Of course, but it would be easier if I had a flush and wash.
DC's listening room/system
- Thread starter DC
- Start date
Of course, but it would be easier if I had a flush and wash.
So, I did a thing. Following Mr. Redboy's and Mr. Wintermute's leads, I made a quick walk-through of the music room - just iPhone camera, one take, no edits. I did a narrated version, rather than a silent, squeaky-floor-only version, with a short music sample at the end.
Great tour, that room has lots of character! Fancy record storage too!
Thanks! If anybody else has 3 min to kill, let me know what you think.
(Myles and Simon have negotiated royalties for their cameos, so they'll appreciate the extra "views" haha.)
Thanks! If anybody else has 3 min to kill, let me know what you think.
(Myles and Simon have negotiated royalties for their cameos, so they'll appreciate the extra "views" haha.)
Yes. but have you negotiated an actual place to sit in your wonderful room? Looks like M&S have pretty much taken over the prime listening spot.
Thanks! If anybody else has 3 min to kill, let me know what you think.
(Myles and Simon have negotiated royalties for their cameos, so they'll appreciate the extra "views" haha.)
I really liked the tour. As much as I enjoy photos of people's listening spaces, it's pretty cool to get a clearer sense of the relationships between things. And, in this case, to see the room outside with your records. I feel like I have a better sense of the space, which I already liked.
When it comes down to it, I'd probably steal your Pass before I stole the glass insulators, but those insulators are great.
When's the tour of your bar? 😉
Thanks, doc! I could do a bar tour, too. There's a secondary system there that could be the "doorway in." That'll be like a 1-min video, not 3-min, so should be easy.
(Let me clean up the quarantine-related empty bottles first, haha.)
We have an arrangement.
+1
Thanks for the tour, Don! I am quite jealous of your dedicated space, and I love the vibe you've created there. Well done!
Ok, I took a minute and did a bar walk-through, and included a few seconds of the audio system (or lack thereof), too:
Hey! Ask and ye shall receive, or something like that.
I love that bar. And you have an impressive array of spirits on the shelving. Me, I'm rolling with two or three bottles tucked in next to the cookbooks on a shelf in our kitchen, so I'll take this video as inspiration.
Thanks for the look around!
I love that bar. And you have an impressive array of spirits on the shelving. Me, I'm rolling with two or three bottles tucked in next to the cookbooks on a shelf in our kitchen, so I'll take this video as inspiration.
Thanks for the look around!
Funny, we're not really trying to bury anything, but have joked about the empty bottles. Since our big holiday cocktail party back in December, we've had numerous bottles with just a few inches in the bottom and have recently decided to work through them and enjoy the variety rather than make any (unnecessary) trips to the "essential" liquor store. Nothing to hide here - it's just the two of us - but the consumption does "look" conspicuous.
Ya, I’ll get right on that.
Major system update! (Sorry, it's kind of long.)
In lieu of actually working yesterday and today, I did a thing. This pic may not look like much, but it represents a colossal step forward for my audio system:
Yes, it's an electrical outlet. Up to now (and I've blathered on about this before, my apologies), my system has been powered by a convoluted assortment of knob-and-tube wiring in a 1920s house. I've tried a couple of "better" surge protectors with noise filtering and stuff, but they've always had the "FAULT" and/or "OPEN GROUND" LEDs on, indicating that they can't properly do their job - they need a ground reference. And I have never had one. I've resisted getting a fancy audio-grade line conditioner knowing it won't be as effective as it can be because of this, and I've never put much stock in better power cords for the same reason. But in the past few years I've gotten my system to a pretty high level (for me) and I've been more than a little aware that further upgrades and tweaks will probably be limited in their potential improvement given the dubious power coming in to the system.
I've been mulling over, in my head, and for the better part of 10 years, how to get proper power up here. The challenge was that routing a new power feed from the basement electrical panel up to the 3rd floor "attic" listening room was going to be 85% carpentry and 15% actual electrical work. I considered every possible route and method I could think of, but wasn't quite satisfied with any of the solutions I was coming up with. I was ready to write a blank cheque to an electrician to solve it for me; I already had the electrician picked out, and the cheque is already in my wallet. So yesterday, in an aggressive fit of work-avoidance, I drilled some "test" holes to check routing options, wrote a parts list, and and waited for Home Depot to open this morning. DIY it was to be.
At this time, I have a dedicated 12/3 metal-clad cable running from the panel directly to the "library", branching one circuit (leg) to an outlet for the portable A/C unit at the top of the stairs, and the other circuit comes in here with a 2-gang box and "heavy duty industrial" 20amp outlets for the audio gear. And lo, it's actually grounded.
The routing isn't hideous, though I do need to check the temperature of one particular steam-pipe this winter and see how far past the 90°C rating of the cable it's getting and I may need to ensure that proper spacing is adhered to. (See, even cables need social distancing.) And when the first-floor half-bath is remodeled (probably next year), any visual anomalies will be fixed in there by somebody other than me.
What prompted all of this? First, some background: I made a self-imposed upgrade moratorium about a year ago, when my system kind of reached a plateau - it got to the point that I really needed to concentrate on the electrical power before any other significant upgrades. But I've only loosely kept that resolution, having recently upgraded three power cords, a fancy-ass set of speaker cables, a few more interconnects, and I am now on my second DAC in six months. But they've all been under the threshold of "significant" upgrades.
So what did it? A local friend (@Wntrmute2) sent me a link yesterday for a Degritter ultrasonic record cleaner - a special price on an "open box" model. (He has one and enthusiastically endorses it, and keeps telling me I should get one, too.) When I viewed the link, I almost clicked "buy" but hesitated, knowing that this was a more "significant" upgrade than the smaller stuff above, and I hadn't yet figured out the power. And when I checked again later, it was gone - somebody else got it.
So... power problem solved. I'm out ~$100 for materials and more "sweat equity" than I care to admit. I can't wait for the veils to be lifted. And I will perhaps keep my eyes peeled for another "deal" on a Degritter. Maybe.
In lieu of actually working yesterday and today, I did a thing. This pic may not look like much, but it represents a colossal step forward for my audio system:
Yes, it's an electrical outlet. Up to now (and I've blathered on about this before, my apologies), my system has been powered by a convoluted assortment of knob-and-tube wiring in a 1920s house. I've tried a couple of "better" surge protectors with noise filtering and stuff, but they've always had the "FAULT" and/or "OPEN GROUND" LEDs on, indicating that they can't properly do their job - they need a ground reference. And I have never had one. I've resisted getting a fancy audio-grade line conditioner knowing it won't be as effective as it can be because of this, and I've never put much stock in better power cords for the same reason. But in the past few years I've gotten my system to a pretty high level (for me) and I've been more than a little aware that further upgrades and tweaks will probably be limited in their potential improvement given the dubious power coming in to the system.
I've been mulling over, in my head, and for the better part of 10 years, how to get proper power up here. The challenge was that routing a new power feed from the basement electrical panel up to the 3rd floor "attic" listening room was going to be 85% carpentry and 15% actual electrical work. I considered every possible route and method I could think of, but wasn't quite satisfied with any of the solutions I was coming up with. I was ready to write a blank cheque to an electrician to solve it for me; I already had the electrician picked out, and the cheque is already in my wallet. So yesterday, in an aggressive fit of work-avoidance, I drilled some "test" holes to check routing options, wrote a parts list, and and waited for Home Depot to open this morning. DIY it was to be.
At this time, I have a dedicated 12/3 metal-clad cable running from the panel directly to the "library", branching one circuit (leg) to an outlet for the portable A/C unit at the top of the stairs, and the other circuit comes in here with a 2-gang box and "heavy duty industrial" 20amp outlets for the audio gear. And lo, it's actually grounded.
The routing isn't hideous, though I do need to check the temperature of one particular steam-pipe this winter and see how far past the 90°C rating of the cable it's getting and I may need to ensure that proper spacing is adhered to. (See, even cables need social distancing.) And when the first-floor half-bath is remodeled (probably next year), any visual anomalies will be fixed in there by somebody other than me.
What prompted all of this? First, some background: I made a self-imposed upgrade moratorium about a year ago, when my system kind of reached a plateau - it got to the point that I really needed to concentrate on the electrical power before any other significant upgrades. But I've only loosely kept that resolution, having recently upgraded three power cords, a fancy-ass set of speaker cables, a few more interconnects, and I am now on my second DAC in six months. But they've all been under the threshold of "significant" upgrades.
So what did it? A local friend (@Wntrmute2) sent me a link yesterday for a Degritter ultrasonic record cleaner - a special price on an "open box" model. (He has one and enthusiastically endorses it, and keeps telling me I should get one, too.) When I viewed the link, I almost clicked "buy" but hesitated, knowing that this was a more "significant" upgrade than the smaller stuff above, and I hadn't yet figured out the power. And when I checked again later, it was gone - somebody else got it.
So... power problem solved. I'm out ~$100 for materials and more "sweat equity" than I care to admit. I can't wait for the veils to be lifted. And I will perhaps keep my eyes peeled for another "deal" on a Degritter. Maybe.
That's fantastic 👍
You have made a wise move in my book, good power line to your system is very wise indeed and now you can build on it.
My last two homes were build with dedicated electrical sservice for my audio,
This house I purchased is a little younger than yours but no dedicated line yet... I do mean yet, but it's been 5 years.
You have made a wise move in my book, good power line to your system is very wise indeed and now you can build on it.
My last two homes were build with dedicated electrical sservice for my audio,
This house I purchased is a little younger than yours but no dedicated line yet... I do mean yet, but it's been 5 years.
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