Post by clusterchuck on Apr 13, 2013 20:47:28 GMT -5
Almost finished with a multi room remodel so the "bonus room" upstairs is completely empty. The ceiling is scraped and textured, everything is freshly painted and new carpet is in. The room is the exact size of the garage it sits on top of. 22 X 20 feet with an 8' ceiling. This morning I finished installing new electrical so it's ready for the next phase.
Since speaker placement, seating and such is more about cosmetic rather than good sound, this is the perfect time to play with the 2 channel audio system. So a short couch is now sitting with its back a few inches away from the longest wall. Dynaudio Gemini's are sitting on 4" thick maple slabs 5 feet away from the couch about 7' apart, tilted slightly up towards the ears of a seated listener. This puts the speakers almost in the middle of the room. The speaker cables are sitting on trestles 6" off the carpet. The power amp is sitting on brass feet between the speakers right next to the preamp. The interconnects are also raised off the floor on trestles. Both the pre and power amp are vintage 70's Crown. A DC300 and IC150 in very good condition still inside their original walnut cabinets. A laptop acts as a music server connected to an external solid state drive where Apple Loss Less files are stored. The digital to analog conversion is handled by a Fiio E7 feeding the pre amp through mid grade cables.
Obviously, this set up is optimized for listening not living, so it will only be like this for a few days before the rest of the furniture and TV is brought in. It's time to play.
Listening to Porcupine Tree "In Absentia" is a truly moving experience. The detail, definition and amazing balance of frequencies is something that won't be reproduced after the room is furnished. Al Dimeola's tune from "Elegant Gypsy" - "Race with devil on Spanish Highway" is another great test of a system.
Putting iTunes on shuffle, around comes Roger Waters "Ballad of Bill Hubbard" from the album "Amused to Death". Holy crap! Voices and instruments were coming from above, below, in front and behind the speakers. It was more 3D than a seven channel SACD. Total goose bumps! Eyes closed, sitting still, barely breathing to keep the noise floor as low as possible. A very satisfying experience.
Before this set up gets torn down in favor of "practicality", gotta hook up the Thorens TD 125 turntable and break out some vinyl. Can't wait to hear B52's, Oingo Boigo, Fleetwood Mac and Yes. The current dilemma is I've run out of ways to isolate the turntable from the floor. Luckily, a garage full of junk offers a world of solutions.
This is really fun stuff.
Since speaker placement, seating and such is more about cosmetic rather than good sound, this is the perfect time to play with the 2 channel audio system. So a short couch is now sitting with its back a few inches away from the longest wall. Dynaudio Gemini's are sitting on 4" thick maple slabs 5 feet away from the couch about 7' apart, tilted slightly up towards the ears of a seated listener. This puts the speakers almost in the middle of the room. The speaker cables are sitting on trestles 6" off the carpet. The power amp is sitting on brass feet between the speakers right next to the preamp. The interconnects are also raised off the floor on trestles. Both the pre and power amp are vintage 70's Crown. A DC300 and IC150 in very good condition still inside their original walnut cabinets. A laptop acts as a music server connected to an external solid state drive where Apple Loss Less files are stored. The digital to analog conversion is handled by a Fiio E7 feeding the pre amp through mid grade cables.
Obviously, this set up is optimized for listening not living, so it will only be like this for a few days before the rest of the furniture and TV is brought in. It's time to play.
Listening to Porcupine Tree "In Absentia" is a truly moving experience. The detail, definition and amazing balance of frequencies is something that won't be reproduced after the room is furnished. Al Dimeola's tune from "Elegant Gypsy" - "Race with devil on Spanish Highway" is another great test of a system.
Putting iTunes on shuffle, around comes Roger Waters "Ballad of Bill Hubbard" from the album "Amused to Death". Holy crap! Voices and instruments were coming from above, below, in front and behind the speakers. It was more 3D than a seven channel SACD. Total goose bumps! Eyes closed, sitting still, barely breathing to keep the noise floor as low as possible. A very satisfying experience.
Before this set up gets torn down in favor of "practicality", gotta hook up the Thorens TD 125 turntable and break out some vinyl. Can't wait to hear B52's, Oingo Boigo, Fleetwood Mac and Yes. The current dilemma is I've run out of ways to isolate the turntable from the floor. Luckily, a garage full of junk offers a world of solutions.
This is really fun stuff.