How Do You Live The Audiophile Life

Thanks, BrettMcee!   Really appreciate the encouraging words, and suggestions. Speaker placement is a little limited but there is room to work it more, try some things out.  I’m fascinated with integrating DACs into the system.  My first opportunity will probably be putting a Schitt behind the Bluesound player.  But after that I’m at a loss as to thinking of how else the system I have could be enhanced using DACs.  Again, about thoughts very much appreciated.  

@audiodidact   I just added 'the Schitt' to my system.  I have an ModWright Oppo 105D.  It's an excellent performer. But in my never ceasing pursuit to remove distortion and reduce sibilance in my system, I found even the entry level Schiit helped with the accuracy of the 2khz-10khz range and decreased smearing, so any present sibilance became more delineated and musical, less spitty, cutting, tearing. It is also helpful if the DAC can reveal/illuminate any reverb that surrounds those frequencies. 

I also found a very special vintage power amp and an even more special old pro amp that are now my two primary amplifiers. I will probably not be sharing what those amplifiers are at the moment as most audiophile peeps would laugh me from the forum. But these amps (in my setup, my room, and with the music i primarily listen to) have bested a CJ 350 Premiere, a BAT VK-500 with BatPak, a Spectron Musician III mk2 , Carver Sunfire Signature Sunfire 600, a Carver Lightstar 2.0, an Adcom 555 and more.

I have visited Optimal Enchantment https://optimalenchantment.com and other local shops...  Optimal Enchantment has a gorgeous all-tube AR setup that is once of the best i've heard.  I also visited AXPONA 2018. 

For my room, for my preferred music, I would put my system up against any system that I have heard.

((...I am willing to be tested, but I am pretty sure I have 'golden ears'.

One measure we do not measure is 'speed of hearing'.  Think of it as frame rate is to film or how quickly can you get information from moments.

They say Ted Williams could see the spin of the ball and thats why he was such a great hitter. I was a great hitter (until i grew an irrational singular fear of being hit in the face with the ball) and I'm in an industry where I 'have to see the spin of the ball' all day long. So I know i am well practiced in getting/perceiving near pixel-level data on individual frames--at speed--which is 24 to 30 frames a second.))

I welcome anyone in or passing through the LA area to come on over for a listen.  Just private message me.

speaker placement can take many weekends of trial and error...  

my current speakers are 153 lbs each. so it can be a workout too!

buy colored gaffers tape and mark 'promising placements'.

also doesn't hurt to mark the center of your room.

;-)

I loot and pillage.

No wait,that's the Pirate's life.....

Poot and porridge.