my new listening room

Hey guys, my 2nd posts in 3 years LOL! guess you can say i'm a lurker. Joined here as I had been toying with a 360 a few years ago but never pulled the trigger. Have an '07 997TT but always a F430 in the back of my mind so I come around just to keep up on things.

Anyway, I've never really spent much time in the OT forum until recently and it looks like there are some other music lovers/audiphiles here so I thought I'd share some pics of my new "man cave". Still a few odds and ends to finish like running the cables under the floor and placing the amp stands under the amps.

As any audiophile knows the most important component in your system is your room. Unfortunately, due to real-life living situations this usually results in compromised sound. At the heart of this is the W.A.F. (wife acceptance factor) - huge speakers, amps on the floor, etc. doesn't always jive with the latest design style.

I've been lucky enough to have always had a dedicated room, however my last room was far from ideal. So, I started this project over a year ago, taking into account acoustical design and working with experts in the field to build as good a listening space as I possibly could.

There is a bit less space for LP's and CD's than my last room but this is a lot more organized and neater. The cabinet probably holds around 1,000 each LP's and CD's (the top lifts up to display the CD's). Fortunately, the rest of the collection is nearby so not a problem. Along with a pair of Lamm mono blocks and probably a CD player or two!

My wife always shakes her head when she sees ONE chair in the room like I don't want anyone else in there (I really don't). My other room was the same and everytime she says something I ask her how many times she came in to listen to something - that stops that immediately. On the rare occasion she comes in (usually takes my prodding) she ends up talking in less than a minutet. I tell her that's akin to me standing in front of the TV while she's watching something. It's amazing that most people can't actually just sit there an "listen".

The only downside to a dedicated room like this is there is not the oppty. for background music - Listening to music in this type of set up is a specific trip to go listen. I much prefer this though than the alternative.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You can show the pictures in your post by editing it, click on "Manage Attachments" and upload the pictures there.

Fantastic room you have there. Can you tell us a bit about the stuff you have in there? Looks all pretty serious! One thing I notice on EVERY picture of a high-end listening room is the old, worn out, ultra-comfortable chair or couch you see in there

 

Thanks - I'll try to upload the pics that way (but I am quite computer challenged). To answer your question here's a line up of what gear is in there:
speakers - Verity Audio Sarastro's II's
amp - Tenor Audio 75 OTL's
pre-amp - Audio Research REF III
Transport - EMM Labs
DAC - EMM labs
Turntable - SME 30/2
Tonearm - SME V
cartridge - Dynavector XV-1S
Phono Stage - Aesthetix IO

And yes, a big comfy chair is a must!! While I know a lot of people who end up dozzing off I can never do that. It's even difficult for me to read thru a magazine.

 

I completely understand! My wife wouldn't sit in there for more than 30 seconds anyway!

Great room!

 

Holy cow! That should rock the Neil Diamond.

 

Well, if you're only going to have 3 posts...then you are certainly a quality over quantity type of guy

 

LOL! I posted the other night in a thread about Disney World. I remember saying to myself I can't believe my 1st post on Fchat is about Disney world LOL

 

Space... The Final Frontier.

Clearly, this has been well thought out, planned and executed.

To that end, of the components, what was/were the most difficult decision?

 

That is a SA-WEET ROOM! LOVE IT! Recognized the ARC Ref III and the SME, but would have been at a loss for the rest of the gear.

I am a Martin Logan fan, but also have a freaking AWESOME pair of MBL 101's! I just need better gear to drive the 101's. Using Rotel stuff all the way around and while it is certainly not bargain basement stuff, it does not compare to the wonders of super high end SS or Tube gear like you have there!

Very nice room, it looks GREAT!

997TT is none to shabby either! Driven a few 996TT's and they are SUPER cars and I think the 997 is better looking if not appreciably faster.

Best,
James

 

It always is......

 

The lone chair in front of those speakers reminds me of that "is it live, or is it memorex" ad.

 

Wow!! That's an incredible room! I love that there's no TV in it (or was there?).

So, what do you listen to in there? And don't say rap.

 

very nice

 

Looks like a great system. Just curious, you mentioned a pair of Lamm monos. Are we talking tubes or transistors?
If the little SETs, I would think the Lamm tube amps would sound pretty fantastic in your main system.
I know people swear by the IO with the double power supply; I was always worried about noise with that phonostage, but it is a gold standard.
I have lived with ARC stuff since the early 70's, starting with an SP 3-A-1; switched to the Lamm stuff a few years ago and haven't looked back.
I assume that you have made direct comparisons between the digital and analog sources; I have never made the leap to digital and am not sure I ever will. Room looks super. Who did it for you?

 

No TV, 2 channel stereo only. I listen to a lot of Britney, some 50 cent , etc. the usual.


















J/K!! I listen to Jazz, classical, and Rock.

 

I have the Lamm hybrid (M1.2's I think - they're model designations are so confusing LOL). I did have the SE amp a few years ago and replaced it with the tenors. At this level it's all great; just a different flavor. There is something magical about OTL's though.

The IO is an amazing piece. I just got it back from Jim after a complete upgrade to the latest version including the stealth caps. I chose to keep the original case work as that wasn't important to me. I have about $3,200 worth of NOS tubes in there which reduces the noise dramatically. I also had a Lamm phono as well as a BAT and there is no comparison. I was never the biggest ARC fan but the REF III is really good and i'm happy with it.

I mostly listen to vinyl as I just prefer it but the EMM gear is very good

 

who designed the room? i'm dying to do that at my office. I run tube amps i built myself and audio note speakers i built myself. hell i even built the dac and the interconnects and the.... would love to audition that room someday. guess i'll have to stand up.

 

Nah, any guests who are actually interested in listening (unike my wife) gets the "sweet spot". I consulted with Rieves audio for the acoustic design

 

It was Maxell......
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

NICE!!!

 

I remember seeing and hearing crusty old Futtermans in Harvey Rosenberg's hands, when he had the showroom in NYC back in the 80's. I am also a long-time Quad electrostat owner and listener, and I agree that the OTLs can be magnificent.
On NOS tubes, the prices are getting pretty extravagant. I use them in my phono section- (Steelhead) which I run through the Lamm Reference linestage. Interestingly, although I can run the phono section straight into the amps because it has its own adjustable line stage, the sound is a little threadbare and lacks heft.

On the vinyl front, I have been using the liquids of Walker, along with his handheld demagnitizer- seems to make for a quiet surface that doesn't affect the transparency of the recordings.

I switched from the Lyra cartridges to the Airtight- less drama, but more coherent, and of a piece.
I also got rid of all power conditioning stuff and run straight into the wall.

 

The shape very much resembles a recording studio control room What I find interesting is they faced the ceiling baffles towards the rear, Usually they face towards the front to catch the early reflections. Did you have an RT for the room? What did they use for acoustical damping, thermafiber?

It's a very nice looking room

 

Dang, that's nice. Good to see someone hasn't forgetten vinyl.