@chops I use the Pi and run it through the PSAudio Sprolut100 and then the KEF LS50 Metas and now also the KEF KC62. The little PI4b is up on the right inside a Flirc case.
The Blue sound system does look to be an excellent (and not overpriced) integrated system - I thought about it a couple of times, but my need to tinker is strong so a RasPi 4 user here, excellent stuff and I love those Flirc cases (I just wish I had a use for a RasPi Pico - the Flirc case for that is the nicest thing!).
I was lucky to pick up a Pi4 last month from Pimoroni, I’d been waiting nearly a year for one.
Last one I got (a year ago) is doing duty as the LMS music server - again not put a foot wrong (though no need for realtime of course on that one).
Also use a Pi3B with a HAT digital out: just as good but limited to SPDIF speeds, and somehow the timing is not quite as good as on the Pi4 with it’s separate USB Buses 
If I was recommending for anyone else though, based on all the reports here, I’d recommend the Bluesound!
OK, after lurking on the systems thread for several years, I thought I was overdue to post mine, especially since I’m among the beta group for the new DS Mk II. When we acquired our current abode, it had a basement family room. Maybe not ideal in dimensions (21’ long x 16.5’ wide x 7’ to 7.5” variable ceiling height), but it did present the opportunity for a dedicated listening space.
It featured some 90’s era built-in’s that were very well constructed but unsuitable for today’s electronics, as well as its own version of a listening room “elephant” (remember those?) in the form of an awkwardly placed gas heater.
I was able to surgically remove the built-ins (and repurpose it for storage in the utility room) as the recessed space was a perfect fit for my Salamander console furniture which houses all of the front-end gear.
Unfortunately, the room produced some truly bad acoustics, with rather horrific bass resonances.
Annoyingly, three out of the four corners are off limits for bass trapping. There is a built-in cabinet in one corner, a doorway to a utility room in another, and the third is open into a hallway leading to a basement bedroom and bath, with an adjacent mechanical closet for the furnace and water heater. Thankfully, the builder had thoughtfully lined the closet with sound deadening panels.
Que multiple orders from GIK for tuned bass traps with diffuser plates and Gridfusors (intended for suspended ceilings, but used for inexpensive diffusion behind the speakers and in the window wells), and from ATS (corner traps).
Speaker setup was initially along the short wall in front of the console, but the acoustics were so horrible that I experimented with a counter-intuitive placement along the long wall and discovered that I could dramatically smooth out the bass response and improve imaging. The speakers landed in more ideal locations for bass response, and the placement also resulted in a uniform ceiling height for both speakers. The prior setup had the left channel speaker located under a bulkhead. The final placement has the speakers ~4’ from the rear wall, ~6’ apart and ~6’ from the front plane of the speakers to the listening position.
The room response is now listenable, though still with a few resonant nodes in the bass. Fortunately, the M-L’s have active bass with controls centered at 25 Hz and 50 Hz to allow some fine-tuning.
RTA response with pink noise:
Here is a panoramic (hence slightly distorted) shot of the entire space.
Since it’s a basement, the room stays cool year-round, which is why the previous owner installed the heater. But the Pass class A amps render the heater unnecessary. They are power hungry, so they are put in standby when not listening, but they warm the room to a comfy 71 F for listening sessions. I did accidentally leave one of the amps turned on overnight once and found the meter in a curious condition the next morning.
Front-end:
TNT-JR table and SDS Speed Controller with ET-II air bearing arm / Dynavector Karat 17D3 cartridge
Bright Star pneumatic isolation Base
Pass Labs XP-15 phono premp.
Pass Labs XP-32 line preamp.
EtherRegen > Aurender N100H > Matrix X SPDIF-2 > Audioquest Dragon HDMI
PS Audio PWT transport > RAL HDMI
PS Audio DS DAC (unmodified Mk I with usb shorting plug) - (now DSD MKII)
Iconoclast Gen II OFE IC’s.
PS Audio Power Plant Premier (overdue for upgrade, I guess).
Amplification:
Pass Labs XA-160.8 class A monoblocks
Iconoclast Gen II SPTPC
Speakers:
Martin-Logan Summit-X (also due for an upgrade but, dear God, where does this end?)
Iconoclast Gen II SPTPC speaker cables
In hindsight, I guess the underlying design philosophy that’s evolved invokes Einstein’s dictum: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
Fantastic!!! Congrats!
7 Likes
OMG, amazing space, well done!
That Greta Thunberg thing really cracked me up, laughed out loud
Spectacular. I love the progression, the measurements to verify and the all-out assault on trying to mitigate and improve the biggest equation, which is the room. Of course, excellent equipment as well.
Haha Gold!
“Dear God where does this end?”
Well said
I had to chuckle
Well, we have Al as a cautionary tale 
So…“it” doesn’t end, then?
No. It never ends.
Is it possible to make a Lab unhappy?
Ignoring his pleading, sad eyes when you’re eating, I’m sure, must break his little heart.
… but of course the cat should have the choice of the quilt! They run the household, you are only there to serve and pay bills.
how do you like your Townshend podiums?
I started out with IsoAcoustics Gaia feet and my first experience with those blew me away. But that was on a concrete surface. They didn’t impress me as much when I moved into this room with it’s thicker carpet. I bought the spike matching spike shoes and they helped quite a lot.
You might be able to see the Townshend Seismic Pods beneath the streamer and DAC? I adore them and absolutely would get rid of them. Owning and experiencing them promotes me to try the Podiums. Directly replacing the Gaia, I felt they did much the same job but over a broader frequency band. The Gaia did wonders for the midband and upper bass, but the Podiums brought the same relaxation everywhere.
I think they’re brilliant. Like a well set up subwoofer, you don’t know they’re there until you take them away and get sad.
thanks for the detailed feedback.
I am waiting for my Podiums for Sopra’s 2. they should arrive in the next few days.
trying podiums under sources will be my next step.