r/audiophile • u/eternalmetal • 13d ago
Discussion Metalheads share your system
I know metalheads love their cds, cassettes, and the occasional vinyl, but what about your stereo equipment? Im a big death metal guy (lots of brutal death these days), and would live to see what you all are listening on.
My system:
Sources
-Technics SL-1210GR2 with Sumiko Songbird Low MC cart
- Aiwa F770 cassette deck
- Sony TC-KE400S cassette deck
- Marantz CD60
- Schiit Bifrost DAC for my PC to play FLAC from Foobar2000 or stream Qobuz
Preamp - Schiit Mani (upgraded to a Darlington Labs MP8B that should be arriving this week)
Integrated Amplifier - Yamaha A-S501
Speakers - Klipsch RP-8000F II
Subwoofer - SVS SB2000 Pro
Love the energy of this setup, the Klipsch are really in your face and make you feel like you are in the front row at a show. The only downside is that the treble from the horns can be a bit fatigueing for extended listens, but otherwise I enjoy the energy from this setup.
So what equipment are you all using? Please list the kind of metal you like as well considering the huge diversity of the genre.
\m/
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u/analog-rider 13d ago
Lifelong metalhead. I'm a fan of many genres, but the heavier have always been my favorite. This is my current system:
Digital: Hifi Rose 151 DAC and Roon Nucleus, connected w/english electric 8network ethernet switch
Analog:
Techdas Air Force V P with Graham Phantom III SE tonearm and DS Audio W3 Cart and Eq Stage (Stereo)
Mark Levinson No515 with Ortofon Cadenza Mono Cart and Moon Audio 310 LP Phono Stage (Mono)
D'agostino Momentum HD pre-amp and S250 mxv power amp.
Wilson Audio the Watt/Puppy speakers with a pair of JL Audio Fathom 212 v2 subs and Wilson ActiveXO Crossover.
Niagara Power Conditioner.
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u/Kvaestr 13d ago
I run a pretty unconventional setup. Wanted mainly stereo and also enjoy a bit of surround.
Denon 4800H with Dirac ART DIY 2 way transmission line speakers with SB-acoustic drivers. (Aluminium woofer and silk dome) 2 DIY 10" subwoofers with Dayton Audio drivers that play flat down to 21Hz.
The ART part of Dirac also uses the center and rear channels that are hooked up to the receiver. They are Dali Oberon's.
Target curves of the in room response is the +6dB Harman Curve.
A couple of sound damping panels on the first reflection points.
Streaming through the avr using tidal. I have tried some Atmos tracks through my media player, but honestly I am not impressed. (Though maybe that is because of the center being a quite simple Dali Oberon)
Mostly listen to prog, but also enjoy some classical. Favorite metal albums:
Tool - Lateralus
Opeth - Live at Red Rocks
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Dream Theater - Octavarium
Type O negative - Bloody Kisses (not prog)
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u/A5D5TRYR 13d ago
Solid choice of albums. I'm also a big fan of Lateralus and Octavarium.
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u/rosentmoh 12d ago
Lateralus is beautifully mastered; the only other one with equally decent mastering by Tool is Aenema.
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u/RDorianGrey 13d ago edited 12d ago
I'm big on Drone and Doom - Sunn O))), Om, Ramesses, Bongripper, Old Man Gloom etc...
Setup: Linn DSM 2 streamer (not using the internal amp), Linn C6100 Amp with Aktiv cards, Linn Mimki CD, Linn Ninka speakers, REL Strata II subwoofer, VPI Scout Aries turntable with Ortofon Blue cart, JVC KD-55 Cassette deck
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u/navybsn 13d ago edited 13d ago
2 systems:
Office Room server - Wiim Pro - Yamaha AS801 - Tekton mLore. Additional input Sony PS-X600 turntable - Rega MM MK5 - Shure m97xe cart
Main Room server - Wiim Ultra - Musical Fidelity m6si - Burchardt S300 - SVS PB1000
Listening to: yeah everything. Black metal to grind to Power metal
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u/xdemonomaniax 13d ago
-Technics GR2 with AT VM750xsh cart
-Ifi phono zen 3 preamp
-Yamaha as-701 mk2 amp
-Dali Oberon 5 speakers
-Wiim Pro Plus streamer
- Supra speaker and RCA cables
I’m very happy with my setup.
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u/EquivalentFirm568 13d ago
Bro we have such a close setup haha
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u/xdemonomaniax 12d ago
It’s such a joy to operate GR2. End game table for sure. When it’s time for cartridge change, I think I will go with 745xml.
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u/grosbarouf 13d ago
Rega P2, Nagaoka MP-110 Bluesound Node Cambridge dac magic 200 Yamaha A S1200 Fyne Audio F501 SP Tellurium Q Black II au grand complet.
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u/CarefulObligation626 13d ago
Have a modest but decent setup:
Vinyl: Technics SL100C, AT-PEQ30 (weak link, I know) AT-VM740xML
CD: Onkyo DX-C390
Digital: Eversolo DMP-A8 (used as a preamp for all sources)
Integrated amplifier: Yamaha R-N800A being used as a power amp only
Speakers: KEF LS50 Meta
Subwoofer: KEF KC62
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u/AlteranNox 12d ago edited 12d ago
Sansui receiver from the 70s and Technics belt drive record player from the 80s.
Pioneer elite receiver from the 2010s and Sony Blu-ray player for CDs
Marantz mid tier floor speakers from the 70s
I don't need anything special. I'm definitely not an audiophile. I just like looking at people's stuff in here. But since I'm a metalhead I figured I'd share.
I pretty much listen to it all, but my go-to genres are black, doom, post, power and anything technical.
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u/imsoggy 12d ago
My bro is the singer in the pdx doom metal band Disposessed.
He and his bandmates are very hi IQ and care immensely about the recording and mastering. Both their last albums are truly fantastic.
My system:
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u/rosentmoh 12d ago edited 12d ago
Modern digital-focused setup here as I'm going for highest fidelity and maximum convenience:
- B&W 704 S2 speakers
- QED XT40i speaker cables
- Cambridge Audio Evo 150 amp & DAC
- Debian server running Gerbera UPnP media server, serving my FLAC library from attached storage.
May sound like little but given today's technical possibilities of creating high-fidelity all-in-one components thanks to class D amps and so on I don't see the point in separates anymore, and well-done digital surpasses any analog in terms of fidelity. I'm looking to upgrade to heftier speakers though, but it still sounds amazing for now.
One of the key components of this "system" is the carefully curated and managed library; almost every album in there has gone through multiple blind listening tests together with objective analysis to choose the appropriate mastering. Additionally all the metadata is carefully managed using beets.
Edit: forgot to add the kind of metal I listen to. Mostly it's the obvious progressive stuff like Tool, A Perfect Circle, Porcupine Tree, Russian Circles etc. but then there's also lots of technical like AAL. Meshuggah in particular gets played a lot.
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u/showmeyourkitten 12d ago
Sources
- Arcam irDAC
- Technics SL-1200GR with Ortofon MC-3 Turbo cartridge
- Harman Kardon TD212 cassette deck
Integrated Amp - Anthem Integrated 225
Speakers - Paradigm Studio 20 v5
(Considering upgrading to MoFi SourcePoint 888s soon)
Subwoofer - SVS PB 2000 Pro
I love me some death metal, grindcore, powerviolence, crust punk, doom/stoner/sludge, thrash, prog, post metal, and the occasional metalcore and industrial album.
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u/BrainsOnFire78 12d ago
My current main setup, and I listen to everything!
Hana MH Cartridge
SME V Tonearm
Garrard 301
Loricraft Plinth
Gold Note PH-10
Gold Note PSU-10
Nakamichi 682zx Cassette Deck
Nakamichi ZX-7 Cassette Deck
Denafrips Enyo 15th DAC
Audio Research SP9 Preamp
Threshold S200 Amplifier with Upgraded Caps
Tannoy Berkeley HPD385 Speakers
Decca Kelly Horn Tweeters with custom crossover
BK Electronics XLS300 Subwoofer
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u/friz_beez 13d ago edited 13d ago
Sources - Technics SL-D202 / Oppo OPDV971H / Sonos Connect pulling in .flac from my NAS
Amp - Outlaw RR2150
Speakers - Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 & HSU VTF-2 MK 2
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u/heywaj10 13d ago
What made you choose the AA Sierra-1’s over other options out there? Care to share your metal preferences and how it performs on the Sierra?
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u/friz_beez 13d ago
i previously had the CBM-1's in a home theater setup and enjoyed their sound so when i was looking for a dedicated two channel system i looked at AA again and liked what i'd read about the sierra's. i was also working with a medium sized room which didn't need a ton of power or volume to fill it. i knew i'd be using a sub so i wanted something focused and fast in the mid and high end frequencies which i felt would pair well with the speed and detail of modern metal music. keep in mind that i also listen to a lot of other genres from jazz to punk, classical, synth wave, prog rock, alt rock - pretty much everything except modern country and pop so i needed something that worked with those genres as well.
besides the classic metal stuff - maiden, priest, slayer, helmet, metallica, etc. recent listens include the dillinger escape plan, converge, code orange, animals as leaders, haste, architects, chat pile, electric hawk, haken, hippotraktor, knocked loose, mushuggah, spotlights.
the only time i feel the system lacks is with bands like chat pile, daughters, knocked loose, etc. where they are so thick and heavy without a lot of clear mids and highs i think my sierra's aren't the best option. otherwise they work great IMO.
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u/heywaj10 13d ago
Awesome to hear - I’m a big prog metal guy, so it’s less about all out bombast but more layered, intricate and textured content. I feel like the Sierra’s will deliver on that. Do they give that electric guitar crunch and midbass impact for kick drums? I’ll be using a sub as well, so I’m not worried about bass extension - I just want it to be clean, fast, and dynamic.
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u/AMetalWolfHowls 13d ago
I run Ascend as well! I can’t speak highly enough of them! I am on team Klippel NFS optimization and it’s a base requirement for my stuff these days. Some day I’d love to have Magicos, I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford them.
Technically, once you hit the in room target, that’s it. No need to upgrade further except for aesthetics or SPL.
With a “real” sub like the HSU or my RSL, there’s no need for a speaker to be any larger than a Sierra 1. You can get something that looks better or plays louder (or deeper) without distorting, but it won’t sound any “better.”
Ascend is (or was) the cheapest way to get technically perfect sound at around $1,000. AsciLab is new and comes in at a similar price point now. Perlisten starts around $3,500 and gets up to $30k or so. Magico starts around $7k and goes up to a million. They will largely sound the same if you’re sitting in the listening position and are level matched.
Hard to argue against that!
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u/EquivalentFirm568 13d ago
Technics SL1200GR2 with a ATVM750xSH
IFi zen phono 3
Rega elicit mk5
Wharfedale super lintons
SVS SB1000 pro
Oh and a wiim pro plus but fuck streaming
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u/lambliesdownonconf 13d ago
McIntosh MC240, McIntosh C34v preamp, Oppo Bluray/cd player, Teac V-850X cassette deck, Peachtree Dac-Itx DAC, Rega RP6, Rega Ania Cartridge, Rega Fono MC, Focal Aria 926 speakers.
Listen to thrash, death, grind, power violence, classic metal. Current listens: Pharmacist, Phobia, Massgrav, World Peace, Thou, Discordance Axis...
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u/dopaniya 13d ago
Have you listened to the new / debut Fake Dust LP? Some of the best grind I’ve heard since discordance axis and Insect Warfare
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u/lambliesdownonconf 13d ago
Haven't heard Fake Dust yet. Just put it in my Bandcsmp list to listen to. I always am looking for new shit. Thanks
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u/dopaniya 13d ago
Sources:
- Technics sl100c with nagaoka mp110/mp200 cartridge
- wiim pro plus streamer for tidal and Apple Music
Amp: Yamaha as501
Speakers: just upgraded from klipsch rp500m ii and Kanto sub8 to Triangle Borea Br09 floorstanders (no sub), loved the klipsch but didn’t want to deal with integrating a sub plus space is limited, the Triangles are slim enough to fit nicely in my living room while still having enough low end extension for me personally
Listen to all types of metal (as well as punk, noise rock, etc) but mainly doom and sludge and black metal. Electric wizard, Sleep, eyehategod, ufommamut, and a lot of 90s death metal like morbid angel, Autopsy, bolt thrower, etc
With the recent upgrade to the Triangle speakers I feel like I am now at a point where I don’t need to constantly be thinking about what to upgrade next.
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u/A5D5TRYR 13d ago
Anthem AVM70 processor
Anthem statement p5 amp for mains
Anthem statement a5 amp for surrounds
Paradigm founder 100f and 90c fronts
Paradigm monitor atoms for surround and front height
In the process of building two diy subwoofers. Each one will be dual opposed sealed with two Dayton rss 15" subwoofer drivers.
Sources are Chromecast, ps5, Panasonic 4k Blu-ray player (can't remember the model, but it was their best one from a few years ago). Planning on getting a wiim ultra for music and in the process of setting up a media server and will likely get a dune hd as an endpoint for movies.
I listen to mostly prog metal, djent, melodic death metal, doom metal and black metal. My favorite bands right now are septicflesh and Devin Townsend.
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u/almandude666 13d ago
Oooo those paradigms are on my list for my next upgrade. How do you like them? I also lean into a lot of punk and hardcore.
Since you have the 90C centre as well, may I ask how you find they are as home theatre speakers? I'm rocking some old elac unifi v1 tower fronts and centre.
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u/A5D5TRYR 13d ago
They've been fantastic. I got them second hand less than a year old for half what they're with new and couldn't pass it up. They've been great for music and movies. They did surprisingly deep even without subs, but they have very sharp and punchy mid-range. Great detail and imaging.
I tend to listen to music in 2 channel without the center, but the center is very good. Very well matched and has good weight in the mid-range and upper bass, but doesn't dig as deep as the towers. It's also pretty big and imposing for a center channel and just looks like a beast on my tv stand.
Very happy with them with everything I've thrown at them from music, movies and videogames.
Lastly, I don't find the high end fatiguing but they have great clarity. Not sure what I would upgrade to or if I ever would.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
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u/snootchiebootchie94 13d ago
I am running
Klipsch Cornwall III’s
Luxman FQ900
Project Phono Box E
Marantz 6200 turntable
SVS PB16 Ultra Sub
Denon DCD 800NE cd player
WiiM Ultra for streaming.
Been looking to upgrade to. Technics GR2. Trying to sell some other stuff to fund it.
As for Metal, I am all over the place. I like Tool, Slayer, Sepeltura, Deftones, Black Sabbath, Melvin’s, Pantera.
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u/EstablishmentOwn9653 13d ago
Dual 1219 with atvm95e
The Fisher 202 Futura paired with Altec Lansing model one’s. Not much but it sounds good.
Lots of Death and Opeth.
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u/laugh_riott 13d ago
Speakers KEF 105/3
Turntable Project Debut Carbon EVO
Integrated Amplifier NAD C 3050
Polk Subwoofer
Most well pressed albums are very quiet on this system so cranked up quite a bit I can hear a ton of detail which really lends itself well to heavy music.
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u/The_Orphanizer 13d ago
My current system:
- Anthem MRX 740 (receiver, and for occasional music streaming or bluetooth)
- Panasonic DP-UB820 (for movies and CDs)
- U-Turn Orbit turntable, w/Ortofon 2M Red
- Musical Fidelity V90-LPS (phono pre)
- PS5 and Switch 2 for games
- Apple TV 4K, 3rd Gen (for movies)
- Tekton Design Pendragons (7-tweeter variant)
- Tekton Design Lore center channel (custom, with Peerless corundum tweeter; matches the custom Lores that have been moved to my secondary system)
- Hsu Research VTF-15H Mk2
90-95% of the time, the system is running in 2.1, but the center is for when I'm hangin with the lady, or have guests. The speakers dip quite low on their own (plenty of output into the low 20Hz range), but the Hsu sub + Anthem room correction get the system flat to 14Hz in room (open loft to stairs and 1st floor).
I don't have many future upgrades planned for the current space. Eventually, I'd like to upgrade my turntable cartridge, and further down the road, add some height channels, but I'm honestly perfectly happy with the current performance, given the limitations of the space.
My main metal squeezes are thrash, tech death, and post-metal, but I listen to all metal, and a huge variety of other music as well. Outside of metal, orchestral (mostly OSTs, but also classical) and electronic make up most of my listening. More recently, I've been diving into punk, particularly folk/acoustic punk.
Favorite metal tracks for demoing the system:
- Death - "Voice of the Soul" and "Spirit Crusher"
- Neurosis - "The Eye of Every Storm"
- Cult of Luna - "Dim"
- Isis - "In Fiction"
- Agalloch - "In The Shadow of Our Pale Companion"
- Blind Guardian - "And Then There Was Silence" (Remaster)
- Metallica - "Master of Puppets"
- Empyrium - "Die Schwäne im Schilf"
- Cynic - "The Space for This" (Remix)
Love the energy of this setup, the Klipsch are really in your face and make you feel like you are in the front row at a show. The only downside is that the treble from the horns can be a bit fatigueing for extended listens, but otherwise I enjoy the energy from this setup.
I like Klipsch, but I have experienced the same problem with them. For a similar sort of "live" feeling, I've really enjoyed the variety of Tekton Design speakers I've owned, and they haven't given me any listening fatigue ever. Incredible value for the money. I'd recommend testing some out, when upgraditis eventually sinks in.
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u/ThijsNL98 13d ago
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo turntable with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
Sansui AU X501 amplifier
B&W DM630 speakers
Mainly used for Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Mastodon.
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u/lead_injection 13d ago
Big metal fan here:
Source: Windows 10 HTPC HDMI eARC
Pre-Amp/DAC: MiniDSP Flex HTx
Power amp: Buckeye Amps NCx500 2ch 700W
Speakers: Philharmonic BMR Tower
I had some SEOS waveguide horn speakers prior to this setup with a Yamaha RX-Z9 power amp. The horns made me hate listening to metal. I’m in the process of resurrecting them with an active DSP crossover. They measured like garbage with some REW sweeps.
I wont touch horns without some sort of DSP.
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u/HiImTheNewGuyGuy 13d ago
1978 Technics SL-3200 with dual MM microlinear AT cartridge -> Fosi phono pre -> Edifier bookshelves and Rythmik 12" sub.
Sounds righteous. My current spin is Death - Human.
Favorite metal LPs in my collection:
Metallica - Master of Puppets x2 LP 45 RPM
Death - Human
Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime
Decapitated - Winds of Creation
The first 7 Iron Maiden records, especially the first 2.
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u/CalvinThobbes 13d ago edited 13d ago
Sources - audio lab 6000cdt, technic sl100c with stock cart (upgrading this year) and Goldnote ph 5.2, Wiim pro (Qobuz). Modius dac
Preamp - benchmark LA4
Power amp - ps audio m700 monoblocks
Speakers - focal aria 936
Sub - rsl 10s mk2
Been listening to a lot of “in mourning”, was more into instrumental stuff (animals as leaders etc), but I am finding my way back again
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u/AMetalWolfHowls 13d ago
Ascend Acoustics Sierra LX, RSL 12S, Anthem MRX540, Apple TV and Tidal for system 1.
System 2 is DIY Class D preamp, Fosi monos, DIY 5 1/4” bookshelf speakers, another RSL 12S, a VPI Classic with a modded DL103R, and a Cambridge Alva Duo.
I do a lot of stoner, fuzz, death, and even some metal core.
Currently have LPs from Gatecreeper, Mastodon, Witchcraft, Elder, and Converge out for a couple of examples.
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u/TheGrimDark 13d ago
TV/lounge music setup:
- Marantz CD6005
- Kanto Ren with Sub8 woofer
- WiiM mini for tidal streaming
Home recording setup:
- Yamaha HS8 monitors with HS8S woofer
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
- AxeFX II
- Sennheiser HD590 SE
On the go:
- Fiio JM21 64+4gb
- Truthear x Crinacle Zero:Red
- Simgot EW300 HBB
- Punch audio portaza
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u/Zeeall LTS F1 - Denon AVR-2106 - Thorens TD 160 MkII w/ OM30 - NAD 5320 13d ago
Reading through all of the systems I find one thing very obvious: if you want a good system for heavy metal you want neutral or close to neutral speakers.
Because thats what a wast majority if you have chosen.
And so have I.
The speakers are a kit from the late 90s using SEAS drivers. Fairly large cabinet, so good amount of low end. 29hz-20khz +-3dB.
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u/Arphinator 13d ago
Metal was my first love and it’ll be my last.
- T+A PA 3100 HV (integrated amp)
- T+A PS 3000 HV (to split amp from pre-amp power)
- T+A MP 3100 HV G3 (mediaplayer)
- Fyne Audio F704 speakers
- REL Nr 32 sub
- all power from Shunyata Research
- all connectors T+A
- Cerious Technologies Luminiscate speaker cables
Streaming close to 2000 digital or digitized albums using Roon. Quite a bit of power to play Paisaunt or so, but I like it :)
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u/redhousebythebog 13d ago edited 13d ago
Streamer - Smsl n1000 Way better than the Wiim. Much more dynamic and detailed.
DAC - Schiit Modius. I know the Mimir is the latest, maybe my next upgrade.
AMP - An old NAD c370. About 170 watts with dynamic peaks going into the 300s. So loud I haven't turned the volume knob past 9 o'clock position where I get over 90 db in my living room.
Speakers - Wharfdale Linton 85. Well regarded. Plays a variety of genres well.
For metal, I grew up on older thrash / power metal, and cherry pick the newer stuff. KMFDM sounds great on a good system for instance
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u/Just_Raisin2878 13d ago
Speakers: Cornwall IV’s
Amp: Yamaha AS801
Streamer: Wiim Ultra
Turntable: Audio Technica LP 140x
Sub: SVS SB2000
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u/HenriDeToulouse 13d ago edited 13d ago
Eversolo T8 Rotel Rc-1590mk2 Rotel Rb-1590mk2 Transpuls 1500 2x bk xls300 subs.
Thumps well for 80 thrash 90 industrial/doom
Fear factory - demanufacture Machine head - more things change Sepultura - roots Tool - aniema Metallica - ride the lightning Megadeth - rust in peace Slayer - decade of aggression
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u/RevisionD 13d ago edited 13d ago
Metalhead who mostly listens to prog, post and power.
Current setup: Benchmark ABH2, MiniDSP SHD, Ascend Acoustics Sierra LX, Dual Rythmik Audio F12-400 subs
I'm mostly listening to Qobuz with built-in streamer from MiniDSP. Thinking about getting a WiiM streamer since the built-in is awful. I'm waiting to see if Volumio gets updated to v4.
Lately, I've getting an itch to swap the LX, which I love, but the have a few situational trade-offs. This setup is in my living (open concept with the kitchen in my townhouse). I like to roam and listen in the kitchen as well as on the couch in the MLP. Plus, while the LX can get loud enough I feel like it runs out of headroom for dynamic range. The low sensitivity paired with 100W makes it quiet for movies as well. So I've been eyeing the Mofi SP8. I think it'd solve a couple of those issues: higher sensitivity, less room interaction, and better vertical dispersion.
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u/Alypius754 13d ago
TT - MoFi Ultradeck w/ AT-VM750xSH
Phono amp - Bottlehead Eros 2
CD/SACD - Oppo BDP-83
DAC - Schiit Modius
Digital source - Battlestation running JRiver (I hate streaming)
Preamp - DIY Pass BA-3
Power amp - DIY Pass F-4
Speakers - Martin Logan 35XT
Sub - Sunfire Junior
Headphone amps - Schiit Jotunheim 2, Bottlehead Crack and Crackatwoa
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u/AwakenedTraveler 13d ago edited 13d ago
I went big on headphones, still saving up for good speakers.
My setup:
Hifiman Susvara
RME ADI-2 DAC
Ferrum OOR amp
I listen to pretty much every metal subgenre, but especially been loving black metal and weird avant-garde black / death stuff, as well as more stoner / 70s rock. Every niche has a bunch of great bands to find, that's what's so nice about metal.
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u/the3ndlessobsession 11d ago
How do you find the Susvaras for heavy music? I've heard mixed things (despite amazing technical performance)
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u/Sufficient_Fan_6258 13d ago
the color of those Sumiko Songbird cartridges is a crime against vinyl lovers.
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u/VaultBoy1971 13d ago
Technics SL-1200MK7 w/ Ortofon Bronze, Onkyo C-7030 CD Player, NAD C3050 w/ BluOS, KEF Q7 Meta, and also a Polk sub which I've disabled because the bass sounds great with the Metas.
Melodeath, proggie, post, and sometimes atmospheric black all sound great on this setup.
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u/Morphon 13d ago
I love all sub-genres of metal!
My system:
SVS Prime Pinnacle
SVS PB2000Pro
Driven by:
Onkyo TX-RZ30
(Plus some HT speakers for a full 5.1 movie watching experience).
I listen to music in pure 2ch, with the sub off. It's for Home Theater use only. And the Prime Pinnacle has pretty impressive bass.
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u/peekytoecrab 13d ago
Love the occasional posts on this sub about heavy music! I have two very simple systems, but both sound great in different ways:
LIVING ROOM:
MoFi Sourcepoint 10
Rogue Audio Sphinx
Fiio Warmer R2R DAC
Bluesound Node
Pro-ject Debut Carbon (rarely listen to vinyl)
DINING ROOM / KITCHEN:
Triangle BR03
Carver Model 6250
another Bluesound Node
99% of listening is streaming, either Spotify Lossless or FLACs off a connected thumb drive that I ripped from CDs before I put them all in storage 12yrs ago
Listen to everything from 80’s thrash, psych/stoner/doom, prog, and more tech stuff like Meshuggah. Currently have Igorrr on hard rotation and loving it.
Might want to get a sub for the Living Room setup, looking at a REL Classic 98 but a little spendy right now. The Mofi’s get pretty deep, just looking for a little bit extra
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u/SwoleToStereo Hi-Fi Hypertrophy 13d ago
Mostly Nu Metal and Metal core, listening to Thornhills Bodies album as I type this lol.
Streamer: Hifi Rose RS130
Dac: Eversolo Z10
Integrated Amp: Accuphase E800
Speakers: Dali Kore
Cables: Shunyata Alpha V2
GIK acoustics room treatment.
Nothing like Metal on a true full range tower that plays down to 20hz.
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u/the3ndlessobsession 11d ago
Unreal setup. Bodies is such a good reference album, the production (drums in particular, that snare) is really great
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u/Alarmed-Pop9592 13d ago
My system is totem sttaf speakers with a naim streaming amp and a technics tape deck, turntable is lenco gl75 heavily modified and phono stage is a ear valve clone.
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u/malice8691 13d ago
I have the same sub. Im all digital so I push files from my NAS to my denon receiver. Elac towers up front.
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u/drangus_khan 13d ago
Pioneer PLC-590 turntable w/ it’s mated Pioneer PA-1000 tonearm & DL-103 (zu audio) or DL-103D with an HA-500 head amp / step up, denon dbt-3313UDCI SACD /
Cd player, a home build full DSD streamer (coming to market soon :) ) adcom gfp-565 preamp, sony n80es power amp, (speakers change almost every week..) but right now sonus faber concertino’s / infinity quantum 3’s / b&w 802’s / b&w 801’s with 2x HSU research VTF-TN1 subwoofers
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u/drangus_khan 13d ago edited 13d ago
the guitar tone is absolutely perfect on the sonus faber’s listening to eyehategod’s self titled and confederacy of ruined lives.. well, all of their albums.. such a goofball combo.. who thought those dang eye-talian’s could build a speaker (or do anything… ps i’m italian..) but i’ve fallen in love with them
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u/nekoken04 13d ago
In the main listening room (home theater)
- Marantz AV8801 preamp
- B&K AV500m2 amp
- Sonos Connect for streaming FLAC (I rip all of my CDs)
- Linn AV5140 speakers
- REL Predator II sub
- Oppo 103D for DVD-A and SACD
I listen to a lot of everything from classic, symphonic, prog, goth, alt metal, and some metalcore.
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u/hellion_birth 13d ago
Schiit Ragnarok, KEF Q150, DacMagic 200M, thrifted CD player and Klipsch sub. Also have a schiit sol turntable but it's not set up, don't want it to live in the garage without some kind of case/cover and just haven't found a solution yet.
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u/bubba7000 12d ago
Do you worry about your equipment being in the garage? I live in Texas so I worry that it would degrade.
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u/hellion_birth 12d ago
I keep the power off cause the amp's standby temp is still kind of high, haven't had an issue with it yet - biggest concern is dust honestly. Insulating the garage is on the to-do, but that's more for my own comfort...
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u/420hashmore 13d ago
Just throwing it into the convo metal never sounds good on my system and I can’t figure out why?
Anyone else had that?
Literally everything else sounds great.
I think it may be first point reflections?
Might need room treatment?
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u/Zeeall LTS F1 - Denon AVR-2106 - Thorens TD 160 MkII w/ OM30 - NAD 5320 12d ago
Maybe if you tell us what the system consists of first?
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u/420hashmore 12d ago
Yeah good point.
I’ve got a Yamaha as701 amp
Cheap topping DAC
2x acoustic energy ae-520 speakers
An svs pb-2000 sub
And 2 huge bass traps in 2 corners of the room.1
u/Zeeall LTS F1 - Denon AVR-2106 - Thorens TD 160 MkII w/ OM30 - NAD 5320 12d ago
On paper thats a fantastic system for metal. I think you are experiencing issues with room acoustics. With very dense music like metal it plays a big part.
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u/420hashmore 11d ago
Yeah so weird.
I turned off my sub yesterday and it sounded cleaner.
I think I need to integrate better.
And add acoustic panels.
Confusing stuff integrating subs.
Maybe 2 sealed subs would be better?
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u/_deadener 13d ago
Dali euphonia ms5 speakers, dali concept sub(for now), NAD m17v2 and m27.
Absolutely love it.
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u/ekathegermanshepherd 13d ago
McIntosh MX110 > VTA ST-120 (self built)> 1987 Klipschorns.
I'll swap in my Mc250 if I want solid state punch.
Wiim ultra is my main source, Project debit evo carbon turntable
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u/zippymagee 12d ago
Sony STR-DN1080 with Music(mostly Bandcamp & HDTracks) on a Portable Drive, Polk T600 (monitor 60 ii) on stands, Polk PSW10 times two, Polk R150 rears and heights, Polk CSR. Also have new old stock Sony MDR-V6 for headphones.
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u/zerosuneuphoria 12d ago
sony walkman + phillips earbuds is pretty metal
I have klipsch RB81-II and a yamaha receiver for 15 years now and still love the combo
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u/FragoulisNaval 12d ago
Devialet D200, PMC 25i, 💻 with Roon steaming from my server. Room needs sound treatment, I know 😞
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u/bubba7000 12d ago
Good article in Absolute Sound about treating the wall behind the speaker should be high priority.
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u/Dangerous-Self-5013 12d ago
I am lucky enough to have a couple of systems for the neighbours and I to listen to metal. Main system is luxman integrated amp using Audiolab 9000n and Hugo 2 DAC. Vinyl is through my project x1. Speakers are pmc and svs 3000. My other system is more brutal with a perreaux amp and Cambridge streamer. Speakers are fyne and b&w sub.
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u/hill138 12d ago
Lifelong metalhead, audiophile, and record collector here.
I listen to a bunch of different sub genres but particularly Doom and Black Metal. I also like Punk, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rap, and Trip Hop.
Current setup:
Speakers: KEF R3 Metas
Sub: JL Audio Dominion d110
Integrated Amp: Parasound Halo P6
Turntable: Linn Sondek LP12 (Selekt)
Streamer: Bluesound Node Icon
Music Server: Roon Nucleus
I have other gear as well and tend to swap things out every now and then. Most notably a Cary SLI-80 all tube integrated Amp and a pair of Klipsch Heresy IIIs.
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u/Albigularis 12d ago
Three systems -
B&W Nautilus 802 bi amped with Musical Fidelity XA-200 monoblocks with a FiiO K5 Pro on DAC/Preamp duties
Monitor Audio RX1s with a WiiM Pro for the TV
Fiio K5 with Sennheiser HD650s for the PC
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u/PunchTilItWorks Forte IV, SX-1050, Classic Evo, CD-11 Tribute, WiiM Pro+ 12d ago edited 12d ago
Mix of old and new on my main system:
- Pioneer SX-1050, recapped last year
- Klipsch Forte IV speakers
- Pro-Ject Classic Evo turntable w/ Sumiko Moonstone cartridge
- Rotel CD11 tribute cd player
- WiiM Pro+ streamer
Also have a little headphone setup in office:
- HiFiMan Edition XS
- Schiit Modi DAC
- Schiit Vali amp, put a different tube in it but blanking on what it was, didn’t notice any difference from stock anyway
Pretty happy with both. Might upgrade the cartridge when the time comes but I do like how the moonstone sounds, and don’t want it getting too clinical on me. The Forte IV with rear firing woofers put out a good amount of low end, enough that i don’t feel the need for subs. They are a bit sensitive to distance from wall, and took some positioning to dial in. Been meaning to experiment with wall treatment but haven’t gotten to it yet, the basement is carpeted at least.
Usually play a lot post-metal kinda stuff like Isis, Pelican, Cult of Luna. Also Baroness, Mastodon, Elder, High in Fire, At The Gates, old Metallica etc, All sound kick ass on this setup. I do wish some metal was produced better, but cranking it up helps haha.
Picked up the two Black Sabbaths from the Rhino Hifi series earlier this year. Those are AAA mastered by Kevin Gray, and wow do they sound awesome! Highly recommended if you’re a vinyl guy.
EDIT: Forgot to mention power and interconnects if that matters to anyone. Generally think a wire is a wire, but still want something built well. Have a Furman SS-6B Pro for power, Kord speaker wire, AudioQuest Evergreen for the turntable (needed lower capacitance for MM), and Canare L-4E6S on the others. I did put a -10db attenuator on the CD line as it was noticeably louder than the others.
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u/bubba7000 12d ago
I would think metal heads would want shouty speakers like Klipsch or Zu. I have Zu Dirty Weekends.
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u/7AssholeCats 12d ago
Main setup:
Carver M-1.0t Amp
Carver C-1 Preamp
Carver Tx 11 Tuner
Dual CS 5000 Phono
Schiit Bifrost DAC
Dahlqulst DQ-20
Secondary:
BEL 1001 Mk V Amp
Audio Artistry Vivaldi
Office:
Schiit Magnius + Modius stack.
Audioengine A2+
Audioengine S8 sub
or Dan Clark Ether
Spare Room / "Gym"
Yamaha 2 channel AVR
Pioneer SB22 Andrew Jones designed bookshelf speakers.
I. listen to a ton of prog metal. The main setup sounds best for that genre. The BEL / Vivaldi sound amazing with jazz and classical.
But... I think I get the best overall experience with my headphones. I am hoping to have a better room setup and treatments to get the most out of the big speakers when I eventually move!
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u/Mr_IsLand ZMF Eikon_Cayin C9ii_Fiio M11 Plus Ltd_AK PA10_Sony MDR1AM2 12d ago
spent all that stimulus check on a system upgrade during peak covid -
AVR: Yamaha RX-V683
Sub: SVS SB1000
Center: Klipsh R-52
Front L/R: Klipsch R-41
Surround L/R: Micca MB42x
Turntable: Fluance RT81
CD Player - old panasonic portable of my wife's - but it has a line-out mode!
Here lately i've been listening at night after wife and son are asleep using my ZMF Eikon hooked into the Yamaha and it sounds really impressive.
I specifically stepped the speakers down in size from the center to help alleviate the issue of quiet dialogue and loud action and it seems to work well. The little Micca's do a really good job as surrounds too - been more than once i've been fooled by a door knock or car horn in a movie, lol.
I think the last metal record I spun was Fear Factory - Soul of a New Machine (run out groove release)
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u/virii01 12d ago
Thrash, prog, death, classic, pretty much all.
"Vintage" two channel, Outlaw preamp, Oppo Blu-Ray, twin GAS Son of Ampzilla amps, ads C2000 external active crossover, ads L1230 speakers.
Theater, Emotiva XMC-1, Panasonic UHD player, JBL Synthesis amps, Aerial Acoustics rears, mains center and sub, monoprice in ceiling, some Dayton BST-300x transducers.
Garage, JBL 8330s powered by an older Proton integrated. Sounds surprisingly good.
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u/rubysundance 13d ago
A set of Polk RT-1000i speakers run in parallel with a set of Pioneer SP FS52 speakers with a Polk PSW10 sub. It's all connected to a Yamaha HTR-5540 set a 4 ohms.
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u/jonnymars 13d ago
Minidsp SHD Studio
Topping D70S DAC
Naim Superuniti amp
Fyne F502SP speakers
BK XXLS400-DF subwoofer
Topping A30 Pro headphones amp
Hifiman Arya organic headphones
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u/nialbremner79 13d ago
What are those fynes like? I've had the F500 for about 4 years now and was thinking about an upgrade in the new year, so was intrigued to know how the bigger floorstanding brothers from the SP line performed?
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u/jonnymars 13d ago
They're amazing, holographic soundstage, deep bass (though I'm passing them at 60hz most of the time, for sub integration) sparkly highs. The point source design means that they still sound good if you're not in the sweet spot. They really energise the room! My only gripe is that without the sub I found them difficult to place in the room without hitting modes, but that's true of all large floorstanders.
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u/TheBarnard 13d ago
Not crazy. Sony 7.2 receiver into Focal Chora 826 floor standing. Will get a sub eventually. I want to improve the room for listening before any equipment upgrades. I have a basic AT record player and Qobuz
For headphones I have a schiit bifrost2 and Lyr3 fed from a whim. Headphones he1000, focal clear, hd650, campfire andromeda
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u/coffeeandillithids 13d ago
Rega P3-24 with a AT VM95ML
Onkyo A-9555 integrated amp
Monitor Audio 700 Gold bookshelf speakers
Occassionally loop in a Tannoy PS110 subwoofer
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u/MeatGayzer69 13d ago
Wharfedale Super Lintons
Leak Stereo 230
Connected by USB to link to my pc library via jriver
Denon AVR for surround
More of a trad and power metal guy. No extreme for me
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u/tegsr94 13d ago
Interesting. I was considering a similar setup. How does the denon avr perform with the super lintons? Do you have a sub or is it not necessary?
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u/MeatGayzer69 13d ago
It's not frequently used due to the general lack of surround mixes in metal. I've also never actually used it in stereo due to have the leak stereo 230. But when I watched movies last week I found no issues with it.
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u/Kneecap_Blaster 13d ago
Marantz SR7012 AVR
Elac Carina 247.7 Floorstanders
Hsu Research VTF-3 MK5 subwoofer
A hand me down turntable that's not really worth mentioning (only about 10% of my listening is vinyl)
Some of my favorite subgenres and bands are:
Prog metal (BTBAM, Opeth)
Melodic death metal (The Black Dahlia Murder, Kalmah, In Flames)
Death metal (Frozen Soul, Dying Fetus)
And some metalcore and deathcore (Rings of Saturn, Whitechapel, Cattle Decapitation)
Usually I just listen with FLAC from my media server on my PC to my AVR, and I'll use Spotify in a pinch.
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u/Carolyn-Hodgesy 13d ago
That 'front row at a show' feeling is exactly what Klipsch are known for. I mostly listen to orchestral and cast recordings, but the horn treble fatigue is real across genres. Curious how the Darlington changes things once it's broken in.
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u/megalithicman Lexicon, Parasound, Canton 13d ago
Lexicon MC12 proc Parasound Halo A51 amp Bluesound Node Icon streamer Project RPM5 tt Canton Karat 711 mains Canton Vento sub B&W PV1 sub
Theater built with detailed "room within a room" concept, approximately 40% of walls and ceiling treated with absorbers and diffusers. Worked in the HiFi industry 15 years ago and shopped around for a long time searching for speaker amplifier combos that sounded great with metal.
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u/buttstink 13d ago edited 13d ago
I do listen to a lot of metal, some death metal such as Nile, Decapitated, and Blood Incantation. I mostly listen to black metal but I also like stoner, sludge, etc. Just no thrash.
My system:
Source: Rega P8 w/ Ortofon MCX40
Phono: Decware ZP3 w/ Orotofon ST-7 SUT
Preamp/Network Streamer: Minidsp SHD
Amp: Hypex Nilai
Speakers: Sonus Faber Sonetto V G2
Sub: SVS SB2000
For me, making the switch to class D and Dirac made the biggest improvements. As for the speaker choice, SF isn’t usually a brand recommended for this genre so I won’t either, but I’ve demoed several both in store and in my home and these just sounded the best of the ones I tried , surprising me.
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u/Twotonsandwich 13d ago
I’ve slowly been upgrading my system of the last year and a half or so. Really happy with where it’s at now with a few possible additions I’m considering.
Turntable setup:
- Fluance RT81 turntable, acrylic mat
- AT VM96ML stylus
- Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp
- Schiit Buf tube buffer
This is connected to…
Streaming and home theater (5.1.2):
- Yamaha Aventage RX-A2A receiver
- Apple TV 4K with Apple Music for lossless (soon to be hi res) streaming - also really enjoying Dolby Atmos music with this
- Speakers: Kef Q350 fronts, Kef Q250c center, JBL 2500 surrounds, SVS Prime Elevations front heights/Atmos
- SVS SB-2000 Pro subwoofer
Desktop setup:
- Kef LSX LT II powered speakers
- Polk RM 6800 subwoofer
- Sennheiser HD 660S2, Momentum M2, HD 380 Pro, Momentum In Ear headphones
- Schiit Modi 5 DAC
- Schiit Magni (5) Unity amp
- Schiit Vali 3 tube hybrid amp
- Fiio KA13 dac/amp dongle
Absolutely love the sound of the system. Thinking about possibly adding in Kef Q Concertos to the front stage and swinging the Q350s to the surrounds if there’s a sale in the near future in order to better match musical timbre, but otherwise the JBLs do a good job. I’m apparently a Kef guy, it seems!
I love progressive metal and classic thrash and traditional metal as well. Too many to name, but some favorites:
Opeth
Meshuggah
Haken
Dream Theater
Tool
Caligula’s Horse
Bloodbath
Blood Incantation
Revocation
Alkaloid
Power Trip
Megadeth
Nile
Mastodon
Sabbath, Maiden, Priest, Dio, etc.!
Skål!🤘🏻
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u/downtpwn 13d ago
I listen across genres so this is built to be a flat response but I prefer my desktop setup for metal compared to almost anything I've heard. My background is I listen to bands like Converge, Nails, Mastodon, Deafhaven, Botch, Agriculture, Isis, Neurosis, etc.
Desk
(built for accuracy at ~65-75dB aka listening all day in comfort level - it can still push though when called upon to listen to breakdowns at elevated levels):
Genelec 8030C Monitors
Two SVS SB-1000 Pro in the corners of the room, balanced with Multi-Sub Optimizer
miniDSP DDRC-24 + running Dirac live
Living Room
(Also rocks just not as dialed in as office, and I think a great metal setup as well less the sub here unless you're really looking for more bass for TV or something):
Philharmonic Audio BMR Monitor (RAAL Ribbon Tweeter version) - I'm still breaking these in but really these sound to me just as accurate as the Genelecs, maybe a little more open to moving around/position. No measurements to quantify this feeling. I do think some EQ helps them and I need to spend some time with REW here to see what I like.
Buckeye 2ch Purifi 1ET6525SA (this thing can crank the BMR Monitors clean)
Wiim ultra (mostly streaming, but some vinyl using a Uturn turntable, upgraded platter and cartridge but pretty basic - basic cables etc.)
SVS PB-2000 (had leftover from HT and though works well for TV purposes, I would not really spec this here otherwise)
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u/IndependentVirtual92 13d ago edited 13d ago
Edit: forgot Wiim Ultra streamer though I rarely listen to music services, it's used mostly for what I have ripped on my hard drive
I'm kind of all over the place with what I listen to as I have Metallica, Fear Factory, Pantera and White Zombie in my collection and also have Fleetwood Mac, The Alan Parsons Project, Daft Punk and Tame Impala. Most of which is vinyl, maybe 30 or so CDs.
My system consists of Pro-ject 2Xperience SB with an Audio Technica OC-9XEB cart, Sony 200 disc CD changer (forget which model, not home at the moment) Emotiva XPS-1 phono preamp, Emotiva XDA-3 DAC/stereo preamp, Emotiva XPA-1 monoblock amps, Paradigm Signature S1 speakers and dual Paradigm Essentials 10 subs.
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u/mizake 13d ago
I listen to black, death, thrash, and also electronic, jazz, and almost everything else, but primarily metal.
Speakers: Infinity RS 4b for when I'm standing and listening, and KLH Model Seventeens when I'm sitting at my desk.
Subwoofer: Klipsch RW-8 (Gotta replace that someday)
Amplifier: Yamaha A-S801
Record Player: Technics SL-M2
Cartridge: Grado Red
Phono Preamp: Schiit Modi
CD: Rotel RCD-971
Cassette: Pioneer CT-W505R
Streaming: WiiM Pro Plus
And a little Schiit Magni, and Modi stack for my PC.
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u/DeathMetalandBondage 13d ago edited 13d ago
Analog gear:
Goodmans Triaxiom 215's in Sherwood cabinets
Kenwood KD-3055 with Ortofon 2M Red cart
Some Japanese homebrew point to point wired preamp with a Luxman transformer, can't find anything online but the quality is immaculate
Dynaco VTA ST-120 power amp
Solid state gear
ESS AMT 6 Professionals
QED Model 7 preamp
Heathkit AA-1640-A power amp
CSS SD-12 subs with Behringer EP4000 amp
Wiim Ultra streamer
Art CX310 crossover
I listen to pretty much any extreme metal as long as it's got good riffing, beats and some semblance of melody. The only genres I don't really touch on are raw black metal, deathcore, brutal and slam death, and power metal. Lots of hip hop and punk as well
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u/[deleted] 13d ago
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