Audio Asylum - Inmate Systems

nuno1959 's my sounds.. System
IP Address: 85.242.196.6	Last Update: July 10, 2009 at 14:44:38
Amplifier:	Onkyo Integra A-8067
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Speakers:	B&W 603 S2
Sources:
CD Player/DAC:	2 X 1TB W.Digital My Book USB drives-->Intel iMac-->Behringer UCA 202 USB sound card
Turntable/Phono Stage:	Thorens TD 316 MK III , Shure cartridge - but am going to retire vinyl/player...
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
Speaker Cables/Interconnects:	Supra 4mm, biwired
Room Size (LxWxH):	12 x 20 x 10
Room Comments/Treatments:	a bit too many hard surfaces but can't be bothered with carpets & such - i like things clean & neat but detest housekeeping so....less IS more ! :-)
Music Preferences and Comments:
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	easier to list what i don't like : most country, most folklore, most ''easy listening'', most rap/hip-hop, saccharin laden andré rieu/richard clayderman type of mumbo-jumbo, most opera & of course my all time hatred/repulsion favorite : Eurovision song contest type of music - someone please shoot me & put me out of my misery !!...LOL...
System Goals/Comments:	played bass guitar for some years in band context, so i love that ''musicians playing in the room'' feel so to speak..want to streamline my system to the max : few boxes, cables, remotes, media storage racks... then in near future an upgrade to a Roksan Kandy K2 (?..) amplifier & money allowing, a Dac of some description. next year or so perhaps other speakers ? to be seen... right now the Behringer USB sound card was my way of ''testing the waters'' so to speak, without spending a lot , just to see how it would work- so far i couldn't be happier : got rid of my old Pioneer PD-8800 CD, Pioneer PDR-609 CD recorder, my Thorens is going also, my Toshiba DVD is gone & most important of all if anything it sounds better than it did so, i can't wait to get a proper Dac.. at the same time i got rid of + or - 55 cubic feet of custom made LP/CD cabinetry that i had built making my room look two times bigger & ''cleaner''. hurray for ''computer audio'' !
System Strengths:	far from perfect but - big but here : it NEARLY has all the slam necessary, it has nice bass weight & definition ( nothing worst than ''single note, all over the place , sloppy bass''...) while the treble isn't overly ''edgy'' ( sandpaper ?..) at least until upper mid sound levels. acoustic instruments sound pretty realistic perhaps with the exception of horns after a certain sound level..
System Weaknesses:	goes loud enough, clear enough but hardens at the top of the sound levels
Video/HT System: None
TV/Projector:	Panasonic 42'' plasma display 2 & 1/2 years old, very good
Processor/Receiver/Amplifiers:	same as above....
Speakers (Center, Surrounds, Sub):	same as...
Sources (DVD/VCR):	same as...
Comments on HT System:	somehow i fail to be drawn into the HT thing. with this kind of screen size, many speakers with soundtracks ''flying around'' them distracts me from what's happening in the film/documentary/other. have tried it with friend's systems - reasonably good, well sorted systems- & it just doesn't work out for me... already in big movie theaters with good quality systems & a screen size that covers most my field of vision, i thoroughly enjoy it. also my house is so purposely small, i doubt i would like to have 5, 6 or 7 speakers spread out through it plus thirty presets to choose from to get THE sound for that movie : simplicity, simplicity &...some more simplicity please !
Other Interests/Hobbies/Occupation:	among many others : music, motorcycles, travel, cooking, arts, museums, conversation, entertaining friends, nature, etc....