This system was put together with the purpose to provide a decent level of fidelity and musical enjoyment while blending into its environment. Aside from this, it is also very affordable allowing me to spend most of my "music budget" on live performances and recordings. Any suggestions or comments are very much welcomed.
Funny you should mention the paint as I was admiring it. I really like earth-tone's. I'm always afraid to paint and get it wrong, it's difficult to work off these little paint swatches. Mind if I ask the manufacturer and color?
Thanks Mahlerfan for the suggestion. I like the Level Plus and they have it available in Wenge stain! I'll wait to see how "Worldys" cabinet turns out first before getting the Level Plus, but I'm very glad for the suggestions from all. Thank you also for the compliments on the home decor. When I had this house built, I didn't know whether or not I should have it done up "Mountainy" as most villas here in Breckenridge are very rustic and loggy. Overall, I think the earth-tone paint and the wood trims give it just enough warmth yet the clean lines of the cabinets and built-ins are neutral enough for the freedom to play with bright colors and the contemporary furnishings.
Simple but elegant system. I also believe in the B&W/Classe match. We (or should I say our wives) have similar taste in decoration. I am having a local metal artist build me a contemporary equipment rack out of stainless steel. I will send photos of the cabinet when it is done if you are looking for ideas. He has made stands for me out of brushed stainless steel that were very cool.
Hmm, that's a good one -- Finite Elemente (http://www.finite-elemente.de/e,,products.html) offers some fairly unusual designs (especially the Spider and Level Plus), but they ain't cheap. (Nothing but the best, is my motto, when it's someone else's money.) Beyond that, it might make sense to look for a regular piece of furniture that can accommodate the components and is sturdy enough to provide resonance control, like a heavy trestle table with a bottom shelf or an open-front cabinet/sideboard. Withough a doubt, the beauty of your house demands something beyond the ordinary -- I'll be interested to see what you come up with.
I can't agree more with you on the stacking of components. I'm in the process of hunting for a better stand, but I don't want an audio stand that looks like a typical rack. I know that as one collect more and more components, it becomes difficult to find something that's not rack-like. If you or anyone have idea on where I can get a good sturdy stand that has some style, please let me know. Much appreaciated:)
Excellent setup, and what a room -- just sitting on the couch and looking out the window could get you halfway to aesthetic bliss! (The pictures alone have that effect on me.) The one thing I would suggest is that you put the CDs elsewhere so that each component can have its own shelf and the preamp won't be sitting on top of the CDP. Most people seem to agree that isolating components yields sonic benefits, and that's certainly been my experience. Apart from that, all you need to do is press "Play."
