Late 2019 I sold my record collection and stereo equipment in preparation for a downsizing move, and replaced it with a Bluesound PowerNode 2i streamer. Unfortunately the move is on hold for the time being, so I went ahead and bought some Zu Audio Dirty Weekends, a SVS SB-1000 Pro subwoofer and a few pairs of headphones. I also bought a Stressless Admiral chair, upgrading from an IKEA Poang. I wanted to raise up my speakers about 12 inches so painted some concrete blocks and steps, and put some washing machine isolation blocks underneath.
My wife and I needed to downsize, and I decided to shift from vinyl to streaming. I bought a Node 2i, but enjoyed it so much I went ahead and upgraded to a PowerNode 2i to save the space taken up by my receiver. Needless to say, I have much less clutter. This space was originally taken up by my old stereo system, 2600 records and a ProJect VCS. When we finally do move to a smaller space (temporarily on hold due to COVID-19) this system will probably be in an entertainment room.
Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend Mk.II
New Zu Audio Dirty Weekend speakers, with the satin black finish, rubber feet and Clarity cap upgrade.
Hifiman HE-400i Headphones
Some very nice planar headphones I got on a Black Friday sale last year.
Grado Labs SR-80
A Christmas present from my wife. She even got me some G-Cush pads.
Meze Audio 99 Noir headphones.
I keep on hearing wonderful things about Meze, especially the 99 Classics headphones. Since I didn’t have any closed-back over-ear headphones I thought I would indulge. I came across the Meze 99 Noir on Drop and loved the look. I purchased the 3-meter cable and Brainwavz sheepskin angled oval ear pads for added comfort.
V-Moda Crossfade LP
Got these at a flea market for $5. Not bad, a bit too heavy on the bass for my taste.
V-Moda Crossfade M-80
Got these at a flea market for $5. Pretty good noise isolation for airplane travel.
Monoprice BT-500ANC
Monoprice BT-500ANC Bluetooth headphones with aptX-HD, Google Assistant, Wireless Over Ear Headphones with Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). Not bad, a reasonably priced pair of Bluetooth headphones for listening to TV while the wife is working from home.
Borykworkshop Black Hornbeam Custom Headphone Stand
Yurii Boryk from Borykworkshop handcrafted this headphone stand out of black hornbeam. Check out his Etsy website for some beautiful stuff.
SVS SB-1000 PRO
New subwoofer. More of a two-channel guy, but the early reviews and the price intrigued me. I am certainly enjoying EDM and bebop more because of them.
BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm
I was looking for an inexpensive closed back set of headphones, and found these DT 770s on the BeyerDynamic website as “B” lots for $99 (MSRP $259).
Thanks! I just tweaked my speakers with a high-efficiency sound dampening speaker stand. I.e., concrete blocks and steps, with washing machine isolation pucks. It works most excellently.
Oh, and I splurged and got a Stressless chair. My back appreciates it.
Not at all! No reverb. I’m not an acoustic engineer, but I believe the layout of the room has a lot to do with it...it’s an alcove, really, in a really big undeveloped basement. If you look at the speaker placement, the sound waves either hit me and my chair or go to the far side of the basement. Little to no reflection off the side walls, and the speakers are front ported. Also, behind the concrete is southern Maryland solid clay soil.
Mike, yours is the kind of system I would have loved if I had the money and didn’t have to move every 2-3 years (USAF). After my retirement I found myself adding to my vinyl collection exponentially, since southern Maryland still has lots of barn finds. I topped out at 2600, more than I could clean, much less listen to. Once I made the decision to sell my record collection it was easy. Minimalism brings me piece of mind.
We certainly had considered renovating the basement. We are in limbo right now; we were originally selling the house and moving to an apartment or townhome in the city (DC or NOVA) but had to postpone due to the pandemic. Now with changes to our employment, we might just stay here until my wife retires in a couple years. If we decide to stay the basement will certainly be finished.
BTW, for those concerned about humidity, seriously consider a heat pump. We had one installed a couple years back and it helps control humidity wonderfully (southern Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay can get 70-90 per cent humidIt’s in the summer). Our system keeps the whole house, including the basement, at a stable 40 per cent humidity. It was great for my records when I had them.
Thanks, mjcmt! After a lifetime of accumulation it feels nice to get back to basics and just listen to music. One of the unexpected benefits of going to streaming (besides the space and costs) is that my listening has expanded to newer artists. I can actually talk to my 15 year old grand-daughter about music, especially Twenty-One Pilots.
