The "Show Us Your Room" Thread!

[Rudy]

If you would like to showcase your audio and/or video system, your collection of recordings (records, tapes, CDs, Edison cylinders, etc.), or your storage system, you're welcome to post it here! This thread will remain in Off-Topic as it is viewable to members only. If you are at all uncomfortable about showing your listening room (or "man cave", as the case may be) online, by all means don't feel obligated.

For hosting images, we recommend Minus at http://min.us as an easy way to upload and share photos. Uploading is as simple as dragging and dropping files or folders onto an open Minus window, and they offer a sharing link (complete with the proper "IMG" BBCode) which you can drop directly into a forum post. Otherwise, photos hosted elsewhere (Picasa, Flickr, etc.) can easily be copied and pasted into a post here. When I share an image from Amazon, for instance, I right-click, choose "Copy Image", then simply use a <Ctrl-V> to paste it into the editor window. (The editor will create the proper link when you paste an image.)

 

[Rudy]

Some of my equipment in the main system. The shelving is on its way out--unfortunately it's been "temporary" for the past few years now.

The digital sources: a Pioneer DV578A universal player on top, Pioneer Elite DV45A universal player on the bottom, and the Hafler DH-110 preamp sandwiched in between. This Hafler (and my DH-101) both feature dual phono inputs with adjustable loading. On the right is a Zune 120GB, sitting on top of a dbx 118 dynamic range expander/compressor, which I use for late-night listening at very low levels (it evens out the volume).




Two amplification sources. On top is a (rather crappy sounding) Pioneer receiver, which I use only for routing video and powering the rear surround speakers. It processes things digitally (as all modern receivers do), so it is highly unsuitable for everyday listening--I find it to be bright and grainy. On the bottom is the Carver M-500t power amp. It's going to be getting an overhaul in the coming year, along with a modification to improve the current capacity (raising the rail voltages, replacing diodes, and replacing the output transistors with a higher rating).




I own two pair of these speakers (Grafyx SP-10)--they are around the same size as the original Large Advent, but are vented rather than sealed. Grafyx was a small Chicago company that lasted several years; these were highly regarded by the audiophile press back in the day, and they've held up well. This set is the SP-10W with real walnut veneer, purchased as a demo around 1982 or so. My originals are the SP-10; the cabinet is slightly narrower and deeper, but I feel the older ones sound better. Bought those new in 1978. My rear speakers are Boston Acoustics A-60 Series II, and the center is a Boston 525V. They are closely matched tonally. To the right is the subwoofer, which I really do not use that often.




For awhile I was trying to decide between two of my turntables. The arm is a Grace G707-II, and the cartridge an original Shure V15 Type V-MR (not the later Vx...this earlier series is dead neutral, where the Vx was darker). The turntable here is my decommissioned Walker CJ55. It has a nice sound, but was ultimately too finicky with issues relating to the belt and motor.




The same arm and cartridge are now back on my Denon DP-1000, below. It sounds good but lacks that something extra that the Walker had. I'll gladly sell both to trade up. (Anyone have a spare Linn LP-12 laying around? )




In a year or so I'm due to get another cartridge--I'm eyeballing the Ortofon 2M Black or, if I can find a suitable step-up transformer, perhaps the Audio Technica OC-9 Mk. III or a low-output Dynavector of some sort. I'm also looking into either a DAC (digital to analog converter) for the DV-45A that has a tube stage in it (so I can make my digital playback tolerable), and/or a tube buffer stage for the whole system. I may even build up a clone of the Musical Fidelity X-10D tube buffer stage, as I can get the circuit board on eBay.

I have a lot of other equipment that is not hooked up. I don't have the room for it currently. I'm looking to redo the room with IKEA shelving units to customize for my storage needs, and perhaps build up my own rack system (with isolation) for the audio gear.

I rarely play video, but these days I rip all DVDs to the computer and run a DLNA server, playing them back through a WD TV Live box via the network. I'm also using it for music playback; sources include CDs ripped or downloaded on the DLNA server, high-resolution downloads (from HDTracks and elsewhere) on a drive attached to the WD TV Live, or Pandora radio.

 

[Dave]

Here's the stuff in my room (basic components) I play my music (hard-copy media) on:

http://daveamcornerkrayoguy.minus.com/lPYOZ79XNKuM9

http://daveamcornerkrayoguy.minus.com/lborpzEIvak9Ji

http://daveamcornerkrayoguy.minus.com/lbenXr8DPtatqd


And of course the full view of everything in my Mancave:

http://daveamcornerkrayoguy.minus.com/lNTtWlJC2q1e1



Glad, too, that this is seen only by us Cornerites, as well! (Probably more to come...)


-- Dave

 

[alpertfan]

Unfortunately, I don't have the proper program to upload images, but I have a Bose Acoustic Wave Music System in my living room/dining room (I own a condominium), with a Sirius satellite radio receiver plugged into the auxiliary jack. What's annoying is that to get good quality sound from the radio, I have to turn the volume up on the music system to at least 54. Other than that, it does what the commercials say: room-filling sound. I was listening to a Yellowjackets CD-R that I burned, and it was like the band was playing a private concert for me.

 

[Rudy]

I'm still up in arms (no pun intended) about the turntable situation--I still don't care for the sound as much on the Denon as I do the Walker. But the Walker has been too fussy, and I'm not sure if I want to fiddle around with it any further (it's been 30 years, actually!). I'm looking around to work some trades, and am currently leaning toward a VPI HW-19 series or HW-19 Jr. for the turntable, trading away both the Denon and the Walker if I do find one (and likely a few other things). These things might look simple, but there's a lot of engineering involved, even below the surface, to dissipate resonances and such. (Too much to go into here.)

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Rudy,

Saw LP Jim at the Knoxville Record Show last Sunday. We got to talking. My idea for A&M Corner would be a new sub-forum on Audio/Video discussions as a logical place for the Corner membership to get information and advice on A/V gear and to discuss it. Since A&M Records and fine audio do go hand in hand. Might be a way to liven up the Corner.

 

[Mr Bill]

I like that idea... The forum could play on the old inner sleeve slogans "Listen To Your World" or "Preserve The Sound Outside" or "Music, Man's Best Friend."

 

[Rudy]

One thing I can do here in off-topic is use thread prefixes to tag A/V threads...and of course, anyone is welcome to start any discussion they'd like in here. If it became popular enough, it would be worth spinning off into its own section.

We've tried similar discussions but most of them did not last very long. However, one of our "sister" sites has something like that going already. It's in the middle of a revamp, but anyone here is always welcome to visit there once we get rolling again. (I'm using it to consolidate a handful of other, smaller forums in one place, and also using it as a central discussion point for a couple of new sites we're building around them later this year.)