This is a constantly evolving system. My audiophile passion started in the early 70's and got me to study electronics and acoustics in college. I built my own speakers and power amps in the late 70's, but as my income increased and my free time evaporated, I moved to commercial products. I've owned at least a dozen of every different kind of component (probably more speakers) over the years. In the late 90's, I started focusing on home theater, but my interest in 2-channel has been rekindled in the last decade.
I ended up spending my career in computers, but have started doing more DIY audio stuff recently. In the past five years, I've built three pair of speakers, two pair of subwoofers, four preamps, three stereo amps, four pair of monoblock amps, a Roon server, a USB streamer, and several speaker cables, interconnects, and power cables.
My main system, shown here, is built with DIY streamer, preamp, monoblock amps, and speakers. I am hoping to build my own DAC at some point soon, but I have several other projects I'm working on before I get to that.
Accepts digital audio from numerous inputs. Buffers and reclocks the data, and outputs on numerous outputs including i2s, AES, SPDIF, optical, coax, USB. Inputs are opto-isolated for improved noise rejection.
Denafrips Terminator Plus
Upgraded from the Terminator in Feb 21
Small Green Computer SonicTransporter i9
Roon core. Optical ethernet connection to streamer.
jaytor USB Streamer
DIY streamer using a Raspberry PI running Roopie as a Roon endpoint. Optimized USB output with super-capacitor discrete regulated linear power supply.
jaytor DIY EML-20A DHT Linestage
This is a two chassis linestage of my own design, employing an Emission Labs 20A-Mesh DHT tube as the active device. The input is transformer coupled allowing balanced connections. The DHT is choke loaded with filament bias utilizing Rod Coleman filament regulators. The output uses a parafeed connected Lundahl 5.8:1 output transformer.
A microcontroller provides input selection, relay-stepped attenuation, 12V trigger, and IR remote control.
The power supply is a choke input LCLCRCRC supply using polypropylene film resistors. The last RC is duplicated for each channel. An additional microcontroller is used to provide softstart and turn on the filament supplies ahead of B+
DIY Parallel 300B SET Monoblocks
Based on the ANK kit Interstage monoblocks with C-Core transformers. Custom chassis with numerous upgrades including Tent Labs filament supplies, PMillet driver stage filament supply, Neurochrome Maida regulator, soft-start, turn-on delay, balanced inputs, and other upgrades. Using matched quad Western Electric 300Bs.
jaytor DIY Line Array speakers
These are based on a design by Danny Ritchie of GR-Research which he calls the Line Force. These are open baffle line arrays using six Bohlender-Graebener NEO10 drivers and sixteen NEO3 drivers per speaker.
jaytor DIY Quad 12" OB Servo Subwoofers
I built a stereo pair, each with four 12" woofers. These are based on Danny Ritchie's (of GR-Research) design. They are driven by Rythmik servo-control amplifiers.
PS Audio Stellar Power Plant P3
GIK Acoustics Bass Diffusors, 242 Panels, Art Panels
Multiple GIK panels used throughout the room
DIY acoustic treatments Tube Traps, wall panels
Kimber Kable Select KS-3035
4ft speaker cable with WBT locking bananas
DH Labs Red Wave
DIY Power cords with Wattgate or Furutech connectors
DIY HELIX Power Cables
I'm using several DIY PCs for my source components using the recipe from Steve Reeve. These are build using Neotech UP-OCC solid core copper in teflon, with Viborg silver-plated copper connectors.
Iconoclast by Belden 4x4 OCC Balanced Interconnects
1M pair between DAC and preamp, 7M pair between preamp and monoblock amps.
DH Labs Sub-Sonic II
Subwoofer interconnect cables
AudioQuest Diamond USB
Connecting Roon ROCK to Gaia
Tubulus Argentus i2s cable
Used between the Denafrips Gaia DDC and the Terminator Plus DAC
Solid Tech Hybrid Standard Rack
Four shelf rack with columns filled with sand.
ATS Acoustics 2'x4' QRD Diffusers
Eight custom (slightly shortened to fit my ceiling height) QRD diffusers (6.5" deep) made from birch. Mounted to the front wall behind the speakers. Wrapped in fabric. Total of 64 sq ft.
Very nice system! I have no doubt it brings you may hours of pleasure. In my previous system I had taken my speaker crossover outboard, using Duelund CAST-Cu capacitors, and Mundorf inductors and M-Resist resistors... so your crossover really caught my attention! Nicely done. You obviously know how big an impact a crossover like that has on a system. I have no doubt this is a sublime system. I also used to have KS-3035 speaker cables years ago before getting a wonderful deal on a pair of KS-6065's. Both are super nice cables.
I am blessed for sure :-) Anyway appreciate your room and the obvious thought and high level of execution evident ! enjoy the experimentation and the music
@hifihandyman , @audphile1 , @islandmandan , @mscetal , @ervikingo - I've been negligent in responding. Thank you all for your kind words.
It's been a lot of fun building the gear and setting up this system, and I'm quite happy with the way it is sounding now. I have my home office in the back of my listening room and get to listen to my system 6-8 hours/day.
But I also really enjoy designing and building the gear. It can be frustrating at times when I spend months on a new project only to find that it doesn't sound as good as the component I've been using, but that just makes it all the more satisfying when the new build sounds really good.
I'm hoping to eventually get to the point where my entire system is DIY. I've got a few streamer and DAC projects in mind, but they are still in the early design stages. I've still got two preamp projects that I need to finish, and a couple of amp projects that I've been gathering parts for.
@panhead2 - The JC5 is a very nice amp, particularly for the money. It has tons of power and provides a detailed, smooth sound with very good imaging. I now have a pair of Pass XA60.8 monoblocks which I would say are slightly richer sounding and a bit more forgiving of bad recordings. The Pass amp has quite a bit less power, but my speakers are 93db/w efficient so provide plenty of power for me.
I prefer the Pass amps in my system, but they also are way less efficient and less powerful. Idle power on the pair of Pass amps is 4 times higher than the JC5. The JC5 produced the best sound in my system compared to my other amps (excluding the XA60.8s), but my DIY Purifi monoblocks with the Neurochrome buffers came a very close second (into my fairly easy speaker loads).
I don't currently own Magnepans, but have owned several pairs over the years. I do have a pair of GR Research servo controlled open-baffle subs which I think would work very well with Magnepans. I believe member bdp24 is using these subs with Magnepans.
@b_limo - thanks for the compliments. Your system looks pretty sweet as well. I love the image with the backlit acoustic panels.
I've been experimenting with using a VTV tube input buffer in my Purifi amps but I'm not really happy with the sound in my system. I am going to switch back to the Neurochrome input buffers for the time being, but when I get some time, I'm going to design my own input board.
I've also recently acquired a pair of Pass XA60.8 monoblocks. These sound fabulous - definitely a step up from my other maps, but I can also tell that they may warm up my room more than desired in the middle of the summer so the Purifi amps will probably get swapped in at some point.
The system is looking great! I had tagged this as a favorite but hadn’t been by for awhile. Looking fantastic! Cool to see all the diy stuff; it all looks like top notch stuff, well done!
@electroslacker - I've only had the Gaia in the system for a few days and I'm using a cheap HDMI for the i2s connection, but I've already noticed some fairly significant improvements. Primary improved clarity and detail, but also sharper imaging and the bass (particularly mid-bass) has more weight and texture. I've got a Tubulus Arguntus HDMI cable on order.
I changed my configuration a bit when I added the Gaia. Previously, it was Roon ROCK w/LPS > cat8 > EtherRegen w/LPS > cat8 > Bryston BDP-2 > DH Labs D-110 > DAC. Now it's switch - cat8 > EtherRegen w/LPS > cat8 > Roon ROCK w/LPS > AQ Diamond USB > Gaia > cheap i2s > DAC.
I am pleasantly surprised by the improvement. Can't wait for the better i2s cable.
Congrats on the diy movement. I also got into that over the past few years and it really opens your eyes to the choices designers are making and the parts cost to retail value people are often working with. Such a great way to learn about the hobby while gaining control over the system, better equipment quality, and greater value for your money.
