DC's listening room/system

DC

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Hi all...might as well jump on the bandwagon. I've enjoyed looking at and reading about the various systems in here - so many "music-oriented" approaches.

Here is my listening hovel, sometimes called the Music Library or Listening Lounge or whatever:

IMG_8082.JPG

For context, it's a third-floor "bedroom" in a 1920s colonial, approx 15x12, with a sloping ceiling (as you can see). I know I'm fortunate to have a dedicated room, such that it is.

System is a hodge-podge of stuff:
- GR Research N2x+ speakers
- conrad-johnson SA-250 amp
- McIntosh C220 preamp
- Denon DVD-3910 "universal" player
- Pro-Ject Xperience turntable w/Ortofon 2M Black cartridge
- McIntosh MR74 tuner (currently being repaired, so a little back-up is in its place) connected to a 4-element Yagi on the roof
Cables are mostly mid-level Audioquest interconnects with Avanti Audio (or Nordost) speaker cables.

My preferences/tastes are mostly classical, Jazz, and opera (not always in that order) and there are about 1500+ CDs and 2000+ LPs in the room out the door just to the left of the photo plus a couple hundred music books, classical music scores, and opera vocal/piano scores out there too as well as behind the camera.
 
Loving the space, arrangement and wall/ceiling treatment. Everything within arms reach too! Do those speaker floor blocks make an audible difference?
 
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Really nice room and system!

Looks like a very relaxing environment plus I'll bet it sounds great! :)
 
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Loving the space, arrangement and wall/ceiling treatment. Everything within arms reach too! Do those speaker floor blocks make an audible difference?

Which speaker floor blocks? The speakers stands are spiked so they go through the rug to the floor, but I don't have "blocks."
 
Very nice Don! I bet that is a great sounding space - especially with that ceiling.
 
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Do those speaker floor blocks make an audible difference?

Sorry, speaker wire blocks to keep the wire off the ground.

Short answer:
Yes.

Longer answer:
Yes, I think they do. I've heard cable risers make a difference in situations where the floor beneath it, usually carpet or some flavor of rug that has a high propensity for static electricity. Cables laying on and in this "field" can be affected by it and I've heard differences by getting the cables up off the fibers and above this static field.

This place is heated with steam, a bit of a misnomer as steam is a mostly sealed system, and the result is an uber-dry environment, so the problem is an evident reality around here in winter. The previous rug I had in here was worse and the risers made such a difference that it was probably more than just audible, probably even measurable, if you could figure out a way to measure such a thing, which I think would be difficult. This rug, new a couple years ago, isn't so bad for some reason, but I was already married to the concept so up they stay.

Interestingly, there is a regular hardwood floor under the rug and I've never heard "problems" with cables laying directly on the wood; wood doesn't hold a static charge very well, so I guess it makes sense.
 
I love that space. It looks exactly like the kind of room i'd like to sit in while drinking some hot tea or coffee and listening to tunes.
 
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That looks like a wonderful room to relax and escape from the world.

I've never heard of those speakers, I'll have to look them up.
 
That looks like a wonderful room to relax and escape from the world.

I've never heard of those speakers, I'll have to look them up.

You're welcome to give them a listen if you're interested. I've got the Elacs in their place for a bit and could bring them to my office.
 
You're welcome to give them a listen if you're interested. I've got the Elacs in their place for a bit and could bring them to my office.

Maybe? I'd hate to deprive you of them. Might make for a fun comparison some day? How do you like the Elacs in comparison?
 
Maybe? I'd hate to deprive you of them. Might make for a fun comparison some day? How do you like the Elacs in comparison?

They're just sitting on a chair at this time.

For comparison, I'm pleasantly surprised at the Elacs - nice, true timbre to my ear. I think the bass is a little too loose (as has been mentioned by others) and the GRs are pretty tight in that regard, so the dichotomy is easily evident. The Elacs are tilted just a bit brighter, but again that could just be my ear. I've been listening to pretty much just these speakers for several years now (with a few others that came in and went back out very fast), so I have their "sound" (or lack there of) in my head pretty clear. The Elacs are very close.

And I am completely surprised that these things were $500, and astounded that they could be $350 - somebody is (or must be) losing money someplace. They're that impressive, and I'll go so far as to say that I would not be surprised if they set a new standard in the industry - turned it on its ear (so to speak). Mr. Jones has an ear and apparently a whole head for this stuff. I'm also interested in the bigger brother floorstanders - some reviewers have called them the best thing at $1000 they've ever heard; high praise indeed.

In other words, I'll not miss the GRs for a bit if you want to give them a listen. You know, for audiophileness.
 
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