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The kit we bought, our current setups

Harryharryharry

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Mar 13, 2021
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I have a very similar system now with a miniDSP DDRC-24 into an XTZ A2-300 power amp with Wharfedale Evo 4.3s.

Have simplified a lot lately with a preamp, streamer and probably the DAC going to be sold in favour of the Chromecast Audio direct into the minidsp.

I did get a subwoofer and I'd recommend it. Just started making Dirac adjustments having done EQ via REW and the minidsp until recently.

Nice - great system for the money isn't it. I'm planning on adding a SVS SB 1000 pro sub once I've got the cash.

Chromecast audio is a good shout actually, forgot about that. Would like to use Tidal app natively and bypass volumio. Is the audio quality up to scratch when using the optical output?
 

iann

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Feb 7, 2021
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47
Location
UK
Chromecast audio is a good shout actually, forgot about that. Would like to use Tidal app natively and bypass volumio. Is the audio quality up to scratch when using the optical output?

Seems OK to me! The only thing is the toslink connection into the miniDSP never seems that solid, but it works fine.

I only went this method after reading ASR actually as I have a Bluesound Node 2i and a separate DAC as well, but simpler to use the CCA for everyone else with no faffing with remotes, inputs etc. just "cast" whatever you're listening to. Big advantage in UK is BBC Sounds app only seems to work with Chromecast, doesn't like streaming to anything else.
 

Harryharryharry

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Mar 13, 2021
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Seems OK to me! The only thing is the toslink connection into the miniDSP never seems that solid, but it works fine.

I only went this method after reading ASR actually as I have a Bluesound Node 2i and a separate DAC as well, but simpler to use the CCA for everyone else with no faffing with remotes, inputs etc. just "cast" whatever you're listening to. Big advantage in UK is BBC Sounds app only seems to work with Chromecast, doesn't like streaming to anything else.
Cor that is appealing! Shane they discontinued it and the second hand ones available seem to be 3x the price.

I used blusound with a nad streamer and it wasn't bad but I don't think these apps will ever best the UX of native apps like tidal/Spotify/sounds.
 

iann

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Location
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Cor that is appealing! Shane they discontinued it and the second hand ones available seem to be 3x the price.

I used blusound with a nad streamer and it wasn't bad but I don't think these apps will ever best the UX of native apps like tidal/Spotify/sounds.

You can use the new Chromecasts with a separate extractor box to get the digital audio signal from the HDMI output. Doesn't work out too expensive I think, I might try it out... There are some "hi-fi" brands that have Chromecast built in to their streamers as well like Primare (NP5) and Cambridge.
 

Harryharryharry

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You can use the new Chromecasts with a separate extractor box to get the digital audio signal from the HDMI output. Doesn't work out too expensive I think, I might try it out... There are some "hi-fi" brands that have Chromecast built in to their streamers as well like Primare (NP5) and Cambridge.
You're a genius! Do you know if it's still lossless and support 24/192 etc?
 

iann

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Location
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Did some digging: "The HDMI-equipped Chromecasts don't go above 48kHz sampling rates for PCM audio" so doesn't support high res

Ahhh, but neither does the old one or my minidsp, and more reading around here leads me to be confident I probably couldn't tell the difference!
 

knownunknown

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Aug 22, 2020
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Wharfedale Denton 85
NAD 316bee
Rega RP3
Rega Fono MM
Topping E30
Fiio BTA30

IMG_01542.jpg


I'm good and happy for the time being. :) Maaaaaybe a Rega Exact in the not too distant future, other than that i won't upgrade in this place anymore.
 

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Harryharryharry

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Ahhh, but neither does the old one or my minidsp, and more reading around here leads me to be confident I probably couldn't tell the difference!
Good shout, I had just read the high Res debate seems much less important.
 

Martin Takamine

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Sep 8, 2019
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Location
East Coast
Well I was content with my HT system for the longest time but then at the beginning of 2019 I hooked up a pair of Pioneer CS-88A speakers to an AVR I had laying around. That was the start of my chase for better sound, fueled by audio forums and Youtube.

HT system in den -
Panasonic TH-42PX60U, Pioneer VSX-1131, Elac Uni-Fi (front & center), Bose 161 (rear), dual JBL E150P, Sony CDP-CE500, Sony BDP-S590, Contour XG1-A, Toshiba DVR620KU, APC H10, DIY PC
fO6SwRT.jpg


2 channel system in living room/dining room (Freya usually in passive mode)
VTV Purifi EVAL1, Schitt Freya +, HP 15-DB0004DX laptop > USB > Topping D70 and Onkyo DX-C390 > OPT > Denafrips Ares II, CIAudio PEQ•1 MkII Phono Pre w/AC•15 MkII PS (Technics) and Cambridge Audio Alva Duo (Pioneer), Technics SL-1210GR and Pioneer PLX-1000, Cadenza Red or AT-OC9XML (Technics) and AT VM740ML or DL-110 (Pioneer), Revel F206
IMKxA82.jpg

PoCrDmp.jpg


My bedroom system -
Yamaha A-S2100, Yamaha CD-C600, ELAC Debut Reference DBR62, Monoprice Monolith Speaker Stands
MZuKPR0.jpg


spare bedroom system -
Yamaha A-S801, Rega Planar 1 w/AT-VM95ML, Simaudio Moon 110LP v2, ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2, Pangea Audio LS300, DIY PC
vGxM0Qc.jpg


spare bedroom (gym) system -
Reisong A10, Onkyo C-7030, Monitor Audio Bronze 2, Pangea Audio DS100 stands
3nw0SGU.jpg


Headphone systems -
Topping E30, Geshelli Archel2 Pro, Sennheiser HD 660S or Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 ~ currently taking DIY PC USB input
bTFLdjI.jpg


garage system for use during non-quiet hours -
Douk Audio M1, Polk Audio PSW108, Polk T15, DAP or CD (RCA), DAP or phone (BT)
 

audiofooled

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And now for something, well, different.

System on the bottom:

-DIY towers of my own (ported) design and make.
-DIY sealed subwoofer (sealed and not finished yet because it's still being tested as we speak)
-Towers and sub are powered by the vintage Yamaha DSP a 1000 (modified by me so it works in pure stereo for powering the towers, plus the LFE channel redirected to the second internal amp which was originally made for the center channel)
-DIY power cable for the amp
-DIY wooden sides for the amp :cool:
-DIY power strip
-Sommer cable "NYFAZ" 4mm square cross section for the towers and the sub (great value for not much money)
-NOT DIY smart HDTV as the source, yes, the source :eek:
-Chinese generic 3.5mm into RCA single ended, shielded cable with gold plated connectors (as good as any other I borrowed and tried) for sending the signal from HDTV into Yamaha DSP's internal preamp
-DIY poor man's acoustic suspension to decouple everything from the floor and one another
-Mostly DIY painter's easel repurposed to provide all in one solution for placing everything and hiding the bulk of cables for all the aux. stuff you see.
-All of the DIY stuff is made mostly from reused, different than conventional materials, and wide variety of ones, not because I'm a cheapskate, but because I like being resourceful and see what can be achieved, blood sweat and tears not an issue.

System on top (previously used as a desktop nearfield):
-DIY speaker stands
-Eltax symphony mini, ported bookshelves, bought from new on sale many years ago
-Vintage Sony TA-ve 150 5.1 channel receiver (25w/ch)
- great combination if you like ear piercing brightness and a lot of hiss, receiver fan noise too.
- Why is it on top of main system? Well, it was used in this position for some psychoacoustic experiments of my own which are done and forgotten. Sadly "psycho" and not "acoustic" was not forgotten and if I remove it I get a feeling that something's missing visually :facepalm:

Before you start judging me for not seeing a single drop of "snake oil" ;)

All is done this way for, other than sound quality, convenience, versatility and ease of use as well. All in one solution for music and movies. Again, not so much for being a cheapskate but because I love to learn and a DIY, hands on approach. And the priceless satisfaction when I finally do it right.
In the end, the room, of course...
Family room, rectangular approx. 6,7x4x2,8 meters (around 75 cubic meters). Listening position about 3 meters away on the 3 seat sofa next to the real wall (and adjacent to the left wall), because there's no other way with all the other things occupying the room (kitchen, cabinets, dining table with 6 chairs, coffee table with 2 armchairs, study table with a desktop PC, two of the large cupboards, 2 more chest of drawers for kitchen utensils, large windows, door to the living room, door to the storage, door to the balcony... enough, you get the picture.
Yet, I still made it, and I love my system to bits. It sounds better than anything I ever heard, and I'm done for the time being, at least until I have a chance for having a dedicated listening room (hopefully when I'm not too old to even care) ;)

So, tell me what you guys think, but please don't mind the bad photography (I'm hopeless, I know...) :facepalm:

IMG_20210402_131956.jpgIMG_20210402_135518.JPGIMG_20210402_135558.JPGIMG_20210402_135805.JPGIMG_20210402_140118.JPGIMG_20210402_140807.JPGIMG_20210402_142723.JPG
 

Harmonie

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And now for something, well, different.

System on the bottom:


System on top (previously used as a desktop nearfield):
-

So, tell me what you guys think, but please don't mind the bad photography (I'm hopeless, I know...) :facepalm:
They look very well made.
I just wonder about the tweeters or even woofers, not surface mounted, otherwise I'm sure you're happy.
 

audiofooled

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They look very well made.
I just wonder about the tweeters or even woofers, not surface mounted, otherwise I'm sure you're happy.

Thanks.

Yes, nothing is flush but thoughtfully wave guided, on purpose. As I've said, everything is something really different but made with a purpose in mind.
 

TomekNet

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Messages
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96
Location
Warsaw, Poland
This is my current hybrid stereo & HT system, build mostly upon ASR-recommended gear:

03_DSC03068.jpg


Current spec:
  • [Sources] Music: Spotify 320kbps -> Audioserver -> S/PDIF, Movies: Netflix 4K @ LG C9 65" OLED -> HDMI eARC, TV: DVB-S STB 4K -> HDMI
  • [A/V Processing] Denon AVC-X3700H (used in pre-amp mode as a pre/pro for 11 channels in total, layout 7.2.4 for HT, 2.2 for music)
  • [Amplifiers] NAD C298 (2x 1ET400A), Audiophonics MPA-M400ET (1x 1ET400A), MPA-S250NC (1x NC252MP), Buckeye 6-channel (3x NC252MP)
  • [Speakers] KEF R3 (fronts), KEF R2c (center), KEF HTS-3001SE (surrounds & backs), KEF Q50a (atmos), SVS SB-2000 Pro x2 (subwoofers)
  • [Accessories] AV Access 4KEX300-F HDMI Fiber Extender, Emotiva ET-3 Trigger Expander, Linkfor S/PDIF Converter, SVS Wireless Adapter
  • [Cables] HDMI: PureLink PS3000, RCA-XLR: Mogami 2534/Neutrik, Coax: Mogami 2964/Amphenol, Speaker cables: Mogami 3103, Bitner LP0204
Approximate distribution of expenses: 41% Electronics, 52% Speakers, 4% Accessories, 3% Cables, 0% Audiophile Bullshit

Triggering layout:
  • Denon X3700 12V trigger out --> NAD C298 trigger in, trigger out --> SVS sub trigger in (other sub is on auto-sense)
  • Smart plug #1 --> Emotiva ET-3 == (3 trigger cables) ==> Audiophonics MPA-M400ET, Audiophonics MPA-S250NC, Buckeye 6-channel amp
  • Smart plug #2 --> both power adapters for AV Access HDMI Fiber Extender
TV, STB, AVR, digital sources and smart plugs are all controlled with Harmony 950 remote activities.

Large number of cables here...

20210402_195126.jpg


But I've managed to hide them all :cool:
More pics attached:

01_DSC03091.jpg02_DSC03100.jpg03_DSC03068.jpg04_DSC03101.jpg05_DSC03079.jpg06_DSC03085.jpg07_DSC03087.jpg
 
Last edited:

Colonel7

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Joined
Feb 22, 2020
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875
Location
Maryland, USA
This is my current hybrid stereo & HT system, build mostly upon ASR-recommended gear:

View attachment 125162

Current spec:
  • [Sources] Music: Spotify 320kbps -> Audioserver -> S/PDIF, Movies: Netflix 4K @ LG C9 65" OLED -> HDMI eARC, TV: DVB-S STB 4K -> HDMI
  • [A/V Processing] Denon AVC-X3700H (used in pre-amp mode as a pre/pro for 11 channels in total, layout 7.2.4 for HT, 2.2 for music)
  • [Amplifiers] NAD C298 (2x 1ET400A), Audiophonics MPA-M400ET (1x 1ET400A), MPA-S250NC (1x NC252MP), Buckeye 6-channel (3x NC252MP)
  • [Speakers] KEF R3 (fronts), KEF R2c (center), KEF HTS-3001SE (surrounds & backs), KEF Q50a (atmos), SVS SB-2000 Pro x2 (subwoofers)
  • [Accessories] AV Access 4KEX300-F HDMI Fiber Extender, Emotiva ET-3 Trigger Expander, Linkfor S/PDIF Converter, SVS Wireless Adapter
  • [Cables] HDMI: PureLink PS3000, RCA-XLR: Mogami 2534/Neutrik, Coax: Mogami 2964/Amphenol, Speaker cables: Mogami 3103, Bitner LP0204
Approximate distribution of expenses: 41% Electronics, 52% Speakers, 4% Accessories, 3% Cables, 0% Audiophile Bullshit

Triggering layout:
  • Denon X3700 12V trigger out --> NAD C298 trigger in, trigger out --> SVS sub trigger in (other sub is on auto-sense)
  • Smart plug #1 --> Emotiva ET-3 == (3 trigger cables) ==> Audiophonics MPA-M400ET, Audiophonics MPA-S250NC, Buckeye 6-channel amp
  • Smart plug #2 --> both power adapters for AV Access HDMI Fiber Extender
TV, STB, AVR, digital sources and smart plugs are all controlled with Harmony 950 remote activities.

Large number of cables here...

View attachment 125166

But I've managed to hide them all :cool:
More pics attached:

View attachment 125177View attachment 125178View attachment 125179View attachment 125180View attachment 125181View attachment 125182View attachment 125183
Nice system. Two questions: how do you like the KEF up=firing Atmos speakers? And how is the SVS wireless receiver working out in practice? Looks like quite a distance to the 2nd sub
 

TomekNet

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Messages
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Likes
96
Location
Warsaw, Poland
Nice system. Two questions: how do you like the KEF up=firing Atmos speakers? And how is the SVS wireless receiver working out in practice? Looks like quite a distance to the 2nd sub

Thanks!
I wouldn't use up-firing speakers if I only could install ceiling speakers. I won't be living in this place for long though, so that was the only substitute of height speakers I could use. There are some height effects audible in good sources, but I would call them rather miserable.
My SVS transmitter is behind the wall, in the closest possible location to the sub (approx 2,5m). I use a 3-meter long coax cable that goes through the wall to connect it to Denon sub2 out. I haven't noticed any issues (neither connection or audible) but I might replace this wireless adapter with a long cable in the future just to be sure I get most of that second sub.
 

goldenears

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2019
Messages
110
Likes
134
This is my current hybrid stereo & HT system, build mostly upon ASR-recommended gear:

View attachment 125162

Current spec:
  • [Sources] Music: Spotify 320kbps -> Audioserver -> S/PDIF, Movies: Netflix 4K @ LG C9 65" OLED -> HDMI eARC, TV: DVB-S STB 4K -> HDMI
  • [A/V Processing] Denon AVC-X3700H (used in pre-amp mode as a pre/pro for 11 channels in total, layout 7.2.4 for HT, 2.2 for music)
  • [Amplifiers] NAD C298 (2x 1ET400A), Audiophonics MPA-M400ET (1x 1ET400A), MPA-S250NC (1x NC252MP), Buckeye 6-channel (3x NC252MP)
  • [Speakers] KEF R3 (fronts), KEF R2c (center), KEF HTS-3001SE (surrounds & backs), KEF Q50a (atmos), SVS SB-2000 Pro x2 (subwoofers)
  • [Accessories] AV Access 4KEX300-F HDMI Fiber Extender, Emotiva ET-3 Trigger Expander, Linkfor S/PDIF Converter, SVS Wireless Adapter
  • [Cables] HDMI: PureLink PS3000, RCA-XLR: Mogami 2534/Neutrik, Coax: Mogami 2964/Amphenol, Speaker cables: Mogami 3103, Bitner LP0204
Approximate distribution of expenses: 41% Electronics, 52% Speakers, 4% Accessories, 3% Cables, 0% Audiophile Bullshit

Triggering layout:
  • Denon X3700 12V trigger out --> NAD C298 trigger in, trigger out --> SVS sub trigger in (other sub is on auto-sense)
  • Smart plug #1 --> Emotiva ET-3 == (3 trigger cables) ==> Audiophonics MPA-M400ET, Audiophonics MPA-S250NC, Buckeye 6-channel amp
  • Smart plug #2 --> both power adapters for AV Access HDMI Fiber Extender
TV, STB, AVR, digital sources and smart plugs are all controlled with Harmony 950 remote activities.

Large number of cables here...

View attachment 125166

But I've managed to hide them all :cool:
More pics attached:

View attachment 125177View attachment 125178View attachment 125179View attachment 125180View attachment 125181View attachment 125182View attachment 125183

Awesome setup! Very jealous, I bet it sounds great. 0% audiophile bullshit, lol!

Looks like a pretty reflective room though, I wonder if some judicious treatment for reflections might help a bit. At least some kind of rug.

What are the stands for the R3s?

That sure is a lot of trophies!! You don't have to say, but what sport? I think I see a Roland Garros there. Rafa? :cool:
 

TomekNet

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Messages
88
Likes
96
Location
Warsaw, Poland
Awesome setup! Very jealous, I bet it sounds great. 0% audiophile bullshit, lol!

Looks like a pretty reflective room though, I wonder if some judicious treatment for reflections might help a bit. At least some kind of rug.

What are the stands for the R3s?

That sure is a lot of trophies!! You don't have to say, but what sport? I think I see a Roland Garros there. Rafa? :cool:

Thanks!
Yeah, room acoustics might be better with some treatment and I plan to try out some panels, but they usually have low WAF and I really don't want to mess with my wife... ;) Thankfully Audyssey XT32 does a pretty good job in my room. The stands are custom made by a local craftsman, I draw the design. And the last answer is motorsport but I can't say more ;)
 

goldenears

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2019
Messages
110
Likes
134
Thanks!
Yeah, room acoustics might be better with some treatment and I plan to try out some panels, but they usually have low WAF and I really don't want to mess with my wife... ;) Thankfully Audyssey XT32 does a pretty good job in my room. The stands are custom made by a local craftsman, I draw the design. And the last answer is motorsport but I can't say more ;)

Yes, XT32 is very good.

I would make a billion dollars if I could create wife absorbing panels, to tone down the treble. :)
 

goldenears

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2019
Messages
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134
*Robert Kubica has left the chat

# I had to google "best Polish formula one driver" :p
 
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