Already had a long journey, but it's just getting started!

[mulveling]

Hi all!
My focus is definitely 2ch and music playback. However, my speaker rig is used for both movies & music (and more time is spent playing movies!). Movies still sound pretty **** good in high quality 2ch! The rig is set up in my living room - I wish I had a dedicated room but at least this one isn't too bad. It's large enough to allow many placement options and avoids some of the serious problems a small cuboid room would have.

By the way, I'm also something of a severe headphone nut if you couldn't tell from my gear list

This mess has all occurred over the course of the last 3 years. Thank god for audiogon and head-fi!

Sources:
Current:

• Denon DVD-3910 (Silver)
• Panasonic RP-91

Previously Owned (most recent first):

• Denon DVD-2910
• Toshiba A1 HD-DVD
• Sony SCD-1 Reference SACD player
• Meridian G08 CD player
• Jolida JD-100a
• BelCanto DAC2
• RME Digi 96/8 PAD

Preamps/ Headphone amps:
Current:

• Sugden Headmaster (Silver)
• Singlepower SDS tube headphone amp - best preamp & headphone amp I've heard yet

Previously Owned (most recent first):

• BAT VK-5i
• Melos SHA-Gold Reference - super preamp, goes toe to toe with the BAT
• PS Audio PCA-2

Amps:
Current:

• PS Audio HCA-2 - at this price level, gotta love it!
  (thinking about horizontally biamping with a class A amp like Pass labs Aleph 3)

Previously Owned (most recent first):

• Sunfire Signature 600x2
• PS Audio HCA-2 (Yes, I sold it only to re-purchase later since I didn't like the Sunfire as much)
• Outlaw Audio M200 (pair)
• Denon AVR-3805
• Harmon/Kardon AVR-225

Speakers:
Current:

• Legacy Audio Signature III (premium rosewood finish) - These are spectacular in the right room/system; mine sound awesome but I still have a ways to go before their potential is reached.

Previously Owned (most recent first):

• Tyler Acoustic Taylo Reference monitors - Incredible value, incredible sound
• Tannoy Eyris DC3 - I miss these, so musical and great value in a slim floorstander
• Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature Monitors
• Polk Audio LSi 15
• Polk Audio LSi 9
• Ascend Acoustics CMT-340
• Ascend Acoutsics CBM-170

Headphones (this is where things get crazy):
Current:

• Audio Technica ATH-L3000 "Leatherhead"
• Sony Qualia 010
• Sony MDR-R10
• JVC HP-DX1000
• Ultrasone Edition 9 (incoming)
• Sennhesier HD600
• AKG K340

Previously Owned:

• Audio-Technica W2002, W11jpn, W5000, W10vtg
• Grado HP-2 (two different times), RS-1, RS-2, HF-1, SR-225
• Sennheiser HD650, HD580, PX100
• AKG K1000, K340

Video Display (TV):
Current:

• Sony KD-34XS955 34" widescreen HD CRT(same tube as the XBR960) w/ Comcast HD cable box

Previously Owned:

• Panasonic AE-300 LCD Projector w/ Dalite High-Power screen

I think that covers -most- of it. I'm finally starting to focus on room acoustics, which is how I found these forums last night. Downloaded REW and think it's awesome! Luckily I had all the necessary supplies on hand. It seems that the 6 LENRD bass traps I've got are modestly effective at reducing LF ringing - so I've just ordered a couple GIK corner traps in the hopes they'll be even more effective (and less ugly).

In the future - I'd like to continue experimenting with room treatments & placement. For future TV, the new JVC D-ILA 1080p sets are really seductive...sooo tempting! For audio, I'd like to try a pure class A amp - I've heard how sweet the Legacys sound with this kind of power. To keep costs down, I was thinking of getting an amp in the 30 Watts/ch range like Pass Labs Aleph 30 - then horizontally biamping with the HCA-2 (HCA-2 to drive the power hungry woofers). I could use REW measurements in combination with a fixed custom attenuator to match the different amp gains. At least, that's what I've been considering lately. I also want to get into vinyl eventually - traded my A1 HDDVD player for a VPI HW-19 table

[Sonnie]

Quite an impressive list Mike... welcome to the Shack!

[mulveling]

As usual, changes are to be expected with me
Here's what's changed in the last 2 weeks:

* New power amp: Parasound Halo A21. It's a Big improvement over the PS Audio HCA2, which will now go up on the chopping block. Only problem with this upgrade is that now I lust after the JC1 monoblocks...

* New room treatments: Two GIK tri-traps, two 244 panels, three 242 panels, and two more LENRDs. I'd like to order two more tri-traps when I get a chance.

* Reconfigured the living room for dedicated 2ch duty. TV is moved to the bedroom where it can't muck-up the 2ch rig's imaging

* Placed the speakers up on 1" thick granite slabs with spikes & little rubber pads.

* Still trying to get my first vinyl rig finished up - I've got a Dynavector P-75 phono stage & Rega RB300 tonearm just waiting around...for my VPI HW-19 table which just shipped today. Still need a good cart; I'd like a Dynavector 10x5 or 20X

Recently, life has been good! I'd been really unhappy with the 2ch system before I took a serious look at how the room acoustics & also power amp could be holding my speakers back. I changed out gear and tried a ton of things; finally things have come to fruition and its now feels like all the components of the rig (including the room) are working well together.

This forum really helped a lot towards getting me thinking in the right direction....the typical audiophile forum recommendations (ie: you need X $400 power cord or Y $3000 source or Z $1000 isolation feet) by contrast aren't very helpful. It's great to have the acoustics experts here participating regularly. Thanks, Home Theater Shack!

[terry j]

tell us what difference the new room treatments have made-thanks.

Now that you are an old pro with REW praps a few before and after graphs as well??

[Sonnie]

Sounds like you have really stepped it up... we need pics!