If it sounds good, it is good.
This is the equipment that, by effectively reproducing the recorded arts, provides me with my daily listening pleasure.
My primary listening room is set up for dynamic sound (6.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 m).
Amari Acoustics LP32s turntable and Elusive Audio AcrySS Acrylic platter mat, with JICO SETO-HORI (mc) cartridge; also fitted with a TemaadAudio Merlin Reference 12″ tonearm, and Hana EL (moving coil) cartridge through audiodinamica SUT No. 3 step-up transformer
In reserve, Gold Note Vasari Red (moving magnet), Audio Technica AT95e (moving magnet) in Ebony body from Stanley Engineering, and Audio Technica AT12Sa (moving magnet) with Shibata profile stylus
Pro-ject Tube Box DS2 phonostage
Behringer SX3040 v2 Sonic Exciter
Behringer FBQ6200HD 2-channel, 31-band graphic equaliser
Behringer FX2000 Virtualizer 3D Effects Processor
Pioneer PD-30 SACD player (new)
PC running JRiver MC29 on Windows 10, with Perfect DeClipper 3.01 and Dynameter plugins
Parks Audio Puffin DSP preamp, v1.30 firmware
Viganoni & Viganoni Sachem Pure preamplifier and V2 monoblock power amplifiers
Beresford TC-7240 Line Level Audio Router
Etalon Ethernet Isolator, Ideon 3R USB conditioner
Audio Pro Avanti 100DC (with ACE Bass) floorstanding loudspeakers, on DIY plinths and rollerball vibration isolation, Foster/Fostex supertweeters
Topping E50 DAC
Topping L30 II headphone amplifier
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x studio monitor headphones
Supra LoRad DC-Blocker and non-intrusive filtering
Supra Sword Excalibur speaker cable, Sword and EFF-ISL interconnects, USB 2.0, CAT8 cabling throughout
Norman Varney Equipment Vibration Protectors, Montaudio Rangitoto R1 vibration isolation feet, Elusive Audio Audio Grade Sorbothane Isolation Feet and Solitude ONE isolation feet, Les Davis Audio 3D(2) damper discs, Hanss Acoustics TC-1 Resonance Control Feet
My music listening room is an almost symmetrical box, with three wooden doors, and glass doors on one long side, and with a concrete floor covered with floating wood laminate. My listening spot is at the midpoint of the wall opposite the glass doors, overlooking the garden.
I have a second system, for listening with emphasis on ambience, in another room (3.6 x 3.35 x 2.45 m).
The Wand 14-4 Turntable, The Wand Plus v2 9″ tonearm, carrying a Sumiko Pearl (moving magnet) in Ebony wood body (handmade by Stanley Engineering) with JICO Stylus 1.
Refurbished Micro Seiki MA-77 tonearm + Audio Technica AT95e pickup cartridge
ART USB Plus interface with VinylStudio and DarkAudacity recording software
JoLida Foz XT-R Phono Crosstalk Reduction
Handbuilt DIY frugal “Shoe Horn” wooden tonearm + JICO J44A 7 pickup cartridge
Black Ice Audio F360 tube preamplifier
Black Ice Audio F22 tube (EL84) amplifier
JoLida Fusion all-tube DAC-Transport
Polk Audio PSW-111 8″ Powered Subwoofer
DynaVox LY401F-M01 full-range rear speakers
Chase Technologies HTS-1 Ambience Retriever
Panasonic SH-ALL1C Network Connector
Amazon Music streaming from Windows 10 PC
My nearfield listening setup is in my small study (3.1 x 2.8 x 2.5 m).
JoLida FX10 Glass integrated tube amplifier
Celestion F10 speakers updated with Response paper midrange drivers
Wharfedale GS600 speaker stands
Pioneer D6 SACD player
iFi iTube Buffer
Topping E30 II DAC
Audio Pro Sub-Evidence MK II 8″ powered sub with ACE-Bass
Streaming with a Windows 10 PC from Amazon Music
My hi-fi journey, which began in 1972, has also included a Sugden Connoisseur BD1 turntable kit + SME 3009, Metrosound ST60 integrated amplifier, Teleton SAQ206B amplifier, Goodmans Stereomax radio tuner, Celestion Ditton speakers, Akai GXC-39D cassette deck, Ariston RD80SL turntable, Garrard 401 + SME 3012 12″ tonearm, Linn Sondek LP12, Pioneer A400, NAD3020, AKAI 4000D reel-to-reel tape recorder, DBX noise reduction, Sumiko Bluenote 2 pickup cartridge, JPW speakers, KEF Concerto speakers, Jim Rogers JR149 speakers, KEF iQ7, DBX dynamic range expander, IMF Compact II speakers, Technics twin-cassette player, Pioneer PD-S502 CD player, ONKYO NS-6170 Network Player, several faulty Cambridge Audio products!, Lite DAC-AH Modified (also failed prematurely), Rega EAR, T+A E Series Power Plant Balanced amplifier, and various radio tuners, cassette decks, phono pre-amplifiers, and others I can’t recall now. Also, briefly, a DAB tuner.
The old layout:
Mid 2018, and a system re-organisation:
Now (April, 2019) it looks like this:
July 2019: another rejig …
Update 1st August 2018: awaiting second turntable
New turntable … Amari Acoustics LP32s
Update 9th February 2020:
May 2019 – I now have my speakers placed for ambiophonic listening: 2.7m from my seat, and spaced 0.87m apart.
Update March 2022: the tower rack is now in another room, and all components except the turntable are on vibration dampers. The Wand Turntable and Pro-ject pdeamp are in my second system. The loudspeakers are now back in a stereo configuration, spaced 3.0 m apart, 1.04 m from the wall, and 3.1 m from the seat.
Update August 2022:
Well, I’ve done it again.
Perhaps anticipating the coming change of season (12°C outdoors at midday), I’ve taken apart my system and reconnected. I also think this time I’ve created a better layout that makes the connectors and cables, and some component controls, much more accessible. The turntable is now on a separate table.
Music & Hi-fi Appreciations 