Best hardware acquisition of 2017

Received a Furman PST-6 power conditioner for Christmas and I found a PST-8 on sale, so I decided to treat myself to that.

 

Well, my apartment burned down and I lost all of my audio equipment in the fire. THankfully my CDs and Vinyl were located in a safe enough location where they went untouched. Picked up a Sony PS-T22 direct-drive turntable with an Ortofon LM 20 cartridge and OM-20 stylus, a Schiit Mani phono preamp, Fiio e17k alpen DAC, Fiio K5 desktop amp, and Audioengine A5+ speakers. While the fire will certainly be something that I think has scarred me in one form or another for the remainder of my life - I at least got to upgrade my equipment - also as a disclaimer no one was hurt in the fire which is also better than cds/vinyl surviving.

 

Great thrifting! My thrift highlights this year were a mostly functioning Rotel RCC-1055 for $65 and a perfectly functioning Technics SL-J33 with Pickering DTL-2 cartridge for $14.50.

 

...Must also add AKG N60 NC wireless headphones.

'Noise-cancelling' and 'Bluetooth' aren't words to get audiophiles revved-up, but being wire-free and acoustically-isolated (and sounding surprisingly good for that) has turned out to be a revelation for train travel.

 

Found a Shure FP11 mic preamp/DI at a liquidation store for $15. Sounds great and very versatile.

 

Only made one change in 2017 - all my interconnects , power cables and Speaker Cable for Audio Note -very happy with this upgrade.

Oh and I also purchased an AudioDesk Systeme Ultrasonic record cleaner - which I recommend highly.

2018 plans are to replace my phono stage and I'm leaning towards the Manley Labs Steelhead.

Still always more excited about buying music than hardware though

 

Hmmm nothing audio wise purchased this year.

Oh actually did buy a USB power isolation plug that cuts out the data paths leaving only the power for my PC audio/DAC system.

Cost £5 I think!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00QRRZ2QM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

1) Vandersteen 1c speakers purchased off of craigslist
2) Shure V15 V-MR cartridge
3) Jico Neo SAS Sapphire stylus

 

Wow - some really cool acquisitions!

All I got in 2017 was a KAB tonearm damper and RCM cleaning fluid refills.

 

My KEF R300 speakers, got a great deal on them

 

Purchased a Yarra 3DX speaker system through Kickstarter. Delivery scheduled for spring 2018, all things being equal. Interesting concept! Now being sold through IndieGoGo:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/yarra-3dx-worlds-most-advanced-3d-audio-system-sound#/

 

Adding the HS8S subwoofer alongside my HS8s. The difference is night and day.

 

Amazon echo dot, plus the house band skill for jriver.

 

That's brutal. I had a similar catastrophe in 1976. I lost $2K (1976 dollars) in audio gear and 400 LPs. I had apartment dweller's insurance but that didn't go terribly far when it came to replacing things.

I did, however, have fun purchasing 100 LPs (the limit I set for myself) at House Of Guitars (yes, the notorious HoG! LOL) in Rochester, NY.

I don't recommend house fires to anyone.

 

Didn't buy much hardware this year, but I did get some GIK Gridfusor QRD diffusor panels, and I have to say, the results in treating the rear of my listening room, behind the listening position, have been excellent in terms of removing any kind of phasey center-fill cancellation when moving around at the listening position, dramatically widening the soundstage and making the speakers disappear as apparent sound sources and creating more of a sense of a single continuous soundspace on recordings made that way. Also instrument scale seems more natural. Of the few hardware things I did acquire this year, those were the eye-opener.

 

I focused on improving my sources this year and purchased a PS Audio Directstream Junior and the Vinnie Rossi LIO phonostage. Both are excellent and made a big difference in my system. The DSJ has already had two firmware updates that were both definite upgrades and the LIO sounds very clear and dynamic and gives me a platform for future upgrades/additions that will be fun to explore.

 

Early '70's Pioneer PL-41

 

Probably the best improvement you could make, short of hosing down your listening room with snake oil (expensive).
The thing about real professional sound panels like yours is that their absorbtion and reflection characteristics are quite consistent, octave to octave. If not, cheese panels could make things worse, and you will always be chasing the sweet spot. Often there is none.

Did you tune by ear or use fancy test equipment/software?
Regards, -H-0-R-

 

I haven't shot the room yet -- the panels were actually a Christmas gift from my sister -- so I've just been experimenting by ear with likely positions based on where I know the first reflection points are behind me. I've also tried a bunch of unconventional placements but the likely placements and orientations on a sonic basis are pretty apparent. I have a calibrated mic and real time analysis software and use that to set up the room and the listening and speaker placements and sub integration and the broadband absorption, etc. I'll get to the measurements eventually and do some more experimentation with diffusion placement. And I'll probably get some more for another area of the room behind the speakers not so much for diffusion but to combat some flutter echo there which I'm treating with some things now that are absorbent at HF but don't do much below 500 Hz. Fine for killing the flutter echo, and the room's energy time curve is pretty even, but I don't really need the HF absorption there so much. The problem is the flutter echo. But I'm pretty confident that the experiential placement I'm using, which is where you'd expect to put the diffusion, like I say, based on the back wall direct reflections and distance from my listening position, is obviously effective.

 

Best thing for me this year was a Mutec MC-3+USB reclocker, found used for $700. This really sharpened up the imaging in my system. I consider it a real bargain, considering what a DAC upgrade might cost.

 

Stay away from the Pro Oval for home audio gear. Analysis Plus makes cables for Audiophiles as well as professional musicians. The Pro Oval PC are for guitar amps and anything professional musicians use that would need a power cord. The engineering of that cord is totally different from one of his power cords for home audio systems. Same with Wireworld...they also have cables and audio cords for professional musicians.

 

I'm always curious about applied acoustics. If you don't mind, how many did you get, how big is the wall, where did you mount them, and has far are your ears from them?

 

Thanks mate.

I actually got a decent deal on Oval 10, just few days ago. It's on its way to me.

Kind Regards

 

Switched out my Abrahamsen amp for an Atoll IN200se. Got a great deal on it, and the amp works extremely well with my R300's.
Oh, and I also upgraded some of my powercables... Mostly because it looks way cooler than the standard leads

 

That's actually a very good cord....congrats! I have one on loan now and have a Power Oval 2 on its way to me as well.