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Audio setup
This is a list of my current main HI-FI system setup. It does change now and then and I will try to keep this page updated to reflect that. I have also included a few portable audio devices in the list.
Speakers
Aiwa SX NV-150 “twin duct three way bass reflex speaker system”
Decent speakers with a strong bass. Surprising quality when I have compared them to much more expensive kevlar speakers. However I would still like to upgraded them at some point.
Amplifier
NAD Stero Amplifier 3020i (1978 ish)
Clear audio amp with lots of punch for its size. It’s probably one of my favourite amps I ever used. Simple interface without lots of useless features.
CD player
Sony CDP-XE900E (1996)
Very good CD player has all the features I need and a nice clear large display. Solid built CD tray which uses a “Fixed Pick-up Mechanism”.
Vinyl deck
Technics SL-Q2 (1979-1981)
I love the automatic function of this deck. It means I wont wear out my stylus if I leave the room and the vinyl finishes playing. The arm will automatically park up. The direct drive for me is better with less to go wrong and the quartz tracking seems to work well.
Vinyl needle/cartridge
Great quality audio. Nice bass and treble response.
DAC
This is the DAC in my main personal desktop and it’s fantastic for a motherboard built in HD audio.
I mainly use this DAC on the PC at home and it fixes all the PC PSU line noise problems I was having before. The lower end bass on this is a bit better than the Realtek ALC887 I reckon as it manages to shake my headphones just that bit extra. I don’t however use the bass-boost mode but I do use the high-gain switch.
This is the DAC I use at work. I love the PCM readout. Anyway it’s a great sounding DAC. You can hear the difference in the bass and highs.
Ear-Canal headphones
I had a pair of these with my original Sony Walkman MP3 player. Be warned however once those broke I ordered a new pair which turned out to be fake. Anyway the originals were very good and offered a unique surround sound mode at the time. Coupled with the decent DAC on the MP3 player it was far greater quality than most phones could produce at the time. Let alone any iPod which still had the horrid non in earphones.
Great quality however the bass is lacking unless it’s snug in the ear. Drives well of the phones DAC. The treble response is brilliant.
Quite a strong bass. Fits snugly in the ear if using the larger tips to aid bass response.
Anker Bluetooth Headphones, SoundBuds Slim
Unfortunately these come with cheap nasty tips. I put my Sennheiser tips on them and now it’s a decent bluetooth earphone. Not as much bass as the MDR-EX450AP but decent in general for the price. Update: The battery life degraded significantly.
Bluetooth speaker
Great bass for such a small device. Long battery life that lasts roughly a solid day of playback. Stereo speakers, micro USB support and AUX input. Cost me £30 from Tesco UK and I would purchase a Kitsound bluetooth speaker again if I ever loose this one. Compares to more expensive Bose and MiniRig portable speakers.
Rare to see a bluetooth speaker within this price range with stereo speakers, tweeters and passive radiators. Huge bass and USB-C. Probably the best bluetooth speaker reviewer on YouTube oluv’s gadgets put me onto it and I agree.
Headphones
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Studio Headphones
Excellent headphones. It’s perfect for many types of music. The bass and highs are great. No issues like others suggest with too much high end.
MiniDisk player
The MZ-R410 has a record facility so that’s what I mainly use it for. Takes a single AA battery.
I use the MZ-E62 more since it has the remote control and great bass boost. Takes a single AA battery.
MP3 player
[Sony Walkman NWZ-A729]
VU
Home made analog needle VU meter
Click the link for more detail in a video.
Click the link for more detail in a video.