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Sound enthusiasts - share your system
Those of you who love music and the sound of it, please tell us about how you listen.
Whether it is a 1000W stereo setup, a soundbar, or a floating Bluetooth speaker I'm interested to see it!
What do you like about your system? What do you want to improve?
Pictures and links are very welcome.
I have the classic:
Total cost: Around $600. Spending any more than that on a headphone setup is too deep in the land of diminishing returns for me. The sound quality I already have is amazing and I love it.
Ah, the Schiit stack - very nice. I've actually never heard a Schiit, but I've heard a lot about them. If you were to upgrade, which part would it be?
I believe the headphones, as good as they are, are the weakest link. But I don’t know what I’d jump to.
At that point, in my opinion, I'd rather go for "different" than "better". Try a Grado. Try some Mezes. Because yeah I agree about the diminishing returns.
This is why, after owning a lot of headphones and trying even more, I landed on HD-580s (58X is good, but doesn't quite have the same magic imo). I've had a lot of fun with some very expensive headphones (TH900 with Cascadia pads is ridiculous), but I wouldn't want to live with them every day.
At one point I had a padauk ZMF Eikon, and planned on keeping them forever. I realized, however, that I enjoy my cheap headphones almost as much as I enjoy a lot of $1000+ headphones. I'd rather put the big money into speakers and subs.
I have a near similar setup and I cannot complain. I obtained everything early 2020 and it’s still what I’m using. It’s my first “real” audio setup. Everything else has been gaming headsets or earbuds.
I had done what I’d consider a lot of research on the best bang for your buck. I’m going to agree and say that around $600 you can get a good setup. Spending anything above that it be more of a specialized stack.
Personally, I really like the open back vs closed and don’t think I could go back.
Schiit Modius
Schiit Magnius
Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX.
My SACD/surround sound setup is a PS3 and blu-ray player connected to a Denon AV powering a nice little set of Infinity surround sound speakers (the ones with the milled aluminum housing) and a Definitive Technology Descend DN10 subwoofer. Some of the best bass I've ever heard in a home theater (and better than the original sub that came with the Infinity setup). Everything is a hand-me-down except the PS3 and the DT sub, but that I got from Amazon Warehouse.
My stereo setup is an Onkyo 5-disc changer connected to an old Onkyo AV receiver powering a pair of floor-standing Polk RTi A9s over some 10-gauge copper core wiring that's been in the family for forever. I got the Polks in cherry wood, because they're gorgeous and pairs nicely with my pool table. One of them was a returned unit to Amazon and I saved a boatload.
I've recently gotten into bookshelf speakers. I have a pair of ELAC bookshelf speakers, also Amazon Warehouse deals, setup in my bedroom for evening reading (and sometimes movies). I have a MartinLogan Motion 4i that I just got a matching unit for, so I'm excited to set up another stereo system somewhere. It has a more artsy look to it that doesn't fit into my other stuff, so I'm thinking of connecting them to my PC. And I fell in love with a MartinLogan Motion 15i that I'm looking to make a pair out of, but I haven't been watching Amazon Warehouse/returns closely so I don't know when that's going to happen.
I must say I'm a bit jealous over those Polk RTi A9s... And family wire is always good. Are you looking to supplement those or maybe the bookshelfs with a sub? Or do you think they produce good enough bass for your need?
I have been thinking about adding a supplemental sub, but for the Polks I'd want to get the matching cherrywood subwoofer and I just don't see myself finding that same generation sub for a reasonable price. I think they are over-priced anyway compared to the quality of other subs.
I mostly listen to classical music on the Polks; they have great range and frequency response, as well as frequency separation. The bass is not real punchy, especially compared to the way Sony calibrates their portable speakers and headphones these days, but I think the Polks do an adequate job even for the stuff I listen to that isn't classical. They don't bring the presence of a surround sound system of course, but if you turn it up enough anything sounds good. :)
The bookshelfs definitely need a sub. If only for frequency separation. The ELAC and ML speakers I have sound phenomenal and they can hit some real lows, but there's no rumble and at least at the volume I listen to them there's not a lot of bass presence. Vocal clarity is obscenely good though. I've heard that the only $2,000-or-less bookshelf speakers better than the ELAC Uni-Fi that I have are Aperion Audios that go for $800 each (so about 5x the price I paid for the ELACs). Also worth noting that ELAC has 3 lines now. There's an entry-level, the Debut, and then the Uni-Fi. So I think they're a good choice for someone who's looking for a name-brand. Just don't expect to find those fancy gloss-white speakers for a bargain. :(
Setup at my desktop right now (overkill lol):
Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2-EX Speakers
SVS SB2000 Subwoofer
O2 JDS Labs DAC > Emotiva Basx A-100 Amp
Then headphones Sennheiser 6xx - Super happy with these
Would like to switch to an all in one integrated amp in the future to just simplify whats on my desk but most of them are just too large to fit on my desk.
What are your thoughts on the Basx A-100? I've looked into getting one of those in the past but never pulled the trigger, as I technically don't need one at the moment with my current setup.
Big fan of SVS by the way, even if it's overkill for a desktop setup haha.
It has plenty of power for this close listening, I think these speakers would like more power if I was say using in a living room setup. Probably still be fine tbh. I've never had a problem with the amp other than the bright light on the front. Sound has been great but I've never compared these speakers on another amp. Pretty sweet piece of equipment for the price. Would be nice to have a LFE/Pre out so I could use the volume knob on it for everything but I have this little Fostex (PC-1) volume knob that is great.
For headphones if you have some super hard to drive one you can move a jumper to send full power to the headphones port which is insane. That really did open up Hifiman HE 500s when I had them vs the O2 JDS Labs DAC/AMP.
Man, that's one of the headphones I regret selling the most. If you like that signature, they sound damn good with tons of potential in the amping department. They were a lot of fun with Cascadia Impact Pads.
I was hardly using them since I mainly use headphones if I'm gaming and they most certainly weren't good gaming headphones (CS:GO 99% of my gaming). They were sweet cans though! I had some very similar style pads. The 6xx are pretty great for gaming and I really dig the sound profile as it is so similar to my speakers/sub setup.
I have a Rega P3 turntable with an older cartridge I bought on eBay years ago, the Pro-ject pre amp, a bottle head passive pre-amp from kit, Arcam power amp, and Sonus Faber Venere speakers.
I love the setup. Honestly ~50% of the time I end up listening to music through an Apple gen1 HomePod, but for sitting around listening to music in the evening it's great.
There are a few things I'd like to improve.
That sounds really good! Streaming input is invaluable to me, I love that I can listen to pretty much any song I want. Of course I love vinyl as well, but my collection so far is really small...
PC Toslink > Theta DS Pro Progeny > Yamaha RX-V685 > JBL Studio 530s or JBL 306P MkIIs depending on genre/mood.
When I must use headphones, it's usually my trusty old HD-580s.
Oh boy I have a handful of different systems for different rooms/use cases.
Theater room/main living room I have a 5.1 Klipsch system. RP-280Fs for the front L and R, RP-440C for the center, and some older RB-51 IIs for the surrounds, R-120s for the sub. I know some people find Klipsch to be harsh sounding but these have a pretty good sound for both music listening and when I'm watching movies. Paired with a Denon AVR s760h I got on discount from Costco.
In my work office for easier listening I actually built myself a pair of Overnight Sensations from Paul Carmody, as well as his Voxel Mini-Sub modified with an active sub back plate. That's paired with a Dayton Audio HTA-100BT Stereo Tube amplifier.
In our community/computer room I have a pair of Emotiva B1+ paired with a Martin Logan Dynamo 300 subwoofer.
Lastly in the bedroom I have QAcoustics 3020is in the front with 3010is as the rear and a SVS-SB1000 and an older Klipsch center speaker. Do a lot of gaming in the bedroom and some occasional movie watching, eventually plan on upgrading the center channel. This is also paired with another Denon AVR s760.
...I may have a hobby problem.
Edit: Adding in photos of the speakers and mini-sub I built.
Sounds very cool! You have the same problem as me :)
I've been curious about DIY audio, how did you get started building your own speakers? They look great!
So I initially did some research into some beginner DIY audio solutions, came across Paul Carmody. He has a handful of designs and provides spec sheets for it so you know what you need to buy. But what really convinced me to pull the trigger was Parts-Express has a kit so I didn't even have to machine the boxes. All I had to do was assemble them, solder the crossovers, and pick a finish. My current living setup doesn't really have much space for paint so I went with a peel and stick veneer.
If you want to give it a go, I highly recommend the Overnight Sensations as a nice, small, but relatively beginner friendly options, especially since there's a parts kit available that comes with schematic for the crossover (which was still the most daunting part).
I'd like to get into a few more detailed builds at some point but haven't had the motivation at the moment, given that I'm already up to my neck in speakers haha.
Thanks for the recommendations, I'll definitely look into it!
My living room entertainment center setup was put together around 7 years ago, with an aim for bang-for-buck and hitting a particular detent on the diminishing returns knob.
This has served me extremely well. It doesn't get me surround sound, but it sounds great and it's simple to break down and set back up, which has proven to be a major boon — in the time since buying its constituent parts, I've moved twice.
At my desks, there's similarly value-oriented setups. The work/daily desk has a JDS Labs Element II DAC/amp plugged in, while the gaming desk has a Schiit Fulla 2 and Edifier R1280DBs stereo speakers. Between the two, a pair of Sennheiser HD6XX's are shared (or if closed back is needed, a pair of AKG K550s). The speakers on the gaming desk aren't hooked into the Fulla and are mainly there to be halfway competent for casual gaming when I don't feel like headphones.
Good, conscious choices! It seems a lot of people here have SVS subs (including me) - are you happy with yours?
I don't have any experience with other "real" enthusiast grade subs to compare it to — prior to this, I had only used subs that came as part of a set of computer speakers (e.g. Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 or the harmon/kardon 2.1 speakers Dell used to ship with their PCs) — but yes, it's been nice. Bass is powerful while also being nuanced and it gets far more loud than I'll ever need it to.
Pioneer double din. JL audio VR5.25 Components, Diamond Audio 6.5 components powered off a Earthquake TNT600, JL audio 13W7D1.5 on a JL audio 1000/1
It sounds fantastic.
I can only imagine. My old car has its stock speakers and I stream from a very bad bluetooth-radio converter, haha
You should do something about that.
Upgraded speakers make a difference and you don't have to break the bank either
dont tell AVforums about this thread!
ive got an old pro-ject turntable with a ortofon 5A cartridge, monitor bronze speakers and an arcam amp. for streaming ive got an older sony wm-a100 plugged into the rear RCA. Also have a twin sony tape deck plugged in.
it dosnt take much to go off down the rabbit hole
I can't speak for objective quality, but my desktop pair of Audio Technica ATH-AD700s have been incredible and nearly problem-free aside from some broken head support pads over 14 years. Kind of looking for replacements, I think support politely told me they're running out of pads if they break again, but the phones still have 0 issues.
My setup is barebones, and I went the cheapest route with Edifier’s R1280T bookshelf speakers and an audio-technica LP120USB I got used. Eventually I’d like to grab a decent amp and upgrade to a pair of Klipsch RP-8000F, but today is not that day with the budget.
Pitch for triangle speakers. I have the entry level line 6” driver paired with an integra amp, apple tv source. Sounds real darn good if it’s a lossless source.
Would like to upgrade my car, tho. I had an ‘01 vw jetta with monsoon, that sounded amazing.
I mainly use headphones and just recently scored a pair of Campfire Andromeda IEMs off eBay for less than half of what they retail for. I have a little FiiO BTR5 DAC that I used with my phone, and I feel it makes a real difference to the openness as compared to the little Apple DAC. The IEMs themselves sound absolutely incredible and I’ve heard details in songs I’ve loved for years that I have never heard before!
I have three computers in my office (personal desktop, work desktop, and a laptop). and I wanted audio from all three to be output on either speakers or headphones.
after a fair bit of tinkering, what I've ended up with is:
Rolls MX51s Mini-Mix 2
Schiit Magni 2 Uber
Fosi Audio 2 channel amp
here's a pic. there's also a USB charger and power switch for my webcam in that shot, they aren't part of the audio setup. you can see where I painted on volume indicators because the little divot was annoyingly hard to see.
then I have Micca MB42X speakers and 250ohm DT 770 Pro headphones.
it works great - if I plug my headphone cable into the Magni, I get headphone audio; if I unplug it and turn on the Fosi, I get it through my speakers.
my only complaint is that it'd be nice to integrate some Bluetooth headphones into the system, for when I want the portability of wireless headphones more than the audio quality of the DT 770s. but as I have it now, there's nowhere for the wireless headphones to connect (other than to one of the 3 individual PCs)
Roon w/ convolution filters > Cambridge AXN10 > Cambridge AXA35 > Elac Debut Reference 6.2 Bookshelf speakers + SVS SB1000 subwoofer.
For vinyl listening, we have a Debut Carbon Evo w/ Sumiko cartridge.
I think the system plays really nicely together for most genres. The subwoofer adds a very much needed low end to the Elac bookshelf speakers. My only desire is more raw power from the amp, but I am fond of the voicing in the Cambridge preamp, so I'm not in any rush to get rid of it. Overall, the system is warm and smooth with plenty of low end and has brought lots of joy to our household!
That must sound great! We have the same subwoofer, I really like mine. So much power for being so small, so it's perfect for my little listening room, and it looks great as well!
The only system I've ever heard that I liked more was a pair of Vandersteen Kento Carbon powered 3-way speakers (to the tune of ~$40k). I got to listen to a bunch of systems at an expo last fall. I know it's not the perfect environment, but yeesh some of the setups sounded atrocious for the price.
I opted for the SB1000 when I heard my brother-in-law's SB3000 and realized it was a bit overkill! The way it compressed a room was phenomenal.
I'm no audiophile but I do a lot of listening. I don't think this setup is anything special but it works just fine for my little NYC apartment.
Harman Kardon HK3770 receiver
Audio Technica LP120 turntable w/Ortofon Blue stylus
Sony 5-Disc Carousel CD player, late '90s vintage
Nakamichi BX-150 cassette deck
Klipsch R-51M bookshelf speakers
Sony MDR7506 headphones
If I want to listen to anything on my computer I just connect to the HK through Bluetooth. I also have a Tascam portable DAT recorder, but it hasn't been turned on for a few years so who knows if it still works.
That word "audiophile" may have unfortunate connotations to some of us, but you have assembled some quality equipment and clearly must enjoy how your music sounds on it. An older brother of mine once shared my passion for hifi, but ditched his system a while ago because it took up room in his house, and now he and his wife just use a google smart-speaker hardly bigger than a soup can sitting on an end table in their living room. They still love music, but I for one don't understand how he was able to throw away the sound quality he used to care about. I guess there's a continuum here, eh.
Indeed, I deliberately didn't use the word "audiophile" when creating this post, even though /r/audiophile and /r/budgetaudiophile are two of my favourite subreddits. What matters most is our love for music and good sound!
Let me clarify - I work with sound in my day job (radio and podcast producer/engineer) and as a musician, so I appreciate good sound, but I don't fetishize it. I'd rather spend my money on more music than on squeezing out tiny improvements in performance from my stereo. Some people love to hear the bass drum pedal squeaking and the saxophonist breathing in between phrases, but not me. I get enough of that stuff in real life. Are you with me, /u/doctorwu?
These are the headphones I use. They're nigh indestructible and have good enough quality that my ear can't really distinguish any benefit from more expensive headphones.
We use them at my job (radio station / podcast producer). They're great, with the caveat that you need to replace the earpads every couple of years. No big deal.
I see often they're used in the music industry, lots of podcasters use them, etc... I've heard they're a little brighter on the mids and weaker on base but on purpose for studio monitoring, but I can't confirm that. Yeah, outside replacing the ear pads occasionally, it's a tank.
I'm still pretty much tied to physical media. Never got much into vinyl but have a large collection of CD and SACD, and as mentioned in a thread about hobbies a month or two ago, I'm an ex-pro electronics technician who repairs and modifies equipment for fun. My main system is made up of salvaged components, acquired in various states of disrepair and reconditioned: Sony DVPNS900V disc player and HK AVR20ii receiver used as a preamp, Denon POA2200 power amp driving Definitive Audio Celsius bookshelf speakers on 32 inch Pangea stands. The Sony and HK components have some internal upgrades which I won't get into here unless someone really needs to know. For some reason there is no need for a subwoofer in this system, as there is in the video system elsewhere in the house which uses similarly small main speakers; while these don't shake my chair around, they go plenty deep for my ears.
I'm a mostly a jazz and classical listener; "Trio '65" by Bill Evans is playing as I type this.
I really like looking through thrift stores and junkyards for salvageable audio equipment deals. I found this old broken Radio Shack amp that I liked the look of and gutted it and put an inexpensive Class D amp in the chassis (Sure AA-AB32971). I also found a pair of 100W pioneer speakers at a thrift store for $25. For my turntable, I found a Technics SL-Q5 that was marked as broken but just needed a new stylus. All in all I spent like <$200 for this set up. It might not be the greatest audiophile setup but it was really fun putting it together.
For my headphones, I just have a Modi/Magni stack and I've rotated through headphones but I've always gone back to a pair of ATH-900x's that I've had for like 10 years at this point.
I have a Sony minidisc player (MDS-JE520) and A Panasonic CD player with a sweet blue VFD connected up to a fairly cheap amp and I listen through my surprisingly decent Kenwood speakers or my DT770s (80 ohm)
This sounds like a great unit! Would you recommend that I pick one up as my first proper minidisc player? are there any alternatives available in the second-hand market I should look for?
I have an old pair of Beyerdynamic DT770s and still love them. I hope you enjoy yours for many years to come!
Honestly, I would probably recommend a handheld player/recorder as your first unit. Partly because of the price, but also because listening to Minidiscs on the go is a lot of fun. Sony has plenty good ones, mostly called 'MZ-Rxx'.
If you specifically want a deck, the JE520 is great, but most will be the same. Look for something post-2000 that has MDLP ideally, because you will not only be able to fit more onto a disc, but it should sound better too, due to the later versions of ATRAC compression.
Really you shouldn't be paying any more than £100 for a player, and £2 each for discs.
On an unrelated note, the DT770s are great, aren't they? The last thing I've bought in a long time that has felt properly solidly built.
EDIT: Can't believe I forgot to mention minidisc.org! Easily the best resource for anything minidisc related.
My setup is a bit of overkill, but is handy at times. It's mostly centered around the ability to have multi-bus mixing for streaming and video calls while at the same time allowing switching between (or simultaneous use) of multiple systems. Plus other fun stuff whenever I want to mess around.
The whole thing centers around a Behringer X32 mixer and heavily interconnected via Dante on a dedicated VLAN.
The computer systems all connect to the X32 via Dante either using hardware USB-based interfaces and/or Dante Via. There's two computers using it right now but can easily support a large number. On the cool side, Dante Via allows for each application on the PC using it to be a separate Dante device on the network. In practice this means that you can either do a direct mapping via the Dante Controller and/or have a dedicated channel fader assigned on the Behringer X32.
The X32 outputs to a pair of Behringer Eurolive B215D loud speakers and a Behringer Eurolive B1200D-PRO sub via line level XLR. I never run these speakers very hard at home - I'd have MUCH smaller ones if I didn't want to have the option to use these for events. But using them for my desk is a great way to "store" them and not have them collecting dust most of the time. Plus, in a smallish room, these things blast without even cranking it to 11.
An [Audio-Technica BPHS1(https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/bphs1) is connected to the X32 via XLR for the mic and a PowerPlay 16 for the headphones portion. The PowerPlay connects to the X32 via Ultranet and allows me to quickly and easily switch between one or more mixes from the X32, change volume, balance, and tons of other settings, all without messing with the actual mixes which frequently go to other targets too. There are also a few other Ultranet and lesser headphone driver units that I can attach at need.
Also, the whole system - including desktops - connected via an APC PDU and using 240v from an L6-30 at my desk that's powered from my 16kVA APC SY15K UPS. Yes, it's an old as dirt UPS. But it's still going great thanks to regular battery refreshes and new power modules once in a while.
Edit: Also here is my cat, DJ Darwin, on the mixer!
I'm very happy with my Koss KSP95X's and some PSB M4U2's, the two of them keep me satisfied across a range of quality and playback conveniences.
Uff, I am a sound enthusiast but my setup isn’t spectacular.
I have a Yamaha RX-V677 receiver hooked up to two Klipsch R-41M bookshelf speakers and a Sony 100W active subwoofer. I have some old Kenwood center and rears from my parents’ setup but not space to put them currently. Would love to add a decent turntable and space out the speakers more. I mostly play music from Spotify on this setup.
Gotta say that the sound production on my M1 MacBook Pro is phenomenal — sitting in front of it feels like being in a studio.
First, I am no audophile nor do I have much experience comparing between various pieces of kit. But I do feel like I am in a budget audophile's sweet spot with a few pieces accumulated over the years.
The core: an '82 NAD3020B I bought about 15 years ago for the equivalent of ~$50 or so. The previous owner replaced the condensers and it's still in great condition. I love this thing and am willing to invest quite a bit of effort/money to keep it running for another 40 years.
The NAD is driving a pair of Monitor Audio BX2 bookshelf speakers. They are about 8 years old and a great improvement over my father's Fisher speakers from the 1980s I had before.
The latest addition is a FiiO BTA30 Pro DAC/Bluetooth receiver. In all honesty, the audio system was getting less use recently after yet another 3.5mm-RCA cable connecting my laptop to the amp kicked the bucket. I do sometimes stream but for the most part I play music from the laptop; connecting a Chromecast I had lying around to simply play the music I had--not the music from Spotify--proved to be much more annoying than I expected, requiring commercial software or half-baked open source drivers, neither of which worked quite well. About a week ago I got the FiiO and it's been an amazing addition to rejuvenate the system; suddenly I have near-transparent, low-latency wireless connection and I honestly cannot say I am missing anything.
Oh, and I also have a pair of 80O Beyerdynamic DT770 which currently reside at work. They sound great... but more importantly they are insanely comfortable.