Audio Asylum - Inmate Systems

whackamus's Starving-Freelance-Journalist-Living-(Just-Barely)-Within-His-Means System
IP Address: 72.94.52.137	Last Update: March 27, 2009 at 21:48:55
Amplifier:	Aragon 8008BB (200 watts RMS 8 Ohms; 400 watts RMS 4 Ohms; 700 watts RMS 2 Ohms)
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Adcom GFP-750
Speakers:	Infinity Renaissance 90s (high-gloss, piano-black lacquer; 87 dB SPL (1 watt @ 1 metre)); nominal impedance of 4 Ohms -- real world impedances hover in the 3 Ohm (and under) range, however, particularly at low frequencies
Sources:
CD Player/DAC:	Sony SCD-777ES (on 'Custom' -- 100 KHz – setting) Two external SCSI CD-RW drives (Plextor PX1210TS and Plextor PX4010TS) connected (via SCSI VHDI cable) to custom-built music server. System is a fanless Pentium 4 2.4 GHz with custom-modded power supply unit. E-mu 1212m (balanced) feeds Adcom GFP-750 pre (balanced) via custom XLRs; my SCD-777ES feeds the E-mu via AudioQuest Ruby coaxial cable -- although I almost exclusively opt to use the Plextors (via Foobar and ASIO) on those rare occasions when I actually feel compelled to spin CDs. I rip to lossless (FLAC) and am quite happy with it. It’s been years since I’ve enjoyed listening as much.
Other Source(s):	Yamaha T-7 analog tuner, Meridian 586 CD/DVD Player
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
Speaker Cables/Interconnects:	Goertz Alpha-Core MI3 Divinity (silver spades; bi-wired); MIT ProLine 330 CVT (XLR); AudioQuest Ruby (RCA)
Tweaks:	35 lb. lead blocks on each of the Renaissance 90s (with a soft towel-cloth protecting their respective finishes, of course)
Room Size (LxWxH):	14 x 12 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	Book cases on front and rear walls; CD racks on side walls; stacks of books spilling just about all over the place (think Teddy Kennedy after a 21 martini lunch here); thick carpet.
Music Preferences and Comments:
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Everything -- with the exceptions of hip-hop, rap, banal-nouveau-country (what ever happened to good old Ernest Tubb?) or vacuous (we've-got-breast-implants-purity-a-plenty-and-bare-midriffs-a-go-go-so-now-we're-gonna-make-) bubblegum-pop.
System Goals/Comments:	It's now in an okay-sized room (14'x 11') and -- after two years of break-in -- sounds downright euphonious to my ears. Vocals explode into space and shimmer with tantalizing illusiveness, even as instruments nearly defy the physics of the room.
System Strengths:	Warmth and spaciousness. Compelling verisimilitude.
System Weaknesses:	Room is still too small. I'd like to get my 90's at least five or six feet away from the rear walls. That's not possible in a room of this size.
Video/HT System: None
Other Interests/Hobbies/Occupation:	Lessee, tinkering with computers. Reading. Writing. Philosophizing. Contemplating my navel.