Showing (off) your Roon setup - description and photos [2015-04 .. 2021-03]

thanks but they won’t be for me, as I have this strange need to slide one of the speakers out of the way for a electric movie screen coming down, from what I can see the Gaia looks to hav rubbery floor contact so I can’t use them for my setup.

I’ve posted my setup last year, but there are a few changes.

The bedroom amp is now a class D HifiBerry AMP2 with built-in DAC, on top of a RPi 3B+. What a progress from my old, old Rotel RA-820BX (which is in a dire need of a recap, to be fair)!
I’ve also made a nice little box for it for it, with all the expected connectors, a volume/mute button, and an IR remote control (vol/mute, play/pause, next, previous) with an Apple Remote.


The speakers are still the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 turned white.

The the backend infrastructure also saw a few changes, with a “new” server, that is now replacing what used to be in 3 boxes (Roon Core, database, backup, TV, Kodi client plus a few other tasks).

The main system is still the same, RPi2+IQaudIO DAC, old school Audiolab 8000S and 8000P, recapped and tweaked, on my restored Castle Acoustics Pembroke speakers.

Nothing esoteric, no after-marker power supply, 14G OFC copper speaker cables, normal banana plugs, acceptable interconnects…

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This must have slipped through @Philipp_Schaefer, thanks

Sorry for the late reply, busy days… These are simple butcher blocks (400x500x150) made from beech and hornbeam, sitting on slate bases with the same width and depth. Pragmatic way to elevate the 50s to a better listening height.

I have written about my simplification push.
This is a result: high quality Roon playback with three gadgets, anywhere, away from the computerish complexity.
Very pleased.

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Headphones are a bit selfish, but if you haven’t anyone to share with then I guess it’s all good

Hehe they come in very handy when everyone else is asleep and you can’t pump the speakers though.

Stunning view there @AndersVinberg

Love that photo it oozes class

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No cider or semillon on the table?!

You don’t see the whole table.

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Hey Michael, so how is the Sprout 100 compared to your 220se, driving the classic LS50’s ?

I’m thinking of getting one for my old man (dad).

I know the sound of the 220se + LS50 very very well (nothing but great memories), so would love to hear your impressions.

The Sprout 100 hasn’t hit Australia yet but it can’t be too far away.

Right now I have it hooked up to my son’s (my pre-LS50s) ELAC Debut B6s. And it sounds great. I’ll move it over to my main system this weekend for you and get some listening in and let you know what I think.

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Gee he’s a lucky little tacker ! :grin:

Cheers Michael

I have to do SOMETHING to get an audiophile. His other six siblings are happy to listen to music directly from their iPhone speakers. I’m pleased as hell he noticed a sound improvement from the old Sharp 1-bit system I had let him use before.

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Downside though is that the little bastard is VERY encouraging when I talk about upgrades. “Yeah dad. You really DO deserve those Magnepans. You work so hard. Hey, I could just use the KEFs…”.

He’s learning all the right lessons at college. I tell him to work hard so he can afford what he wants.

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Ha! Hilarious.

If you play your cards right, you’ll be able to flip that around in a few years, the way my old man has now. Now when I upgrade he’s getting most of my old stuff ! The cheeky bugger !! :grin:

Those ELAC Debut B6’s are superb. Andrew Jones (ex-KEF of course and TAD) can do no wrong ! At all price points.

Oh, I absolutely agree. They would still be my primary speakers if I hadn’t been able to score the LS50s on sale back when I got them. When he goes back to school and depends on his Peachtree powered speakers, the ELACs revert to me again for use with either the Sprout or my NAD D3020.

There IS a reason I enocouraged a Purdue engineering education. Daddy’s gonna need some planars some day.

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  • Roon Core running on NUC
  • Roon Remote on dedicated tablet (Kindle Fire HD10)
  • NUC connected to Devialet D220pro (via Ethernet)

Given the lack of good HiFi-grade furniture options that blend in perfectly into home decor, I was forced to configure and buy an Ikea Besta sideboard.

Should anyone ideas where to buy an IKEA Besta in HiFi-grade quality, just let me know :grin:


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Nice. Transrotor deck?

Yupp, their smallest child (Transrotor max) upgraded with merlo reference mc cartridge though

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