I was into music and hifi back in the 70’s, but then a poor student and only able to afford inexpensive and secondhand equipment. I had a Lenco GL75 (before they became collectable and were poor cousins to the Linns and their like) and Shure 75EJ cartridge, a Kenwood amp, and Wharfdale Super Lintons. I loved jazz and was listening to Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson, and local artists such as Dollar Brand, later known as Abdullah Ibrahim (I grew up in Cape Town before moving to Australia 40 years ago). The jazz-blues influenced music of Van Morrison was another growing obsession. And so on … mainly jazz, blues, and jazz/blues influenced rock. 

 

By the time we settled in Sydney (in the early 80’s), and later Perth, the equipment had matured to a Thorens TD150, Musical Fidelity Synthesis, and B&W DM7 (2) speakers. Heading in the “up” direction of hifi. And then it stopped. Young kids and large dogs are not a good mix with turntables with expensive cartridges (by then it was a Dynavector Ruby Karat and a Supex 900 IV … I still use them). My wife hated … absolutely hated … the large B&W speakers in the livingroom, but let me keep them. I compromised by replacing the turntable with CDs played on a DVD machine. After all, it was really about the music, not the sound. Plus the large open plan room really limited the sound quality. This was around 1990 and it was apparent even then that acoustics played a role in sound (the best I ever heard was when I played acoustic guitar in a large wooden wine barrel in my hippy youth … but that is another story). 

 

I lost interest in equipment until last year, and since then have replaced all but the turntable, which I spent some fun time modifying enormously. For those wanting the details, go here. I am a shrink in my day job, but a serious amateur woodworker and furniture builder in my spare time, and this is partly why I am writing this article. The inspiration to get back into hifi was a friend, and the opportunity arose as there are no longer any small kids or large dogs around. Around is still my wife - which comes with mixed blessings …. while she still wants to keep me, she did not feel the same way about those large B&W coffins. So, to keep her happy, these were exchanged for new Kef LS50 meta and a Kef equipment KC62 subwoofer. Small, but .. hey … I got to once again have the turntable in the living room! After some experimenting, a Devialet Expert 120 came to live with us (from the classified here at Stereonet), and a Cambridge Audio CXN (2) for streaming from Tidal. 

 

I have been adding to my vinyl and CD collection. It is not large, about 300-400 of each, as well as as much on file. I only buy when something reflects a special interest. Otherwise I am happy streaming. There is a part of me that listens to the quality of the music - vinyl is better than CD out of an Oppo, and better than Master quality via Tidal - but often the music plays at moderate levels at night, and this levels the differences.

 

A few photos are relevant now as there is another issue to consider: the room. The room remains the same room which limited the sound in the past. It is open plan, with floor-to-ceiling glass, lots of hard surfaces - Jarrah floorboards on concrete broken by rugs, and brick-plastered wall broken by artwork, and high, vaulted ceilings ….

 

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/mrMrVBpQ/living-room.jpg[/img]

 

Zooming out (I’ve built most of the furniture here, including the kitchen) ..

 

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/9fVW7GcG/2.jpg[/img]

 

The other direction …

 

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/4d2ZqqV5/3.jpg[/img]

 

Don’t even suggest wall treatments! That is not about to replace the large art collection we have and cherish. Carpeting is also not going over the beautiful flooring. We both love wood. 

 

The kitchen area becomes a bass trap. The main listening area is pretty good, but as soon as the sound level goes above 75 db, it loses definition. Between 60 - 70 db, the sound is detailed and spacious. 

 

The real question is what is important, an uncluttered aesthetic which both my wife and I prefer (I think we would be happy living in Japan), or the large, intrusive equipment of an audiophile, who may be seen to prioritise machines over family harmony? 

 

The answer for myself is to find an acceptable compromise. It helps that I do not hanker after the “best” sound nor have cravings to upgrade. Possibly for now 😶 … Perhaps I just have a stronger interest in my other hobby? Or that it is the music that comes first? Maybe my 72-year-old ears are not up to it? Or my wife’s “look” is scary (no, she is cool). My question for all is “have you found a balance?”, and/or “is a balance even a consideration?”.

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 20223 yr by derekcohen

A gorgeous room Derek, even if it entails a sound compromise. 👍

 

It seems to be difficult to connect with the music if sitting in a surroundings that is distractedly cluttered or uncomfortable for one reason or another.

 

 

I enjoyed your story and the pics of your great room and set up Derek, but i personally couldn't live with the offset TV. Oh and love the artwork

I would suggest different speakers, sorry I realise you have just invested. I tried Kef 50s could not get along with them in my ( also large  wood floored room) I have ended up with Amphion 7 ( these will probably not meet requirements re size )  Personally a pair of Kiplish Heresy would look fantastic in that space 

 

Thank you for sharing your story.  It was an interesting read.  Yes, the WAF or SAF tends to play a significant role in coming to some sort of compromise when it comes to blending in audio gear with living spaces.  That's why I finally found and purchased a property that had a large 165 sqm studio that is detached from the main house.  Has a big 6.25 x 8.5m listening room that comfortably accommodates my Equinox Jupiter speakers and Quad ESL2905s along with the rest of the audio gear.  Detached from the house and located on a small acreage with some distance between me and the neighbours also allows one to turn up the wick without disturbing anyone.   

2 hours ago, Grumpy said:

I enjoyed your story and the pics of your great room and set up Derek, but i personally couldn't live with the offset TV. Oh and love the artwork

 

Grumpy, a little asymmetry add balance to your life! 😀

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek 

Edited June 4, 20223 yr by derekcohen

1 hour ago, Chill3 said:

I would suggest different speakers, sorry I realise you have just invested. I tried Kef 50s could not get along with them in my ( also large  wood floored room) I have ended up with Amphion 7 ( these will probably not meet requirements re size )  Personally a pair of Kiplish Heresy would look fantastic in that space 

 

 

The Heresy would meet my needs, however I would likely be going forward into my doddering years minus a wife! 🥴

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

1 hour ago, Monkeyboi said:

Thank you for sharing your story.  It was an interesting read.  Yes, the WAF or SAF tends to play a significant role in coming to some sort of compromise when it comes to blending in audio gear with living spaces.  That's why I finally found and purchased a property that had a large 165 sqm studio that is detached from the main house.  Has a big 6.25 x 8.5m listening room that comfortably accommodates my Equinox Jupiter speakers and Quad ESL2905s along with the rest of the audio gear.  Detached from the house and located on a small acreage with some distance between me and the neighbours also allows one to turn up the wick without disturbing anyone.   

 

Alan, that sounds amazing. I could not add on another room - I already have such a space in the form of a woodworking workshop (which does have a music system: iPhone 6 playing Tidal via an iFi DAC into a Harmon Kardon HK6500 and then Wharfdale Diamonds). Another space is not going to happen.

 

How do you integrate your listening room with the family?

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

I think most of us need to make compromises with our systems.  One thing I would suggest - to move you speakers so they are on the wall between the window (ie, facing towards the kitchen/dining area).  The seating would be rotated 90 degrees.  This would make the room consistent for the l+r speakers (rather than having one speaker in a corner and the other not). 

1 hour ago, audiofeline said:

I think most of us need to make compromises with our systems.  One thing I would suggest - to move you speakers so they are on the wall between the window (ie, facing towards the kitchen/dining area).  The seating would be rotated 90 degrees.  This would make the room consistent for the l+r speakers (rather than having one speaker in a corner and the other not). 

 

MMmm ... there is no wall between the windows (Edit - I see what you mean. Perhaps you would like to explain this to my wife ... where would the TV go?). The windows are floor-to-ceiling and stretch this way around the walls of the living area. The side leading out to the garden are French Doors. 

 

The speakers are 2 ft out from the rear, and the side closest to the corner is 2ft out from the wall. Moderate levels work well - as I mentioned, good imaging and space (the Kefs are known for this and the positioning here does not disappoint). The limitation is detail becoming increasingly blurred above 75 db. I am not sure that larger speakers would sort this out, as the B&Ws were the same. It is a crappy room for sound. 

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

 

Edited June 4, 20223 yr by derekcohen

To clarify, my suggestion is not to put the speakers on the opposite wall, where I see a door leading out.  It's to put the speakers either side of the windows behind the black couch.  And I would position the TV centre in between the two speakers (because I put the TV sound through the HiFi to get better sound for watching movies).  I don't know your wife, so you might have a better chance of proposing it to her than I would 🙂, however, you can tell her that my wife was OK with the way I wanted the hifi set up!

 

5 hours ago, derekcohen said:

How do you integrate your listening room with the family?

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

I don't.  😜  There's little to no interest in hi-fi, hence the well and truly separate building I can escape to.  Sometimes hi-fi should not be shared just like chocolate. 🤣

19 hours ago, derekcohen said:

 

The Heresy would meet my needs, however I would likely be going forward into my doddering years minus a wife! 🥴

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

Fair enough, personally I would think Heresy’s would fit in much better with all your lovely wood furniture, plus they are very low and can go back close to the wall. But you know your wife’s taste and I don’t 👀

22 hours ago, Grumpy said:

I enjoyed your story and the pics of your great room and set up Derek, but i personally couldn't live with the offset TV. Oh and love the artwork

 

Same here, but I can live with an offset TV, in fact I do. The only way I could remove the offset would be by repositioning the TV right in front of a doorway, then I wouldn't be able to get into the room! Offset speakers would be a problem though.

 

Enjoyed your story Derek, and that is a great looking room. Everything we do involves some sort of compromise, and it sounds like you have prioritised what is most important to you, which is fine.

 

Without changing things around too much I think some heavy curtains over all the glass might help. They can easily be drawn back into corners when not listening >75dB.

derekcohen....................I recognised that name a few months ago, but..........Cape Town, shrink, 72 yo...............must be the SACS 1968 OB I know. We have missed your presence at the OB lunches...........had no idea we shared the same interest.

 

Cheers,

 

Richard P.

Edited June 7, 20223 yr by Smp

I'd be interested to know if you maintained definition above 75dB by backing the base off a bit? As things get noisier, we hear the base more and more. In a big room, this added prominence of base may muddy things. 

 

My advice for a big room is generally to have a listening position that is closer to the speakers. Direct field will better dominate the low order reflections and reverb. 

8 hours ago, Smp said:

derekcohen....................I recognised that name a few months ago, but..........Cape Town, shrink, 72 yo...............must be the SACS 1968 OB I know. We have missed your presence at the OB lunches...........had no idea we shared the same interest.

 

Cheers,

 

Richard P.

 

Richard, my old friend! This is a pleasant surprise. 

 

The past couple of years with Covid have created such a busy time in my practice that OB dinners were too exhausting to consider. Contact me via Messages.

 

Cheers

 

Derek

5 hours ago, DrSK said:

I'd be interested to know if you maintained definition above 75dB by backing the base off a bit? As things get noisier, we hear the base more and more. In a big room, this added prominence of base may muddy things. 

 

My advice for a big room is generally to have a listening position that is closer to the speakers. Direct field will better dominate the low order reflections and reverb. 

 

This makes sense. I was listening to a new-to-me album (vinyl), Oscar Peterson, volume II Exclusively for my Friends, "I'm in the mood for love". It sounded superb, and the volume could be turned up high. This is a three-piece combo of piano, drums and acoustic bass, and so not bass-heavy. Wonderful music and detailed sound.  In general, the system seems geared for jazz far more than rock. That's fine with me.

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

Your room looks great Derek!

I have enjoyed seeing your furniture making skills for many years, 

Fantastic to read that the hifi flame has been reignited!

Thanks for sharing.

 

 

 

Edited June 21, 20223 yr by mtf

On 3/6/2022 at 7:29 PM, derekcohen said:

I was into music and hifi back in the 70’s, but then a poor student and only able to afford inexpensive and secondhand equipment. I had a Lenco GL75 (before they became collectable and were poor cousins to the Linns and their like) and Shure 75EJ cartridge, a Kenwood amp, and Wharfdale Super Lintons. I loved jazz and was listening to Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson, and local artists such as Dollar Brand, later known as Abdullah Ibrahim (I grew up in Cape Town before moving to Australia 40 years ago). The jazz-blues influenced music of Van Morrison was another growing obsession. And so on … mainly jazz, blues, and jazz/blues influenced rock. 

 

By the time we settled in Sydney (in the early 80’s), and later Perth, the equipment had matured to a Thorens TD150, Musical Fidelity Synthesis, and B&W DM7 (2) speakers. Heading in the “up” direction of hifi. And then it stopped. Young kids and large dogs are not a good mix with turntables with expensive cartridges (by then it was a Dynavector Ruby Karat and a Supex 900 IV … I still use them). My wife hated … absolutely hated … the large B&W speakers in the livingroom, but let me keep them. I compromised by replacing the turntable with CDs played on a DVD machine. After all, it was really about the music, not the sound. Plus the large open plan room really limited the sound quality. This was around 1990 and it was apparent even then that acoustics played a role in sound (the best I ever heard was when I played acoustic guitar in a large wooden wine barrel in my hippy youth … but that is another story). 

 

I lost interest in equipment until last year, and since then have replaced all but the turntable, which I spent some fun time modifying enormously. For those wanting the details, go here. I am a shrink in my day job, but a serious amateur woodworker and furniture builder in my spare time, and this is partly why I am writing this article. The inspiration to get back into hifi was a friend, and the opportunity arose as there are no longer any small kids or large dogs around. Around is still my wife - which comes with mixed blessings …. while she still wants to keep me, she did not feel the same way about those large B&W coffins. So, to keep her happy, these were exchanged for new Kef LS50 meta and a Kef equipment KC62 subwoofer. Small, but .. hey … I got to once again have the turntable in the living room! After some experimenting, a Devialet Expert 120 came to live with us (from the classified here at Stereonet), and a Cambridge Audio CXN (2) for streaming from Tidal. 

 

I have been adding to my vinyl and CD collection. It is not large, about 300-400 of each, as well as as much on file. I only buy when something reflects a special interest. Otherwise I am happy streaming. There is a part of me that listens to the quality of the music - vinyl is better than CD out of an Oppo, and better than Master quality via Tidal - but often the music plays at moderate levels at night, and this levels the differences.

 

A few photos are relevant now as there is another issue to consider: the room. The room remains the same room which limited the sound in the past. It is open plan, with floor-to-ceiling glass, lots of hard surfaces - Jarrah floorboards on concrete broken by rugs, and brick-plastered wall broken by artwork, and high, vaulted ceilings ….

 

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/mrMrVBpQ/living-room.jpg[/img]

 

Zooming out (I’ve built most of the furniture here, including the kitchen) ..

 

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/9fVW7GcG/2.jpg[/img]

 

The other direction …

 

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/4d2ZqqV5/3.jpg[/img]

 

Don’t even suggest wall treatments! That is not about to replace the large art collection we have and cherish. Carpeting is also not going over the beautiful flooring. We both love wood. 

 

The kitchen area becomes a bass trap. The main listening area is pretty good, but as soon as the sound level goes above 75 db, it loses definition. Between 60 - 70 db, the sound is detailed and spacious. 

 

The real question is what is important, an uncluttered aesthetic which both my wife and I prefer (I think we would be happy living in Japan), or the large, intrusive equipment of an audiophile, who may be seen to prioritise machines over family harmony? 

 

The answer for myself is to find an acceptable compromise. It helps that I do not hanker after the “best” sound nor have cravings to upgrade. Possibly for now 😶 … Perhaps I just have a stronger interest in my other hobby? Or that it is the music that comes first? Maybe my 72-year-old ears are not up to it? Or my wife’s “look” is scary (no, she is cool). My question for all is “have you found a balance?”, and/or “is a balance even a consideration?”.

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

 

 

 

 

 

Looks beautiful.

Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful room is as important as beautiful music.

Forget the art hanging on the walls. The real magic is in your dovetails. Beautiful work, mate. 
As the son (and student) of an old school cabinet maker, I know the craftsmanship and precision that goes into every one of them. Bravo! 

Thanks Scott. For those who want to know what a dovetail is, the cabinets are Jarrah and all dovetailed joinery. Seen here between the Thorens TD150 turntable and Devialet Expert 120 amplifier. Both cabinets and turntable are my woodwork ....

 

 

A little update on the sound. It has significantly improved since I switched off SAM on the Devialet. SAM was accentuating the bass (unnecessary as there is a subwoofer), and causing the midrange (voice) to recess. The sound is now clearer, the bass is tighter and more detailed, and voices more forward and articulate. 

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

Edited June 23, 20223 yr by derekcohen

On 21/06/2022 at 10:43 AM, mtf said:

Your room looks great Derek!

I have enjoyed seeing your furniture making skills for many years, 

Fantastic to read that the hifi flame has been reignited!

Thanks for sharing.

 

 

 

MFT  ??

 

Thanks. for the compliment. Would I know you if you were not simply letters?

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek