Long time Salk Speaker owner (6 models) and I wanted a change. I found myself drawn to Wilson's over and over and took the plunge via Albert's shop in Chicago.
Coda 8
Probably the best amp I have ever owned. It is very powerful and controls all the ranges with an iron fist. It plays fast, but not loose. The top end is smooth and experimentations with cabling is helpful but not many do not match well with this. Bass is very tight. And I have heard a few things new with this amp I was missing with some blurred lines using the Cherry amp.
Bricasti Design M1 dac
A tried and true unit that plays redbook every bit as good as DSD. I probably could trade up but it has been so trouble free and has the latest s/w, so I'll continue to love it.
Don Sachs Model 2
Wow! I had very low expectations after auditioning the LTA ZOTL preamp, but this Sachs is outstanding. Probably the best preamp I have owned since the TRL Dude almost 10 years ago.
Puritan Audio Labs PSM156
The Inakustik 3500 is a great unit but this Puritan is on another level. I am so happy that I found one of these used and saved a bundle. While I thought the Inakustik was the last PC I would own, this Puritan is jaw-dropping. All the brands I have had and not a one of them did it all. They all seemed to fix one issue but get in the way of the music somewhere else.
Hollis Audio Labs MS-2 Server
Rich makes a nice stripped down computer to run my JRiver.
Shunyata Research Sigma Series USB
Bam! What a huge difference maker. I stretched my budget and it was so worth it.
Silnote Audio Morpheus Reference 3 XLR's
Outstanding cables. Replaced Gabriel Golds and Stealth PGS
Silversmith Audio Fidelium Speaker Cables
So far pretty darned good with my new combo of IC's - Stealth PGS in front and Stealth Indra 08's to amp. Wow.
Verastarr Grand Illusion Signature
Various Verastarr PC's across all the electronics. Worth the search to find them.
GIK Acoustics D1's and Impression Series diffusers
Great value.
RealTraps Diffusers & traps
Adona Corporation AV45
I extrapolated my Adona rack into 3 separate racks sitting side by side by procuring some extrusions and end caps from industrial suppliers. The 3" solid maple blocks were bought here and there over time and I had them painted black by Salk Sound to blend in.
Stealth Audio Cables Metacarbon interconnect
The best of the batch of cables I had in house. Reminds me of how much I miss my Indra's.
ADD-POWR Wizard
I have 2 of these on the racks now. They make everything musical.
I put my Wilsons up for sale thinking these open baffle speakers would be a good choice and unload 600 lbs of crates/speakers before I get too old for that heft. But that was a stupid idea and I have decided to keep them!
I'm playing with Class D amps and tubed preamps right now. The Pass and Luxman are gone. Time for a change.
Anyways, the Wilsons throw such a huge soundstage and the imaging is so good. I got lucky with this room result.
Dogs: wwe had 3 goldens and one passed due to a tumor. We waited months and my wife couldn't help herself, so now we are back to 3 with a new female puppy now 4 months. Sharp teeth! Smart as a whip. Pees alot.
Thanks guys. I have historically built rooms from bare concrete on out. This room pre-existed so I had little opportunity to do much in the way of structural, etc. I added insulation to the floor since the kitchen is below and then a layer of MLV, which really helped, right before the laminate. I've used MLV before, but with double drywall and hat channel. I was pleasantly surprised how much it helped just laying on the plywood.
bugredmachine on Opinions Please