Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: PS Audio PMG Signature DAC. PS Audio PMG Signature SACD transport. Grimm MU2 streamer/DAC. Sony S9000ES SACD player. 16" MacBook Pro running Roon 2.0 and Audirvana Studio 2.11. Roon ROCK (Lenovo ThinkCentre).
Preamplifiers: Benchmark HPA4 line stage. Quad 33 (2024).
Power amplifiers: McIntosh MC462. Krell FPB200c. PrimaLuna EVO 400.
Loudspeakers: Estelon X Diamond Mk.II. Focal Scala Utopia Evo.
Cables: Speaker cables: AudioQuest Thunderbird Zero. Power cables and interconnects: All AudioQuest: Tornado and Blizzard power cables; Thunderbird RCAs and Pegasus XLRs; Vodka Ethernet cable; Thunderbird I2S, Coffee digital coax. Accessories: AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Low-Z noise-dissipation system. PowerQuest PQ-707 power conditioner. Austere surge protectors. Townshend Seismic Podiums.
Listening room: Custom-built 21' × 15' space with 10'-tall walls and a 16' cathedral ceiling, volume roughly 4000ft3. Double drywall over Rockwool and mass-loaded vinyl. Hardwood floor over gravel and concrete. Rubber subflooring. 10.5' × 17.5' wool rug over a thick felt pad. Acoustic treatments include corner bass traps, two skyline diffusers, and 143ft2 of absorption panels including four clouds.—Rogier van Bakel
Preamplifiers: Benchmark HPA4 line stage. Quad 33 (2024).
Power amplifiers: McIntosh MC462. Krell FPB200c. PrimaLuna EVO 400.
Loudspeakers: Estelon X Diamond Mk.II. Focal Scala Utopia Evo.
Cables: Speaker cables: AudioQuest Thunderbird Zero. Power cables and interconnects: All AudioQuest: Tornado and Blizzard power cables; Thunderbird RCAs and Pegasus XLRs; Vodka Ethernet cable; Thunderbird I2S, Coffee digital coax. Accessories: AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Low-Z noise-dissipation system. PowerQuest PQ-707 power conditioner. Austere surge protectors. Townshend Seismic Podiums.
Listening room: Custom-built 21' × 15' space with 10'-tall walls and a 16' cathedral ceiling, volume roughly 4000ft3. Double drywall over Rockwool and mass-loaded vinyl. Hardwood floor over gravel and concrete. Rubber subflooring. 10.5' × 17.5' wool rug over a thick felt pad. Acoustic treatments include corner bass traps, two skyline diffusers, and 143ft2 of absorption panels including four clouds.—Rogier van Bakel
