Headphones Battlestations

Ah the good old days of being able to meet with people. I hope to someday meet Zach and Bevin at ZMFestivus. I’m #7 in line for my Cocobolo Aeolus…cant wait. Are the coasters made of wood?

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I don’t like wires. My minimalist set up hides a bunch of crap mounted on the underside of the desk.

I go XLR out of the Element X to two Emotiva mono amps (class D, no heat) mounted next to my Mac Mini, there is an ethernet splitter down there, and just out of the picture two Samsung SSDs for photos and back ups attached with velcro so they can be removed. The Element X is plugged into its own outlet on the other side of the room going through a Forman conditioner out of the picture. I found I could not use the same outlet as the MacMini or I got noise. It’s all balanced and I get zero noise from anything at this point, although it took some work to eliminate some annoyances.

The Element is sitting on a 20 pound slab of marble not another component. The speakers I built myself from a DIY kit from GR Research and I am ecstatic about them.

Sub-woofer coming soon, and possibly, just maybe, a tube amp to add some variety to the ZMFs hanging there.

I am enjoying my new hobby and appreciate all the wisdoms so generously shared by the members of this forum.

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I admire your clean setup - feng shui vibes.

Tell us more about the tea tray box and mortar and pestle.

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I drink Taiwanese Oolong in the afternoons to stay energized. Out of picture is a water kettle so I can stay caffeinated without leaving my office. All the more important during Covid times when there are multiple people working from home now and endless Zoom calls.

The “mortar and pestle” is actually a Tibetan singing bowl which when “played” correctly with that leather wrapped wooden stick does indeed sing. I’m obsessed with timbre and these bowls make really cool sounds, especially as they start to resonate with extreme upper partials and differential tones.

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Cool stuff. I brew tea almost every day (gong fu style), rotating primarily between oolong, green, white, and black. At my office, I have an electric gooseneck kettle on my desk, but it’s been easier to brew working from home.

Pardon my not recognziing the Tibetan singing bowl. I’m interested in exploring the timbre aspects (and it’s just a nice piece) and I need to look into buying one. Thanks.

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That is a super clean setup! Nice!

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Thanks, I’ve been working from home for 15 years before Covid so I need a clean environment for my sanity. What remains to be see is if 1-2 years from now it is cluttered with different amps and cans!

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I’d imagine you’re going to be able to handle it. :grin:

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I steep my leaves 3-4 times. I have enjoyed every tea I get from Eco-Cha in Taiwan, direct. When I can afford it, I splurge and buy from Song Tea in San Francisco, but the prices are really steep…

I consider tea drinking an essential part of critical listening!

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Nice. I’m not familiar with those shops, but will look them up. I live near Chado Tea Room here in LA so support them. And a family friend is in the process of starting up a tea business where she sources directly from farmers in Asia, and she gives me samples.

Tea drinking essential to critical listening - I dig it!

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What speakers are those? They look awesome in blue!

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Very nice, the exact opposite of my own preferences BUT i sure as heck appreciate the skillful and ingeniously clean set-up! :+1: i have praised the Emotiva monoliths in the past and mine are currently not in use but i will again eventually pull them out to enjoy. GR research has some nice kits and again such a pleasure to see someone take the time to build and enjoy their products. Super clean, so very appealing :clap: Happy listening always!

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The speakers are the X-LS Encore build from GR Research

It was my first ever build and I did not want to bother with veneer so I just sprayed them down with some blue spray paint. I was just relieved I had wired the crossover correctly and they worked.

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Thank you very much, you too.

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Interested in your Rode + Boom setup! What arm / mount is that to get your mic in that position?

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Amazon basics mic stand with a Rode NTG mic :wink:

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This made me laugh! The station is looking good!

That blue is truly stunning. Awesome looking amp.

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It is a nice blue. Definitely identifies a DNA amp.

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Here’s the latest now that the Verite Closed have come in!


And with mood lighting:

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