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John
The DARhaus’ main listening room is nearing completion. A pair of passive KEF LS50 in dashing Racing Red have been returned to the top of the white Atacama Nexus 6 loudspeaker stands and a full suite of PS Audio electronics is now in situ along the side wall. Too bulky/heavy for Hifi Racks’ Podium Slimline shelves, the BHK Signature 300 monoblocking duo sit to the left on an IKEA Aptitlig chopping block.
In the rack itself, PS Audio’s BHK Signature pre-amplifier and their DirectStream DAC, complete with Roon Ready Network Bridge II. Ready for digital audio front-end rotation is the Aqua La Scala MKII/Optologic fed by the Roon Ready Sonore microRendu and lassoed via USB with a Curious cable. Everywhere else, a full suite of AudioQuest wire joins the dots: Carbon Ethernet cable, Rocket 88 loudspeaker cable, Yukon interconnects and NRG-X2/3 power cables.
A whole bunch of other gear is scattered tidily around this one bedroom apartment in Berlin’s central district of Mitte. The Instagram snaps below show only works in progress. Proper photos will follow once everything is in its right place. Everythiiiiiiing….
Lining the wooden floor, a trio of LOBBÄK rugs from IKEA. Up on the front wall, above an IKEA Kallax unit (4 x 2) that houses a quickly growing vinyl collection, sit a pair of EQ Acoustics 50L Spectrum Studio absorbers and a pair of the same company’s 50L low frequency absorbers. Amazon.de provided the cheap-ass foam bass traps that sit in each of the front walls’ corners. 3 x 50cm2 diffusers (to be strategically placed) are in the post.
Taking pride of place above the Pioneer PLX-500 turntable is David Bowie. Low was recorded forty years ago at Hansa Studios; a 15 minute walk from where I sit and listen to it. Mind you, the Pioneer ‘table is soon to be replaced by something $uperior.
However…
The room treatments must be either discrete or reasonably attractive, the hardware well presented (and not strewn everywhere). Those cables need tidying. Why? Because this isn’t a dedicated listening room. This is my lounge room where I also watch TV, read books, entertain guests and sometimes sit in silence and do nothing. I don’t have the luxury of a dedicated listening room – defined here as a room that has no purpose other than music playback/listening – and I’m not sure I’d opt for one even if I lived in a larger apartment.
My desire to fit audio gear into my life – and not the other way around – is central to this website’s broader thinking. I hope this thinking also reflects that of the DAR readership but hey, ya never know until you ask, do ya?
Time for a poll:
[poll id=”9″]
Simple, huh?
As always, on-topic comments are welcome below. HINT: this one’s about the listening room itself.
