2021 audio system wish list


So, what changes, if any, are you planning to your system for 2021? 
128x128zavato
"Possible candidates for lunatic governors who would do that are Florida, South Dakota, and any state with a Republican governor or one dominated by GOP legislators.

At the current rate of vaccinations, it will take about 10 years to immunize American citizens.

All the best,
Nonoise"

Thanks for the needless political rant on New Years Eve.
Happy New Year!


Possible candidates for lunatic governors who would do that are Florida, South Dakota, and any state with a Republican governor or one dominated by GOP legislators.

At the current rate of vaccinations, it will take about 10 years to immunize American citizens.

All the best,
Nonoise
@ozzy @glupson
The reason it is going to take so long for we 65 and older citizens to get it is because all the politicians are getting it first.  I remember the Polio vaccinations, the entire town went to the High School and everyone waited patiently in line (imagine that) and got their shots.  Wife and I are in quarrintine until Jan 6th if we dont get sick between now and then.


Bought $10,000 worth of audio equipment over a year ago (used) in hopes of getting a second system up and running.

Hope I get closer to making that happen.
ozzy,

What state is that?

As far as audio goes, maybe a new amplifier in one of the next new years.
@ozzy

That’s ridiculous-

I was just talking to a buddy that is a doctor- we get prioritizing people who work with COVID patients all day long. But age is also a factor- and no, a 70 year old should not wait the same time as a 16 year old. What should be done is create a sliding scale- 90 + gets the vaccine first; next tier, 80-90, and so on. The problem in the US is that with 50 states and no national policy, there are 50 different schemes on distributing the vaccine.
Sound Lab Ultimate 745. After I win the lottery in March. And after I buy a second house to put them in.
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@douglas_schroeder ,
Sorry to hear you contracted Covid but glad to hear you're on the mend. Please take it easy. I used to know what it's like to push oneself and it's hard to just sit back and take it easy, but that's what's called for now.

There's a pundit on the news who's 33, used to run marathons, and now she's winded all the time and is down from 2 breathing sessions a day to 2-3 times a week and it's been a few months already. Please pace yourself.

As for what 2021 holds for me, it's all new music as my system is dialed in just where I want it, for now. 👍😄👍

All the best,
Nonoise
Auditioning a few DACs at home, to see if I can make a significant improvement over my Benchmark 1 without breaking the bank. Happy New Year everyone!
A new tube pre to replace my CJ pv-11. I have a couple on my wish list now. 
Going to try a new power conditioner but that's about it.

As for COVID, trust me, it's horrible. I've had so many friend get sick and be hospitalized. The hospital I work for is slammed---the ICUs look like war zones. I got my first vaccine last Saturday. Please try to follow the guidelines and stay safe everyone.

Happy New Year!
@douglas_schroeder ,

Thanks for the information. My brother in law is also fit and strong and he said it knocked him for 24 hours. He was saying he could feel it going up and down his body all night.

Yet his wife and kids hardly had a cold.


I just went for a quick run half an hour ago and was surprised to find just how out of breath I was.

2020 certainly has not been good for my fitness. So there’s the new years resolution taken care of.

As far as audio goes I’m going to try to optimise my speaker positioning/ isolation.

Really hoping too there will be some UK shows by the autumn.

Happy New Year everyone!
@douglas_schroeder 
I'm glad you're on the mend. 340,000 dead aren't so lucky. What a terrible year.
Stay safe in 2021 everyone. The vaccine is coming to you soon if it hasn't already.

@douglas_schroeder 

I am happy to hear you are ok. My wife and I are waiting for our COVID test results.  We had the test done Tuesday.  We were exposed last Thursday-Friday to the virus.  We both feel ok so far.  
I want to purchase a Dynavector DV20XL cartridge and have Chris @VH Audio build me a phono cable and a pair of very short interconnects (6 inches long) to go between the pre out and power amp in on my McIntosh integrated instead of the cheap strapped RCA plugs that come standard.  I am using a pair of Audioquest jumpers presently but they were only a $30.00 item and Chris said he can do much better.  Lastly, I am still waiting for the JBL stands to go with my new JBL L100 Classic speakers.  
I just redid my vinyl rig (replaced moded vpi tnt jr/SME 310/Asthetix Rhea with JR Transrotor Rodino/SME 5012 & Allnic H3000) (huge imporvement) so now looking for an Air Tight cartridge to replace my Clearaudio Strad 2
cd318, knowing that the virus is variable in its effects, yet, I believe that a lifetime of physical fitness put me in a good position in terms of respiratory conditioning to bounce back. Prior to the virus, I was working out 5 days a week, and on Thursdays would do a half hour of moderate step mill, followed by half hour of elliptical. Saturdays I would take a brisk 4 mi. walk. The day before entering the hospital, partly to see just how badly the lungs were functioning, I tried to do a few flights of steps from the basement to the first floor, which I normally run up two steps at a time, and after only two flights down and up I was gassed, breathing heavily with sharpness in the lungs, for minutes! I was astonished at how diminished the loss of cardio! My lungs felt as though someone had poured glue into them, reducing the aerobic facility dramatically. 

But, recovery has been progressing well. The day after leaving the hospital, I drove a car over to my son's condo to store it in the garage, then walked three miles home. Yesterday, I shoveled heavy snow for about two hours, then from physical exertion had to revert to an hour of snow blower. I thank God for the good recovery, and pray that those who are struggling are able to pull through.  

Though not a particularly good athlete, I have always enjoyed physical activity, and tend to push myself aggressively to advance. I also apply the same mindset to building audio systems; there has to be advancement on a continual basis - it's my style. With age I have had to moderate that somewhat, and I am trying to appreciate the proper cycle of work and rest. 

Today is a rest day.  :) 
I’m glad to see people have plans on way of increasing their musical enjoyment in the coming year. 
I’ve not changed any gear in over 5 years as I’m at a place where I’m quite satisfied.

For the past few years I’ve known my phono cartridge is aging- I’m not even sure when I bought it but it’s at least 18 years old. 2021 seems to be the year of the cartridge for me as it’s now unmistakable that it’s asking to be retired 

aside from that- more music!! 
Ears to continue functioning properly, a new phono stage, get more original LP's, starting some room treatment, and above all be safe.
Better New year to All.
G
@douglas_schroeder 

"(Before Christmas I contracted Covid-19 and double pneumonia. I was hospitalized for three days, but am on the mend.)"


That's quite disturbing to read, but I'm glad you pulled through.

Good luck with getting to a full recovery.

Well, I'm moving into a new space. After the roofer, painter, electrician and room acoustics, I'm going to be trying out some of the fancy Jupiter copper foil caps in my crossovers.
Cut OC703 to fit directly on the furnace panels, preferably glued on. Then completely enclose them in a closet of 1/2" MDF. Or 5/8" sheetrock. With another layer of OC703 glued on to the inside of that. I did something like that with something a lot noisier than a furnace. The biggest challenge is enclosure. Any air gap and sound goes right through. So covering ducts and sealing around them is key. But worth it! Good luck!
I plan to...

1. Put in a dedicated power circuit
2. Since my system is in my basement, I plan to sound insulate around my furnace/AC room so that I do not hear the stupid HVAC every time it turns on. This has been bugging me for a while.
i am done
i have arrived
just the way i want it
it is just right, now...

just kidding... :)
My last change is so surprizing and unorthodox like all my other devices, it will be one of the last change i think...I speak of it in my thread....

When you begin to listen to music and were no more being obsessed by unsatisfaction this is the sign that your actual S.Q. is more than good...

I own now a modest system so good that i dont want any upgrade , it will be at extraordinary cost anyway to improve it really... Thanks to my embeddings controls...

Then my dream for most of my life, a very good sound system is becoming real this year.... 2 years of intense listening experiments and device controls installation make me think that it is not so much the electronic components upgrade that make S.Q. increase but for most of us, unable to afford very, very costly products, it is, more often than not, the controls embeddings that works miracles...And after all my work i dont give a dam for a 100,000 dollars system really... 😁

When instrumental timbre naturalness and 3-d imaging is there an upgrade is elusive at best or illusory at worst....

Better system than mine are plethora but are they rightfully embed? are they working at their optimal level? And even if they are better and at their optimal working being rightfully embedded, i will not be frustrate at all with mine now anyway unable to afford them... Law of diminushing returns works for all...

The truth is really when you are unable to cut the power of your system before sleeping it is because you are at the end of the road...Only unsatisfied people chase their tail unable to really reach the optimal working with their audio system... What i call a rightful triple embeddings...

I speak my message for the modest audiophile that will read this thread, i want to give him real hope instead of the pit money upgrading fallacy chasing by most ...

Dont upgrade anything , embed everything before....

After that you will be able to think about that future possible upgrade with a smile, listening your music with a really cool brain and you will know if an upgrade is valuable or not, for any component in your system....

Before that you will be in the sellers and reviewers hypnotizing market being conditioned at your risk....




Dont throw me the rock, i am only the messenger...



To answer the OP question : My wish is new inspiration for creating at peanut cost another device controls of my own if it is possible.... But in any case i am happy....

Happy new year and God may give you health with music.....
😊

Expanding my system now that I got it setup just right.

1) Getting a second AHB2 amp (ordered and arriving in January)
2) UltraCap LPS 1.2 for microRendu (ordered coming in February)
3) RAAL SR1a Headphone to pair with AHB2(s) (maybe in January)
4) AudioByte VOX | ZAP | HUB
5) Halo May KTE

^ glad to hear that you recovered from COVID.
Some of the most fundamental changes to my system building in a decade are happening right now, at the end of 2020. I am updating essential characteristics of my systems, and making changes to the genres of equipment that I will use in system building. I have three reviews underway that have been transformational in terms of giving new direction to the type of equipment I will use in reviewing and personal listening.

Barring a truly radial change technologically, some genres (not brands, but genres) of equipment going forward I will no longer consider worthy of my time/effort in reviewing, which speaks to the profundity of the changes. Over the years I have attempted to be open to a wide variety of genres of equipment, but the current circumstances are leading inexorably to elimination of some classes of gear - they simply have been eclipsed to such a degree that their internet weaknesses now overshadows their potential strengths. 

I did not foresee this six months ago; a lot has changed in a relatively short period of time. Things will become public as the reviews are published in 2021. It's been an exhausting end to 2020 (Before Christmas I contracted Covid-19 and double pneumonia. I was hospitalized for three days, but am on the mend.) for me as a system builder, but I feel as though many years of dogged determination and unpaid work are bringing systemic changes that will both allow me to work more efficiently and make higher grade systems. 


I'd like to try some Iso-Pucks between my dowel-legged speakers and the hardwood floors.
Maybe:
- a Puritan Audio 136 or 156 power conditioner- Townsend Seismic Isolation Pods

Definitely:
Keep buying more music


Nope!

Content with my gear.

Raven Audio Blackhawk.
Raven Audio CeLest Towers.
Raven Audio Soniquil  Speaker, XLR, RCA and Power Cables.
Moon By Simaudio 280D DAC/DSD
Audiolab 6000CDT
Icon PS2 Phono Stage.
Thorens TD145 totally reworked.

I am just going to buy more music in 2021 and support my favorite artists.

go buy some music you dead beats....
Will this be the year finally build diffusers? Raven Reflection? Power cords? Thinking of mounting crossovers on small BDR Shelf on a Townshend Pod. Still inside the cabinet. Upgrade phono stage springs to Pods. Would love to move it out but oh the wires! Finish the springs- or Townshend Podiums? Brass screws? Pretty Schumann generator enclosures? Rack for the Dayton amps? This time last year I had no idea everything would now be on springs. So who knows?
A few items, in no particular order:
- room: less sound absorption, more/better diffusion, perhaps a room layout change
- system: maybe new speakers? (but $$...)
- power: better power conditioner for the front end system (and some cables)
- music: continue inputting LPs and CDs in Discogs so I know what the heck I have!
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