2.0 music and 4.0 HT. @HeyNow Hi-Fi

 

Started with not great 5.1 speakers and AVR, couldn't stand the sound, for music especially. Ditched for 2.0 with vastly better speakers (and more budget) and then did away with the AVR too. Prefered good 2.0 for movies over lesser quality 5.1.

 

Originally, after my first system mistake above, kept as nearly an all Aussie build for stereo:

-Melbourne built early Metaxas Soliloquy power amp. 

-Gieseler Audio Konverter DAC/Pre

-Lenehan ML2+R

-Lenehan interconnects

-Gieseler Audio power supply to Microrendo

 

This changed after a home electrical fault and now pictured with Electrocompaniet AW180 monoblocks which are close to the Metaxas. Metaxas has been a 14 month repair and nearly finished! And other amp was toast. 

 

Adding in an Oppo 205 using 2.0 LPCM downmix to the DAC for fronts and the analogue surround output with the internal processing set to 4 speakers (so downmixes to 4.0, fronts and surrounds) gives me HT capability I'm very happy with. No need for a centre channel at all. And literally shake the upstairs without a sub. I gave up using HT bypass and the 205 analogue front output as it had nothing on my DAC/Pre. 

 

Surrounds are:

-Lenehan ML1+R

-Rear amp will either be the Metaxas or Electrocompaniet when back to two power amps.

 

One day, as budget permits, maybe I'll add more channels but music is the focus for me. 

 

The Nagra IV SJ reel to reel was a bin find. Needs some TLC to get running. 

 

Room has been tuned by speaker and listener positioning to maximise imaging (time delays of first order reflections) and control base response (modal response). 

 

Interested in base trapping to deal with 80Hz issue and diffusion. Not looking to alter RTs much.

 

The microphones are just there as part of some development work I'm doing with my programmer. Svantek SV200As for anyone interested. 

 

I find I enjoy messing with it almost as much as listening to it. 

 

Turn it on a few minutes and I'm always drawn into it. Eg put it on at 9pm to iron a shirt, then it's 1am and shirt still not ironed. Love music's ability to cause immediate travel to another place and time and a break from any troubles. 

 

Edited June 5, 20214 yr by DrSK
Dyslexic and can never get anything right first time.

@HeyNow Hi-Fi

Nice.

I love a good monoblock. Or two.