Werner’s system

[Werner Berghofer]

The desk in my office.



From left to right: LaCie 1 TB harddisk, connected via Firewire to a Mac Mini (1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM) running Mac OS X version 10.6.7, Beresford Caiman+ DAC (Toslink connection to the Mini), Fatman iTube valve amp, Q Acoustics 1000i bookshelf speakers (the matching subwoofer 1000Si is placed below the desk as shown in the first picture).



My favourite location for headphone listening. Digital signal from an Airport Express is sent via Toslink to another Beresford Caiman+ which is connected to a …



… Schiit Valhalla headphone amplifier.



The floor-standing Triangle Zays Esprit loudspeakers in the living room upstairs.



From left to right: Loudspeaker detail, Apple Airport Express, Yamaha AX-592 integrated amplifier (bottom). Yamaha CDX-890 CD player (very rarely used), Yamaha T-550 tuner, Beresford Caiman, Sony DTC-790 DAT deck (top).



Wireless streaming can be routed to any point in the house, either from the Mac Mini on the desk or my Macbook Pro. The Mac Mini can also be controlled remotely via my iPhone. Currently my sound library contains 631 albums, all ripped to Apple Lossless format (mostly by using the XLD audio ripper).

During the last six months the most popular artists I listened to were Anouar Brahem, Lucinda Williams, Roy Orbison, Kraftwerk, Penguin Café Orchestra, Tord Gustavson Trio, Fabrizio de André, Keb’ Mo’, Diana Krall, Madeleine Peyroux, Rebecca Pidgeon, Tori Amos, Jan Garbarek, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Gear highlights of my analogue era were a Thorens turntable, a Revox A77 reel-to-reel tape recorder and a Nakamichi cassette deck, but this was long time ago. Can’t remember anymore the last time I played a vinyl LP.

[Rare Bird]

Looks like you have awesome view out of your window!

Do they make that Valhalla in Black?

[Werner Berghofer]

Do they make that Valhalla in Black?

No, unfortunately not :-( I would be the first customer buying a black version, but most of the time when I’m listening to headphones my eyes are closed anyway.

The view from the big window in the living room indeed is very nice.

[John]

Lovelly View and very tidy set up
If you can moght be worth moving out the speakers from the wall it should help, but might not be possible

[Werner Berghofer]

worth moving out the speakers from the wall it should help, but might not be possible

Yes, this is a good suggestion, but unfortunately it’s not possible to find another place for these speakers. It took a lot of effort to convice my girlfriend that these speakers really do sound much better than the micro system she used before we met :-)

When I’m alone at home I often place the speakers away from the window, turn them a little bit more to their sides and move the chair right to the sweet spot opposite to the speakers. It’s really a pity, because these speakers do sound excellent, but most of the time they are used for background music in the living room. My serious listening sessions take place either via headphones or in the near-field situation in my office.

In my flat in Vienna which I left seven years ago, these speakers were positioned in a much better way:

[Tim]

Beautiful place Werner, with styling I really like and as you know I'm not an Apple fan, but for you it really fits I'm liking the headphone amplifier too and I'm looking for one at the moment, so thanks for the link.

Stunning view too, I would love to come home to a place like that after a hard days work.

[Werner Berghofer]

Tim,

I'm liking the headphone amplifier too and I'm looking for one at the moment, so thanks for the link.

you’re very welcome. Exchanging of ideas, experiences and links are the most basic purposes of forums like this, and I’ll be more than happy if I can contribute something which is worth knowing for others too.

I would love to come home to a place like that after a hard days work.

Since I’m self-employed I spend most of my time downstairs in my office, but I appreciate the view from the living room the moment I enter it, even more after returning from a three or four day business trip.

[Werner Berghofer]

very tidy set up

Thank you! In the meantime I cleaned up the mess a little bit. Now I’m really happy with my desk.

[Werner Berghofer]

My headphone listening location recently has been changed. I added a vintage Sansui SE-7 graphic equalizer which enables me to compensate a slightly different curved auditory canal in my left ear. According to my ear specialist my right ear’s hearing still is around 98 percent, which is quite good for a person of my age (54).



Gear (top, from left to right): Beyerdynamic DT 990/600 Ω headphone, Schiit Valhalla amplifier, MacBook Pro (17"). Bottom: Beresford Caiman+ DAC, Sansui SE-7 graphic equalizer. Signal path: MacBook Pro via Toslink → DAC fixed line-out via RCA cable → equalizer → headphone amplifier → headphone.

If the laptop is not connected directly, the DAC still can be accessed wirelessly via an Airport Express, located below the coffee table. In this case I use the Caiman’s second Toslink input. No matter which connection method I use: the sound is just great, so I fear I have to spend the next two or three months re-discovering my music collection.

Werner.

[Marco]

Looking good, Werner, and top-notch photography as usual!

That ol' Sansui is a nice bit of kit (even though I'm not normally a fan of graphic equalisers). However, I realise what you've done, and applaud the lateral thinking you've used to assemble your system and obtain a great sound.

Yer also in not bad nick for 54, dude! You'd probably put some of the 40-year olds here to shame....

Marco.