Pictures of my stuff

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Hey guys, I always like looking at pictures of peoples projects and systems. I thought I would post some pictures of my system so you all can see it if you care. Not everything, obviously, is DIY, but almost everything has been modified by myself in some way, making it sorta DIY. For instance, the tube amp has all new caps in it, the speakers have new crossovers, the Dac has burson opamps and new caps, etc etc.

This is my new turntable, notice the Mr. Clean magic Sponge.
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This is the left portion of my system, showing the left speaker, amp, tuner, record player, an unused preamp, and various accessories.
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Close Up of my amp. I replaced the Solen caps with RELcap polystyrenes, bypassed by PIO's. I also replaced the rectifier bridges with some I made up, bypassed with some film caps, and a few other little changes. Still have a lot more work to do with it though, I want to replace all the resistors in key locations.
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This is my Dac out of its box. Its an Audio Alchemy with the opamps replaced with Bursons and most of the nichicon caps replaced with Elna Silmics or Cerafines. Under the board I bypassed a lot of the caps with Wima film caps, as well as the opamps.
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This is my chip amp, I know the case is huge, eventually it will hold a few more modules, hence the large case.
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Thats all for now, you all can comment if you wish. I know its all a bit cluttered and messy, the wires should probably be dressed better to help ensure no noise, but eh, I change things around too much for that. Oh yes, and the DAC does have a case it sorta fits into, so it doesn't normally sit on the table like that, I was testing to make sure it worked.
 
Thats all for now, you all can comment if you wish. I know its all a bit cluttered and messy, the wires should probably be dressed better to help ensure no noise, but eh, I change things around too much for that. Oh yes, and the DAC does have a case it sorta fits into, so it doesn't normally sit on the table like that, I was testing to make sure it worked.


Beautiful, pjpoes :cool:
You have some good sound system there

Question:
Is it alright for you, if other people post pictures of their system set up, here in this topic?

I know there is so much nice to see and maybe to consider to invest in.
:) Funny, I am sure it is very hard to find 2 exactly same systems.
We all have our unique set up of audio gears.


Regards
lineup
 
Very nice stuff ... very cool TT.

I would suggest posting your chip amp pics in the chip amp section ... I, for one, would love to see some more details. ( http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79303 )

Also that is a mighty fine lookin' turntable. I'm curious about the drive mechanizm = belt? direct? ... more pictures please. (I don't find a picture gallery for turntables ... maybe a post in the "Analogue" section would work. http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=11 ... add a new thread?)

Also, a report about having your stack o' amps, etc. in the corner of your listening room ... wondering how this works out, sonically ?? Got other room treatments?? Does this location adversly affect your turn table (increased rumble, etc?) ... maybe a posting in "Everything Else" or "Analogue" for this ??

:smash:
 
Hey I didn't realize we had special area's to post pics, I'm sorry if anyone found this a problem. I hosted the pics myself to ensure I didn't use up any extra bandwith.

To be honost, I have no idea if its a bad thing having the turntable there. You will notice it has a sort of hutch over it, which I'm sure is not a good thing. I have acoustic foam lining the top, which made a noticable difference, however, I think the location is less than ideal. I'm in the process of moving my stereo from this room to my currentl living room, and basicly switching the two rooms around. This will hopefully allow me to move my equipment out of the corner of the room, while keeping signal wire short.

I have Acoustic foam and Acoustic Grade egg crate foam for treatments, along with a relativly thick carpet pad and wall to wall carpeting. On the down side, I have walls covered in 70's sheek paneling, and nothing behind them but insulation. No drywall, so those panels resonate bad. I also have many large windows of poor quality throughout.

On the plus, I ran dedicated power lines to my stereo, and I'm in the process of doing the same in the other room. I had a small service that died durring a flood once, and was replaced with a slightly larger service by the power company. When the electricians put in the new panel, it was a much larger panel, and they left me with lots of extra breakers to run these lines with. Everyone always says that power cables make no sense when you have all those feet of inwall wire of poor quality. My solution was I took some leftover 10-2 Romex with ground from a job at my parents business, and had it cryotreated by a local place, who I happen to know the owners of. I definatly noticed a difference, but I'm sure thats more from having brand new wire run on dedicated lines rather than the cryotreatment.

Thanks for the comments on the turntable. Its a string drive from Solid Acoustics. I'm sorry if anyone through I diyed that, I did not I bought it. I wish I could do work that well. I got a deal on it and decided it was better than anything I could do myself. Also, its built in a sort of modular fashion, so I thought I could easily DIY a new plinth later on if I wanted. Only thing I Diyed on that is the power supply, which is basicly just a filter, transformer, and capacitor. At some point I want to take the motor housing apart, remove the phase shift capacitor, replace the outlet with a 4 pin, and make a propper power supply, but at this point I have other things to worry about.

I actually did post a picture of my Chip amp over on the Chipamp forum, but really there is nothing special about it. Its a typical Peter Daniels Audio Sector board set with Cadock and Riken resistors, Panasonic FC caps, Wima film and foil bypass caps, Elna Slimic and Wima on the diode bridge, with Ixys diodes instead of the MUR's. 320va transformer, 14 guage copper power wire, 18 guage Kimber Kable speaker wire, 24 guage silver signal wire, and a DIYenclosures case. I'm still working out some bugs with the grounding, as I have a bit of hum. It's more than I would like by quite a bit. If I can't get rid of it I may move this amp to a smaller cheaper enclosure, and try using this enclosure for a better amp cuircit, like one of the aussie amp kits.
 
pjpoes said:
Hey I didn't realize we had special area's to post pics, I'm sorry if anyone found this a problem.

No it's not a problem. My comment was primarily to lineup. I didn't think we needed to use your thread for others wares.

The nice thing about having permanent threads for showing off the goods is we know where to find them.
 
Yeah people have been talking about the magic sponge as a great stylus cleaner. They are seriously cheap so I had to try it with some old cartridges. I have an old stereomicroscope I got from my highschool many years ago, so I used that to look at before and afters. I was really worried it would be too rough for the needle, so I was very careful, and even with light careful strokes it seems to do a great job of cleaning the needle. I have since used it on my main Grado cartridge and like the results. I don't really want to recomend it because I'm still nervous about it damaging the needle, but personally I don't care because it will just give me an excuse to get a new cartridge, and I love those sorts of excuses.

I realized I have no pictures of my two phonostages. Well I do, but they are blocked by my speakers, sorry. I have a Musical Fidelity X-LP which I replaced the resistors with Vishay Dales, the caps with Elna Cerafine or Panny FC's, the films with Wima film and foils, bypassed all the electrolytics, and replaced the opamps with OPA627's, also bypassed by wima's. I then upgraded the voltage regulators with some better chips per Peter Danials recomendation. Its not bad sounding, but is a bit noisy compared with some. My other isn't finished yet, though it does work. Its a Bugle board with two of the National Semi opamps everyones been raving about, one Burrson discrete opamp, wima film caps, Elna Silmic Electrolytics, and all silver wire. The power supply is a Jung Super regulator and two 30va toroidal transformers-they werent center tapped, but I had them around. I dont have all the parts so the regulator isn't done yet.

I want to build a tube phonostage next and have been looking at that design by RJM which I could easily build point to point on a small aluminum box. The parts are easy enough to get.

Currently spinning on my record player is a great Aretha Franklin 4Men with Beards album, hmm Lady Soul. I love a wide range of music, but I am a skinny young jewish lad, and so I have to have my 60's soul music, so seductive, so lucious, so captivating.
 
pjpoes: " ... I have Acoustic foam and Acoustic Grade egg crate foam for treatments, along with a relativly thick carpet pad and wall to wall carpeting. ..."

My wife won't let me hang that egg crate foam in the house ... :bawling: ... Too ugly, but it does make a nice sound difference. (I have several rolls stashed in the garage, unused.)

" ... I ran dedicated power lines to my stereo, ... some leftover 10-2 Romex with ground from a job ... and had it cryotreated by a local place ... I definatly noticed a difference ... "

Yeah, probably the #10 gauge rather than #12 or #14 did this trick.

" ... The turntable. Its a string drive from Solid Acoustics. I'm sorry if anyone throught I diyed that, I did not, I bought it ... "

I may have to get one of those myself = too cool looking and then maybe my wife will let me do more ... (Oooops = $2.2K = :hot: )

" ... the magic sponge as a great stylus cleaner. They are seriously cheap so I had to try it with some old cartridges ... so I used that [old cart.] to look at before and afters. I was really worried it would be too rough for the needle, so I was very careful, and even with light careful strokes it seems to do a great job of cleaning the needle. I have since used it on my main Grado cartridge and like the results ... I'm still nervous about it damaging the needle ..."

Your worries are probably justified. But if it "saves" an old cartrage & needle = :)

" ... spinning on my record player is a great Aretha Franklin 4Men with Beards album ..."

You might try the Muddy Waters "Folksinger" album = I understand there is a great quality reissue out.

You didn't mention any digital playback equipment = No CD or DVD-A player?
:cool:
 
I do go under Mpoes as well, basicly I forgot my account details once and I use both interchangably. M is for Matt, Poes is my last name. PJ is a nick name I have had since highschool.

I'm not married so I have no worries of hanging acoustic treatments, but I'm sure someday it will be an issue. May I recomend making wooden frames, placing Acoustic foam within the frames, and covering them with an attractive cloth covering? It looks good, and is essentially very similar to many high priced acoustic treatments. Make them thicker and add fiberglass batting, with acoustic foam at the center, and poly batting at the outiside and you essentially have a bass trap.

I got a very good deal on the turntable, but yeah they are pricey. The price was an acceptional deal at 1600, and for about a month the deal of the century, they included the 1200 dollar power supply upgrade. Now the price has increaased to 2200 and includes the power supply upgrade. When I asked the distributer why the price increase, he said they thought they were underpriced and would sell more at a higher price. Stupid consumers have to wreck things for smart shoppers like me.

As for digital, I actually have a whole hometheater setup hooked into the system. With the input selector set to Aux 1 or 2, I have the volume control in the cuircit, and essentially an integrated amp. The DAC and Phonopreamp go directly into the amp. I then changed the input selector to a three input switch, and in the 3rd position, it switchs out the volume control and turns it into a regular amp. I feed it with a Boston Acoustics Surround Preamp, the tube amp powers the front speakers, an Acurus A200 powers the Front center and Rear center speakers, and at the moment a Pair of Chip amps power the right and left surrounds. Its a very hobbed together setup, but it works for me.

For DVD I have an Oppo DVD player, a Pioneer Elite A47ai, and recently added a Toshiba HD DVD player. The Oppo and Pioneer are both modified players for improved performance. Mostly in the power supply region. The Pioneer is a piece of crap, for anyone interested in my opinion. MY Display is a Syntax 40" LCD screen with 720P resolution. Its not the best on the market, but for what I paid, its good enough. I know its not ideal to have a tv between your speakers, or a large glass coffee table between you and the speakers either. It's what I have, at some point I want to redo the arrangement and have a seperate home theater and stereo setup. At the moment I don't have the speakers, amps, or really even room to do it. I think it would be strange for a single 25 year old to have a living room with a hometheater dominating it, a second living room with a stereo dominating it, and no real sitting area to entertain in. I am a little strange though, so who knows. I did mention I'm in the process of moving my rooms around. The other living room is built more solidly and has real walls. This room is really a sun room, it was a porch that was enclosed at some point.
 
pjpoes: " ... For DVD I have an Oppo DVD player, a Pioneer Elite A47ai, and recently added a Toshiba HD DVD player. The Oppo and Pioneer are both modified players for improved performance. ..."

Wondering what you did to your Oppo player ... fatter caps on the PS ?? Got pictures? (I have the OppoDigital.com 981 player and love it, but I would bet there is room for tweaking the DAC output.)

Cal Weldon: That's a really nice layout, very livable, very comfortable looking. I believe I can see some room treatments around the windows in back ... I have a pretty bright back wall as well ... wondering exactly what you had to do to "treat" all that glass ??

:smash:
 
Hi, sorry to hijack someones thread but when I read about a converted sunroom, I couldn't resist. Apologies to Matt.

The stuff you see on the mulions is the LCR for the HT. The XO's are underneath. Just at the left and right sides of the pic you can see the rears. The woofers are in the corner behind the audio rack.

The boxes you see on either side of the TV are the quiet speakers for music and the boxes underneath are the big co-ax's for party time. Music and HT systems are independant.

The drop ceiling is one big bass trap with the cedar criss cross, a damping panel on top of the cedar and a gap of 2" to 16" between them and the vapour retarder and batt insulation.

The pic is taken from what used to be the kitchen sink exterior window.

OK, back to Matt's stuff.
 
Cal it really doesn't have to be all about my stuff, I'm not bothered by it. Maybe people want a better outlet to share their entire systems. For a lot of us, I think, part of the DIY is the overall setup and room, and not just individual components. Just a thought.

My oppo upgrades were pretty straightforward. I replaced all the lytics with Elna Cerafines or Panisonic FC caps. I removed the large line voltage power supply cap and replaced the whole input section with a Jensen 4-pole capacitor and hand made rectifier bridge. Kinda like the stuff Refrence Audio Mods does. I replaced a couple resistors too, and added some film bypass caps. Beyond that I didn't do a lot else. I started wondering about offering the dac a better regulated supply, and sorta just stopped. I need to atleast bypass the output stage at somepoint, or replace those opamps. I sorta stopped because I began wondering if it was worth my effort and expense, when for not much money I could buy a better outboard dac, and use that. This got me to replace the coaxial output components and add a digital transformer. I also shortened the signal path a bit. At this point I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, I kinda like my vinyl, and for movies, the HT Processor is doing all the work. I'm wondering if I'm better off upgrading that, it has better dac's in it anyway. I haven't even touched that thing yet, I should though. I bet some simply power supply mods would make a world of difference for low cost. Its all low on my priority list as I current have these things cooking:
1) Outboard crossovers for my speakers
2) Rebuilding my tube amp
2a) Finding 805 output tubes that work
3) rebuilding my subwoofer into a 4.5 cubic foot ported box
4) Building new Equipment stands with T-Slot and butcher block
5) Removing Hum from my Chip Amp
6) Finishing UCD-400 Amp
7) Building my surround speakers
8) Building a new center channel
9) Unfinished Phonostage project-Jung super regulator power supply

The above of not all the projects I would like to do, but ones I have actually started, have all the parts for, or most of them, but haven't finished. I currently have two half finished speaker crossovers with over 200 dollars in parts, but no enclosures yet. I have an unfinished subwoofer box that needs final finishing and veneering. All the speaker components for matching surrounds and a center channel, along with built crossovers, but no boxes yet. I have a bunch of t-slot and some maple, but not shelves built yet. I have a finished phonostage, but I haven't installed it in a box yet, and I haven't even started the Jung Super Regulators for it. Any of this sound like stuff you guys do. I sometimes wonder if I have the attention span of a gnat. I started lots of projects, finished about 2 of them. It's not really that bad, but I start stuff and then instead of finishing it, I change my design direction, or have to change plans because of parts issues, and then it doesn't get finished for a year. All of this I have started in the last two months.
 
Thanks Al, I will look for one. I wonder if Zoloft might treat it, they find it to be a magic treatment for most other non-treatable psychological disorders. I should just finish my projects. Somebody with lots more tools, random supplies, and lots of time come be my best friend so I can use you to help finish my projects ;) . Thanks.:smash:
 
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