The post pics of yer 2 channel audio setup thread

[Arcadia]

Well I thought it was about time we had one of these threads, for those who are more into 2 channel audio rather than home theatre.

So post up your 2 channel setups!

I'll begin by posting my setup, which consists of:

- DIY Back Loaded Horn loudspeakers with Fostex FE206E fullrange drivers (total cost approx $600). These speakers sound great! Although I still have a lot of fine tuning to do. I'm enjoying them a lot more than the Osborn Interlude speakers I used to own which cost almost $3k to buy new, and are a fantastic speaker in there own right.

- Opera Consonance Droplet CD Player (cost $1250 second hand - bargain of the century!). A very well reviewed cd player.

- KingRex T20 Amp and matching PSU (cost $400 new). I can't seem to fault this amp. For the price, a bargain when paired with the right speakers.

So my system all up has cost around $2250, and i'm very happy. Would encourage anyone to give diy a go! The markup on speakers is atrocious!!!

I've got another project (albeit a much smaller one) on the way, a diy plinth for a Technics SP-10 Mk2 turntable.


Click to view full-sized image!

[Andres]

Def a case of function over form there! haha

I'm suprised you spent so much (comparatively) on the CD player though. Do you honestly notice much difference compared with other players?

Also are the cabinets made from different materials? RHS looks like MDF, wheras the LHS appears to be actual timber?

edit: Looked in another thread of yours and noticed you had the build of the cabinets. You say you have 206E drivers, but the design you link to is for the 208E? I'd contemplate a design like this if the drivers was $280 for both, but the 208E are $280each!

[mAJORD]

2chan for the win!

That's a nice setup Arcadia, loaded Fullrange like that have been something i'd love to do one day, I need to try some for myself. Love to hear those or any other decent ones.


http://www.users.on.net/~majord/proacs/finr.jpg
http://www.users.on.net/~majord/amp/finished-gd.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/~majord/proacs/fin1.jpg

I switch between this 110w x2 AB amp and a smaller class D one. But this is the pick for the moment, biggish room I'm in, the power is more handy.

Speakers are of course Proac 2.5 clones, STILL unfinished (veneer/paint) due to tossing up whether to go the 9500 driver (requiring a larger cutout) , it's been nearly 2 yrs and I haven't done it, nor do I want to i've decided.. some veneer is overdue

All speaker-amp builds have been on hold due to house arangments being up in the air. when I move though I'll be keen as mustard for some new floorstanders, though, tbh I've been incredibly happy with these procac clones, even with the 8500 tweeters, their weaknesses are outweighed by benefits imo, esp after crossover tweaks. It'll have to be a significant step up from here to be worthwhile

My source is an EM-U404 soundcard, my Silent PC is my music center basically. Every CD goes straight to flac

But yes, all up around 2-2.5 grand as well. definatly backup arcadia here, DIY ifinterests you, it is worth it when it comes to audio.

[Arcadia]

I'm suprised you spent so much (comparatively) on the CD player though. Do you honestly notice much difference compared with other players?

Dunno if I notice much difference as I haven't compared it to anything else. But it's nice to know that I can't get much better for my budget, even if I spent $5k+. I didn't originally want to spend this much on a cd player, but I just couldn't resist the bargain.

Also are the cabinets made from different materials? RHS looks like MDF, wheras the LHS appears to be actual timber?

Yup, my biggest regret. Should have made the mdf cabinet out of plywood instead. I found out as I was building it that mdf is not very good for back loaded horns, as it stores more energy than ply. I can't seem to notice much difference though between each cabinet in terms of sound, but it bugs me that there probably is a difference.

Looked in another thread of yours and noticed you had the build of the cabinets. You say you have 206E drivers, but the design you link to is for the 208E? I'd contemplate a design like this if the drivers was $280 for both, but the 208E are $280each!

Based on discussions at www.diyaudio.com, I learnt the cheaper FE206E drivers (around $140 each - although I got mine for $200 the pair from this forum of all places) slot happily into the FE208E Sigma cabinets, which is actually better for these speakers than the Fostex designed FE206E cabinet. This cabinet design give more low end (around 10Hz more from memory - down to below 40hz).

Also, it's good knowing that if I want to upgrade to the more expensive and better sounding FE208E Sigma, I can do so without having to build any more cabinets. Also, it should be noted that the FE208E Sigma does not extend as high as the FE206E, and really needs a super tweeter to sound it's best.

[Stygian Shane]

I look forward to being able to post some pics in here... have to get the equipment first though

Near future, I'll be getting some Cambridge Audio gear;
Azur 540A V2 amp
Azur 540C V2 CD player (edit: I wonder if it's worth the extra cost for the 640C.)
Azur 540P phono preamp

And some nice B&W Bookshelf speakers to suit. Not sure of the exact model number. Eventually a decent entry level hifi turntable, too.

[dakiller]

2ch, that includes headphones I presume?

While I don't have a camera handy at the moment, and nothing overly elaborate to shoot at the moment, I can at least get some past pics to show bits of my rig

First up my headphones - Good old DT531's

and rocking MS-2's


Now this beast is a headphone amp I've been working on and this isn't too far off what it looks like at the moment, it works when wired up but there is quite a few add-on's that need finishing before its finally finished. For the real geeks, its a fully class A balanced amp that swings +/-30v (60v when bridged) and runs 300mA of bias per channel (X4) and draws 100W of power from the plug just idling and it is the best headphone amp I've ever heard, and I've heard quite a few



For a source, I have a DAC that I designed and built myself. I run it in USB mode where it looks like a soundcard to the PC but it'll take any spdif signal as well. I'm missing some pic's of it finally cased up and working but these construction pics pretty much explain it -




If you cant tell, I like to DIY my audio

[phreeky82]

Good to see some very nice gear

My mains, a pair of these (now with grills also): http://www.clubpoint.net/speakers/Img_5494.jpg

Very "out there" in paint, the explaination: they were unfinished for YEARS, then I moved in with the GF and she said "they can't stay like that", so we took a quick trip to the shops and a day later, that's what you get.

The amp is just a pair of SC480s at the moment, although typically it's use to bi-amp the mains with my receiver and combined with my sub for HT duties (just 2.1 setup).

Amp:
http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/stereo/Img_3890r.jpg
http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/stereo/Img_3893r.jpg
http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/stereo/Img_3894r.jpg
http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/stereo/Img_3912r.jpg

Sub:
http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/stereo/Img_4325cr.jpg
http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/stereo/Img_4329cr.jpg

Am moving into my own house shortly, so some more fun building will be happening then (making this stuff while living in a unit sucks!).

[benny_burny]

Originally Posted by Stygian Shane

I look forward to being able to post some pics in here... have to get the equipment first though

Near future, I'll be getting some Cambridge Audio gear;
Azur 540A V2 amp
Azur 540C V2 CD player (edit: I wonder if it's worth the extra cost for the 640C.)
Azur 540P phono preamp

Stygian where are you getting the Cambridge gear from? I've looked high and low in Brisbane and no one really stocks what I want. Online prices are much higher and no bargaining power. I'd buy online from OS (especially with the Aussie dollar going well), but as someone said here you have no support if the system screws up.

[Stygian Shane]

Originally Posted by benny_burny

Stygian where are you getting the Cambridge gear from? I've looked high and low in Brisbane and no one really stocks what I want. Online prices are much higher and no bargaining power. I'd buy online from OS (especially with the Aussie dollar going well), but as someone said here you have no support if the system screws up.

Steve Bennett Hi Fi, down in Geelong. Independent store, only one of 'em, so I'm not sure if its of any use to you up in Brisbane unfortunately.
In any case - http://www.sbhifi.com.au

[Stygian Shane]

Well, the first piece of my setup has been bought



Cambridge Audio Azur 540A v2. I'm ashamed to say I'm currently running it from an iPod, and it sounds suitably shit. I'll be getting a decent source within the next month or two.

It's running a pair of ancient Bose Studiocraft floorstanding speakers at the moment - and they're well past their heyday. So new speakers are on the list, too

In any case, it sounded quite nice hooked up to dad's B&W LCR3's, even with the iPod. I believe I'm going to come to like this amp.

[nisstrust]

Hi All,
This is my 2 Channel stereo setup, i'm running a Cambridge Audio 540R v2 coupled with a Toshiba SACD player connected via audio snake analouge interconnect for the front channels. Up front i have a pair of Quad 11L's connected via a set of Gecko banana plug interconnects run in tandam with a polk audio passive sub with a 10inch driver.

I love this setup, its absolutely brillitant, it images extremely precisely, and is very warm with a sound stage that is just pure delight. I am spoilt for listening pleasure thats for sure.

I also use this setup for HT use as well but its more a 2 channel stereo setup.

[Crusher]

hey dakilla.. you have the same kitchen benchtop as me

[DiZZ_19]

My system:


NAD C320BEE, NAD C521BEE & LSK M6 (MkI)

Detail shots can be found in my sig.

I'm coming up on 4 years of ownership.
I really enjoy just going out the front of the house to listen to some old favorites. Its one of my favorite ways to unwind.
Nowdays, I seem to use my stereo in dribs and drabs. I'll go a month without touching it and then suddenly I'll be using it every night.

If (who am I kidding? when) I upgrade I'll go for something that has more sparkle through the mid-range and a more 3-dimensional image.
I bought this system when I was 18 and my tastes have definately changed.

I'm thinking along the lines of B&W 705s (or something else thats time aligned) and a smallish, tight sub to fill out the lows.

For now, thats a pipedream as I'm quite content with my current system.

[samo]

Ive recently had a listen to some Dynaudio bookshelves and floorstanders and they sound amazing, much better than the B&W's i had listened to.

[Basalt]

Yeh, I listened to some pretty spanky Dynaudio bookshelf's a few weeks back in Carlton AV. Very nice, but they certainly aren't cheap and bare in mind that they have a rather low sensitivity, so you really need a large number of quality watts to make them come alive.

I also listened to some Monitor Audio bookies too - both from the bronze and the silver series -veeery nice for the money and very amp friendly to boot.
I would buy any of them at the drop of a hat.
Having said that, year in, year out, B&W always seem to have a world beater lurking somewhere in their range.....and they always have that lurvly pommie sound......

EDIT: hey I just passed 400 posts, only taken 5 and a half years....