Showing (off) your Roon setup - description and photos [2021-04 .. 2021-09]

Hi all,

As part of the steps to reduce large threads we are closing down the old thread and opening this one. We’re going to try quarterly cut offs for this topic.

Thanks for your continuing contributions, please continue showing (off) those systems!

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A post was merged into an existing topic: Steps to reduce large threads

Roon Nucleus+ with 4TB SSD and Apple SuperDrive

Linn Klimax DSM
Linn Klimax LP12 (Keel/Kandid/Ekos SE/Urika II)
Linn Klimax Radikal
Linn Klimax Exakt 350

Apple iPad Pro for Roon Control

Ubiquiti UniFi Network for Ethernet and WiFi

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I will be buggered if I end up repeating myself from the previous “thread”
Stay safe

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Thats a shame. I loved looking through the old thread with all the different systems.

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Can you not link to the old topic in the first post for these new threads being created?

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/showing-off-your-roon-setup-description-and-photos-2015-2021-03/

My apologies for starting a tread that kills the forum :innocent:

Now we need everyone’s support to have at it again…

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Finally completed a project for my old man (dad) that’s taken 2 years.

Mainly took this long because I’m on the other side of the country, so I had to chip away at it on visits.

For his 2-channel system, he’s loved his ESS Labs speakers for 25+ years. They were built approx 50 years ago.

A couple years ago one of the Heil AMTs and one of the original woofers started to fail. So rather than repair the woofer I proposed we bring these speakers into 21st century.

I proposed we replace all woofers and Heil AMTs diaphragms and rip out the 50 year old passive crossover and I’d let software work it’s magic with HQPlayer for DSP crossover and room correction.

He was really nervous… but 2 years later (with lots of mistakes and learning along the way :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:) it’s now working flawlessly on this Easter holiday visit.

Left and right are basically 3-way design, with pair of his favourite M&K subs handling <80Hz.

From the listening position, frequency response is capable of being flat from 20-20kHz and impulse response just about textbook, thanks to Audiolense frequency response and “True Time Domain” correction.

For target response we’re using a slight modification of the Harman Target Curve as his old ears prefers more treble and some other small differences. Tone control to his own tastes but done the proper way.

Roon & HQPlayer server on the other side of the house plays to HQPlayer endpoints over Cat6 around the house.

In this room, D to A is handled by Focusrite 18i20 Gen3 multichannel interface, connected to multichannel amp. Then direct connections to each driver.

Each driver individually time aligned, using measurements at the listening position (Earthworks M23 calibrated mic).

These ESS Labs Heil AMTs tweeters are truely magical. I’ll be getting a new pair for myself for my own DIY DSP crossover speaker build soon.

Most important thing is seeing the big smile on his face , happy with the results.

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Thats a great story , can we see some more pics next time you visit.

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@jack_fischer, @killdozer, @Phil_Wright

Regarding #isoAcoustics #Gaia, typically I don’t believe these type of tweaks would make significant differences. I guess the pandemic has a way of making people buy stuff. Per you guys’ suggestion, I bought and installed the Gaia IIs (thank Crutchfield for speedy delivery) a couple of days ago. Color me impressed. I think they actually worked! Instruments seem to snap into better focus (not that the Blade IIs are bad to begin with), sound stage seem deeper too.

A big thank to all of you.

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A quick read of my post history will reveal I’m super skeptical of tweaks. Wouldn’t swear I could pick these blind, but I am sweet on them. They’re also kinder to a hard floor than spikes. Time to enjoy some sounds and sit on the tweaking fingers a while :wink:

Glad to hear that you can (hear) the difference.
Maybe not all snake oils are created equal.
Enjoy the tunes!!

It is really great to see all these lovely systems here. From very complex and enhanced to minimal setup. Some tweak a lot, others don’t. Our setup is in the living room and I have tried to keep the looks very straightforward, but lots of tweaking has been done to improve the sound quality. It sounds very much to my liking and little has changed over the last years, except for the tweaking, :upside_down_face:

AudioQuest Niagara 1200 • Cambridge Audio CXC • JKE Hifi Plasma Grade Digital • Mac Mini i7 Roon Server • AudioQuest JitterBug • Blue Jeans Cable Cat 6A • Pink Faun LAN noise isolator • Naim Uniti Atom • Canare L-4E6S • Purifi EVAL1 • AudioQuest Castle Rock • Dynaudio Contour S 3.4 LE • IsoAcoustics Gaia II isolators • ArtSpeak netsnoeren • TIDAL

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Roon Rock on Intel NUC 8th Gen i5 with iPad mini, feeding Meridian 218 zone controller feeding Meridian DSP 6000.2 , built on request in 2007. The DSP’s standing on IsoAcoustics Gaia I and sounds great. LESS IS MORE :grinning:

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Great system. Loved the clean look too.

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Edit / Add (sorry, I missed the description):

ROCK (PrimeMini 4 with Intel Core 8i7-8650U vPro (NUC7i7DN), 2x8 GB DDR4-2400MHz, 2 TB SSD internal storage)
➜ Ethernet
➜ Fritzbox 7490 (DSL Router, Mesh Master) with LPS Sbooster BOTW P&P ECO 12V MKII
➜ Ethernet
➜ (A) Uptone EtherRegen with Farad Super3 9V LPS (B)
➜ Ethernet
➜ Lumin U1 Mini (Roon Endpoint, Spotify Connect)
➜ USB
➜ Matrix X-SPDIF 2 with with Farad Super3 6V LPS
➜ I2S (HDMI)
➜ PS Audio DirectStream DAC
➜ XLR
Main OUT

Main analog:
Ortofon MC Quintet Bronze
➜ Technics SL-1200 MKII
➜ RCA
➜ Pass Labs XP-17
➜ XLR
Main OUT

Main OUT:
Pass Labs XP-22
(1) ➜ XLR
➜ ATC SCM50A SL Classic
(2) ➜ RCA
➜ Velodyne Digital Drive 10 Plus (sub)

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Love your Goldnote turntable.