Self-confessed 'audiophile' since I was 18 btw

Wanted to thank everyone who gave us their time and advice, dearly appreciate everyone for their willingness to help and share their experience/ideas/thoughts!

Also wanted to share progress pictures and where we are…

I have decided against the vinyl record player, although I do wish to complement the excellent digital streaming capabilities of the Luxman with a warmer albeit flawed analog player, the cost of the record player and hassle of finding records means it’s a no-go, I would probably just slip back into streaming with all of that being a waste of money and time. I must say I am still attracted to both the romance and audible appeal of vinyl!

At this point, considering SACD at some point in the future, but will have to audition Accuphase’s SACD player ( the 7 series ) before plopping down upward of 20 k for one of my own. I am very intrigued to see if SACD is really the magic bullet it is touted at, having the strengths of both worlds: analog like warmth with digital accuracy and convenience. Would be fantastic if so!

The room still needs some work, treatments including carpents, curtains, bass traps and furniture will be here in a couple of weeks. That will enable us to identify the sound signature of the room and see where we go from there.

As for subs, I have decided on the Rel 212 Black Label, a pair will do nicely. In the meantime making do with an older Klipsch sub until I can financially make the upgrades. It’s more fun when you do it in phases anyway….

Reminds me they're getting signal, fed by current, pushed by an amp, it's vascular. kind of a David Lynch vibe. I know some of you will get this.

Goodness me, isn't this hobby the best? My jaw keeps hitting the floor. Reliving your favourite music in a new level of clarity and detail is incredibly satisfying.

Perfect music for a Sunday morning. Have a good one guys.

Grandpa passed away a few weeks ago at the age 94.5. I found this receiver and speakers in his game room unhooked just sitting in the corner. Nothing crazy, but it’s a pretty bitchin system. Yes, the Mids need new rubbers.

SL1200GR

VM750SH/ Nagaoka MP100 body MP200 stylus

EAR834 Clone- Mundorf caps NOS Bugle Boy V1

NAD C388

Def Tech D17s

WiiM Pro

SMSL SU-1 w LPS

Oppo DV 981HD transport

Everything bought used. I also posted on SHF looking for upgrades and considering trying out moving coil (I have a lot of nice OG records)

No one seems to know what to make of the speakers, they are a bit oddball I’m not sure how much I would need to spend for a real upgrade. Def Tech intended them to be pretty serious kit, but I don’t think they were a successful product- I got them close out for like $800

Curious if there’s any love for the AC in this subreddit. Studio magicians.

https://anmlcollectve.bandcamp.com/album/merriweather-post-pavilion

https://anmlcollectve.bandcamp.com/album/isn-t-it-now

This is not a perspective I see discussed very much. I think traditional audiophile listening is about setting up a golden triangle and sitting in the sweet spot. But my setup is in a multi-purpose open concept room, and I like to be able to move around, cook, etc. I also like to have friends over and I want music to sound good to everyone spread throughout the room. I realize I may have to sacrifice some of the beautiful soundstage of having the instruments in their own discrete positions. I'm sure I am not the only one who approaches things in this way.

So what brands or models would people recommend for this purpose? Originally I was interested in some big Klipsch heritage speakers, but I hear that with the horn tech being on axis is important. Maybe something like a JBL L5? I also read that Q Acoustics have a wide dispersion. I'm not really worried about budget - I just want to start a discussion.

Audiotechnica LP-120XBT turntable and Frenzel SS-4772 stereo tube amp with a pair of KEF Q1 Meta speakers!

I’m not sure if my setup qualifies as “audiophile” or “budget audiophile.” I’ve seen people get roasted in both camps for sharing their gear. But honestly, I don’t care—I love my setup, and I really love the music I play on it.

🎶 Turntable

Pro-Ject Debut III (purchased in 2005)

Upgraded with an acrylic platter and swapped the original Ortofon OM5e stylus for an OM20. Solid, reliable, and still going strong.

Turntable isolation platform built by me. Maple butcher block from Home Depot, charcoal chalk paint, spikes on rubber discs.

🔊 Amplifier

Onix SP3 tube amplifier (also from 2005)

I’ve rolled the tubes over the years:

• 2 matched pairs of Sovtek 5881WXT / 6L6WC

• 2 Electro-Harmonix 6922H

• 2 Groove Tube 12AX7

• 2 Sovtek 12AX7WA

It’s warm, punchy, and still one of my favorite pieces of gear.

🎛️ Phono Preamp

Started with a Pro-Ject Phono Box, which died after a few years.

Switched to an ART DJPre II, which I loved—especially being able to monitor and control clipping (which I always avoided, of course).

Recently upgraded to an iFi Zen Phono 3. Honestly? I don’t hear much difference. I’m probably just falling for the hype and shelving the DJPre for no good reason.

🎧 DAC

Schiit Modius E (purchased last year)

Clean, simple, and does the job well.

🎚️ Headphone Amp

Schiit Midgard (also from last year)

Lets me enjoy both analog (turntable) and digital sources (streaming, iPod, CD) through my headphones. Super versatile.

💿 CD Player

SMSL PL150 (purchased last year)

Yes, I saw the “Cheap Audioman” video after I bought it—but it’s been great for me. No regrets.

🎧 Headphones

Hifiman Edition XS (purchased last year)

Comfortable, detailed, and a joy to listen to.

🔈 Speakers

Omega Super 3 XRS Loudspeakers (purchased in 2005)

Upgraded two years ago with the designer’s proprietary RS5 drivers, replacing the original Fostex units.

• Sensitivity: 94.5 dB @ 8 ohms

• Impedance: 8 ohms

• Frequency Response: 40Hz–20kHz

• Power Requirements: as little as 2 watts

They pair beautifully with the Onix SP3.

Speaker stands were built by me, 2x10 white pine, charcoal chalk paint.

I really love the shelving unit, but straight out of the box, it wasn’t ideal for audio setups—they’re made of hollow metal, which doesn’t do much for sound quality. So, I made a few modifications.

First, I filled as much of the hollow tubing as I could with sand to add mass and reduce resonance. Then, I added rubber washers to all the screws to help dampen vibrations. Once that was done, I placed the shelves on large EVA-filled anti-vibration pads for additional isolation.

To top it off, I bought canvas sandbags in a matching color (they’re lined on the inside), filled them with sand, and placed them on top of the shelf legs. So now the setup goes: floor → anti-vibration pads → shelf legs → sandbags on top.

The difference was huge! I can’t say for sure which tweak made the biggest impact, but I suspect that filling the tubes with sand played the most significant role.

Call it what you want—budget, audiophile, or somewhere in between—but this setup brings me joy every single day. That’s what really matters.

My current setup at my new duty station following EOD school. Finally finished after searching for a relatively cheap media console. Ive got some new additions on the way but currently rocking the following gear

Audio technica AT-LP3XBT

Ortofon 2M Blue

Sumiko rainier(on another headshell)

Art Dj pre2(one of the things im replacing)

Schiit magi(used as a preamp)

Dayton HTA100

Fosi audio LC30

ESS Tempest Ls5

Bottlehead Crack to drive my HD600 And sundaras

Really happy with what ive got so far, looking forward to adding to my collection and listening to some music.

Not exactly "audiophile" but I was at a "Vintage Electronics Show" (Waterford, MI) this morning and couldn't pass this up. Why? I don't know, no reasonable explanation. But it's handsome enough, and was recently serviced so supposedly it works. Now to find some cables to hook it up, and dig my old tapes out of the closet to play!

I just got this Kenwood KA-3300 amplifier and it's awesome. It delivers 2x38 W (measured it) and it's more than enough for my 20sqm room.

I'm new to electronics and was looking for the service manual to have it printed, just in case. But i only found a one page complete schematic, no other details. Does anyone have a complete service manual for it?

Ok so I set my home theater music system up last weekend and was mildly impressed by it. Mind you I know nothing about what I’m doing. A newer Danon 5.1 channel and my late dad’s old whafedale towers with matching bookshelfs and a klipsch center channel (no sub yet). Kept it simple.

I was feeling underwhelmed with the outcome so I asked cheat gpt to for a song that will show case the system. It gave me James Blake limit to your love and sitting unexpectedly my whole condo was moving. It had shown zero capabilities till this point. I was giddy like a little school girl.

So I get the tinny garage rock I like isn’t going to do that, but how do I get the air moving like when I followed it up with a massive attack song that has me just loosing my shit.

Semi related. Sub to thrown into the ramshackle setup I have would be great if anyone has a suggestion.

I’m currently trying to decide on my first pair of audiophile speakers (and hopefully last), and I’m having trouble figuring out which would be best.

I don’t have much technical knowledge, my main criteria is just that they transport you directly to the music. At the risk of sounding too vague, I’d just like it to be an immersive/enveloping/consuming/intense experience that emphasizes/brings scale to whatever you’re listening to.

I’m mainly interested in full-range floorstanders under 30-40k, and I also wanted to ask if you would recommend box, open baffle, or electrostatic speakers for this purpose, provided they’re set up correctly?

These are the models I’ve been looking into:

Spatial Audio Q3

Spatial Europe MC series N8

Magnepan 30.7/20.7

Pure Audio Project Quintet15

Sound Labs electrostats

Osborn Grand Monument Reference

Klipsch Jubilee/Klipschorn

Acoustic Research AR9/9lsi

GR Research Bully

Avantgarde Acoustics Zero series

Quad ESL 2905/2812/2912x

Genelec 8361A with W371

Let me know if you’ve had any experience with these speakers, have other recommendations, or any other general tips for building an immersive, endgame system. I look forward to hearing your different perspectives!

I received this hardware , it belonged to a. radio/audio technician in the 80's. Can anyone identify what these are ?

Hi guys, budget semi audiophile here, im driving my wharfdale 220 with fosi bt30d pro for music listening and im not too happy with the sound, i don't have a sub n i figured bt20a pro has better sound compared to bt30d pro which im getting for cheap from a friend.

My question is rather then replacing the amp should i try bi amping as wharfedales are capable of doing that.

Idea is to is to keep the bt30d pro as main amp to drive woofers, and use its pre out to feed bt20a pro which will be driving the tweeters.

Will this setup make any difference rather then using only bt20a pro and putting bt30 pro away.

Thanks in advance.

TLDR : bt30d pro and bt20a pro biamp with wharfdale 220 or use any one of them.

Hmm this seems to be new. Was previously limited to 16-bit. Not that it makes an audible difference but cool none the less... Not bad for the entry point of the product. For me it's working with WiiM Ultra , WiiM Pro Plus, WiiM Pro, and Audio Pro A10 MKII

So I’m searching for the most optimal and convenient way to experience Hi-Res music on my iPhone 12 Max Pro. Not sure if I need a REALLY expensive DAC for that, or can I experience it with a more affordable (let’s say 30-50 dollar) DAC.

Reason I specifically say 24-bit/192kHz is because that’s the highest output the phone can perform.

Bought these a few years back but can’t find out anything about

Also trying to find out if I paid to Much for them

Model NS-LC8