Audioseduction
Active member
Wow! I don’t think I could ever give up my dedicated listening room. Glad it’s working out for you.
Adventures in Downsizing
- Thread starter nicoff
- Start date
- Thread Author
- #22
The adventure continues.
I have a PC running Roon core. The PC was connected my DAC.
I decided to move the PC to another location (utility room) and, instead, connect my DAC to a Raspberry Pi.
The RPi is now my Roon endpoint. The DAC has not changed.
The pictures below show the size difference between the PC and the RPi. I am also showing the two devices that are being replaced (Preamp) or relocated (PC).
Next up: I will be exploring a smaller DAC.
I have a PC running Roon core. The PC was connected my DAC.
I decided to move the PC to another location (utility room) and, instead, connect my DAC to a Raspberry Pi.
The RPi is now my Roon endpoint. The DAC has not changed.
The pictures below show the size difference between the PC and the RPi. I am also showing the two devices that are being replaced (Preamp) or relocated (PC).
Next up: I will be exploring a smaller DAC.
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SCAudiophile
Member
Passive preamps also tend to be smaller in size and might be an avenue to explore....
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crwilli
Member
I hope this is me in my dedicated listening room. I will fit in an amplifier box.
Caveira Skeleton GIF - Caveira Skeleton Ive Been Waiting - Discover & Share GIFs
Caveira Skeleton GIF - Caveira Skeleton Ive Been Waiting - Discover & Share GIFs
a.wayne
Active member
Big difference in sound with that switch ...!
a.wayne
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- Thread Author
- #28
slowgeezr
Active member
Wow, we went in opposite directions, mostly because our health differences, I think. We went from a just under 3000sq.ft. house to an over 5200sq.ft. house, with a dedicated listening room. Fortunately, both my wife and I are neat nicks, so cleaning our new house is easy. We left Texas and moved to Colorado four years ago yesterday. As long as the good health remains, we intend to live in this house for the duration. Now that I'm 72, I have given up motorcycling for good, but audio is getting better and better.
Hi Steve,
glad to hear you're doing well, seems like yesterday when we first met during our 'Logan Years' !
My youngest son lives in Colorado, an hour west of Denver up in 'the hills', you ?
mep
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Congrats for not downsizing and maintaining your love for music and having a dedicated listening room.
- Thread Author
- #34
You might be happily surprised with the change. I was forced to downsize because of a move, but I am now enjoying better sound. The topping pre-amp is definitely a winner (and it costs a mere fraction of the one it replaced). We get into the habit of adding components mistakingly thinking that 'more is better'. I wish I had attempted to simplify my system sooner.
a.wayne
Active member
TopCat
New member
Downsizing has been discussed in my world in recent years, but that ship sailed without us, at least until should health dictate it! When my wife & I retired 15+ years ago, we settled in northern AL because of overall weather & economics, not unlike TN.
We upsized so we both have dedicated playrooms. After playing in several of the fun, but not sustainable hobbies I never took time to pursue when working, about 6-8 years I got into the audiophile hobby, much of which I attribute to AS. I followed you guys quite a lot. There really is a wealth of knowledge on here. Mike helped me as well and I really appreciate his website. Today my listening room portion is about 2/3 of my playroom, but I retained a back corner for my racing simulator platform which I won’t downsize! GIK Acoustics has helped me get the room sound I want. When I pick up the 3 more GIK pieces in a couple weeks, that should be it for the room.
The point I would like to make is that downsizing is not mandatory although we’ve had lots of friends & family tell us we should(must)! My audio equipment has evolved to a much larger configuration than I set out for, but I listen to it a lot and it makes an old retired guy happy!
Joe
Note: signature with equipment list didn’t attach this time…see profile if interested in what I’ve assembled…
We upsized so we both have dedicated playrooms. After playing in several of the fun, but not sustainable hobbies I never took time to pursue when working, about 6-8 years I got into the audiophile hobby, much of which I attribute to AS. I followed you guys quite a lot. There really is a wealth of knowledge on here. Mike helped me as well and I really appreciate his website. Today my listening room portion is about 2/3 of my playroom, but I retained a back corner for my racing simulator platform which I won’t downsize! GIK Acoustics has helped me get the room sound I want. When I pick up the 3 more GIK pieces in a couple weeks, that should be it for the room.
The point I would like to make is that downsizing is not mandatory although we’ve had lots of friends & family tell us we should(must)! My audio equipment has evolved to a much larger configuration than I set out for, but I listen to it a lot and it makes an old retired guy happy!
Joe
Note: signature with equipment list didn’t attach this time…see profile if interested in what I’ve assembled…
slowgeezr
Active member
Dave, sorry just getting back to you, it's been a little while since I've checked the site. Yeah, it seems like it wasn't that long ago, but it must be about fifteen or more years ago! Joyce and I started going to RMAF, in Denver and went for about nine or ten years straight and fell in love with Colorado. We looked in Evergreen for about a year and half, but couldn't find what we wanted, so we ended up in Colorado Springs. It was a good choice for us. If you come to visit your son, come on down to visit us, you're more than welcome!
mep
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Where do other people get off telling you that you must downsize? That's nuts and none of their business. Now there is a commercial on TV that tells "empty nesters" that they need to sell their home and downsize. Another thing that makes me shake my head is the people in your workforce when they find out you are retiring come up to you and the first thing they ask is are you going to downsize your house.
If you are an audiophile that loves listening to music and you are used to having a dedicated listening room, my advice is don't give up your room if at all possible. Who wants to make purchasing decisions about audio gear based on WAF??
- Thread Author
- #39
Reducing the footprint of your audio equipment doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing sound quality. My personal experience is a testament to the fact that you can decrease both the physical size and number of your devices without diminishing the integrity of the sound. Initially, like many audiophiles, my quest for an enhanced audio experience led me to opt for larger components and add numerous tweaks, often resulting in significant investments in cables, power conditioners, and other supposed improvements.
I made a conscious decision to keep my speakers as the only constant, allowing for changes to everything else in the signal path. This path of reduction saw the elimination of a subwoofer, a preamp, a power plant/conditioner, speaker cables, massive amplifiers, and complex software. Remarkably, this process of downsizing and streamlining resulted in enhanced sound quality from my speakers, which remained unchanged.
The typical journey of many audiophiles mirrors that of nurturing a crooked tree; we apply various adjustments in hopes of straightening its growth. It's this accumulation of "adjustments" that often complicates our setups. However, choosing to simplify gave me a new lens through which to evaluate the necessity and purpose of each component. This move towards a more efficient setup did not just clarify what my audio system truly needed but significantly enriched the listening experience.
My key takeaway is that the speakers and the acoustics of your room are the pivotal elements of your audio system, deserving the lion's share of your investment (I am at 85/15 ratio). Should room limitations, such as room size, furniture placement, or aesthetic considerations, pose a challenge, employing acoustic treatments or digital signal processing (DSP) can offer substantial improvements. Then, aim to maintain as straightforward a signal path as possible to your speakers. This advice may diverge from traditional audiophile wisdom, but it's a perspective forged from firsthand experience and success.
I made a conscious decision to keep my speakers as the only constant, allowing for changes to everything else in the signal path. This path of reduction saw the elimination of a subwoofer, a preamp, a power plant/conditioner, speaker cables, massive amplifiers, and complex software. Remarkably, this process of downsizing and streamlining resulted in enhanced sound quality from my speakers, which remained unchanged.
The typical journey of many audiophiles mirrors that of nurturing a crooked tree; we apply various adjustments in hopes of straightening its growth. It's this accumulation of "adjustments" that often complicates our setups. However, choosing to simplify gave me a new lens through which to evaluate the necessity and purpose of each component. This move towards a more efficient setup did not just clarify what my audio system truly needed but significantly enriched the listening experience.
My key takeaway is that the speakers and the acoustics of your room are the pivotal elements of your audio system, deserving the lion's share of your investment (I am at 85/15 ratio). Should room limitations, such as room size, furniture placement, or aesthetic considerations, pose a challenge, employing acoustic treatments or digital signal processing (DSP) can offer substantial improvements. Then, aim to maintain as straightforward a signal path as possible to your speakers. This advice may diverge from traditional audiophile wisdom, but it's a perspective forged from firsthand experience and success.
mep
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Nicoff, it isn't just downsizing your audio gear footprint. I'm quoting you here from your original post on this thread:
"The music zone is now in our living area. As for the cinema... well, it's not really a 'cinema room' anymore."
Your living area is a shared space most probably controlled by your wife. And when I say controlled,, I mean the decor, how it's arranged, how your speakers are positioned in the room, and what volume level you can listen to.
"The music zone is now in our living area. As for the cinema... well, it's not really a 'cinema room' anymore."
Your living area is a shared space most probably controlled by your wife. And when I say controlled,, I mean the decor, how it's arranged, how your speakers are positioned in the room, and what volume level you can listen to.