How has your rig changed in 2008? And do you have any plans for 2009?

[grawk]

I know:

Al and Company Come Clean

[Voltron]

lolz, but I thought this idea was to confess to audio sins or stupidities such as Ken and Tyler's admissions. The gear whoring is covered in this thread already, although I have no idea whether I have come clean yet.

My current sin is that I bought the beautiful KGSS DX and have barely listened to it because it arrived in the mix during the major speaker rig overhaul.

[Sherwood]

Sanitize your (Secular) Sonic Sins

[n_maher]

http://www.head-case.org/forums/miscellaneous/5171-official-head-case-audio-confessional-post-your-audio-sins-here.html#post187618

[.BB]

Well, my first rig was basically created this year:

Headphones:

HD595 (destroyed)

D2000

K81DJ (sold)

SkullCandy SK Pro (ugh...sold)

Bose Triport AE (just had to try them)

K701

Earphones:

se530 (sold)

C751

IE8 (incoming)

ADDIEM (incoming)

AMP:

X-can v8

Sources:

Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series Hardcore Ultra Limited Anniversary Edition Alpha 3...or something like that

Sony NWZ-A826

iPhone 3G (incoming)

Next year I'm planing to do some re-cabling , get SR-Lambda/SRD-7 Pro combo , MS Pro and W5000 (and after that get some tranquilizers to stop this madness and train my ears a little for a difference).

[DigiPete]

For 2008:

I basically got interested in my speaker rig and built my analog rig.

Started with:

SACDMods Denon 3930CI universal player feeding my Denon 3808CI Receiver, out to Paradigm Ref 100 v3 speakers.

This did not work at all. The speakers were too bright, the SACDMods Denon source output level was too high, causing the receiver preamp to overload making noise. Fairly disheartening.

On a whim (of my wife) I got out my old Technics SL-D3 turntable and hooked it up to the reciever, after putting a Denon DL160 cart in it.

Fairly lackluster. But not dissuaded, and with the help of my audiophile buddy Jeff, I got a CIAudio VPP1 phono stage with VAC1 psu. Huge improvement over the phono inputs of the receiver! "Now", I thought, "there is something to this vinyl thing after all!"

So, I bought a Technics SL-1210Mk5 turntable with the KAB psu, KAB stobe disabler, LP Zupreme headshell, litz headshell leads and cardas rewired tonearm, and Technics Mk5Gold phono cable with eichmann bullets. Another leap in sound quality.

Quickly added a Funk Firm achromat, and a 2" thick myrtlewood block to rest the table on. Picked up a VPI 16.5 record cleaner as well.

Decided, I was going on with the speaker rig, so I sold off the Paradigm Ref v3s for Paradigm Ref v4s. Great improvement. The hot highs were gone, deeper bass, smoother extended highs and liquid mids, just great!

The next revelation, was when another friend of mine loaned me his Adcom stereo amp. I skipped the denon receiver amp, and went from the pre outs on the denon, to the Adcom to the Paradigms. Wow! Another big leap in sound quality.

Now, I knew there was no going back

Needed separate amplification, and pre-amplification!

Ordered an Odyssey Stratos Stereo Amp, with all the extras, just short of the Extreme (but most of the extreme parts )

Also ordered the Odyssey Candela tube preamp, with remote.

The amp and pre get here Dec 31st (I'm dying in the mean time).

The SACDmods Denon 3930CI source is getting back from Matt on Dec 30, who adjusted the levels on the DAC board to get normal levels: 2 volts vs. 4 volts on the outputs. I should finally hear what I was hearing through the headphone rig, on the speaker rig (i.e. no more noise and distortion).

That's it. Credit card damage is done.

The headphone rig will remain unchanged: the Dynamite amp to the AKG 701s with mogami cable.

[mulveling]

Early 2008:

Sold off VAC Auricle tube monoblocks

Bought Heathkit W4 tube (5881) monoblocks

Bought a McIntosh MC2100 stereo amp and had it refreshed

Bought an Eico HF-87 stereo tube (el34) amp

Bought a Singlepower Supra SE

Fall 2008:

Moved into an apartment with a MUCH better sounding living area (spacious, old-world construction & materials) and NO neighbors in the area at night. It's been a revelation for the speaker rig.

Got a new girlfriend that is nicer to look at and listen with

She buys me vinyl and hates digital too :D

Recent:

Setup a MONO speaker rig in my 12'x12' bedroom:

* Tannoy Dimension TDC-1 center speaker firing down the room diagonal

* Eico HF-87 bridged to mono

* Run a loong cable from the TT/Zana Deux/stereo->mono adaptor in the living room, to the bedroom

Sounds surprisingly good with stereo records, and superb with mono records.

Bought an Apogee Duet

Bought a Merrill Heirloom table with Eminent Technology Tonearm 2 (linear tracker) and Ortofon MC20 cart

Bought a Martin Logan Descent-i sub

Now:

The Tannoy Dimension TD10 speakers have been my main listening device since moving into the new place. Have yet to hear anything, short of the larger Prestige series Tannoys, that I'd want more.

The MC2100 has been powering them. Awesome amp. The Heathkits and Eico also sound great, but I run the rig loud so it's nice to have the assurance of extra power.

The Eddie Current Zana Deux has been my main preamp and headphone amp. Don't find myself wanting for anything better.

The SOTA Star table (Fidelity Research arm, Benz Glider cart) had been my best source (by far) all year, but the Merrill sounds slightly cleaner and images a little better. This came as a surprise to me. I'll get the SOTA re-tuned soon. The Merrill setup is a REAL picky tracker while the SOTA setup will track almost anything. I can use two tables anyways (one for stereo, one for the mono setup) - just need another MC phono stage.

Finally over the 500 LP mark.

Future Plans:

Haven't been using headphone gear as much, since the speaker setups sound better (finally). Need to downsize my stash, especially after splurging on that 2nd table. I REALLY don't need 3 high-end headphone amps and 1 mid-fi amp (Sugden Headmaster). The Zana is the only one I NEED. The HP1000 sounds tonally the most like the Tannoys, BUT I enjoy the Tannoys much more (that soundstage thing, speaker dynamics, and all), so....

Looking for a vintage MC phono stage (eying an old Dynaco PAM-1 which would be too cute for the mono rig); still need to decide which table goes where.

Need to buy some backup Zana tubes.

The Martin Logan sub is nice for movies, but it doesn't look like it'll crack into my 2ch rig so it may become expendable at some point.

The Apogee is sounding REAL nice for a computer rig, but being digital it's more expendable than my rig's mainstays.

[mulveling]

christ, you're still alive, mulveling?

Yeah, I went through some moderate life changes and quit buying audio stuff for awhile. I'm better now

Er, or maybe that should be "worse again"...

[Voltron]

Shit, I would have a LOT more money if I had known that!

[Icarium]

Tack on a Gilmore Lite and a Spectral SDR-2000 Pro to my 2008 list

AD2000s sound amazing from this amp... to the extent where I almost can't imagine them sounding better. Match made in heaven. And while the Qualias don't mate assss well perhaps it is perhaps the only amp to have no noise floor with those ridiculously sensitive headphones. Well I guess the GS-1/GS-X probably can reproduce that too.

[morphsci]

OK, here we go

Headphones

Bought a trio of sextetts

Sold a trio of sextets

Sold SE Headphile Modded K340

Sold an HE-60

Bought a SE Apuresound modded K340

Selling a SE Apuresound modded K340

Bought a Balanced Headphile/Fitz/SWT61 modded K340

Sold GS1000

Sold MS2

Sold MS2i

Sold Equation Audio RP21

Bought Senn HP280

Balanced+ recable for a Denon D2000, Apuresound

Enigma Audio Balanced Oracle Cable for Senn 650

Headphile Triple Headphone Stand

Swt61 Omega II Headphone Stand

Swt61 Triple Headphone Hanger

Main Rig

Sold Modded Eastsound E5

Sold PS Audio P500

Moved out SB3 + Wellborne PSU

Bought Transporter

Bought Cambridge Audio 840c

Bought PS Audio UPC-200 (x2)

Deposit on EC/BA

Deposit on BHSE

Home Office Rig

Moved in SB3 + Wellborne PSU

Bought Musiland SRC10

Bought Stax SR005 System

Work Rig

Moved out Emu 0404 USB

Sold Stello HP-100

Bought PopPulse SPDIF II USB Converter

Bought Apogee Mini-DAC

Bought Shanling PH3000

Bought Audioengine A5’s

Bought Headroom Speaker Stands

Had a Stax SR-001 system modded

Laboratory Rig

Moved in Emu 0404 USB

Home Theater Rig

Resurrected Dual CS721

Resurrected Parasound PPH100

Bought Slimdevices Duet

Bedroom Rig

Bought Headroom Overture

Bought Headroom Coda

Bought SB3

Garage/Workshop Rig

Bought Squeezebox Boom

Transportable Rig

Bought Asus EeePC 1000H

Upgraded Memory and HDD for EeePC

Bought Pico

Portable Rig

Sold Cowon Q5W

Bought 32Gb iPod Touch

Bought non-M Hornet

Infrastructure

Bought iMac

Bought Belkin N1 Vision Wireless Router

Bought Linksys 8-port Gigabit Router

Bought HP MediaSmart Server EXP470

Bought 1Tb Samsung HDD (x4)

Bought Vantec NexStar 3 HDD Enclosure

Well I think that’s it for 2008

For 2009

Compare the EC/BA to HeadAmp GSX; “Loser” to the work rig

Compare the ES-1 to the BHSE; Loser

Checkout new PS Audio DAC and compare to 840c

If I end up with the PS Audio DAC then I will investigate a transport

Probably end up with Apogee Duet for the iMac

Maybe not next year but I will end up with the "mini" Harbeths at work

Edited December 25, 2008 by morphsci

[DigiPete]

Should I get an SME 309 tonearm for my vinyl rig

Looks fucking wicked!

[Torpedo]

If you like a sound tending to "mechanical" it's a great arm for that, but if your preferences are more of an "organic" sound, then I'd try to spot some vintage 3009 S2 NOT improved.

[grawk]

There's a chance my rig could be all back in my hands before the new year, but it's looking less likely right now

[elnero]

Sold HeadAmp AE-2

Bought HeadAmp Pico with DAC

Sold Shure E500's

Bought Sleek SA6's

Bought and Sold Klipsch Image X10's

Bought Westone W3's

Bought Audio Technica ATH-ESW9's

For 2009

Not much planned at this point, the Westone 3's and ESW9's only just arrived recently. The only tip that's working for me with the 3's is a modified tri-flange which causes a bit of irritability for me so I may end up looking further into the Sennheiser IE8's. By the end of the year I may be looking further into tying my computer to my speaker system and in turn starting on a full-size home headphone rig again although at this point there's not a lot of full-sized headphones in my price range that I haven't tried or that interests me.

[Dreadhead]

Started with:

Shure SE530s

Headroom Total Bithead

M-Audio Transit (for other reasons)

Bought:

Sennheiser HD650s (balanced)

Benchmark DAC1

Headamp GS-X

Denon D5000s (modded/balanced by me)

Balanced Beta 22 (later modified to move transformer out of the case)

Bel Canto DAC3

Behringer DEQ2496 and ECM 8000 measurement mic

Sony SA5000 (DIY balanced by me)

New Music Laptop

Edirol FA-66

OPPO DV-980H

Etymotic ER-4p (with S adapter)

Headamp AE-2

Westone 3

Sold:

Benchmark DAC1

Balanced Beta 22

Shure SE530s

Westone 3

Next year:

Put in order for Headamp KGSS and I'll get a pair of ESP950s and APS adapter cable. Maybe a new DAC (doubtful)?

Still to sell:

Sony SA5000

Headroom Total Bithead

[Hopstretch]

Started with no headphone gear at all. Ended up with what's in my sig -- which I'd incidentally like to submit for consideration in the FOTM-iest/HC-iest awards category (non-electrostatic division).

Next year is the year to get the rig better organized and beat the cable clutter. I definitely see a nice new desk and some bits and pieces of quality custom Texas woodworking in my future.

Other than that, I might have a listen to some Stax. What harm could possibly come of that?

[postjack]

iMac -> Duet -> GS-1 -> HD600, HD650, HF-1 -> Quad 12L

Its true, your rig might be the most HC approved rig ever. It's pure win on budget to performance, and of course in the all important manufacturer acceptance category.

[luvdunhill]

Should I get an SME 309 tonearm for my vinyl rig

Looks fucking wicked!

Note the fixed holes in the headshell. SME has their own way of doing things, that's for sure.

[Sherwood]

Note the fixed holes in the headshell.

Whoah! Not a fan.

[xand1x]

2008

Sold Stello DA-220

Sold Eastern Electric Minimax Preamp + Tubes

Bought Slim Devices Transporter as a one box solution

Bought HD650

Sold HD650

Sold Slim Devices Transpoter

Bought Spectral SDR-2000 DAC and got scammed $1000 in the process

Sold Spectral SDR-2000 DAC at loss

Want to Rebuy HD650 from Dan =)

2009

In the process of picking up Slim Devices Transporter, Squeezebox 3, and Squeezebox Controller at a massive discount thanks to a friend & will retire with that

Hopefully i'll get to rebuy dan's HD650! That is top of the list right now haha

Edited January 1, 2009 by xand1x

[DigiPete]

Note the fixed holes in the headshell. SME has their own way of doing things, that's for sure.

Hmmm , I wonder you adjust the longitudinal position of the cart?

[Salt Peanuts]

Bought Spectral SDR-2000 DAC and got scammed $1000 in the process

That sucks, dude. I hope you have a better luck in the new year.

[swt61]

^X2!

[postjack]

oh no x.