Built system up starting about 2016 with speakers as the anchors. Adding second sub was last upgrade. Raven was most major upgrade. Amazing timbre and bass over predecessor amp. Living in Alaska has made process slow. No good retailers of note but one. Expensive to do home trials. Read lots of reviews and Agon forums.
As I listen, learn to listen, and build out system I've had pleasure to have one that can disappear when listening. Staging and imaging seem especially important to me. Main listening is Rock especially Prog Rock. Blues of many types. Jazz and Fusion jazz.
Mainly listen to CD (about 500) with vinyl (375) second. About 80/20. About to jump into streaming. Update: with Zen and Tidal I probably stream 90%. Even if I have the CD. No discernable SQ difference.
Last addition was 2 Lokius 6-band eq. I have hearing loss in both ears above 3k or so but worse in left. Doing this allows for spectrum to be recovered but also to recover L/R balance. Has "re-centered" the imaging and hi-freq is now much more normal. This aids overall image, correct artist placement. No loss in SQ to me, just improvement as mentioned. Planning ahead by requesting a process loop be added (inputs 4 and 5) on the Raven when it was built was key .
Rec room is almost a dedicated music room. Room treatments came when integrating the new (then) sub. Mainly to tame main room node around 90hz. Built 6 2x4ft panels from Knauf Ecosense insulation picked from specs to be most effective at low octave. 2 in. Ceiling has "barn" pitch so thirds each of 8ft and 2 pony walls of about 5 1/2 ft. Amazing imaging. Listen in short dimension at about middle of length. Any first side refections handled by diffusion. Room could be a tad livelier. TV is not part, just use a sound bar. Main 5.1 downatairs. Phillips Hue lighting really sets tone.
Besides speaker cables, same DIY Helix design (see above) for DAC to amp, processor loop. Phono amp to amp interconnects are Morrow 4. Cardas Lightning 75 ohm for CXC to DAC. KimberCable phono to Vincent. Cardas Streamer to DAC. Main power cords are Wireworld and small devices use Morrow 1 and 2. Cullen 4 plug box and same Wireworld PC. Wall power via Cullen receptacle.
