If I should add anything else, I am going to need a BIGGER RACK!
2 Likes
Your equipment needs a bigger rack/space where every piece can shine on itās own visually as well!
1 Like
Youāre right, I should get a bigger house first. Or maybe I should get less and smaller equipments instead. 
3 Likes
After playing SACDās for 5 days straight on the Playback Designs Dream MPT8 transport, it is really showing off what it can do! I have never heard disc sound like this before! Best digital sound Iāve heard in my place or any other place for that matter. With some really good recorded music, it even surpasses my Esoteric streamer. CDās are reproduced with resolution close to SACDās. But SACDās are reproduced competitive with DSD256, itās that good! Now what sounds the best really depends on how good the recording is rather than the format. Now that hey are all up to par sonically, including vinyl. I donāt seem to hear anymore improvement as far as break in is concern. The designer said transports donāt really need any break in, since the laser mechanism donāt need break in, only electronics do. He said just leave the unit on and itās not necesary to be playing anything. I think heās right.
13 Likes
The CJ Gat is up for sale. The Esoteric C-02 is just in a different class. More resolution, more textured and dense sound. More spacious and deeper soundstage. Just more of everything across the board and less of noise. It does cost $5k more than the Gat though.
The Playback Designs MPT-8 SACD transport Is something else. I am back playing my CD collection again. I put all my CDās in storage because I just couldnāt listen to it too long since the sound put such a bad taste in my mouth. Not any more, CDās now sounds very emotional, first time. But SACDās, that is were this transport really shines, simply incredible!
11 Likes
My wife came back last night, and she actually missed the beautiful music from our audio system 
Tonight at dinner time, she said that the music sounded a lot better. At first I was worried that she might notice that I moved the speakers a few inches forward into the room. But then she said the sound is cleaner and more alive, and that may not entirely due to the speaker relocation.
Then it darn on me it was due to FW update from MU2. She loves it more when I told her the upgrade was free 
12 Likes
A very happy coincidence with Jonny at Capital Audio Fest! I was talking to him about being interested in trying a Takshaka shorty - but not too short - for my SDFB, and he had said that he made something just the right length for somebody who decided to just get a regular 2M version of the power cord. He said he had left it at home, but then Saturday morning texted me and said āGuess what?ā. He had actually had it in a box along with all the other stuff he brought to the show! So now itās mine!
10 Likes
Nice! How was the show?
1 Like
Great! I was only there last year for Saturday, but compared to that, this yearās show was hopping! A lot of folks on Friday and Saturday. The usual lighter crowd on Sunday. The Blink HiFi room (out of Cambridge, MA) had a live jazz duo (electric piano and sax) playing Friday night and Saturday. They were darn good!. Spent a good bit of time with the Weisfelds. I miss that bunch. Friday and Saturday nights (after the live music) Harry was holding court in the big VPI room (he brought his own JBL DD66000 speakers for the main room!). Every so often heād pick out a rare or special record to play - heād have this big smile on his face like a kid opening presents on his birthday. The enthusiasm he has after being in the industry for so many years is just infectious. 
Iāll post pics in the CAF thread in a bit.
4 Likes
Yes, this setup is installed in our home.
From top to bottom:
- 10GB Aggregation Switch
- Internet Gateway/Firewall, IDS IPS, system controller - also NVR for cameras
- https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/cloud-gateways-large-scale/products/udm-pro-max
- The NVR is about to go into a separate enclosure. Currently 7 cameras, going up to 8.
- Thereās new sensors coming out for premise security including motion, glass break, smoke alarms, etcā¦ All managed by this Gateway/Console.
- Soon there will be a second gateway that will run in Shadow mode. Basically High Availability. If the primary gateway goes down, the Shadow will take over.
- PoE Switch
- PoE Switch
- Outboard secondary power supplies for #2, #3 and #4. Basically this box contains failover power supplies. If the internal PS dies in any device attached to it, the device keeps running. For instance, if I unplug one of the Switches, they keep running.
- UPS
- UPS
Why two 10-port switches vs a single 24-port? Redundancy, if one switch goes down, I can easily move connections to the unused ports of the other switch and the Gateway.
2 Likes
Like yo Vince. Iām happily ignorant of everything you just said. 
3 Likes
Are you running an online gambling operation for the sport professionals? What on earth one would need that for home use? Or may be you live in a 20k SF mansion with 200 cameras that needs that much PC/switch power.
Actually, I do not understand a word from reading the list. 
1 Like
Some of it is out of my desire to have redundancy. My wife and I both work from home. I really donāt want to have to deal with downtimes during the work week, so the design reflects my need to be able to recover from an equipment outage as fast as possible.
Secondary to work needs is toy needs. Iām playing around with automation. The new cameras have facial and license plate recognition. From that all sorts of automation is possible. Alarm on/off, lightening, HVAC, door locking/unlocking (just installed some really sweet INOX entry sets on all exterior doors) etcā¦ Thereās some slippery slope with the facial/license plate recognition. On one hand if you notice someone you think is suspicious, you can tag that person and getting alerts whenever they are recognized. On the other hand someone less then honorable can spy on neighbors, uncool at best.
The system has some other interesting features from an internet security perspective. Country blocking, IDS and IPS (IDS monitors traffic and alerts administrators to threats, while IPS monitors traffic and actively blocks threats in real-time.) Thereās also via subscription getting a daily download of the latest Firewall updates to block emerging threats.
5 Likes
Remind me never to walk by your place whenever Iām in Portland! OOPS, that will be November 20th! 
4 Likes
That is well explained, and I need to study more into it. Wait, that may become another hobby again. We have two Ring light/camera in front and back. I should probably have a couple inside to watch things when we are on vacation.
1 Like
Vince, which cameras? Iāve been looking for good PoE security cameras.
Late to the party, P20 fuse upgrade with M2. first impression playing this CD, the sound stage is more defined and the high added some glamour but smooth and silky. the box has inside sticker says burn in 125 hours. way to go.
4 Likes
Weird, we got an unsolicited free sample of that exact pen at my workplace last week. Itās been a nice enough upgrade.
Iām impressed!
1 Like
Tomorrow Iāll be receiving a Synergistic Tranquility Pod for my Nucleus+ server/streamer, along with a four-amp capable Uptone Audio JS-4 triple-regulated LPS for said Nucleus relieving power duties from a JS-2 at 12 volts which also currently powers an Uptone EtherREGEN which feeds the Innuos PhoenixNET which sits between the network as well as between the Nucleus+ as the Roon CORE and my MU2 as Roon Endpoint. Some break-in time is to be expected.
We shall seeā¦