View Full Version : Some boxes joined together with wires
Haven't really posted any 'system' pix since I joined AoS in 2014 so thought it high time.
Basically a bunch of boxes ...nothing particularly special but I like them and they make a jolly racket :lol:
I alternate between two basic setups with intermediate swopping out of boxes ... usually on the whim of the day.
This is what I have up at the moment ... based around a Quad 34/405-2 combo using a Focusrite Saffire as AD/DA converter. The other set features a Quad Vena (1st generation)
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7837/31752081667_4e4b1dc941_b.jpg
More pics to follow .....
The little pair of speakers are Quad Lite and I switch to them when I am sitting at the desk. They were cheap (£60) because the varnish is faded
The floorstanders are Quad 22L - I got them locally for £200 and I really, really like them. They have been all around the room before they settled on the best spot.
Below is a block diagram with a key to the main components in the first photo:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7806/32818850328_c7b3f8ffae_z.jpg
I used to make notes of the various setups that I tried so I could remember the good ones ... but kept losing the scraps of paper so now make diagrams in PS (it passes the time)
Quite liked the 22L myself, didn't expect to. What are the big teak speakers to the back right?
Lawrence001
10-01-2019, 22:22
Quite liked the 22L myself, didn't expect to. What are the big teak speakers to the back right?Maybe a cupboard [emoji23]
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Maybe a cupboard [emoji23]
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They look like IMFs. But then I suppose IMFs do look like cupboards.
Lawrence001
10-01-2019, 23:47
They look like IMFs. But then I suppose IMFs do look like cupboards.There's a piece of wood dividing what could be speaker grilles a third of the way down, so it's not a pair. If they were speakers they would probably be a separate high/mid and bass cabinet, but then they look too old to have that, unless they are a diy design far ahead of their time. Hopefully we'll find out soon.
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Maybe a cupboard [emoji23]
Bang on the money :thumbsup:
There's a piece of wood dividing what could be speaker grilles a third of the way down,
Yep - hinge of the pull down leaf ... it's a bureau type thing (currently crammed full with assorted crap and redundant remotes)
Had piano black 22L quads myself. first versions. Fingerprint magnets mind so they gave you gloves. Reckon they would work very well with a vena.
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Thanks for the pic Mike and interesting set up. I ran the same Quad set up with a405-2 which I held onto for years until I replaced it with a 606. Think I preferred 405-2.
Thanks for the pic Mike and interesting set up. I ran the same Quad set up with a405-2 which I held onto for years until I replaced it with a 606. Think I preferred 405-2.
I definitely like the 405-2, plenty of grunt and a bit more slam than the 303 I have.
The pairing with the Quad 34 I find a bit on the clinical side - the 33 has a bit more of a mellow, euphonic and 'tube-like' feel to it when connected to the 405-2 .... but less detail
The 606 is an itch I'd like to scratch at some point .... bit skint now but a couple more months without cigs should pay for it ;)
Had piano black 22L quads myself. first versions. Fingerprint magnets mind so they gave you gloves. Reckon they would work very well with a vena.
Nice - I am glad I sourced the light coloured version though, particularly as I have a lot of Birch ply in the neighbourhood ;) but to be honest I would have gone for any finish at that price.
I had a read a lot of user reviews and almost all raved about their qualities (including users with plenty of experience of other, loftier, speakers) so was well pleased when the pair came up 'collect' on eBay - and at a village 5 miles from my house :eek: ) For £200 it was the proverbial 'no brainer' ....
The 22Ls respond really well to the Quad Vena ... even more so when using it as a pre-amp into the 405-2 but also very fine on its own.
This was the set up in 2015 a few months after I joined AoS - I think I posted it at the time,
There is a Quad 303 on the floor under the desk and a little Fiio DAC hiding behind the monitor connecting the Mac and Toshiba to the 33.
The 33 itself has had quite a journey ... was at that time a bit poorly and the passive was standing in sometimes while I carried out revisions.
The tiny Terratec boxes were great - the 'Pro-Vinyl' USB box on the right was an adjustable phono stage and A/D converter and actually did a great job.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/45978264944_c9e5e4ebd9_b.jpg
Main speakers were a pair of Q Acoustics 2020i on Mission stands off to the left (I still have them)
much too orginised for me. im messy :D love the braun tt
much too orginised for me. im messy :D love the braun tt
:lol: - believe me it was well tidied up for the pic - usually a bomb site - :lol:
The Braun is my particular joy, sometimes a bit high maintenance but well worth it.
:lol: - believe me it was well tidied up for the pic - t.
Hey that's cheating!
Great write-up on your system Mike. I could feel the enthusiasm you have for it coming through.
I definitely like the 405-2, plenty of grunt and a bit more slam than the 303 I have.
The pairing with the Quad 34 I find a bit on the clinical side - the 33 has a bit more of a mellow, euphonic and 'tube-like' feel to it when connected to the 405-2 .... but less detail
The 606 is an itch I'd like to scratch at some point .... bit skint now but a couple more months without cigs should pay for it ;)
The 606 was effortless grunt and a bit faster than the 405-2.
Great write-up on your system Mike. I could feel the enthusiasm you have for it coming through.
Thank you for the kind words Rob - glad the enthusiasm shows :)
I enjoy putting the different bits together and seeing what comes out, but I guess we all do otherwise the forum would grind to a halt :lol:
The 606 was effortless grunt and a bit faster than the 405-2.
With saving up the pennies then I guess ;)
Obviously quite a bit has changed since the 2015 pic ....
First to go was the Fiio Dac, to be replaced by an Audiolab Q-DAC that was on offer at Sevenoaks with a substantial discount. The Fiio was a great little box and gave me a chance to find out what a more direct digital approach had to offer so the next logical step was something with decent reputation and more scope. Was also attracted to the built-in headphone output instead of the diddy C-Moy I was using.
Not long afterwards I replaced the Pro-Vinyl A/D with an M-Audio ProFire 610 mixer (very cheap on eBay). This was to be fed from the phono stage of the 33 and via Firewire to the Mac for recording (using Audacity). I used to use a Behringer FCA202 for the same function in earlier times and always found Firewire a more robust channel than USB. Unfortunately this development was short lived. M-Audio ceased support for Mac and few months down the line at a substantial OS upgrade the device ceased to be recognised.
As I couldn't find any workarounds for the M-Audio problem, I opted for the Focusrite Saffire Pro-24 that has the same feature set and that I still use today - only now with a much more substantial role than I originally envisioned ... so that's all good then ...
During all this time I was also working on the revisions to the Quad 33 - I posted a lengthy thread on AoS at the time but all the pics are now gone so may do another one. Suffice to say it was quite a substantial change ... but well worthwhile ;)
The other set up mentioned in the first post.
In 2017 The Quad Vena replaced the Q-DAC which had been irritating me for some time for a number of reasons.
The Quad 33 is acting solely as phono stage in this set up, also have a Cambridge CP2 but it is less flexible with no sonic advantage.
The box sitting next to the Focusrite on the lowest shelf is the PSU for the 33.
I made the box sitting on top of the 33 to house an RPi 2 and an RPi3.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4812/45809076715_7c9f7dc481_o.jpg
Nice (well-thought out) system, Mike - and housed in a proper 'lived in'/practical space, which I thoroughly approve of, rather than some spotless, but rather antiseptic looking lounge from a 'show home', which looks like someone's just burgled the place;)
However.... We need some nice close-up pics of that gorgeous Braun - it is the STAR of the show, after all! So get yer camera out again, and let's see some loving close-ups:D
...preferably with a record on the platter, and the arm and cartridge on top, playing the record, which is how I think pics of T/Ts always look best.
Marco.
:popcorn::popcorn:
Marco.
Nice (well-thought out) system, Mike - and housed in a proper 'lived in'/practical space, which I thoroughly approve of, rather than some spotless, but rather antiseptic looking lounge from a 'show home', which looks like someone's just burgled the place;)
However.... We need some nice close-up pics of that gorgeous Braun - it is the STAR of the show, after all! So get yer camera out again, and let's see some loving close-ups:D
...preferably with a record on the platter, and the arm and cartridge on top, playing the record, which is how I think pics of T/Ts always look best.
Marco.
Cheers Marco - thank you for the positive comments, much appreciated :)
Have been thinking for a while now of starting a separate thread on the PS500, tis indeed a marvellous machine.
Life (as usual) tends to get in the way of even the best of intentions so it has slipped quite far down my list of priorities at the 'mo.
Sure I will get around to it sometime soon though ;)
In the meantime .... here's one I made earlier:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4648/38734692310_19aa22228c_o.jpg
You're welcome, mate. Nice pic - look forward to reading the separate thread on the beastie!:cool:
Marco.
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