Atomic ranch living room system

[souladdikt]

Wow, fooled me, it's a good Florence Knoll knock-off, the lines & fabric are great. I was pretty sure the Eames chairs and coffee table were real, and I spy a Nelson bench in the window too...you and I definitely like the same things (books, also). Having a lot of interests/"loves" is tough....

The furniture adds up for sure. The Nelson bench was my first major MCM furniture purchase. It was used, but was only about 12 years old when I got it. I'd tried some knock-offs--some Modernica stuff mostly--but for Eames stuff, nothing beats the Herman Miller produced goods. I've slowly got rid of the lesser quality goods, though the Knoll knock-off is likely as close as I will ever get to the real thing.

I don't have many other interests at the moment that hurt my wallet--besides hifi. Luckily, my books are paid for through work these days.

The new TEAC looks great, matches nicely with the TT and your speakers. Let us know how that sounds compared to the 3116. I don't know much about the modern era TEAC stuff, I go back to when they made R2R and cassette and that was about it!

The Teac really is a beautiful amp. As I said, it's definitely clean and effortless sounding with my efficient speakers. It's a bit more neutral sounding than the TPA3116. To my ears the TPA3116 sounds a bit lush and just slightly muddy on the low end. For the money though, it is clear to me that the TPA3116 is ridiculously good. I'll likely keep the Teac around because I got such a good deal on it. My plan is to slide it to my office system once the Brio-R arrives and I decide to hold on to that. I've listened to the Brio-R before and I think it has a better phono stage than the Teac, but I haven't listened to it in my own system. It will be interesting to compare.

Somewhere down the line, you will have to spring for a Garrard 301/401 or a Thorens TD124 turntable just for the visual style (probably with a Dynavector or Grace tonearm).

(kidding)

Looks fantastic! I wish my listening area looked half that good, but then again, I have kids.

-D

I considered a Thorens--though not a TD124--but thought I'd go modern. And, yes, kids seem to change the way spaces look. No kids here, as you've surmised. :thmbsp:

 

[souladdikt]

Update: Took delivery of a Brio-R today. I do get a tiny bit of hum--see the long Brio-R thread for info--but I have to put my ear up to the speaker to hear it. I was worried that it might be a problem with 96db speakers, but seems it's about the same as others have described.

Compared to the Teac AI-2000 that it's replacing the Brio-R has just a bit more grunt and depth--it really just draws me into the music. Some of this is probably attributable to the phono stage as it does seem to extend detail at both ends. The overall effect is coherency. I'm enjoying the RP6 > Brio-R > Tekton Lore Reference so far. Pics to come soon.

 

[JT-3]

Nice pictures and thanks for sharing. Starting to consider the Tekton's and think I might like sound. So over a year later, are you still running the same gears?

 

[souladdikt]

Nice pictures and thanks for sharing. Starting to consider the Tekton's and think I might like sound. So over a year later, are you still running the same gears?

Thanks. I am still running the same gear. The only change has been upgrading the belt on my turntable. I will likely try out some tube integrated amps in a few months once the budget allows.

 

[Sam Cogley]

Somewhere down the line, you will have to spring for a Garrard 301/401 or a Thorens TD124 turntable just for the visual style (probably with a Dynavector or Grace tonearm).

(kidding)

Looks fantastic! I wish my listening area looked half that good, but then again, I have kids.

-D

A Fairchild 412-1 in the stock small plinth would also be a great era-appropriate match.

 

[olson_jr]

Love that room.

 

[Styx_II]

Awesome setup and room...well done.

 

[souladdikt]

Love that room.

Awesome setup and room...well done.

Thanks. I do enjoy the room and setup. Both were years in the making, though I know it is a short journey compared to many--but I'm sure the journey will continue.

 

[70'sAudio]

That's Really Amazing,

Love the Look....Thanks For Sharing, Mike.

 

[Illusions]

Nice Style and gear

 

[mark warren]

very cool room!

 

[souladdikt]

Decided to add a streaming service to my setup for casual listening. I settled on Tidal's Hi Fi service + a Chromecast audio puck. I liked it so much in my living room that I've picked up four additional pucks to stream music throughout my house. I'm mulling adding a DAC, but it sounds pretty good for $35 and hooked up directly to the Brio-r and it seems silly to add for casual use.

 

[philridebike]

Decided to add a streaming service to my setup for casual listening. I settled on Tidal's Hi Fi service + a Chromecast audio puck. I liked it so much in my living room that I've picked up four additional pucks to stream music throughout my house. I'm mulling adding a DAC, but it sounds pretty good for $35 and hooked up directly to the Brio-r and it seems silly to add for casual use.

I have a Chromecast and just this weekend switched from using it's analog output to digital into a standalone DAC. I can tell you that the difference is HUGE, as the analog output from Chromecast is mediocre at best. My living room stereo is in the photo.

 

[souladdikt]

I have a Chromecast and just this weekend switched from using it's analog output to digital into a standalone DAC. I can tell you that the difference is HUGE, as the analog output from Chromecast is mediocre at best. My living room stereo is in the photo.

I will likely add a DAC down the road. I'm mainly streaming music while I move around the house doing things. For that purpose the Chromecast sounds pretty good. I have very little experience with DACs and I'm planning on demoing several in my headphone setup soon.

 

[jhoyt]

One thought: since you're running a Macbook, you could use an Airport Express as an Airplay device. The built-in DAC is very good by all accounts, and still has the ability to output a digital signal should you want to upgrade even further. For $99 it's a pretty good value for the sound quality, straight out of the box.

 

[souladdikt]

Added a Schiit Modi Multibit and have started some room treatment (rugs and drapes). Will update with pics at some point. I've been doing a lot more streaming and the Chromecast was definitely a weak link. What a difference! Most impressed with the depth and air the Mimby can convey. Been listening to Cecile McLorin Salvant, Dreams and Daggers. Parts were recorded live at the Village Vanguard--it's a great album for testing a system's representation of space.

 

[Njoy-Music]

Love the overall look of the room from before. Should be interesting to see how you fir the treatments in along with the drapes. Those drapes can be a adventure all their own.

 

[souladdikt]

Love the overall look of the room from before. Should be interesting to see how you fir the treatments in along with the drapes. Those drapes can be a adventure all their own.

Thanks and, yes, it's been a nice adventure decorating and adjusting. I've put a couple area rugs down and it has tightened up the sound a little bit--more coherent, detailed. I'll probably experiment with different forms of padding under the rugs soon. I've put up some cheap curtains until we can settle on drapes, blinds, or shutters. The curtains help with reflections off the windows for sure and make it so I don't have to pull the speakers so far from the wall that they block the main path of the room. The curtains also help tighten up the bass. After I get around to taking and posting pics, I'll probably do a post about things I've learned about this journey and living with a system that's in a less than ideal space, one that I deliberately set up to be a social space.

 

[guiller]

Wonderful place!

 

[nedseg]

Very nice!
I have the same eames dining chairs...surprisingly comfortable, aren't they? Scarey how much they've gone up in price.
What are you using on the feet to protect the pretty oak flooring?
Ditto Nelson benches and wire table...always liked that low skinny one.
My dad had the knoll sofa, but when it came time to 'set it free' we (bros actually) couldn't find any takers for it, at over 9' in length; think it ended up at GW.
Very comfy, though.
Such a pretty space - you need one of these:
http://www.dwr.com/living-sofa-and-...efv1=Eames+Sofa+Collection&lang=en_US&start=1
In that era, most stereo (!) gear was placed (hidden) in low horizontal cabinets with sliding doors, usually with one or more cab devoted to LPs....your vertical stack (very pretty too) is the only thing that looks a bit out of place
Big sliders/ windows like that are hard to cover/insulate well in winter. I have a huge (16'w) insulated roll up power blind on mine, and haven't ever been able to figure out who made it. Works well, though, and the interior 'scrim' layer adds a bit of sound absorption.
Thanks for sharing!