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General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: Arlen moulton on November 25, 2014, 08:50:07 pm

Title: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Arlen moulton on November 25, 2014, 08:50:07 pm
Personally I have about 5ish portable capsule speakers some water dancing speakers some Samsung a215 computer speakers numerous crappy modern transistor and ic radios 76 vintage radios a pair of b&w speakers a pair of mission mx1 speakers a Kenwood krv amp a Cambridge audio topaz am1 amp a Cambridge audio topaz cd5 a Sony str series amp an akai tuner a Philips cdr600 recordable CD player a sony mdsje330 mini disc player and recorder a Sony tck45 tape deck a wharfdale cd901 cd player a Sony pst22 turntable an I live iPod dock a for gamers amplifier a venom amplifier my legendary arlen246 edition homebuilt amplifier a fair few boom boxes and finally a shed full of DJ kit
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: RobertoLG on November 25, 2014, 10:22:25 pm
cd player - Sony CDP M27BR
cassete deck - Sony TC-FX 510R
receiver - Pioneer TX 5300
amplifier - Gradiente LAB 75

forgot to mention, I have a CROWN turntable too
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: jancumps on November 25, 2014, 10:44:55 pm
kenwood KR-4400 receiver
Thorens TD-124 tt
Sony TC-K570 cassette
denon 6xx cd
Celsestion Ditton 15XR speakers
All second hand

And an iPod shuffle as my travel mate.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: dannyf on November 25, 2014, 10:56:01 pm
Quote
Personally

a few amplifiers my favorite of them is jlh1969 its sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai tafew avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai tape deck not widely used a toa amplifier and two kenwood one from way back been very happy about my set up the hks have worked out for me but they are not as reliable as they could have been or should have been hope it helps ts sound very ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai tagood not too tight not too loose ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai taakai taturntable but a few cd players one akai tabut just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai ta
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: dexters_lab on November 25, 2014, 11:19:50 pm
tape decks: stripped for parts and sold
cd player: no idea, not seen it in years
mini disc: been in it's box for +10 years
portable music player: been in a drawer for +5 years

all my music uploaded and available through google play music so is on my phone and tab

i do still have an amp though, a Pioneer VSA-E07  :-\
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: TopLoser on November 25, 2014, 11:28:07 pm
tape decks: stripped for parts and sold
cd player: no idea, not seen it in years
mini disc: been in it's box for +10 years
portable music player: been in a drawer for +5 years

all my music uploaded and available through google play music so is on my phone and tab

i do still have an amp though, a Pioneer VSA-E07  :-\

FS (UK) Pioneer VSA-E07 amp ;)
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: rolycat on November 25, 2014, 11:55:57 pm
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: rdl on November 26, 2014, 12:30:03 am
I mostly use my PC these days. I have accumulated around 100 GB of flac files, pretty much anything I'd ever want to listen to. I run the audio out to a Creek 4330R amp and then into a pair of Polk RT-55i speakers. I used to use an external USB DAC, but it stopped working a couple of years ago. I built a new computer shortly afterward and now I just use what's on the motherboard. It all sounds fine to me.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: suicidaleggroll on November 26, 2014, 01:13:33 am
Source: Various Toslink, I typically use a PS3 for listening to music streaming off of UMS on my server
Digital switch: B&K Reference 20 (old, was used for normal A/V duties, now it's just been relegated to S/PDIF switching)
EQ/RTA: Behringer DEQ2496 used primarily for room correction
DAC: Emotiva Stealth DC-1
Speaker amps: 2x Emotiva UPA-1
Speakers: Zaph Audio ZRT-2.5
Headphone amps: Bottlehead Crack and AMB B22
Headphones: HiFiMan HE-400, Sennheiser HD650, Audio Technica ATH-M50X
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Vgkid on November 26, 2014, 01:41:48 am
I only have headphones...
Audio technica ATH-M50
Mee electronic M6, the sport-fi headphones. Plus I wont cry when they stop working, price <$11.00
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41o9ej70uGL._SY300_.jpg)
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: IO390 on November 26, 2014, 11:00:45 am
A homebuilt composite LM3886/LME49720 amp, which sounds better than a tube amp.

A homebuilt LME49720 preamp, which sounds better than a tube preamp.

A homebuilt PCM2707 DAC, which sounds better than vinyls.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: deephaven on November 26, 2014, 11:11:24 am
  • Power amplifiers:       Dual Skrell Exordium heptoblocs
  • Preamplifier:               Divergent Audio 6000 SKU unitrode
  • Speakers:                   Kitsch Fortissimo magnetodynamics
  • Turntable:                   Panderholz Ostentatio adiabatic rostrum
  • Interconnects:            Supernal Ultima woven mithril

Wow, that lot must have cost something  ;)  :-DD
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Yago on November 26, 2014, 11:13:19 am
tape decks: stripped for parts and sold
cd player: no idea, not seen it in years
mini disc: been in it's box for +10 years
portable music player: been in a drawer for +5 years

all my music uploaded and available through google play music so is on my phone and tab

i do still have an amp though, a Pioneer VSA-E07  :-\

FS (UK) Pioneer VSA-E07 amp ;)

FS Update: Will swap for noble gas ;)

I have Adam A7 speakers and Echo Audiofire 8 soundcard(That just crapped out again!).
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: rolycat on November 26, 2014, 11:41:04 am
  • Power amplifiers:       Dual Skrell Exordium heptoblocs
  • Preamplifier:               Divergent Audio 6000 SKU unitrode
  • Speakers:                   Kitsch Fortissimo magnetodynamics
  • Turntable:                   Panderholz Ostentatio adiabatic rostrum
  • Interconnects:            Supernal Ultima woven mithril

Wow, that lot must have cost something  ;)  :-DD

It was unbelievably expensive.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: jancumps on November 26, 2014, 12:07:45 pm
Quote
Personally

a few amplifiers my favorite of them is jlh1969 its sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai tafew avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai tape deck not widely used a toa amplifier and two kenwood one from way back been very happy about my set up the hks have worked out for me but they are not as reliable as they could have been or should have been hope it helps ts sound very ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai tagood not too tight not too loose ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one ts sound very good not too tight not too loose but just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai taakai taturntable but a few cd players one akai tabut just right my other amplifiers are parasoound and hk all multi-channel amps also a few avrs mostly hk likely their sound but software wise they are fairly buggy also had a sony es not quite as powerful as the hks no turntable but a few cd players one akai ta
I actually tried to read this :)
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: tom66 on November 26, 2014, 12:36:57 pm
I have a Yamaha RXV-V357DAB with the common capacitor fault, picked it off eBay cheap. Pretty decent, but fairly power hungry class AB stage.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: SteveyG on November 26, 2014, 01:01:31 pm
In the lounge I have B&W CM10's, Rotel RB1582 and Rotel RC1570 with my own DAC based on the XMOS devices and Wolfson WM8741's. The study has B&W 602 S3's with a NAD 320BEE with an EM-U sound card.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: nfmax on November 26, 2014, 01:09:54 pm
In the lounge:
    QUAD ESL-63 speakers, QUAD 77 power amp, control unit, tuner & CD player; Garrard 401/SME arm/Shure V15-III, plus QUAD CDP2 used mainly as a DAC (fed from a Power PC Mac Mini in another room)
In the dining room:
    Rogers LS6 speakers, QUAD 34/FM4/405-2 (line level audio feed from lounge system)
In the playroom:
    ALR Jordan Mini speakers, QUAD 77 combo amplifier, tuner & CD player, Apple Airport Express as DAC
I also have various other bits knocking about including a QUAD FM2, and one of Philips's very first CD players in its original box with manual & accessories  :)

I used to work for QUAD
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: dannyf on November 26, 2014, 01:33:47 pm
Quote
XMOS

Those guys had an interesting idea. Too bad that it never took off - rather than relying exclusively on the core, they could have offered some peripherals.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: BloodyCactus on November 26, 2014, 01:54:10 pm
I have an 'Uber Bifrost' DAC (AKM4399 32bit DA) scored off ebay for half the original price, being fed optical from my pc, that goes from the dac into a SMSL 30 amp which is run by the awesome TA2021B chip into a pair of MB42 speakers.

if I listen to music from the PC its all in FLAC.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: dexters_lab on November 26, 2014, 02:05:09 pm
tape decks: stripped for parts and sold
cd player: no idea, not seen it in years
mini disc: been in it's box for +10 years
portable music player: been in a drawer for +5 years

all my music uploaded and available through google play music so is on my phone and tab

i do still have an amp though, a Pioneer VSA-E07  :-\

FS (UK) Pioneer VSA-E07 amp ;)

FS Update: Will swap for noble gas ;)

I have Adam A7 speakers and Echo Audiofire 8 soundcard(That just crapped out again!).

lol, i use it on the telly and ps3... it was a very nice amp though, used to have a load of home cinema stuff, i dont bother so much now
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: miguelvp on November 26, 2014, 09:55:39 pm
You kids and your electrical gadgets

My living room LoFi doesn't even have a plug and volume is controlled by opening the doors in the speaker.
At 10 degrees opening it's quite loud and I'm glad you can get needles at ebay because you have to change them per play.

Picture from the web since I'm not home yet. Works pretty well for being 100 years old.

Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: willb on November 27, 2014, 12:13:35 am
I'm very much into hifi equipment (doesn't help that I work for a local dealer as their main and only technician).

Amplifier : Naim Nait5si
Digital sources : Naim ND5 XS Network Player/DAC and Rega Planet CD Player (used as a transport, feeding into the ND5 XS).
Analogue source : Pro-ject Xpression III turntable with Pro-ject Speed Box II motor controller, Dynavector 10X5 MC, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2SE preamp.
Speakers : Soltanus Acoustics Cricket hybrid electrostatic speaker along with a Rel T1 sub.
Cabling : All home made, using Belden or Canare cable, and Canare or Neutrik connectors. No 2000$ SPDIF cables here.

I have in my lab a pair of Alesis Monitor One MKII speakers powered through a Harman Kardon PM640 amplifier and using my lab PC as a source with a Presonus Firefox. All my music was ripped into FLAC files and stored on my file server.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Arlen moulton on November 27, 2014, 07:27:31 am
Don't they make speak on connectors for disco speakers and that lo t probably cost a bit
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: coppice on November 27, 2014, 07:42:47 am
Speakers : Soltanus Acoustics Cricket hybrid electrostatic speaker along with a Rel T1 sub.
Those speakers look very familiar, although I have never previously heard of Soltanus. Didn't Martin Logan or someone make something looking very similar at one time?
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: abaxas on November 27, 2014, 12:51:37 pm
Benchmark DAC1 - fed from UD-10 and a 10 year old (cant remember the model number) Marantz cd player.
Krell KSA-100 mk2
B&W 805s
Rel strata 3 subwoofer.

Van den hul D102 interconnects
Chord Rumor 4 speaker cable.

All bought 2nd hand for ~£2000 = ~$3500

I love it!
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Yago on November 27, 2014, 01:00:40 pm
tape decks: stripped for parts and sold
cd player: no idea, not seen it in years
mini disc: been in it's box for +10 years
portable music player: been in a drawer for +5 years

all my music uploaded and available through google play music so is on my phone and tab

i do still have an amp though, a Pioneer VSA-E07  :-\

FS (UK) Pioneer VSA-E07 amp ;)

FS Update: Will swap for noble gas ;)

I have Adam A7 speakers and Echo Audiofire 8 soundcard(That just crapped out again!).

lol, i use it on the telly and ps3... it was a very nice amp though, used to have a load of home cinema stuff, i dont bother so much now

I was building quite a collection of movies on DVD, and looking at the home cinema thing.
A strange thing happened whilst I cogitated and saved money, they stopped making movies!

They now make adverts for either GFX systems, or for models/popstars.
I am shocked by what people find acceptable or even "great" from that industry.. eg Gravity ... I don't care what S Bullock looks like at her age, it is not J Fonda in space for sure. That noise that she makes repeatedly over and over again, like a broken sampler "errrgggnnnnaaaa".
No wonder Clooney thought better of it and took the Strangelove surfboard in vacuum.
(Errr sorry for the rant! and off course the rare exceptions like Coen Bros)
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: dannyf on November 27, 2014, 01:48:38 pm
Quote
a collection of movies on DVD

That's where most "hi-fi" builders go wrong - the bulk of your money should go into software + speakers + room acoustics, in that order. Electronics should be the least of it, as electronics make the least amount of audible difference.

I often tell people that if you spend more than 20% of it (primarily amplifiers) of your hi-fi budget on electronics, you have spent too much.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: GreyWoolfe on November 27, 2014, 01:51:50 pm
I play my music through my PC also.  Just going into a Logitech 3 piece speaker system that works just fine for my needs.  My high school graduation present was a Sansui receiver, Teac cassette deck, Technics direct drive turntable and Lafayette Criterion speakers.  All analog and, sqadly, all long gone.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Arlen moulton on November 27, 2014, 05:13:44 pm
And forgot to mention 6 car radios
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: rollatorwieltje on November 27, 2014, 05:51:00 pm
A pair of Alesis Monitor One mk2 (the passive ones) driven by a ta2020 amplifier (branded SMSL Amp-03), connected to my pc using an Asus Xonar DX soundcard.

That ta2020 amplifier works really well, but it needs a quiet power supply. The eBay Special power supply that came with it made it an excellent noise generator.

I don't use the onboard audio because I could hear my cpu and graphics card. The Xonar is dead quiet. For added audio wankery bonus points it uses mechanical relays to direct inputs and outputs.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Flump on November 27, 2014, 06:27:54 pm
source is pc
kenwood av amp 100w rms x 4
2 channels go to jbl control ones
2 other channels go to jbl passive crossovers then to jbl tweeters
sub out on the amp goes to jbl amp then to jbl 12" sub in sealed enclosure

edit pics added

Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: Arlen moulton on November 27, 2014, 07:36:52 pm
All far too techy for me |O
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: c4757p on November 27, 2014, 07:42:31 pm
All far too techy for me |O

This seems the right place for it :-//
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: vsq on November 28, 2014, 07:26:08 am
Home setup
Vinyl: Technics SL-B100
CD, SACD, DVDA, DVDV, BluRay: Oppo BDP-95EU
Soundcard: E-MU 0404 USB
Preamp: Parasound P7
Crossover: Outlaw ICBM
Crossover frequency: 80 Hz
High frequency power amp: NAD 214
Low frequency amps: Hypex DS 1.2
High frequency speakers: Magnepan MC1
Low frequency speakers: DIY with 8" dynamic speakers

Pretty pleased with this setup, except the turntable.

Professional setup
Soundcard: TC Electronic Studio Konnekt 48
Speakers: Behringer Truth B2030A
Headphones: AKG K-271 MKII Studio

Extremely pleased with this setup. Good for recording and mixing.
Title: Re: what HiFi gear does everyone have (no random unrelated gossip please)
Post by: tonyarkles on November 30, 2014, 05:20:04 am
You kids and your electrical gadgets

My living room LoFi doesn't even have a plug and volume is controlled by opening the doors in the speaker.

I just discovered a very similar rig tucked away in a dark corner of my basement. Amazing! I fired (errr cranked) it up and it sounded great!