How many systems -- more than one , or one is enough.

DaveyF · Nov 15, 2017

I would like to ask everyone this question..
Who here enjoys more than one system in their home, or in their homes, businesses, etc.

It occurs to me that in some ways, we align ourselves with a certain sound when we pick our 'primary' ( and usually only) system. Therefore, it would be very cool to have more than one system;perhaps one based on dynamic speakers, another based on planars, a third based on horns and so on

. Naturally, this assumes that the budget would allow for this and the space as well

.
But, i think in a perfect a'phile world, a number of options and systems would be the very best of all worlds.
Another question, if we had the budget,and for those who own just one system, like myself ( and I suspect most of us), if we were to add another system (s), what would that system consist of?

I know what I would do, but let's start the thread and see what you guys would do....

the sound of Tao · Nov 16, 2017

Good questions in OP for sure.

I have two systems now and will aim for one more to come.

I’m just designing the next house now and have 3 good structured different scaled spaces designed for listening.

I’ve used the listening room ratios that Manolis from Tune Audio suggests.

A 12 x 7.5 x 3 metre open plan living room listening space for a system based around Harbeth 40.2s and a full range horn/valve setup in a console across the rear wall for everyday listening... it’s tidal and Roon based and focussed on living with music.

The second a 7.5 x 4.5 x 2.7 metre purely dedicated listening room designed as a near field and dipole pattern specifically for the Maggie 20.7s system. This is 100 per cent about being completely captured in both the experience of sound and the music.

Another 7.2 x 5.2 x 2.4 metre workspace allows for a third system yet to be specified. Possibly different horns or a restored Apogee or maybe additional night time home theatre duties with any of the above speaker types.

mullard88 · Nov 16, 2017

I have three systems.

The first is the system in my main listening room.

The second is the system in my bedroom.

The third is the system in my 20 footer container van in my weekend home.

Tango · Nov 16, 2017

I learnt from my experience leaving an Aston, a Lambo and a SLS in a garage recharging batteries 350 days a year while using a van to commute almost daily. One room is enough for me sir.

Kind regards,
Tang

christoph · Nov 16, 2017

the sound of Tao said:
Good questions in OP for sure.

I have two systems now and will aim for one more to come.

I’m just designing the next house now and have 3 good structured different scaled spaces designed for listening.

I’ve used the listening room ratios that Manolis from Tune Audio suggests.

A 12 x 7.5 x 3 metre open plan living room listening space for a system based around Harbeth 40.2s and a full range horn/valve setup in a console across the rear wall for everyday listening... it’s tidal and Roon based and focussed on living with music.

The second a 7.5 x 4.5 x 2.7 metre purely dedicated listening room designed as a near field and dipole pattern specifically for the Maggie 20.7s system. This is 100 per cent about being completely captured in both the experience of sound and the music.

Another 7.2 x 5.2 x 2.4 metre workspace allows for a third system yet to be specified. Possibly different horns or a restored Apogee or maybe additional night time home theatre duties with any of the above speaker types.

I really dig your style, Tao

the sound of Tao · Nov 16, 2017

Thanks Christoph, just thinking I’ll go for Iwata horns with open baffle bass towers in the workspace for the third setup... it’s just that drawing iwatas is harder than drawing up trapezoidal or spherical or lecleached horns... but the iwatas are super sexy and will look (and sound) magic in that space.

It wasn’t till I just drew up the workspace that I realised that the workspace opening out onto the rain garden is the perfect place for the iwatas or maybe even some WE13a in laminated birch ply.

Rodney Gold · Nov 16, 2017

My sysytem gives me all I want , but if I had to choose 2 more they would be
Beolab 90
AG trios with 6 basshorns

JackD201 · Nov 16, 2017

the sound of Tao said:
Good questions in OP for sure.

I have two systems now and will aim for one more to come.

I’m just designing the next house now and have 3 good structured different scaled spaces designed for listening.

I’ve used the listening room ratios that Manolis from Tune Audio suggests.

A 12 x 7.5 x 3 metre open plan living room listening space for a system based around Harbeth 40.2s and a full range horn/valve setup in a console across the rear wall for everyday listening... it’s tidal and Roon based and focussed on living with music.

The second a 7.5 x 4.5 x 2.7 metre purely dedicated listening room designed as a near field and dipole pattern specifically for the Maggie 20.7s system. This is 100 per cent about being completely captured in both the experience of sound and the music.

Another 7.2 x 5.2 x 2.4 metre workspace allows for a third system yet to be specified. Possibly different horns or a restored Apogee or maybe additional night time home theatre duties with any of the above speaker types.

OMG that's gorgeous!

the sound of Tao · Nov 16, 2017

JackD201 said:
OMG that's gorgeous!

Thank you Jack,
Just working on the structure of the undercroft a bit more now... am thinking of putting it up on steels to keep it feeling floating. It overlooks the lake here and have a lovely sunny north facing garden where i have put most of the thermal mass to help capture heat on a winter day. I will likely add a touch more wildness to the garden to help keep it fluid and more connected naturally and balance all the order and structure out a bit more. The gardens around it are for bio reticulation and rain water harvesting and will probably have some aquaponics and then use the reticulating ponds to surround it with rain chains, have a natural pool and outdoor water showers driven via solar powered pumps to cool and modify the micro climate around the building on hot days.

The centre acts as a passive heating cooling tower which also sits above the sound gear so I can even run 211 set monos and not bake too bad... plus it'll work to cool the house in summer and then warm it in winter mostly passively.

I'm really happy with the way it is shaping up and in truth it has come together fairly easily... I only just started drawing it up last week. Should be a great space to live, enjoy the gardens and of course play plenty of music in.

christoph · Nov 16, 2017

I have several Systems, spread over 4 to 5 rooms

The reason for that is that I want to be able to listen to different flavours:

Speakerwise it is horns (hORNS Universum, different Odeons and Living Voice) and dipole planars (ribbons/magnetostats and e-stat, different Apogees and Acoustat Sprectra 22)

Ampwise it is mostly SET tubes (different KR Audio and Ayon) and hybrids (Lamm and Sphinx)

The main listening room is the (huuuuge) living room with a "pretty" System, while the other rooms (upstairs library und downstairs flat) more have the character of Sound Labs, where I swap Speakers and other gear in and out, depending on mood and interest

My Systems are mostly digital and one Vinyl rig (that I plan to move around before I decide in which system it will stay)

There is one dedicated, totally blacked out cinema room with projector and 120' screen and surround Sound, and as well a dedicated TV room (my wife and I can't always agree on the program

)

BMCG · Nov 16, 2017

Tango said:
I learnt from my experience leaving an Aston, a Lambo and a SLS in a garage recharging batteries 350 days a year while using a van to commute almost daily. One room is enough for me sir.

Kind regards,
Tang

Tang - hear you on that....i've put desultory miles on multiple choice autos the past few years.....

Have one...and exploit to the hilt..much better.

christoph · Nov 16, 2017

the sound of Tao said:
Thank you Jack,
Just working on the structure of the undercroft a bit more now... am thinking of putting it up on steels to keep it feeling floating. It overlooks the lake here and have a lovely sunny north facing garden where i have put most of the thermal mass to help capture heat on a winter day. I will likely add a touch more wildness to the garden to help keep it fluid and more connected naturally and balance all the order and structure out a bit more. The gardens around it are for bio reticulation and rain water harvesting and will probably have some aquaponics and then use the reticulating ponds to surround it with rain chains, have a natural pool and outdoor water showers driven via solar powered pumps to cool and modify the micro climate around the building on hot days.

The centre acts as a passive heating cooling tower which also sits above the sound gear so I can even run 211 set monos and not bake too bad... plus it'll work to cool the house in summer and then warm it in winter mostly passively.

I'm really happy with the way it is shaping up and in truth it has come together fairly easily... I only just started drawing it up last week. Should be a great space to live, enjoy the gardens and of course play plenty of music in.
View attachment 37258 View attachment 37259 View attachment 37260 View attachment 37261

Just wow.
May I ask, where in the world this marvel is about to develop?

the sound of Tao · Nov 16, 2017

christoph said:
I have several Systems, spread over 4 to 5 rooms

The reason for that is that I want to be able to listen to different flavours:

Speakerwise it is horns (hORNS Universum, different Odeons and Living Voice) and dipole planars (ribbons/magnetostats and e-stat, different Apogees and Acoustat Sprectra 22)

Ampwise it is mostly SET tubes (different KR Audio and Ayon) and hybrids (Lamm and Sphinx)

The main listening room is the (huuuuge) living room with a "pretty" System, while the other rooms (upstairs library und downstairs flat) more have the character of Sound Labs, where I swap Speakers and other gear in and out, depending on mood and interest

My Systems are mostly digital and one Vinyl rig (that I plan to move around before I decide in which system it will stay)

There is one dedicated, totally blacked out cinema room with projector and 120' screen and surround Sound, and as well a dedicated TV room (my wife and I can't always agree on the program )

That’s such a great strategy Christoph... horns and ribbons take you to such different places in perception and also they lead you to different approaches in gear and setup and most importantly to different kinds of music... everything is a compromise in system choice so if you like different experiences in listening and diverse music genres then having a few systems makes sense for more long term music enjoyment.

the sound of Tao · Nov 16, 2017

Am just out on the edge of a lake on the East Coast of Oz... its a great community here, I am lucky to live here, beautiful beaches and plenty of access to natural environment. This next house may or may not be my last move depending on how my mortal coil holds out but designing for the long term and leaving it as a legacy to the next gen of my family so I've designed it around a possible 3 degree C rise in this century, predicted inundation and infrastructure challenges for energy, water and food production so it will provide my future family a lasting safe haven in a potentially more challenging environment. Will probably build out of biocrete finished with an aggregate wash, bamboo and hardwood, copper, steel and zinc gal plus fibreglass reinforced recycled plastic mesh decking so it will last and require minimal maintenance in operation.

Also one of mine at 17 already likes jazz and R and b, valves, harbeths and Maggies, and has put his hands up for the Shindo and Stillpoints already so everything will be of use when I ultimately check out.

spiritofmusic · Nov 16, 2017

What a great grand design you’re planning.
And good to hear one of your kids at least is already infected with audiophilia.

the sound of Tao · Nov 16, 2017

Thanks Marc, my teenage nephew also already has a vinyl setup and is getting a good start with some Harbeth 30.1s and I have some Quicksilver monos, straightwire ICs, Kimber 8tc speaker cables set aside for him and am thinking a tidal subscription for Christmas so he’ll keep up sharing the music tips... but yes, audiophile species loss is clearly at an all time high.

spiritofmusic · Nov 16, 2017

It’s chronic I’m afraid Tao.
You can’t even begin to talk about Tidal at £20/month w young people without them thinking you’re faintly crazy not to stick with I Tunes or Spotify.
Good luck selling MQA to that crowd.
I did a straw poll at my favourite Indian resteraunt.
The maximum anyone would spend on a system was...£35!
And that was the owner!
When I said my cheapest component was fuses, at 3x this £35 figure, and I had 18 of them, I nearly had to perform CPR on the manager!

the sound of Tao · Nov 16, 2017

At least music will outlast any one delivery system... it’s just great to be able to cross the generation gap via shared moments in music with the family and friends. Having a couple of systems is only worthwhile if they are all good at music making otherwise more than one would be just waste.

morricab · Nov 16, 2017

the sound of Tao said:
Am just out on the edge of a lake on the East Coast of Oz... its a great community here, I am lucky to live here, beautiful beaches and plenty of access to natural environment. This next house may or may not be my last move depending on how my mortal coil holds out but designing for the long term and leaving it as a legacy to the next gen of my family so I've designed it around a possible 3 degree C rise in this century, predicted inundation and infrastructure challenges for energy, water and food production so it will provide my future family a lasting safe haven in a potentially more challenging environment. Will probably build out of biocrete finished with an aggregate wash, bamboo and hardwood, copper, steel and zinc gal plus fibreglass reinforced recycled plastic mesh decking so it will last and require minimal maintenance in operation.

Also one of mine at 17 already likes jazz and R and b, valves, harbeths and Maggies, and has put his hands up for the Shindo and Stillpoints already so everything will be of use when I ultimately check out.

Well, I am late to the party but I will simply say congrats on an amazing design. One thing to beware though is all that glass can give room interaction headaches.

morricab · Nov 16, 2017

I have three systems, but only two are at my home. My main one is my Odeon La Boheme horn system, which is in a small space but quite good acoustically. This was powered by the Ayon Crossfire III (now in the care of Christoph) but will be replaced by the new Aries Cerat Genus integrated amplifier. Later I will add an AC Kassandra DAC. I also have my vinyl rig in this system

The downstairs system is mainly living with music and for movies. It is a pair of Odeon Rigolettos powered by a JJ322 parallel 300B SET. Old PS Audio Dac that I run spotify or DVD player through.

My third system is at my colleague's place and is a pair of Decware HDTs with an Aries Cerat Diana integrated. DAC is my colleague's ASUS DAC. It is essentially our second demo room. These speakers though will be moved to the third floor of my place in the near future and a new, more experimental system, will evolve around these speakers.

How many systems -- more than one , or one is enough.

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Attachments

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads