For me the room is the critical component, hence the GIK treatments, which made a startling difference in the way my other components sound. No, you don't see any cable supports, power conditioner, Roon nucleus,hospital-grade outlets, etc.--at least not yet. I used to have a Merrill Heirloom table with a Klyne 6L phono preamp, but most of the classical music I prefer now is digital and not put onto vinyl. I seldom use the Planar even though you see a fair number of vinyl discs under it. I got most of those records years ago at garage and estate sales,way before high-rez streaming (Qobuz for me) became a reality. I listen with only a usb/battery-powered light at low level, so I didn't install any fancy lighting in the room. How it sounds, not how it looks, is what matters most to me.
Thanks, tomstruck. Yes, I have been impressed by the improvement in the sound of my room with each GIK product that I have added over the past two years. Mike at GIK has done a great job helping me choose which panels to add and where to place them for the greatest benefit.
Good question. As much as I'd like to think that it's cleverer than it is, it's only the phrase "deep river" with the first letters transposed. I got tired of constantly having to create meaningful user names for online accounts, so I just started taking common phrases and doing the same thing with them, e.g., holy roller/roly holler. Much easier and less complicated than the rules of Shirley Ellis's "Name Game," for which its oversight committee failed to screen out "Chuck."
Thanks for the kind words.The other Schiit is just a Modi 3 that I was using before I got the Bifrost. It's not hooked up to anything, just didn't know what else to do with it. Yes, the Aerials and Gato make beautiful sounds together in addition to being extremely pleasing to the eye. I'm sure my hearing is nowhere near as refined as many audiphiles' on this website, but the Rega and the Pro-Ject box work just fine for me, and that's from someone who used to have a Merrill/Tri-Planar/Benz combination.
The oak cabinet was custom built for me back in the 80s by a local craftsman (craftsperson/crafter/woodworker?). Solid as a rock. I'll add another photo of it.
Thank'ee kindly. Actually, the NAD no longer works. It's just there to fill up a blank space, like the NAD integrated down below. Yes, the Gato, as someone said, is an industrial work of art. Needless to say its sound is equally stunning.
Oh, and the room has no windows, a concrete base with laminate on top, a ceiling slope front to back from 8 to 10 feet, and was constructed using Homasote on resilient channels behind the drywall. I can play my system as loud as I want and it cannot be heard in the rest of the house.
