It's been a while since I have updated my system. I've jumped on the computer as source bandwagon and have never been happier. Next purchase will be a higher end dac. Some slightly smaller more exotic speakers will be after that.
Floor standing, full range loud speaker, in rose nut veneer.
Musical Fidelity A3.2CR
Dual mono, choke regulated Pre-amplifier from famed British manufacturer.
PS Audio HCA-2
Output wiring modded to DH Labs Silver Sonic. Caps in signal path changed to Nichicon Muse Bi-Polar.
Compaq Armada Laptop E500
P3 laptop using external 1TB hardrive and Flac thru Foobar 2000. Operating system optimized using
TeraLink-X USB Audio Converter
Chinese made. Does the job for now.
Citypulse 7.2x DAC with TCXO upgrade
Chinese dac. With good transport, easily better than my former Rega Planet 2000.
Music Hall MMF 5.1
Suits my purpose perfectly. Unless a huge collection of vinyl falls in my lap, it's not worth further expenditure.
Sony DVP S7700 ES
Former referance player for Sony.Built like a brick outhouse. Makes a great transport.
Pioneer TX 7500
My nostagia piece from 1975. I grew up with the SX series and this tuner makes me happy.
V.T.I. VTI BL Series Audio Rack
Cherry wood finnish, black poles, stainless hardware.
D.I.Y. Absorption panels
Basic 2 X 4 panels featuring 2 of compressed fiberglass covered in thick batting and an attractive fabric. Went 1 step further and framed the box with 3 5/8 crown molding and painted same color as walls. A very effective and decorative addition to room.
Hey there Senna74. As a matter of fact I've spent a great deal of time experimenting with positioning. If you look closely at the first picture, the right speaker is toed in to the extreme. I remember playing with speaker position the night I took those pictures. I still don't think I'm fully dialed in.
A kindred spirit. I run studio 60's out from a rega planet 2000 in my hiding place. you've built yourself a wonderful room. enjoy. too bad they dont dig basements in dallas- too much clay. have you tinkered with your listening position's distance? with so much room to work with, i wouldnt know where to start. enjoy.
Thank you Rob. Glad to hear from a Studio 100 fan. I also think they are a great value. There is a lot of snobbery in the audiophile community and Paradigm takes it on the chin quite a bit. I don't claim to be an expert, but they out-classed a number of much higher priced speakers that I auditioned.
Great system, well planned, and it's good to see some effective DIY. I'm also happy to see the Paradigm Studio 100s. I miss mine even though I've upgraded to more expensive speakers. They are an exceptional value.
Sorry for the delayed response. Thank you Perfectionist, thats very nice of you to say. I think I can safely say the same about your room. I'm some what of a perfectionist myself, staying within my budget of course.
System edited: Purchased after market remote control, the Harmony 688. Although I think my components are decent, the supplied remote controls all pretty much suck, and juggling 3 remotes is a hassle. Some of you audio purists may not consider this an upgrade, but I feel this can only enhance the listening experience.
Hello Peter, thanks so much, you made my day. I'm extremely happy with the way the room turned out. The room is 26' Long, 14'6" Wide, 7'6" High. It is about 2' wider at the listening position and back. Unfortunately the cieling has an area that drops down almost a foot across the room over the listening position. This is where the HVAC, steel support beam and water mains are run for the rest of the house. There is another boxed in area across the room for a support beam. I think these drops from the cieling may help to break up standing waves, but also give me some slap echos I have yet to deal with. Thanks for your advice, I will take it to heart, Derek.
Hi, what a great looking room! It's one of the best I've seen. Can you tell me the dimensions (length, width, ceiling height)? You've been thoughtful about the components purchased. I'd not make any radical changes unless you plan to revise your system in a significant way. Say you were to upgrade the speakers---do that first, then see what path would be appropriate for an electronics upgrade.
Doug, thankyou for your compliments. The absorption panels are just hung from the wall like a picture right now. If I decide to permanently install them I will screw them to the wall through the molding and caulk around the edges and paint. They were constructed using 2 1/2" wide by 5/8" MDF strips found at home depot to construct a frame with a 2' X 4' opening to accept the rigid insulation. The crown molding was then glued and clamped to the sides, then painted. I then stapled the fabric to the frame and nailed some molding over the staples to give it a clean finished look. I then flipped the assembly over, placed in the batting and rigid fibreglass covering the back with cardboard and used packing tape to hold it in place and keep fibres from escaping. It was alot of work, but I am happy with the results
Very nice setup! Are the crown molding sound absorbtion devices anchored to the walls, or are they hung like a picture? I would love to get your "plans" or simple explanation of how you made them.
If you go Home Theater, make your own screen! Instructions are on internet for how to do it. Here's a link:
I used "black out material" for drapes as the fabric, and used rail and spline for screen doors/windows to hold the fabric taut. Worked perfectly! The entire cost of my screen was under $100 for a 100" screen.
Great system! I've got extensive experience with most components (save cables and 'table) in your system and I know thats a good combination you have. And the room, it must make it sound even better. Congratulations on a nicely executed system.
