A nice hoppy IPA? Sounds like just the ticket.
Billfort's system
- Thread starter Billfort
- Start date
A nice hoppy IPA? Sounds like just the ticket.
Wow, Bill! What a gorgeous system and room.
I've been fascinated by your excursion into DSD128, and it's been fun to watch some major industry players start to follow your lead.
I've been fascinated by your excursion into DSD128, and it's been fun to watch some major industry players start to follow your lead.
4Play
Super Member
As usual, I come to the party late. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how I missed this thread. Bill, you have done amazing work on your room and system. This is a prime example of "a labor of love" you have managed to create for yourself and family. This is what the rest of us aspire to, but some of us may never reach.
Too bad you and I live too far apart. I would give anything to come and listen to some wonderful analog music. Just as well because I would have a hard time leaving. Congrats on a job well done and time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
I think it's time that AK has one thread for the best audio rooms.
Too bad you and I live too far apart. I would give anything to come and listen to some wonderful analog music. Just as well because I would have a hard time leaving. Congrats on a job well done and time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
I think it's time that AK has one thread for the best audio rooms.
Billfort
Addicted Member
Wow, thanks for the compliments 4Play! It really has been a labor of love and pretty damn satisfying after a bad case of audiophile burn-out. It took a few years of only live music, listening to many alternative approaches to audio, dis-regarding conventional/popular views on how you 'should' do this and just building to suit what sounds best to me - blinders off.
And if you ever do find yourself up my way.
And if you ever do find yourself up my way.
slippers-on
Music...let it move you!
Changes.
Digital has become a major area of change for me and DSD is at the center of it, even if I'm still accommodating the AudioNote Kit PCM DAC for now – it's hard to let go of it.
All my files – mostly wav & DSD (ripped using an old Playstation) – are stored on an unRaid NAS, played on a Windows7 PC, streamed to the lightweight SOtM sMS-100 linux arm based renderer/Network Audio Adapter, over a wired 1G network. The big noisy player is several rooms removed from the audio room, the silent NAA is powered by a fanless B&K regulated, linear power supply. The B&K 1730A is a 30v/3A surplus lab supply that has proven a nice upgrade to the wall-wort supplied with the sMS-100.
A Resonessence Concero HD DAC serves primarily as a DSD128 converter and sometimes as a USB>SPDIF converter for the AudioNote. This is a USB powered piece so I think nicely fits into the mix with the sMS where both benefit from the clean power of the B&K. A new addition is a Wireworld Starlight 7 USB cable which is an area I struggle to keep an open mind about but we shall see – need to do some careful listening with it.
Software is proving to be a real game-changer for me. I really like Jriver for file management, flexibility and remote control options but I'm now using Signalyst's HQPlayer for focused listening where it is amazing set to output everything converted to DSD128 on-the-fly during playback. It's hard to use, tricky to setup and is a little pricey but HQPlayer converting to high sample rate DSD is so good with the Concero that I really wonder how far you could go with this in an even better DSD focused DAC. DSD64>DSD128 is incredible – as good as digital gets with my stuff but the surprise is redbook PCM>DSD128 were this little Concero might just be outdoing the AudioNote – amazing really.
With these pieces digital is getting very close to my vinyl front-end, maybe even beating it at times and an equal investment $ wise might consistently outdo the Aries – never thought I'd say that! It's also funny that the best sounding software I've heard is almost as tweaky and inconvenient to use as the turntable (I'm using remote-desktop to control the player!). This all may change and get better as things evolve but for now, the good stuff for me is on the bleeding edge and means giving up the comfort of Jriver.
Bill...how are you enjoying the starlight 7? I really love the rich tone but I've had issues with the WW USB cables and dropouts. Have you experienced any issues with the Starlight 7?
Billfort
Addicted Member
I really like it Byron, lived without it for a while and was reminded on getting it back that it does make for a small improvement - maybe a little more dynamic contrasts (a touch quieter background) and detail.
Must admit though that the effect is subtle and has become even subtler as I upgraded around it with things like getting that noisy PC out to other end of the network, adding the NAA player and linear power supply. Haven't tried much in it's place but I'm OK with that - it's better than the freebies and even though there might be better, I'm not yet ready to sink more money into something that has such a subtle effect.
I haven't had any problems with it - it works. The only time I experience drop-outs is when I try some of the CPU intensive filters in HQplayer or down-converting DSD256 to DSD128 - my player PC just doesn't have the balls for this. And THAT would be one of those better places to spend my money.
Must admit though that the effect is subtle and has become even subtler as I upgraded around it with things like getting that noisy PC out to other end of the network, adding the NAA player and linear power supply. Haven't tried much in it's place but I'm OK with that - it's better than the freebies and even though there might be better, I'm not yet ready to sink more money into something that has such a subtle effect.
I haven't had any problems with it - it works. The only time I experience drop-outs is when I try some of the CPU intensive filters in HQplayer or down-converting DSD256 to DSD128 - my player PC just doesn't have the balls for this. And THAT would be one of those better places to spend my money.
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slippers-on
Music...let it move you!
I don't know if you've kept up with my "going digital" thread, but I went through a period where I was having dropouts and for about a month, I was sending screen shots back to IFI tech support and they where sending me scream shots as we both trouble shot everything related to the iFI iUSB Power Supply and the DAC. after a month we traced down the problem to the WireWorld Starlight 7 I was using. Apparently the wire world cables go beyond the USB standard with their cables. Doesn't make them bad, but some gear that sticks to the USB standard will have problems with some cables that go past the standard. At least that's what I was told. I love the richness of the Starlight 7, but my system just can't handle them getting dropouts. so I replaced it with a Neutral Cable USB. I may invest into one of those Linear Power Supply's next month.
Billfort
Addicted Member
Yes, I did notice that it turned out to be a cable problem for you with the Starlight. Sorry to hear this and I guess I shouldn't be surprised when system matching components like cables can be good or bad - just never figured it would equate to 'not working' like you experienced!
Glad you sorted it out.
Glad you sorted it out.
slippers-on
Music...let it move you!
Yes, I did notice that it turned out to be a cable problem for you with the Starlight. Sorry to hear this and I guess I shouldn't be surprised when system matching components like cables can be good or bad - just never figured it would equate to 'not working' like you experienced!
Glad you sorted it out.
Thanks Bill! But after it was all said and done, I got a free iUSB Power supply out of it. I'm going to gift it to my daughter alone with a nice Nano DSD DAC and a pair of Music Hall de-be headphones. She will love that!
Woah. This is one hell of an aspirational system. Funny I'd only ever heard of those altec drivers a week ago from another thread and they're definitely on my radar. I think what impresses me the most above the aesthetics of the whole room, is that you really built this for listening. Hospital grade circuits and if I'm correct a foot of absorption built in the ceiling. . Another poster is right... sell tickets. . You on airbnb?
Woah. This is one hell of an aspirational system. Funny I'd only ever heard of those altec drivers a week ago from another thread and they're definitely on my radar. I think what impresses me the most above the aesthetics of the whole room, is that you really built this for listening. Hospital grade circuits and if I'm correct a foot of absorption built in the ceiling. . Another poster is right... sell tickets. . You on airbnb?
As good as that room looks, the appearance doesn't hold a candle to the sound presentation. Spend a few hours there, and one is transported.
I haven't heard the digital setup, as Bill was a dyed-in-the-wool analogue guy, when I was there, several years ago. If Bill says his "1s and 0s" compete with his analogue rig, then it must be truly amazing.
slippers-on
Music...let it move you!
You do have a very nice 2 channel room Bill! And I do enjoy reading your ramblings....keep them coming!:yes::thmbsp:
I think out of all the absolutely beautiful systems I've looked at in this great forum. Billforts is the one i most want to hear.
The high efficiency speaker combined with SET amp is the one I'm most curious about. Combine that with his room treatments and just the lovely aesthetics of the room.
I'd love to hear what he's got. I bet its reference.
You can go to dealers and hear top of the line stuff. But mixing and matching the new and the old. . There's nowhere to go to hear that, outside of real audiophile systems. Hearing something like that, where there's been so much energy, patience, thought and long term tweaking. . From people who've done this hobby for decades... that's the really good stuff.
You on airbnb Billfort? Think i asked you, but put me front of the queue if you are
:thmbsp:
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