Updated picture with my new Dynaudio X18 speakers and Lounge Audio LCR Gold Enhanced phono stage!
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Really like your setup, especially the Thorens TD 145, but also the Dynaudio’s.
I’ve got a TD 105 approx 38 yrs old but still running in my living room, connected to my Yamaha receiver. I can’t wait to hear the Stellar Gain Cell DAC with my Yamaha active monitors, they were initially used a active music studio PC monitors in the days I thought I would be happy making and mixing music. The monitors remained as they sounded best of all models when we purchased them, they still do. So I am happy to treat them with the Gain Cell DAC which will become the central hub for CD Player, iMac and some other analog devices, perhaps I will add a Essence 4K mk2 hdmi compact stereo processor/DAC to run the TV, set top box and game console sound through the Stellar. It also utilized a USB input and DSD DAC, also from the hdmi ports by the way, so I could try to get a hand on a Universal Disk Player to run SACD DSD through the the ESSENCE or if I got Tedd Smiths message correct port it via coaxial Toslink to the Stellar.
The reason I mention this (again) on the PS audio forum is that I notice that you also have your system set up around your TV and if I am not mistaken still see a receiver behind the right hand speaker.
I leave my living room Yamaha bi-amped stereo home cinema kit in tact till I saved enough to up to buy a synergetic system all together, perhaps at the time PS Audio is ready to ship Stellar series speakers. The TD 105 might be first though Thorens presents 4 new models on the Munich High End Show in May, the TD 148A, sub chassis, full automatic, TD 440 direct drive semi per switch selectable full automatic and the TD 1600 and TD 1601 sub chassis, onder aluminum platter sub platter belt drive, top notch TH92 tonearm … Prices, not available yet. However TD 440 is announced recently for EUR 800, TD 148A announced last year for EUR 1500, only the most fancy ones, TD 1600 and TD 1601 are not announced. The gimmic of the show is a Thorens Reel to Reel, if you are able willing to fork out EUR 11300
I still envy your complete set-up, congratulations.
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Thanks man. My father bought the TD 145 in the mid 70’s, and gave it to me in the 80’s when he upgraded to an Oracle table. I’ve never replaced it because I love how it sounds [and looks lol]. I also really love the auto lift feature, and would miss it if I replaced it with a comparable modern table.
As to the GCD, the dac is amazing in this thing, best I’ve ever heard digital sound in my rig. I’d recommend utilizing it if you buy the GCD. Also, the Dynaudios are a match made in heaven with the Stellar stack. I know @Paul would disagree lol, but in my small 11x13 foot room there’s no need for a sub. The bass is deep, strong and tight, and I’m satisfied with it.
I’ve got two complete rigs in the man cave. A 5.1 rig with all wall mounted speakers and a sub, and the two channel rig which you see in the picture. I don’t use the HT bypass feature because my A/V receiver doesn’t have pre outs unfortunately.
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@SirMarc Thanks for the feedback.
Same here, it’s my dad‘s TD 105 he bought in the same period. I like the wood plinth of the TD 145 better, but the TD 105 carries nice memories as we’d play that turntable with full volume when he’d be traveling for business. The new 3 of the 4 new Models I mentioned have auto lift features, and I would also buy nothing else. I’d be burning too many stylus and records because I’d walk away while the turntable is spinning and forget all about it. Shame but truth.
That’s off course nice about a man cave, you can install both, a surround system and stereo without having to worry about the house styling committee 
.
Although I cannot complain my Canton floor stands are moved away from the wall in the living room now and finally reveal their full potential, they sound great.
Yes, I will utilize the DAC in the Stellar. For me this whole unit is the most expensive piece of Audio equipment I ever bought, so you bet I am going to utilize every part of it. The “ there is no week part” in the Stellar comment in every review, is why I bought it without ever having had a chance to listen to it. My complete CD collection is ripped to I tunes, 15 % of music is from the iTunes Store and recently I added high res and DSD, using bitperfect. So yes, the DAC will be burned in fast.
I will use the active monitors without Sub first, the lack of bass never seemed a real issue as my home office is really small and they are used as semi near field set up. Also I first want to listen to the Stellar improvement first.
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BTW my Sanus rack frame is filled with some 1000’s of BBs. That was recommended by Sanus as I recall. It made for some careful moving several years ago.
Interesting, if you had got the recommendation to fill with scrap bullets or lead balls or sand, but BB bullets? These have very little mass. How would those effectively dampen or reduce vibration.
The only positive effect I can imagine is that vibration is distributed more evenly, reducing the amplitude but increasing the frequency band.
Well maybe that alone will suffice. Curious about the result.
Shot of any kind (steel, lead, cast iron, tungsten) all make very good damping material.
Have you ever held a small box of BBs? They’re copper plated steel as I recall. Quite dense although not as dense as lead.
The interaction of all of the spheres having minimal surface contact and a lot of air space around them is what keeps them from being able to resonate very easily. In industry its called a “shot damper” and has a lot of anti-vibration uses. Dead material (lead or cast iron) is a little more effective but any metal (probably other dense materials too) will work.
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@Baldy @kcleveland123 sorry. The BBs I thought of are the plastic ones. If you referred to iron copper clad BBs its clear and makes sense. I think there is even a turntable manufacturer out there using those in the plinth in order to reduce vibration.
Mine ate the surrounds on my twin Audax Aerogel 8" Woof’s and pushed the rubber dust caps in just to piss me off and watch me get the vacuum cleaner out to fix them. The Seas Tweet’s have guards built-in. This was many many years ago.
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There is always something new to learn here.
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Just saw this. They sound great.
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friend of mine filled his stands with sand for wieght. He was going to use lead shot, but was warned that having that much raw lead in his house was not very safe, toxically speaking.
That’s interesting about the shot. I purchased play sand at hardware store. I was told it’s washed and I found it easy to use. Stands are ridiculously heavy now.
System Update:
PSA: P20, BHKPRE, BHK 300s, DSD, DMP
Nucleus+ w/ Internal 4TB 860 PRO SSD & T5 external 2TB SSD powered by Sbooster LPS; Matrix X-SPDIF 2 w/ Sbooster & Ultra LPS; AQVOX-SE switch w/ Sbooster & Ultra LPS; Giga FOIL filter w/ Sbooster & Ultra LPS
AQVOX CAT7 25/50cm Ethernet cables; Jmaxwell USB “data only” cable (12in); Valhalla2 HDMI (1m) & PSA HDMI cables (1m); Iconoclast 4X4 UPOCC XLR (DSD/PRE, 3ft); Iconoclast SPTPC speaker cables (8ft)
Power Cords: (1) Shunyata Research (SR) Anaconda PC (P20); (7) SR Alpha NR PC (DMP, DSD, BHKPRE, BHK300s; REL S3 SHOs; (3) PSA AC12 (Sboosters)
Speakers - Sonus Faber Guareni Evolution main speakers; REL S3/SHO subs; Focal Utopia headphones w/ Heimdall cables (4m & 1m)
Mechanical - VTI (4) shelf glass rack w/ Isoacoustic pucks for all components. Baby Martin.
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I don’t see any SR Alpha in that photo, only AC-12.
@Brodric - those are my Sboosters with AC power cords; reread the power cord details. I ordered a bunch of SR Alpha NR power cords after my BHK300s sounded so good, got a great deal. I am selling all my PSA power cords, just in phases. I move the AC12s to my Sboosters as the Alphas come in. It is a process… good eye…
Did you see the Ultra module after the Sbooster current splitter module going to the Matrix. Very good noise spec and sounds amazing. Also, just shipped my BII to its new home yesterday. I covered the hole w/ metal tape till the BII cover gets here.
I did read what you said, but the investment in SR Alpha alone at MSRP exceeds the price of any of those PS Audio components. They are worthy of showing off!
@Brodric - I got a fantastic deal… 
tell you what, in a few months all my PSA power cords will be gone, including Sbooster power cords and the Sboosters only ran me $500 each. Not everything is about money; my sweetie bought me tickets to Queen and upgrades for my official “ old person” 60th birthday… I was so depressed… My streaming is unbelievable… those BHK300s are the bomb… this sport is a fraction of my car building sport. She was so glad I got into this. An average car build is $250K… this sport is pennies compared and you get so many cool toys to try out and analyze… I like this new sport… there is birthday, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and don’t forget Festus Day…
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