mine

Upstaged (as usual) by Timothy…here’s my stuff.

Sources

VPI Signature Classic rosewood turntable w/stock tonearm and Clearaudio Talisman V2 Gold cartridge
Oppo BDP-105D w/ModWright Tube/power supply/Truth/Bybee rail/region mods
PS Audio PerfectWave Transport
MacBook Pro (2013 model, 16G of RAM running 10.9.5)
Mac Mini (late 2013, 8G of RAM running 10.9.5)

DACs

PS Audio DirectStream w/Bridge II
PS Audio PerfectWave Mk II
LH Labs Geek Pulse X
Meridian Explorer2

Preamplifiers

Zesto Andros 1.2 phono
Zesto Leto 1.0 linestage
PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter

Amplifier

Pass Labs X250.8

Speakers

Acoustic Zen Crescendo Mk II

Storage/Networking

Mac Mini (late 2013), 8G RAM
OWC Mercury Elite Pro 3TB FW800 hard drive
OWC Mercury 2TB FW80o hard drive
Apple Airport Time Capsule 2TB (2010, semi-retired)
Apple Airport Extreme (2011)
Apple Airport Express (2013)
NETGEAR ProSAFE GS116NA 16-Port gigabit switch
NETGEAR ProSAFE GS108T 8-Port gigabit switch
NETGEAR ProSAFE GS105 5-Port gigabit switch

Interconnects/cables

JCAT Reference USB (Schiit Wyrd to DirectStream)
Wireworld Starlight USB
Cardas Clear USB (laptop to DirectStream)
Cardas Golden Reference Phono (VPI to Andros)
Audience AU24 SE RCA (Andros to Leto)
Kimber Timber RCA (Leto to Cavalli Liquid Glass)
Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 HDMI (Oppo to DirectStream I2S)
PS Audio AC-10 HDMI (PerfectWave Transport to DirectStream I2S)
Acoustic Zen MC2=Zen AES/EBU (PerfectWave Transport to DirectStream)
WyWires Platinum XLR (Leto to Pass)
Acoustic Zen Absolute Silver XLR (Oppo to Leto, DirectStream to Leto)
Acoustic Zen Absolute speaker cables
JCAT Reference ethernet cable (Netgear switch to DirectStream)
Audioquest Cinnamon ethernet cables (Netgear to Oppo)

Software

JRiver MC 21.0.24
PonoMusic World 20.0.75
Decibel 1.3.1
Vinyl Studio V8.7.0
Audacity 2.0.5
Sound Studio 4.7.7
FLAC Player (iOS)
Can Opener (iOS)

Power

Shunyata SR-Z1 AC outlet
PS Audio Power Port Classic outlet
Audience aR12-TSS-D conditioner w/dampening upgrade and Au24se Schuko power cord (preamps, sources)
Shunyata Hydra DPC-6 conditioner w/Shunyata Alpha HC power cord (DAC, Mac Mini, router, switch, hard drives, Schiit Wyrd)
Shunyata ZiTron Alpha Analog power cord (preamps)
Shunyata ZiTron Alpha Digital power cord (DAC)
PS Audio AC-3 power cord (transport)
PS Audio Noise Harvester

Portable

PonoPlayer
iPod Classic 160G

Headphones and amplification

Audeze LCD-XC headphones
Mr. Speakers Alpha Prime headphones
AKG K7XX Massdrop first edition headphones
AKG K553 Pro Studio headphones
Sennheiser HD-280 Pro headphones
Cavalli Liquid Glass amplifier
Moon Audio Black Dragon V2 headphone cable (for LCD-XCs)
Moon Audio Black Dragon V2 adapter cables (balanced Pono output & stereo mini plug)
Double Helix Molecule Extreme OCC Litz headphone cable (for Alpha Primes)

Isolation, tweaks, etc

Blu-Tack putty
Marathon Industries 20990 4.10/3.50-4"-inch rubber innertube (under Leto and Andros)
Nordost Sort Kone TC
Stillpoints Ultra SS
Mapleshade Isoblock 2
Cardas Multi Blocks
AudioQuest Jitterbug
Schiit Wyrd USB Decrapifier
Koolertron portable 1080p 7 Inch camera/crane jib monitor (for Oppo)
Stillpoints ERS cloth
Hi-Fi Tuning Supreme fuses (PerfectWave Transport & DAC)

Furniture

Mapleshade Samson V.2
Steve Blinderman 2" maple plinths
Hive73 MacPro Deck

That is quite a list… Sounds very good I’m sure. The cat seemed slightly surprised - did you read it the list?

Here’s a (mostly) unobstructed view. Turntable on the top gets short shrift.

You should send these photos, the list and a short story to Copper magazine and we’ll publish it in a future issue. Send the email to systems@psaudio.com

limahuli said

Upstaged (as usual) by Timothy…here’s my stuff.

Sources

VPI Signature Classic rosewood turntable w/stock tonearm and Clearaudio Talisman V2 Gold cartridge
Oppo BDP-105D w/ModWright Tube/power supply/Truth/Bybee rail/region mods
PS Audio PerfectWave Transport
MacBook Pro (2013 model, 16G of RAM running 10.9.5)
Mac Mini (late 2013, 8G of RAM running 10.9.5)

DACs

PS Audio DirectStream w/Bridge II
PS Audio PerfectWave Mk II
LH Labs Geek Pulse X
Meridian Explorer2

Preamplifiers

Zesto Andros 1.2 phono
Zesto Leto 1.0 linestage
PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter

Amplifier

Pass Labs X250.8

Speakers

Acoustic Zen Crescendo Mk II

Storage/Networking

Mac Mini (late 2013), 8G RAM
OWC Mercury Elite Pro 3TB FW800 hard drive
OWC Mercury 2TB FW80o hard drive
Apple Airport Time Capsule 2TB (2010, semi-retired)
Apple Airport Extreme (2011)
Apple Airport Express (2013)
NETGEAR ProSAFE GS116NA 16-Port gigabit switch
NETGEAR ProSAFE GS108T 8-Port gigabit switch
NETGEAR ProSAFE GS105 5-Port gigabit switch

Interconnects/cables

JCAT Reference USB (Schiit Wyrd to DirectStream)
Wireworld Starlight USB
Cardas Clear USB (laptop to DirectStream)
Cardas Golden Reference Phono (VPI to Andros)
Audience AU24 SE RCA (Andros to Leto)
Kimber Timber RCA (Leto to Cavalli Liquid Glass)
Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 HDMI (Oppo to DirectStream I2S)
PS Audio AC-10 HDMI (PerfectWave Transport to DirectStream I2S)
Acoustic Zen MC2=Zen AES/EBU (PerfectWave Transport to DirectStream)
WyWires Platinum XLR (Leto to Pass)
Acoustic Zen Absolute Silver XLR (Oppo to Leto, DirectStream to Leto)
Acoustic Zen Absolute speaker cables
JCAT Reference ethernet cable (Netgear switch to DirectStream)
Audioquest Cinnamon ethernet cables (Netgear to Oppo)

Software

JRiver MC 21.0.24
PonoMusic World 20.0.75
Decibel 1.3.1
Vinyl Studio V8.7.0
Audacity 2.0.5
Sound Studio 4.7.7
FLAC Player (iOS)
Can Opener (iOS)

Power

Shunyata SR-Z1 AC outlet
PS Audio Power Port Classic outlet
Audience aR12-TSS-D conditioner w/dampening upgrade and Au24se Schuko power cord (preamps, sources)
Shunyata Hydra DPC-6 conditioner w/Shunyata Alpha HC power cord (DAC, Mac Mini, router, switch, hard drives, Schiit Wyrd)
Shunyata ZiTron Alpha Analog power cord (preamps)
Shunyata ZiTron Alpha Digital power cord (DAC)
PS Audio AC-3 power cord (transport)
PS Audio Noise Harvester

Portable

PonoPlayer
iPod Classic 160G

Headphones and amplification

Audeze LCD-XC headphones
Mr. Speakers Alpha Prime headphones
AKG K7XX Massdrop first edition headphones
AKG K553 Pro Studio headphones
Sennheiser HD-280 Pro headphones
Cavalli Liquid Glass amplifier
Moon Audio Black Dragon V2 headphone cable (for LCD-XCs)
Moon Audio Black Dragon V2 adapter cables (balanced Pono output & stereo mini plug)
Double Helix Molecule Extreme OCC Litz headphone cable (for Alpha Primes)

Isolation, tweaks, etc

Blu-Tack putty
Marathon Industries 20990 4.10/3.50-4"-inch rubber innertube (under Leto and Andros)
Nordost Sort Kone TC
Stillpoints Ultra SS
Mapleshade Isoblock 2
Cardas Multi Blocks
AudioQuest Jitterbug
Schiit Wyrd USB Decrapifier
Koolertron portable 1080p 7 Inch camera/crane jib monitor (for Oppo)
Stillpoints ERS cloth
Hi-Fi Tuning Supreme fuses (PerfectWave Transport & DAC)

Furniture

Mapleshade Samson V.2
Steve Blinderman 2" maple plinths
Hive73 MacPro Deck


Looks like a sweet system. I’m curious; why all the DACs? And can you tell your experince with the different isolation tweaks? I’m getting the Sort Kones BC soon and was looking into the Stillpoints. And I’ve always wondered about the innertubes. Congrats to you and your cat on a fine system!

amgradmd said Looks like a sweet system. I'm curious; why all the DACs? And can you tell your experince with the different isolation tweaks? I'm getting the Sort Kones BC soon and was looking into the Stillpoints. And I've always wondered about the innertubes. Congrats to you and your cat on a fine system!

Thank you! - good question about the DACs. The DirectStream is the primary hardware at home. I’m currently using the PerfectWave II as a hand-me-down at work. The Geek Pulse X is for my desktop system, and the Meridian is used for whatever MQA files I can manage to scrape up.

Isolation tweaks: If I have any regret about the system, it’s the Mapleshade rack. After four years of use, I don’t see it as a good value. It’s cumbersome to move/reassemble (two 3-shelf racks would’ve been more sensible - at least that’s what my girlfriend thinks) and I’m not sure I buy into the threaded poles-n-maple-n-brass vibration absorption theory anymore.

I use the Sort Kone TCs under the stacked DirectStream/Transport/Oppo. I have no complaints.

The innertubes seem to work well with the Zestos but I worry a little about the vents on the bottoms of the units being partially blocked.

Getting the Stillpoints under the Pass while it was wedged under the rack turned into a shaggy dog story all its own; epic saga here:

I could probably write another Homeric epic about lifting the VPI on to the top of the rack, but that’ll have to wait for another day.

I should also mention that I rarely use JRiver anymore. I’ve switched to Roon. I still use JRiver with an old iPhone to stream to a dumpy old Sony stereo clock radio in the bedroom.