What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Coopmv]

     Those are impressive numbers.

Yeah, after the 2200, the Monitor Series models 2600, 2400 and 2100 were the only amps that came close to 2200 in terms of dynamic headroom relative to their respective continuous power. 

[Daverz]

I've been burning time playing with the configuration of my Squeezebox server to make classical music more navigable.  Some folks in the community put together this howto:

http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/Setup_browse_menu_for_classical_music

Basically you set it up to handle some custom tags like WORK (apparently COMPOSER, CONDUCTOR, and BAND should already be supported).  Then you have to tag your files, and I couldn't find anything that would allow me to add custom tags like this, so I wrote my own with PyQt.  It's still a little primitive, and manual tagging is really a pain.  The resulting navigation menus also still seem a little confusing and redundant, but you can at least organize things sensibly by Composer/Work/Conductor/Band/Artist.

I'm also finding that stuff I ripped in a fit of enthusiasm some time ago has no real identifying information about the performance, so I have quite a few mystery rips to figure out.

[drogulus]

    I load mystery rips into Winamp and autotag them, which works maybe 70-80% of the time. Then I can clean them up in another program.

[Daverz]

    I load mystery rips into Winamp and autotag them, which works maybe 70-80% of the time. Then I can clean them up in another program.

These are already tagged with whatever was in the free online CD database.  Which is very often worthless.

I suppose I could burn them to CD-RW and load them into iTunes, which uses a different, sometimes better, online database.

[SonicMan46]

Just a 'boombox' for my basement workout/shop area - my main requirement was just a CD player that would also do CD-R & MP3 discs; plus, I wanted a FM radio to listen to our local NPR station out of Wake Forest University.

My previous setup was 'cheap' - this is just the basement, now; portable CD player hooked up to some old computer speakers, and no good radio!  Well the CD player 'craped out' after a couple of years of use; so walked into a Sears store, and saw the unit shown below Sony ZS-SN10S - had the features I wanted plus listed at just $80 - so checked out and the box was being discontinued and I picked it up for $20!

Well, the radio brings in my NPR station loud & clear; the CD player accomplishes the requirements above; and the speakers sound better than my old ones - not a bad deal!  

[Bogey]

Heading here this weekend.....second year in a row.

[Bogey]

Here is the link....


http://audiofest.net/2009/index.php

[Coopmv]

Here is the link....


http://audiofest.net/2009/index.php

Morning, Bill.  I imagine you must enjoy the audio show.  I used to go to the NY HiFi Show years ago ...

[Bogey]

Morning, Bill.  I imagine you must enjoy the audio show.  I used to go to the NY HiFi Show years ago ...

I do not do the full weekend like many.  I am meeting my dad there tomorrow and we will hit about 20 or so rooms out of the 160.  The neat thing is that there is also a vinyl show on the 18th!

[Coopmv]

I do not do the full weekend like many.  I am meeting my dad there tomorrow and we will hit about 20 or so rooms out of the 160.  The neat thing is that there is also a vinyl show on the 18th!

I no longer have the level of enthusiasm I used to have for audio equipments.  Looking back, I think I am more fond of analog audio equipments than digital equipments. 

[Harry]

Bought this system today for the living room, as a quick listening reference. A tube amplifier, with surprisingly good sound, smooth highs, and a tight bass. Overall detail is amazing.


http://www.consumer.philips.com/c/audioproducten/hdmi-1080p-mcd909_12/prd/nl/

[Harry]

Inserted this device in my primary system, and its bloody amazing.


http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/power-conditioners/329-a-secrets-power-conditioner-review.html

[Frellie]

Had to find a sound system, last year, for my small appartment. I was on a budget of max. € 1500, but the system still had to be able to rip the furniture apart with symphonic blasts, or make it shiver with choral whispers.

Found this to be more than satisfying:

Denon PMA-700AE
Denon DCD-700AE


Along with Dali Suite 2.8 Loudspeakers

[Valentino]

All I want for Christmas is my two dipoles, my two dipoles, my two dipoles...

(Drawing for cabinet maker attached.)

[Valentino]

...but with them I must also have these two subwoofers, these two subwoofers, these two subwoofers...


A bit of Linkwitz, a bit of computer audio, a wee bit of architect input, and many hours of prototyping have gone into this project. Fingers crossed!

[Coopmv]

...but with them I must also have these two subwoofers, these two subwoofers, these two subwoofers...


A bit of Linkwitz, a bit of computer audio, a wee bit of architect input, and many hours of prototyping have gone into this project. Fingers crossed!

Valentino,  I thought your sound system is fully digital? 

[Coopmv]

Here is an interesting link with some excellent article on audio ...

[Valentino]

From this one on it will be "fully digital", yes. It's a bit difficult to explain how this works. In front of the 8 amplifier channels there is a little PC that run the crossovers (and RIAA correction), a RME Fireface UC and a Logitech Transporter. Add a bit of wiring and software routing and it plays.
I will still be able to play LPs: The RME has two very nice microphone inputs, and for Squeezebox Server there is this nice little plugin called wavinput.

But the big thing is that I wave goodbye to monkey coffins and welcome dynamic dipoles. That's something else.

Addendum: Great article! Thanks!

[Coopmv]

From this one on it wil be "fully digital, yes. It's a bit difficult to explain how this works. In front of the 8 amplifier channels there is a little PC that run the crossovers (and RIAA correction), a RME Fireface UC and a Logitech Transporter. Add a bit of wiring and software routing and it plays.
I will still be able to play LPs: The RME has two very nice microphone inputs, and for Squeezebox Server there is this nice little plugin called wavinput.

But the big thing is that I wave goodbye to monkey coffins and welcome dynamic dipoles. That's something else.

But wouldn't your new dipoles have to be self-powered (i.e. active) speakers like most computer speakers and not the conventional passive speakers?

[Valentino]

Indeed they are active!