I recently watched the Sound Shed series from New Record Day that he recently finished and I have to say it was a very inspiring and educational watch on how to build up a purpose made space from nothing into something. Lot’s of great room treatment info and good practices to follow, very thorough sound demos in the space every step of the way that actually showcases the differences in treatment as well as proper room measurements to go along with each change.
I’m definitely not anywhere near that level but it was still a really good watch and I learned a lot… it also gave me very unrealistic (for me) pie in the sky setup goals LOL
My new speakers should be here Monday and I’ll be redoing my room and setup so I should have some new pictures for this thread soonish
I really enjoyed that series too. Now I just need to live somewhere putting a metal shed near the house isn’t going to put me in violation of various HOA rules…
@EvilGnome6, If you don’t mind the cost of the original go ahead and purchase direct.
I purchased a replica and have been satisfied with the build, fit, finish and quality of the leather.
I’m considering getting a second chair in the TALL version, I wish i had gotten the TALL version the first time around, I nap in my chair, being able to lay my head back w/ some more stability is what i desire.
Here is where i purchased mine, the transaction was straight forward, packaging was good enough to get the job done, their box was a bit battered when it finally arrived but NO DAMGE to the product and every piece was perfect and fit exactly like it was supposed to.
Here is a second location that is even cheaper that supposedly makes a good enough product too. No experience w/ them though just a reference from another audio group.
Thanks for the info. I did a LOT of digging around at the various replica vendors. I can’t see myself paying the premium for an original at this point in my life. Good to know the Iconic Chair is selling a quality product. I’ll definitely be opting for a tall version (I’m 6’2") and full grain leather. It seems that the less expensive ones (like the Sohne) are top grain leather.
Cheapest I could find Tall and Full Grain is at CurverK.
I don’t have any real evidence but I have a sneaking suspicion that all of the other vendors are just reselling the CurverK replicas as their own.
I don’t know if it is because I’m spoiled, having the ability to simply swap out good equipment at a whim, or if i just view this hobby w/ too much of a child-like excitement for the equipment, or heck if i’m simply tone deaf and listening to music like a retarded monkey w/ no idea of what “good sound” is…I have trouble getting anything in my racks that sounds “bad”, “off”, weird, “piss-poor” or simply doesn’t bring me GREAT joy
I’ve got @Souldriver ’s pretty much “maxed” out MOJO Mystique X DAC doing its thing in my smaller rack, playing a ROON mix of various Blues, Jazz and Avant-Garde. I’ve got what I consider cheap, simple, basic “bare-bones” speakers (Decware, Tube-Tots) & a B-stock banged up REL T7/i, in a room treated w/ a mish-mosh of blankets and some haphazardly strewn about diffraction panels, along w/ red coat hangers suspended off my shelves on yoga blocks being used as speaker wires.
It doesn’t get much sillier or foolish, yes I’ve seen slightly more “ghetto” rigs, but I’m in the top 20-ish percentile
The sound is GOOD though, it’s really good. It doesn’t get particularly loud, nor project like a live performance and i have NO idea what the artist intended when they recorded any of their albums. I know that every piece sitting on this rack does a heck of a good job and you should not be scared of experimenting and mixing and matching pieces till you find combinations that make you happy
I’ll do my best later on to give my impressions of various pieces on the rack, but there’s nothing negative to say about anything and only fine nuances that will influence character a bit one way or another depending on what you desire and what you are putting together for yourself.
2 watts for the win
Innuos Zenith Mk3 → Mojo Mystique X DAC → Yamamoto A08-S amp → Decware Tube Tots (cables are a mixed mess, even w/ a gun to my head i couldn’t tell you what each individually does or doesn’t do at this point)
Pretty decent cable management game going on there, I approve.
That’s the real benefit of a rack IMO, it makes good cable management so much easier. I’ve got my shelf about 8 inches from the back wall and even that is tight and I have to take great care to make sure shit isn’t crisscrossing each other and keeping everything away from power cables etc. OCD can kick in and it usually does, but having to get down on the floor or contort to get back in there is something that’s not an issue for your there!
The pain of cable management behind a shelf against the wall is real.
I’ve given up and let everything touch each other. Pain to my ego is less than pain to my back/neck.
And it is turned on this time! We just need to get you onto the mojo’s spdif next. Give it a good spin i am very interested in how you feel about this vs the base.
I’m a huge fan of the DSHA-3FN, it really is a fantastic amp for mid to high impedance dynamic driver headphones. It is true to the ECP original, and I had never heard such an absolutely black, silent noise floor before. It is also very resolving, and creates an expansive soundstage. And yet it is very musical, with just a touch of warmth to it. I’ve used my Focals, ZMFs, and the HD650 with it, all with excellent results. I would guess the HD800S would also go very well with it. Surprisingly, even the Rosson sounds great with it, but only because it’s a fairly high impedance and relatively efficient planar. This amp is primarily for dynamic driver headphones.
The PMax is a very good amp for $500, but it’s been way overhyped in other forums imo (as was Piety). Don’t get me wrong, I think both of the Piety based amps are very good for what they are. But neither is a “giant killer” like some seem to think.
I would say Pmax sounds like a more refined Jotunheim 2, with a very smooth midrange, and good sounding top to bottom. It doesn’t sound kind of ragged in the top end or loose in the bass like the Piety. It is a much refined and upgraded Asgard, with better parts throughout. There aren’t many amps I can think of in the $500 range that are better, though I’m curious how it would compare with a Rebel amp, which is similar in price… The Pietus has more power available, but isn’t Class A, so who knows?
Thank you for the thorough impressions. I appreciate it!
I felt similarly about the Piety when I heard it. It was a bit v-shaped with too much treble emphasis to my ears. I did enjoy the touch of sweetness that it had.
The Pietus Maximus being a refined Asgard sounds good to me since I prefer the Asgard over the Jotenheim 2 (similar treble extension for me as with the Piety). It sounds like it’s maybe a middle ground of the two Schiit amps if I’m understanding correctly.
I’m at a point in this hobby that i sometimes feel guilty about having the actual space to dedicate to the components thus in turn i feel if I’m going to provide visual stimulation and babble about stuff I am obligated to take the time and follow best HiFi practices where possible so as to NOT encourage bad habits to others.
As my own experience has grown over the years i have had costly accidents and learned that patience and attention to the small details pays off in sound quality more often than not. If you have made the effort to address the room and seating best possible, it will be the small details next that will probably give you the experience you crave and strive for. (HP systems alleviate room and seating position concerns so you are ahead of the game if this is your chosen path)
Once the initial wave of euphoria settles in after installing a new component and your ears & brain have had time to settle in and fully process the changes, my current belief is that finding synergy between the pieces, which entails paying attention to the small details, like cable management and selection, vibration and isolation control, positioning and placement, and lastly appropriate music selection for your equipment’s capabilities can be the the difference between WOW or MEH
@dB_Cooper you have emphasized the words “best practices” often and the term and its value have embedded themselves into my routines, much credit and appreciation to you for encouraging me to be a more careful, diligent and thoughtful audiophile
Happy listening to all, i wish You audiophile bliss always no matter the direction and path you take.
. Get the tall yep.
at this point)
