Always remember the most important component of a hi-fi setup - the one that will add the most value to the quality of sound - is the source.

 

I build a lot of my own gear nowadays, but here's what we listen to en famille...

 

Al: I found that my amps sounded better connected directly to the wall as well, however, my digital gear benefited from a power conditioner (Synergistic Research PowerCell 10).

 

My setup is similar. And I had two dedicated 20 amp circuits run when the family room was being built (the electrician thought I was crazy).

 

Always enjoyed a good sound although my set up is pretty mid-range. I inherited a fair amount of kit from my grandfather that kicked the separates collection off. It’s been through a few changes since. The only piece remaining is the Quad 306 power amp which is teamed with Croft valve pre-amp. Croft is, or was, a one man operation somewhere in the English countryside.

The turntable is an entry level Pro-Ject - it’s next in line for upgrading. I quite fancy a Linn.

The CD player is a Musical Fidelity A3 and the headphone amp is also Musical Fidelity.

The last upgrade was the speakers. Like others have experienced, Mrs Engee told me the floor standing Rogers Studio speakers were taking up too much room so I sold them and put up a nice pair of compact B&W wall speakers.

 

Nice Arco light

 

I currently stream Spotify to my Chromecast Audio, and I'm well aware of how I'm streaming at a relatively low bitrate. Looking into Tidal, but Amazon is now also offering lossless "hi-def" streaming. Not sure who to go with.

 

I need to upgrade my friends.

 

I've got a pair of Ohm speakers similar to yours that I bought about 12 years ago. Ohm had a pair of 1974-era Ohm F Brazilian rosewood cabinets fitted with their newest Walsh-style drivers. Beautiful sound, too bad most people aren't aware of them or the concept behind them. You get a lot for your money.

 

I’m going to add vibration damping pads to this list especially on hardwood or composite floors. Record clamps too.

 

To me HiFi is all about how the music makes me feel. i give a crap about truthfulness. If the music makes me cry (for joy and emotions) or dance along (though nobody is to see this) the system is right. That what I liked about DYI: you tune it to what you like.

 

Nice - But when you say "had" I assume it's all gone now?

I still occasionally use my HD600, but have not unboxed my HD6XX yet (Drop.com version of the HD650, but I was never a big fan of the 650 and it's veiled treble). The new HD660s are quite nice sounding for the lower price than flagship headphones - if you like the HD600 you should like the HD660s and you don't need an upgraded amp to drive them!

 

I'm interested to hear how you like the HD6XXs. I have not used headphones for quite a few years, but I am hoping to play around with a setup at my PC using a Dragonfly and I'd prefer not to fork out $1k for a set of headphones if there are some decent ones for a bit less. I've followed the Drop on an off for the last few months but reviews are all over the place.

 

I'll have to unbox the HD6XX this weekend after thanksgiving, but I suspect that I'll still prefer my older HD600 (I bought 11 years ago) or the newer HD660s that I tried at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest last September (at the same time I bought my HD800s and now my son has my HD800). The HD660s are definitely a good sound for the price - audiophile quality bang for the buck. My old HD600 are great but just like the HD650 they require a good amplifier with a high voltage swing to drive them - they suck out of an iPhone unlike the HD660s.

 

Agree. I do believe there is a tipping point where my old concert damaged ears can’t detect incremental improvement. I like what I see and hear so no need to upgrade. Just maintain. EG Swap optical interconnect for analog ...TV to Receiver. Finally install that headphone pre amp I bought years ago. Etc.