of the system. Since this is Computer Audiophile, I should probably mention that it consists of a HP desktop PC running J. River Media Center on Windows 7. I use the WASAPI function which outputs via. USB to a Bel Canto USB Link SPDIF converter. This, in turn, feeds the Bel Canto DAC3. This is my prefered setup, but I also have the ability to use iTunes or WiMP. For that connection, I use the HP's optical output and feed it into my Marantz SA-R15S2 SACD player's DAC. This offers a myriad of comparative listening options.

Some things that make my system unique are: 1) the digital bitstream for computer audio travels nearly 50' in a 1/2" EMT conduit. I suspect that this is a much longer run than many of you would be comfortable with. I do not notice that jitter becomes any more of a problem than normal (through a CD player to the same DAC). I used a Silver Sonic 75 Ohm coaxial cable and terminated both ends with F-connectors and F to BNC and RCA connectors. In my opinion, this is as good as a soldered connector. I also made the digital cable from my CD player to the DAC out of what was left over from the long run. I've compared it to several well reviewed, highly regarded commercially available cables and "it aquits itself nicely" as they say in the magazines. The 50' Toslink cable that goes to the Marantz is a "cheapie", but I've yet to experience a dropout. It handles 24/96 data without a problem. I also have a 50' HDMI cable that runs from the computer to my TV and allows me to stream movies or watch DVD's or Bluray's in the living room. I discovered that I can use my wireless mouse to control the computer from the living room! This is especially handy for navigating through Media Center while listening in the other room.

You will also note my DIY Balanced Power unit in the lower right of the entertainment stand. I started a thread about building one of these on CA. It's called "Building a Balanced Power System" if anyone is interested.

This is exclusively a digital system. Though I'm aware that I may be missing something, I simply don't have time or money to fool with analog. It is entirely a solid state system as well, but interestingly, my amplifier (Conrad Johnson MF2250) and preamp (YBA 2 Delta) are both noted for the warmth and liquidity typically assoicated with tubes. Many of my friends have commented that, based only on sound, they would guess this to be a complete tube system. My Harbeth M-30's are a very accurate, transparent speaker. Playing back recordings of small ensembles of acoustic instruments and vocals is where the system really shines. It is lacking in the extreme low frequencies and not the least bit forgiving of bad recordings. Large scale orchestral works can sound somewhat congested during crescendos, as could be expected of a 2 way speaker. I am big on stereo imaging and localization, and my system definitely delivers in those regards. The recent addition of Transparent Music Link Ultra speaker cables was a revelation; particularly in the bass region. Mid range performance has always been quite impressive; even before the addition of balanced power and much better quality cables. To complement the low end boost, I invested in some Homegrown Audio pure silver bi wire jumpers. The 8 Teflon insullated, braided, parallel 20AWG wires really do wonders for the sense of "air" and extension of the upper frequencies; yet without sounding harsh or exaggerated. Sorry to have gone on at such length. My stereo is a source of endless fascination and frequent aggravation for me, but there's nothing I'd rather talk about. In the interest of fairness, I'd probably be just as interested in talking about YOUR stereo.

 

 

[mwheelerk]

I tried again but I obviously don't get how to post the photos.

 

[wgscott]

 

I rescaled it for you.

 

Replace { with < and } with >

 

{img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/IMG_0037_0.JPG" width="700" /}

 

[mwheelerk]

Thank you. I tried to figure out from the instructions and I don't usually struggle so much with something like this but in this case I did.

 

[Soundproof]

I installed this in 2007. Must confess that the room was one of the reasons I picked this apartment - quite ideal proportions, and with the possibility of placing the speakers well clear of walls.

 

BeoLab 5 speakers with acoustic lenses, connected to a soundcard, which is then connected to various sources, with chief playback from a Mac mini, using Pure Music, fed from a ReadyNAS+.

 

Controlling everything from the iPad. I've actually had the founder of 2L in the listening room on one occasion. It's been fine tuned for a nice listening experience - I have two meters to the back wall, from the listening position, and can even open doors behind it to let "symphonic energy" escape to avoid any risk of back-scatter.

 

I like the listening room to be dark and with warm lighting. Here it's photographed in the early morning. I've put a light on the acoustic lenses, which I consider to be nonpareil in their ability to create a realistic soundscape. (The site is cropping the photo, click the link below for a full view.)

 

All equipment is in the cabinet under the television, and the doors can be closed as I listen, to avoid any "mechanical distractions." The unit to the left of the television is there now as I'm listening to some musicassettes at the moment, and need it to connect the tape player. I usually keep it in another room, and think I'll also be hiding the AppleTV that can be seen under the television.

 

 

[jeroen020]

nowadays with a hiface evo and at&t wadia glass cable (great improvement)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(paintings by my 4 year old son - Florian)

 

[machinehead]

beautiful setup, super looking speakers!

 

[ted_b]

Well, the Hedback Design room acoustic makeover is completed. We installed the large ceiling diffusor/trap last Wednesday and the sound of the room is transformational...a qualitative shift in everything...tonality, image specificity, detail, naturalness, soundstage depth. It's as if I told the room to "settle down and let me listen" and a whole new world opened up. Hell, it will probably force me to relook speaker positioning, etc...except my 90 minute listening session last night was sooo good that I'm not sure i wanna fix what ain't broken.

 

Thanks to Jeff Hedback (designer/acoustic engineer), my local craftsman extraordinaire Doug Carpenter (yes, that's his real last name ) and to my wife and family for putting up with this.

 

All told, the major changes were:

* front corner traps, floor to ceiling, custom made. Allowed me to repurpose the Realtrap Mondo corners to the back sloped area.

* a 400 lb tuned membrane "floating wall" on the front wall, behind the screen assembly, which brought about amazing soundstage and balance (fewer nulls, etc) improvements by itself

* side wall diffusors and tetrahedral treatments that open up the room and improve even surround high rez imaging.

* the piece de resistance, a large ceiling cloud, hanging from acoustical clips, made up of wood diffusors (HDacoustic HAR diffusors) and 4 inches of bass trapping foam insulation. (There is light roping installed but it shows up very slightly....no big deal, the roping set me back $12.). The energy held up in that ceiling area was quite high, caused mostly by my sloped ceiling design when we built the house. it was a good idea at the time!

 

All of the Realtrap products and GIK art panels continue to do their jobs (in many cases re-positioned), and work in tandem with the Hedback Design custom built foundation.

 

(Pictures have darkening window treatments recessed to show natural light, but I never listen/watch that way. Left wall area is also cleared of RFZ trap for same reason, to let light in).

 

 

 

 

 

[Barnes]

Maybe even the new Bryston Player.

 

[Elprior]

@Barnes

 

Fantastic view !

I would love to listen to music in this environment...

 

Elp

 

[almaatakz]

Here is my recently updated kit - all a big birthday gift from my GF ! ;-)

 

 

 

Music part is MacMini - Benchmark DAC1 HDR - ATC scm50 ASLT/C4 sub

For movies it is fed from a BR player or Humax hd box, Marantz sr5005 av receiver (L+R pre outs to benchmark, vol preset), to ATC C1 centre and small elac rear passives.

 

 

 

 

 

I love the music part - the mini, the benchmark and the atcs work really well together. The remote is also a gem in itself.

 

 

 

[Barnes]

I have Pronto, (non color version) but could never figure out how to program it myself. My installer did it.

 

[mwheelerk]

Very, very nice. Does GF have a sister?

 

[wgb113]

Beautiful room! I like how the dark ceiling flows into the front wall. Those custom wood diffusors are sweet as well.

 

Bill

 

[almaatakz]

No, she is unique!

 

[wgscott]

 

 

[airdronian]

If the insert works, here is my modest system.

 

 

 

I had been out of 2 channel audio for several years and started almost from scratch building a system, now in it's v2.0 status. When we moved into this place we had no music for the main floor, I started with a laptop and attached 2.1 speaker system. Terrible, yes - but that's the way it was.

 

The requirements were to have a compact system with floorstanding speakers, mainly because I didn't want my kids knocking over stand mounted monitors. The system should remain based on a mac mini - DAC - integrated amp configuration. Staying with integrated reduces the chassis count and a set of interconnects. I just don't have much room.

 

System is comprised of a 2009 Mac Mini/4GB memory/64 bit kernel/Seagate GoFlex Pro bus powered drive, Wireworld Supernova 6-mini, PS Audio DLIII dac, Van den Hul "The Well" interconnect, Cayin A-60t integrated amp, Soundstring speaker cables, Monitor Audio RS-8 speakers in their Rosenut finish. These are fed with Wireworld Stratus power cables and a PS Audio Duet power conditioner.

 

This system shows it's best with jazz and acoustic music which is mostly what I'm into these days. Getting the tube amp was something I wanted to try (last power amp was a long time ago - Carver m1.0t) and it's been gratifying - lots to learn and it's almost like getting a different amp when swapping out tubes. Great fun.

 

 

 

[netchord]

very clean and simple, and i bet it sounds great.