Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Aurender A20 streamer and DAC, Grimm MU1, Evernote DMP-A10, Sony S9000ES SACD player, 15" MacBook Air running Roon 2.0. Roon ROCK (Lenovo ThinkCentre).
Preamplifiers: Benchmark HPA4, Quad 33 (2024).
Power amplifiers: McIntosh MC462, Quad 303 monoblocks (2024), WiiM Amp Ultra.
Integrated amplifiers: HiFi Rose RS520, Audia Flight FLS10 PrimaLuna EVO 400.
Loudspeakers: Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G, Vanatoo Transparent One Encore.
Cables: Speaker, AudioQuest Thunderbird Zero. Power cables and interconnects, AudioQuest High-Current Tornado and Blizzard; Black Beauty RCA; Vodka Ethernet cable.
Accessories: Townshend Seismic Podiums, AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Low-Z power conditioner.
Listening room: Custom-built 21' × 15' space with 10'-tall walls and a 16' cathedral ceiling; volume roughly 4000 cubic feet. Double-thick drywall over Rockwool and mass-loaded vinyl. Hardwood floor over gravel and concrete. Rubber subflooring. 16' × 12' wool rug on felt pad. Four bass traps, two skyline diffusers, and a dozen absorption panels including four clouds.—Rogier van Bakel
Preamplifiers: Benchmark HPA4, Quad 33 (2024).
Power amplifiers: McIntosh MC462, Quad 303 monoblocks (2024), WiiM Amp Ultra.
Integrated amplifiers: HiFi Rose RS520, Audia Flight FLS10 PrimaLuna EVO 400.
Loudspeakers: Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G, Vanatoo Transparent One Encore.
Cables: Speaker, AudioQuest Thunderbird Zero. Power cables and interconnects, AudioQuest High-Current Tornado and Blizzard; Black Beauty RCA; Vodka Ethernet cable.
Accessories: Townshend Seismic Podiums, AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Low-Z power conditioner.
Listening room: Custom-built 21' × 15' space with 10'-tall walls and a 16' cathedral ceiling; volume roughly 4000 cubic feet. Double-thick drywall over Rockwool and mass-loaded vinyl. Hardwood floor over gravel and concrete. Rubber subflooring. 16' × 12' wool rug on felt pad. Four bass traps, two skyline diffusers, and a dozen absorption panels including four clouds.—Rogier van Bakel
