Live Stoners AFN Audiophiles

[Slater]

AFN Audiophiles

Music and the magic plant go hand in hand so I'm betting we have some audiophiles amongst us. I know I'm slowly becoming one, been DJing for over 20yrs and I've now reach that stage in life where I'm prepared to spend large ish amounts of money on audio equipment to build a sonic nirvana I'm searching for.

So I though I would get a thread going for us to share our set ups. Whether it's a simple set up of a basic amp and speakers to a fully functioning all singing all dancing home cinema set up. Bargains you have found or wish you could find. Your end game set up that mostly likely will out price everyone. Custom builds and DIY set ups. DJ set ups and gear used. Listening spaces you have built or want to bulld. Any hints or audiophile tweeks you may recommend and my favourite calling out the snake oil. A favourite pass time for AFN.

Please share links to music, vinyl releases, where to find stuff. DJ sets you recommended and live broadcast links. I will be DJing live on Twitch when ever I hit the decks. Playlists you have made on your chosen streaming platform. Discussions about streaming music.

Only joking, not every thing can be found in flac or wav, especially DJ sets and live recording. You are aloud to bash the format if you want, no objections there but occasionally it has to be suffered.

Also don't forget to mention your favourite strains to go with your favourite music styles.

 

[Redeye Master]

I was watching Bob Marley Reimagined the other evening, both Skip Marley and JP Cooper absolutely smashed it. Was hitting the Gorilla Glue during!

Bob Marley Reimagined

Trevor Nelson presents an orchestral reimagining of Bob Marley’s greatest hits.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Slater]

So I will kick this thread off with my 7.2.2 home cinema set up and the journey I've been on to get where I am today

My leap into the rabbit hole of Home Cinema started about 8 yrs ago with my first set up.
Yamaha rx-v377 amp with Tannoy cube speakers. It gave me the bug, I delved deep into youtube set up vids and discussions and it wasn't long before I wanted to up grade. So replaced the centre speaker with a Q Acoustics 3090c. It made a huge difference and lifted the dialogue immensely but also gave me that all important audiophile dopamine fix.

I then replaced my LR with a pair of Q Acoustics 3010 for a matching LCR. What a superb sounding speaker for its size. I had my very first audiogasim when I plugged them in.

Not long after that I found a pair of Q Acoustics 3020i for a deal on ebay. I just couldn't help myself so had to get them.

"Hun it will match the timber of all the other speakers and give a more cohesive dynamic range"

Well I went something like that with the misses.
I moved the 3010s to my LR rear surrounds

Well as you know when the audiophile bug set in there's no stopping it. You'd think now I've got a full 5.1 Q Acoustics set up I'd stop there and id be happy with what ive got. I was very happy and in sonic heaven... but gumtree is so tempting.

I found a pair of Quad 12L2'S for near on half the price they normally go for second hand. Also in absolute spanking condition, hardly been driven.

I just had to have them, the piano gloss finish will totally win the misses over and it did.

At first glance (and on paper) I though I had downgraded from the Q Acoustics 3020i but after playing some of my test tunes and movie soundtracks that I know inside out I become aware of how much in the mids the Q Acoustics was missing. That's not to say it wasn't there on 3020i it just wasn't as present. I could suddenly hear percussive rhythms in classical I hadn't heard before, intake of breath on the vocals. Fingers sliding on the frets. I could go on. Needless to say I had another audiophile moment.

It never stops... dam you gumtree

Amp up grade... to a 13 channels of wall to wall awesomeness and dolby atmos.

Denon avr-x4200w, again got it at a bit of a knocked down price. Love gumtree.

130w per channel, 7 internal amps with the pre amp capability of processing upto 13 channels and dual sub woofer outs.

Had few set up issues with the passthrough, ARC, hdmi hand shake and all that jazz. Took a couple of months to figure what the issue was but I got there in the end in the settings.
Sky box wasn't helping.

Absolute work horse this amp, huge upgrade from my Yamaha. The amount of life it bought to the surrounds was amazing compared to the Yamaha. The sound stage just suddenly grew huge in my lounge. With addition of two subs being separately processed in Audyssey the bass response took a huge leap.

For my subs I run two of these (yamaha yts-fsw050). I got them because they are low profile and could hide them away under stuff, kept the misses happy. Since learning more about bass I've now moved them to better poitions. They are next inline on the up grade, I want the Quad subs to match the front sound stage. Plus they have that nice piano gloss finish, the misses won't mind as much.

Then Gumtree strikes again...

Over my morning coffee I come across this bit of classic audiophile gear from the 90s, Rotel RB-970BX mk2 going for a mind bending low price of £40. These baby's go for more than there retail value in the 90s.
I was round that house super fast for the deal of thd year.

I now use it as a pre amp for my LRs driving the Quad 12L2'S. And boy it doesn't disappoint, It feels like I've found a Ferrari at junk yard.

Heres the specs for the true nerdy
Power output: 60 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo), 180 watts into 8Ω (mono)
Frequency response: 15Hz to 100kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.03%
Damping factor: 280
Input sensitivity: 1V
Signal to noise ratio: 116dB
Speaker load impedance: 4Ω to 16Ω

It's bought a very musical sound to the sound stage. I felt the Denon was a little cold and clean when just listening to music.
It's the best sounding set up I've ever had. It blows me away to listen to 2 channel music through this amp and speakers, the Quads pair nicely.
I'm now on the look out for another at a good price so I can bridge them.

The most recent addition to the set up is a Quad L-ite centre channel

I felt the Q Acoustics centre I was using wasn't quite fitting with the Quads. So just to see if I wasn't imaging it I bought a Quad L-ite centre, its from their 5.1 home cinema package. The original Quad Centre channels that came out with 12L2'S are a bit like unicorn shit, they pop up for sale but never when you got the spare cash. Still Quad guarantee it will match the timber of the 12L2'S. And it did wondrously, It has gelled the sound stage together perfectly. You really can't tell which speaker is active, seemless across the space.

Well that me fully sold on Quad, I now want the full Quad set up in the lounge.

For dolby atmos I'm running a pair of wharfedale D300 3D surrounds.

Great speaker for the price and do the job perfectly. I followed a great tutorial on YT for their placement. Dolby Atmos is the future, wonderful listening experience if the mix is up to it. The John Wick film are a stand out amongst the crowd for there Atmos mix, highly recommend.

Well thats my HC set up so far, it's for ever growing. Plan is to bring the surrounds down level with ears next and get more pre amps so I can run 4 dolby atmos ceiling speakers. Room accustic treatment is on the cards soon.

Great thing is I can share the build with you as it grows.

Thank you for reading

 

[logangrowgan2020]

We've got a kinda "hand me down" hi-fi if you will. Speakers from uncle-in-law, pawn shop receiver, etc. Pretty decent Denon turntable. Really really really old tape deck that doesn't have auto stop!!!


I like being able to play any format, fun to pick up at flea markets and boutiques and stuff. As to "what sounds better".... speakers sound so much damn better that headphones. Id rather listen to radio over big speakers than the highest quality stuff thru airpods.

 

[Slater]

We've got a kinda "hand me down" hi-fi if you will. Speakers from uncle-in-law, pawn shop receiver, etc. Pretty decent Denon turntable. Really really really old tape deck that doesn't have auto stop!!!


I like being able to play any format, fun to pick up at flea markets and boutiques and stuff. As to "what sounds better".... speakers sound so much damn better that headphones. Id rather listen to radio over big speakers than the highest quality stuff thru airpods.

All my stuff except two sets of speakers are second hand. I love the thrill of finding something for a bargain and the hunt to complete a set.
It takes longer to build a set up but it so much more fun. Plus you get what would have been super expensive set up fraction of the cost.

I'm picky on head phones, been DJing for some time so I've been through my far share over the years.
Hate in ear head phones like those ear buds, super uncomfortable. Good set of noise canceling blows them out the water every time.

 

[Slater]

@wwwillie

I've made us a home for all things audiophile

 

[kfigerm]

@Slater , nice setup. nice thread!

I'm an oldschool stereo guy and like those q accoustics a lot had those little ones for desktop. Some years ago I went for a small and simple setup, with good sound, not just for the desktop, but to fill the wholse room appropriately and - wanted to get rid of all those big bricks.
Got a pair concept 300 supported by a rel ht 1205 - the cyrus one cast they are hooked on is so neutral - no treble/bass/eq, just stereo+pre out - , that this sub support is welcome.
Fixed them to the wall elevated with gas-damped movable tv-wall-mounts. The original stands would simply not fit in the room...but they look so great and support the sound - but nowhere to place them for good sound, so I hat to invent something.
Driven by my mobile devices(chromecast), my pc (usb),tv (hdmi) or an old maranz cd 67mkii se (analog, cos i like the crappy but smooth old dac of that marantz).
I always liked it simple.
In my livingroom is still a Bose lifestyle 5 s2 from the 90ies. Very wife compatible and still great - also just a stereo setup.

Just the moments to not just listen to music, but LISTEN to the music have become so rare.

have fun guys!

 

[wwwillie]

Oh boy now you’re in for it.
Latest picture of my space.

 

[wwwillie]

The main amp is kinda special. It is one of only 200 made, I won the opportunity to purchase a “kit” at the diyAudio forum I belong to. It was given to the community by Nelson Pass one of the premier audio designers out there and who happens to participate there and has a huge following. It uses a special transistor he designed and Sony built. 10 watts per channel Class A. It’s called the Sony V Fet. Amazing sound, just amazing.

 

[Slater]

@Slater , nice setup. nice thread!

I'm an oldschool stereo guy and like those q accoustics a lot had those little ones for desktop. Some years ago I went for a small and simple setup, with good sound, not just for the desktop, but to fill the wholse room appropriately and - wanted to get rid of all those big bricks.
Got a pair concept 300 supported by a rel ht 1205 - the cyrus one cast they are hooked on is so neutral - no treble/bass/eq, just stereo+pre out - , that this sub support is welcome.
Fixed them to the wall elevated with gas-damped movable tv-wall-mounts. The original stands would simply not fit in the room...but they look so great and support the sound - but nowhere to place them for good sound, so I hat to invent something.
Driven by my mobile devices(chromecast), my pc (usb),tv (hdmi) or an old maranz cd 67mkii se (analog, cos i like the crappy but smooth old dac of that marantz).
I always liked it simple.
In my livingroom is still a Bose lifestyle 5 s2 from the 90ies. Very wife compatible and still great - also just a stereo setup.

Just the moments to not just listen to music, but LISTEN to the music have become so rare.

have fun guys!

I like the look of those Concept 300 loads, they do have a rather a sexy finish and look to them. Love how they have designed the stands to be part of the speakers listening experience. If a pair come my way in the future I wont be turning them down, I'd jump all over them.

I do love my Q Accoustic, they have realy nice sound to the bottom end, punchy and rounded. I found them great for dance music, pop, soul and any thing funky, really bouncey sound. I plan to use them for the kitchen dinner system once I've replaced them for the Quads in the HC. Unless a pair of 300 land in my lap then it will be a full Q Accoustics set up again.

Can't go wrong with bose for the wife acceptance factor (WAF) but they don't half get a bashing now a days in the communtiy. I remember going to the high fi shops in the early 90's and getting the bose experience in those little test rooms they would set up. And I was sold, you could say it was when the fuse was lit but it would take another 10yrs before I could afford any thing remotely similar.