How many of you keep it simple? At least fairly simple?

The OP. Just making space for 4 complete systems is big commitment towards audio equipment and a big impact on ones living space. Classic audiophile move.

 

I think my set-up is pretty straightforward. Turntable to phono pre on the left, CD player on the right, integrated tube amp in the center. The amp is only 2wpc, so the tubes basically last forever, and no tone controls, just power and source selector.

 

I wish it weren't so, but it seems I spend more time listening to my office system than The Big Rig.

Nakamichi TA-2A receiver, fed by either an Onkyo DX-7211 Cd player or an Onkyo TA-R301 cassette deck, outgoing to a pair of DLK Modular One speakers. 'Bout as old school as it gets. Makes me happy, and when I can crank the Big Guns it's good too.

 

Source (computer lossless files)->FiiO e10k headphone amp->Sennheiser HD600 headphones->ears.

 

I own two houses so it's really only like it's two systems... When I think of the word "audiophile", I think of guys with $1000+ cables running on wood blocks and replacing power cords, line conditioners and more money for a single turntable cartridge than I have in all my gear total.

They are all pretty simple, two are in bedrooms to give 2 channel sound (and music) to the TV. One has a turntable, the other a CD deck. The other two has one upstairs at the other house with an integrated, turntable, and two speakers all on a long sofa table. The *big* system has a HT 5.1 Yamaha receiver, turntable, and a stack with a CD, then a cassette deck, then a VCR, then a Blueray DVD, and topped off by a Roku box.

The real point of this thread though wasn't about money or if one is an audiophile but rather, how simple is your system (compared to guys running mono blocks, pre-amps, turntable into phono stage, CD, network box, room treatments, etc., etc.

 

Audiophile just means you care about the sound, nothing to do with cost of your gear. It's a pretty safe bet that anyone who hangs around on an audiophile hardware site talking about their system is an audiophile

My system isn't too simple, turntable and phono pre and line pre and power amplifier and speakers, but the electronics is all by the same company, so that simplifies it some.

 

Receiver, turntable, speakers.. sub

 

I'm happy to be thought by others as an audiophile just like I am when others think of me as a pretty good guitar or piano player. But people who can really play know better. I can't help but think, a serious audiophile would label me a music lover. Besides, I'm listening to Time Out on a CD at the moment. Through an Onkyo!

 

I'm trying to be as complex as possible, because I'm tired of living my life for someone else, and I can't take it with me when I go.

Turntable and as many cartridges as I can find
CD Player -> someday I'll spring for an SACD player
PhonoStage/ADC
DAC
Pre-Amp/DAC/Headphone Amp Combo
Integrated Amp
Headphone Amp
Speakers -> I want multiple pairs!
Headphones -> I'm exploring the possibility of recabling my favorites

Just wait until I go nuts and start buying expensive interconnects and other cables.

 

CD player, preamp, monoblocks, speakers. Pretty simple

 

I get it and I feel ya. I do many things just for me now because I can. I did many things for others all my life and now it's my turn! Still, I like simple. I just like simple and good...

 

Turntable on a nice piece of furniture, power supply, amp and chromevmcast audio inside it, speakers either side .

I'm in a bit of a minimalist phase at the moment generally.

 

VERY simple:

Sansui G-6700 (circa 1978)
Y connector from laptop into AUX
Y connector from back of TV antenna box into Tape 2

Turntables into Turntable 1&2 ports (one fully auto and one fully standard)

4 speakers

ALL items purchased from thrift shops

No plans to upgrade

 

Turntable - phonostage - powered monitors. Clean and simple.

 

I keep it pretty simple.
90% of my listening comes from:
TT >Preamp>
Integrated Amp>
Speakers w/sub

The other 10% comes from Spotify or a computer system that my wife is now using in her home office, where my CD’s are ripped (but I can still stream them).

 

Simple as I can manage. Listen rather than tinker.

 

Simple is so boring . Besides, if I keep it too simple, my wife might operate it when I'm not home and that's something we all want to avoid

 

This, folks, is about as simple as it gets!

 

I reject the the premise. A pre amp doesn’t make things complicated nor does spending money on cables. Every system needs cables and the most complicated piece of equipment I’ve ever fooled with was a Denon AVR. A power cable is as simple as it gets, a music server or steaming from the internet can get complicated. What you are talking about here isn’t simplicity, it’s all about money.

My least complicated system is a Klipsch powered speaker that I use stream music from my phone. That was a huge PITA to set up on my network and fails at that task regularly. By contrast my stystem with an amp, preamp, phono stage, DAC, upgraded power cables , expensive Inner connects and speaker wire is pretty straight forward. I hit a power button, choose an input and adjust the volume.

And yes...I also run a integrated amp with just speakers and a source. Only two things to plug into a wall. I would like to state for the record that I’m no audiophile. Those guys are creepy and stupid with money.

 

I have two systems; 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs.

Both systems consist of:
Receiver (vintage with integrated phono pre-stage)
Turntable
CD player
Cassette recorder/player
Speakers

Very simple

 

Mine is very simple:

Audiolab M-One - Rega Fono MM Mk3 - Rega Planar 2 with Exact cart and upgraded subplatter - Dali Ikon 6 MK2 for my analogue. The Audiolab M-One also has Bluetooth and USB for my digital flacs from my Sony Vaio or Fiio X3 Hi res player.

All = Great sound ...BUT If I could afford a top end system I would!

 

In my home office: MacBook Air —> Focusrite preamp —> JBL active studio monitors + sub

Sounds good to me.

 

Interesting concept. The 'audiophile quest' as a form of personal development. An investigation into the experiences that can be found in audio reproduction if you go 'higher' on the ladder. Finding the limits of stereo reproduction of a recording. And learning to appreciate a relatively simple setup, even if you hear its every limitation. Food for thought.

 

A phone and headphones?

 

If you're old enough to have read the audio magazines of the '70s (until the internet wiped them out), there's lots of discussions of the charms of a simple two-way. Dick Olsher's famous "Black Dahlia" is a prime example, there are many others. The opinion was no, they didn't go from DC to sunlight, but what they did they did very well. I consider myself lucky to have acquired two excellent smallish two ways - my DLK Modular Ones and my superb EPi 100Ws, both easy to listen to. On an absolute basis do they beat my Focal Cobalts? Hell no...but that's not the point.