Home Entertainment - 1st stage completed

by FiLuS • 20 Jan 2012, 13:31 • Journals
After months of hard work, reading loads of reviews/comparisong and gaining knowledge about various types of devices/gadgets I finally completed first stage of my home entertainment system - audio circuit. Without any further ado I present you my home audio system:

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Audio-GD NFB-12
- Dedicated DAC + HP/Pre amp (using only DAC section)
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Supra DAC-X
- interconnects (cable), gold plated cinch connectors
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Project Sunrise
- headphone amplifier (DIY project)
- fitted with NOS 1987 milspec 6N23P-EB/6H23N tube
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Audio-Technica ATH-W1000x
- closed headphones with wooden cups
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Other accessories
- TV table, christmas present from my parent, good as preparation for next stage (video)
- headphone stand
image: 287


I am kinda happy I was able to complete this stage so soon (in matter of 3-4 months) and if everything goes well, I will begin with stage #2 in few months. What I plan on getting is nice cozy chair, FullHD TV and HTPC as video and music source (not necessarilly in this order).

There has been stage #0 as well, portable solutions, and I am loving it for years already (except for phone, which is fairly new):

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Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-EW9
Music player: Cowon J3
Phone/Video player: Samsung Galaxy SII
image: 286image: 281image: 283


whats your audio&video gadgets/devices?
Comments
31
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vj7o 20 Jan 2012, 13:33
Filus u bastard ! :D
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Cardo 20 Jan 2012, 13:34
image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRny6r1zn8EbUioXMk4JoXfSuNufVltOjKMxPmNA0ePsfaTKQBh

+ some old labtec computer set

i want krk set
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TosspoT 20 Jan 2012, 13:35
Very nice journal, I'm keen to see how it goes.

At the moment we've got a very simple setup with an HTPC and a nice Samsung 8 series TV. However, we're about to move in March so might get a bit more creative with how we set things up in the next place.
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FiLuS 20 Jan 2012, 23:26
well, I hope I will be able to get below 1200e line with htpc+TV (ideally between 800-900e, but full htpc itself is going to eat at least 350e), I am not a videophile (at least I hope so, if not my bank account will be seriously screwed :D ) so more important part is already behind me. For next months I will be focusing on school (graduating on university), so there wont be any progression in stage #2 (well, I am gonna get nice chair, for work and for relax as well, but thats the cheapest part of stage #2 :P ).
Btw, after you move be sure you will make some space for nice speakers, at some point you will need them because from what I have heard, in-built speakers in Samsung TVs are pretty crap (and that TV deserves to be accompanied with good sound).
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TosspoT 21 Jan 2012, 10:58
re: HTPC - ours is a simple Core i5 with onboard graphics and a micro atx media board, it does the job for 1080p really well. No need to go crazy, and by running a full PC rather than one of the ready made 'systems' you can watch streams etc too :D

re: Samsung - the sound is 'ok' at best, I think we're going to start with just the samsung soundbar which I've been to two peoples houses who have it and it can hear an incredible difference. After that, full speaker system, but I really want wireless speakers and the technology isn't there yet (at least at an affordable cost!)

Looking forward to the next journal :D
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FiLuS 21 Jan 2012, 12:19
I have already chosen most of the components for htpc. I think i5 would overkill for a htpc setup, I decided to go with AMD E-450 Zacate apu (with HD6320 graphic chip) integrated in one of those Asus mITX Deluxe boards (passivelly cooled with built-in wifi card, want it to have wifi to be able to use my phone as a remote control for xbmc). The only thing I am struggling with is case. They are so f-ing expensive and I am not willing to spend 150e just on case. But if I go below 100e price point, there is virtually nothing (here in svk) which provides good airflow, looks a bit nice and has 80/90W fanless psu. I guess I will just go with Coolermaster Elite 100 and will switch its psu with picoPSU in future. I could actually get some cases with 60W fanless psu, but I am a bit worried how it will handle cpu on full load accompanied with bluray drive.
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TosspoT 21 Jan 2012, 19:45
We're an Intel house so I can't tell you about the AMD, but the onboard Wifi sounds really good. We use the logitech iPhone app that allows it to become your mouse, its ok but we're getting a wireless keyboard with a touchpad soon.

GL, looking forward to more pics :)
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FiLuS 21 Jan 2012, 20:01
this is area where AMD still have a small edge over Intel. Because of their fusion with ATI, they have direct access to gpu chips and they actually used it to their advantage. Intels APUs have gpu inside just for mere purpose of having them, but nothing comparable to AMD Zacate/Llano units (in terms of gpu power). I think new Ivy bridge processors will finally have some usefull graphical chips inside, but they are not meant to be used in low power consumption setups. Its real alchemy to built a system to match only your needs without overkilling it.
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Levin 20 Jan 2012, 13:38
Im not that good with this stuff but are you getting like 7.1 speakers because I dont see the point of getting some super setup just to watch movies with head phones
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FiLuS 20 Jan 2012, 23:10
I am setting this up to listen to quality music, video (TV) will only be an addition. There are basically only 2 reasons why I want TV and HTPC:
1. I want to save laptop from playing movies/music 24/7, its pretty old laptop and I dont want to make so much load on it
2. When I have some company, its not convenient to watch small 15'' screen from 3 metres :D

as I already told to jallaaa, I dont have a room for any kind of speakers atm, so it would be really hard to even place them here. Not saying that as an audiophile, I would need to actually spend a fortune on proper speaker setup.
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gambit 20 Jan 2012, 13:50
looks good, how much did you spend?
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FiLuS 20 Jan 2012, 23:14
headphones: 570e (+40e for stand)
cables: 120e
amp: 250e
dac: 240e

in case of portable devices it was 200e for headphones (2.5 years ago, they are cheaper now), 240e for player and 480e for phone.
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JALLAAAAAA 20 Jan 2012, 13:50
Any idea what surround system you will take? Or you stick to the headphones for now?
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FiLuS 20 Jan 2012, 23:06
well, currently I am not planning on getting any surround system, mostly because I have no space for it. Tbh I will be barelly able to fit TV into my room. And as I know myself I would push myself to spend a fortune to please a little audiophile inside me. I am not so much of a videophile on the other hand, so I will prolly get around with cheaper TV :)
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Hampuusi 20 Jan 2012, 13:51
oh man! thats awesome
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DiNg 20 Jan 2012, 13:58
I don't get it, seriously, what the hell is this?
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Peeter 20 Jan 2012, 14:07
Just out of curiosity, did you look into wireless solutions also? Nice looking setup you've got already though.
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FiLuS 20 Jan 2012, 23:32
wireless will unfortunatelly never work in high-end nor mid-end, unless someone invents a method how to shield signal in air from interference :)
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beAsty 20 Jan 2012, 14:24
Really nice :)

Here is mine:

Amp: Sony TA-690ES
Tuner: Sony ST-530ES
CD: Sony CDP-X339ES
Tape: Sony TC-x750ES
DAT: Sony DTC-60ES (not on the picture)
Phono: Sanyo PLUS Q60

image: IMAG0179%20%282%29


HTPC built into a Sony amplifier case (soon in an Sony amplifier ES-Series case..cause my work sucked + the ES-Series case will fit to the rest):

image: htpc


Speakers:
2x Magnat Zero 8
2x Magnat Zero 5 (don't really use them.. they destroy the sound of the Zero 8 actually :S)


Zero 8:

image: IMAG0171
image: IMAG0170
image: IMAG0068

All of them:
image: IMAG0066
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Headset: Sennheiser HD 555 modded to 595
Headset stand: Glas Elvis Presley head + old Ray Ban aviator

image: headphone-elvis1
image: headphone-elvis2


I want the original mahagoni walls for the Sony ES-Series devices but they are really hard to get and very expensive :/ And I really need to re-do the HTPC case. And then I need a proper table/case to put all the devices.. having the amplifier below the tuner/cd/tape/etc sucks because of the heat + it looks shitty :/
I'm also wondering if it is worth to use the Sony DAT ES-Series player as DAC insetad of the one in my TV + going out from my laptop via optical insetad of aux.
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FiLuS 20 Jan 2012, 23:35
I like how your setup looks, its so f-ing lovely if components match each other. In proper stand, it will look soooo hot :)
btw, that head looks more like Stallone to me :P
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beAsty 21 Jan 2012, 00:48
I think it looks like every but not Elvis Presly :D
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Tropic 20 Jan 2012, 14:34
I don't get it, seriously, what the hell is this?
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Niels 20 Jan 2012, 18:44
a DAC is a digitals to analog converter pretty straight forward what this does
Amp=amplifier is a device for increasing the power of a signal by use of an external energy source.
DIY=Do It Yourself -> he build the Amp himself
And what is left are some really fancy cables and an outstanding headphone.
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Tropic 20 Jan 2012, 19:19
just buy them from the stores
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grzesiek 20 Jan 2012, 14:35
offtopic (:P) - have u played on ur sgs2 gta 3?
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MerlinatoR 20 Jan 2012, 15:13
Nice stuff

For my audio:
image: 1400885-a
image: 688899_1
image: AT4021-large

Although gaming I use a shit mic and Sennheiser 595's as I dont want to break good stuff in moment of max rage. (:D)

For my Video:
Samsung 50" Plasma
Playstation 3 for DVD/BR
2.1 Speakers installed, 7.1 to be unpacked =)
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FiLuS 20 Jan 2012, 22:57
I used to have hd595 for almost year and a half, pretty solid allround headphones, one of the best in their price point. But I had to sell them (well, didnt have to, but I needed money and I was already selling my whole PC out. Irony is, 2 months after I got a pretty nice job and money wasnt issue anymoar :D )
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MerlinatoR 21 Jan 2012, 09:00
I love payday too :P
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kaze 20 Jan 2012, 15:37
this is awesome
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jnz 20 Jan 2012, 18:08
someone who knows about audio - respect!
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