I have had to change up my system due to new children in the house. First I had to get rid of my Vienna Acoustics Beethovens and replaced them with the Joseph Audio Insider in wall speakers then I switched out the VTL ST-150 with the Wyred 4 Sound. My system is pretty good now but I miss my old pre children system. The Transporter is fantastic and it has been the most exciting addition in a long time.
Just replace my Comet III with a refurbished Sapphire.
Graham Engineering Robin
Got the Robin to replace the Rega RB-250. I alread love the adjustable VTA!
Benz Micro Ace low output
What a huge improvement to the Sumiko Blue Point I have been using. The high end is soooo much more smooth.
Logitech Transporter
WiFi digital music player and DA converter
VTL TL-5.5
Has American Tung Sol 12ax7and IBM 6350 tubes in the line stage. The phono section is MC/MM and has Mullard CV4024 and CV4004 as well as RCA 12ax7a in the mc position.
Wyred 4 Sound ST 250
125 watt class D switching amp
Joseph Audio Insider
In wall speaker based on the RM- 7XL
N H T Sub Onei
Powered sub with control box
Audience Au-24
RCA Au-24. I like the fast clean bass that these give me.
Audience Au-24
Spades on both ends. These look too thin to be good speaker cables but they really help control the Beethoves low end and compliment the high end very nicely.
Shunyata Sidewinder Gold
Older PC from Shunyata. I use two of them. One going into AC treatment and one into the DNA 125
Shunyata Snake Bite
Sort of a scaled down Diamondback without the nice terminations. Use one to go to a PS Audio power bar and one into the DVD 2900
Black Diamond Racing Cones Mk 3
I have three cones each under the pre, amp, cdp and DVD.
Unknown Unknown
Black steel tube with MDF shelves. 5 shelves in total. This is a very utillitarian rack and is on the way out
I reconfigured my rack that I have to a single tower that is now about 5.5 feet tall. The Turntable is on the top shelf. Now only I can change the records! My wife cannot see the top of the turntable. I have the rack situated in a corner with a stair banister on the open side and a child proof fence in the front. My 2 year old can still get to one shelf but I have vacated that of any equipment. When finance permit I might get a Salamander cabinet and a Target shelf for the turntable mounted up high with wiremold for the cables.
I can tell you that it will get easier with the kids - especially if you start to involve them in the music and make them aware of the hifi. The day I heard my daughter belting out "how do you let a good man down?!" to Sharon Jones was a very good day indeed.
Going to 100% computer audio is a good solution and honestly, any sonic nuances that you think are missed are canceled out by sleep depravation and shattered nerves. I think any audiophile parent would agree.
I found my kid dropping quarters into the bass ports of my speakers (they are still lost in there) but nothing more serious than that. I have let her control the volume and touch all the components under my watchful eye and try not to make it a target of illicit curiosity. Maybe you won't be so lucky with your gear, but accept that something will probably get dinged, scratched or busted and enjoy the combination of good music and kids in your house.
Second that question on the TT and the kids. Would love to mnow if you have a solution.
Moved all my CDs & LPs to my office, but system is still in the living room. We do have a play room for the kids, but with a 4 yr old and a 1 yr old....and friends... I get pretty nervous.
What kind of cabinet did you get? Could you post a picture?
Welcome to the club desmondjim. Kids and high-end audio are mutually exclusive, particularly tubes and speakers. Congrats on a great system. You have a great TT; would be curious to hear how you are handling this with kids running around - it's not working for me frankly.
System edited: I had to make some drastic changes to keep the young childen safe my wife happy and my sanity intact. Fist to go were the Vienna Acoustics Beethovens. They were prone to tipping and the wife would not allow them once my first son was able to crawl. I changed them out for the Joseph Audio Insiders and the NHT Sub1i. The combo works pretty well but I miss the Beethovens. I am a tower speaker kind of guy at heart. The next change was getting the Logitech Transporter and ripping all my CDs into my computer in the office. This allowed me to put the cds out of harms way, they are irrisistable for young children, and into storage. The Transporter has been a great addition. I really love using it for Pandora and XM radio when I am just bumping around the house. The DA in it is fantastic and sounds better than the RAM modded Oppo that I now use for SACD only or if someone brings a cd over to listen to. I have a Toslink cable between it and the Transproter for CD listening. Finally I have switched out the VTL ST-150 with a Wyred 4 Sound ST 250. This was so I can put the rig in an enclosed lockable cabinet that will be child proof and will have more WAF. I am still getting to know the Wyred 4 Sound but so far I am pleasantly supprised it. Nice sound for a sand amp!
System edited: I tried to mod the RB 250 with the Heavyweight counterweight and ended up breaking the tiny grounding wire inside the housing. I couldn't fix it myself so I took my tax return and bought a Graham Robin and a Benz Micro Ace. This combo is a big improvement to the Rega RB 250/ Sumiko Blue Point that I started with. I think most of the change is the Ace. The high end on the Sumiko was most annoying. Harsh and gratting. The Ace is nicely extended but not at all harsh. The low end is definetly more robust and more defined. I also have changed the Mullard CV4004 in the line stage with old American Tung Sol 12ax7s. These tubes are wonderful. They have such a sexy midrange it still makes me stop and admire how much I like these tubes after having them for about 6 months.
System edited: I just added a SOTA Comet III with the S250 arm and a Sumiko Bluepoint No. 2. I also got the SOTA I clamp. Simply amazing. I took my Rega Planet out of my main system and put it in the bedroom.
System edited: I just replaced the McCormack DNA 125 with a VTL ST 150 stereo vacuum tube amp. The improvement is substantial especially in the midrange smoothness and air. The bass is very good but maybe not as controlled as with the McCormack. The tubes are SED 6550c power tubes 8 total, 2 Mullard CV4024s and 2 6350s branded VTL but I think they are probably Sylvania.
