Thanks for the compliments. I've found that this system is great for my needs, since I like to surf the web or do work while listening to music and the usb dac is easy to connect to my computer. Here are some comments:
1) Soundstage. There is plenty of soundstage for nearfield listening, but it is a different kind of soundstage than in a big room. The speakers do their job well, but the room itself doesn't get any bigger than it is. So, it sounds more like a musician's recording studio than a big jazz club or symphony hall. I used to live in a condo with the audio system in a large living room with 11ft ceilings. The soundstage felt much different because the room was so big. I like both setups. I listen to lots of mono LP's with the Dorian mono and the soundstage is always huge (again, with the priviso that I'm in a small room).
2) I'm solo. My wife doesn't listen, so it is just me 99.9% of the time, except when there is an occasional guest who likes music. Sorry, but there isn't room for the local audio club to listen. It works out fine from both listening positions (the office chair and the listening chair). I've found through trial and error that the position against the wall is the best. The chair position is fine, but I'm usually facing the opposite direction from the speakers, which isn't the best, but it still sounds great.
3) The fan is very easy to set up. Here is what you need:
- 110v AC to 12v DC Power Supply with 4 Pin Molex Adapter
- Nexus 92mm Silent Fan
- Get a 4 pin y-connector if you want to hook up two fans to the same power supply.
- I tidied up the wires with some black electrical tape.
- You can also use a smaller or larger Nexus silent fan. I have the 92mm and 120mm and they are both very quiet. You can barely hear them, even a few inches away. I got some velcro dots from Home Depot to attach one on the side of the amp to blow on the tubes and one in the back of the cabinet as an exhaust fan. There is no on/off switch, but I mounted the power supply to the back of the cabinet with velcro and I just gently pull the connector out to turn it off. I ordered all the stuff from www.coolerguys.com. They take paypal and have quick delivery.
4) I don't have too many tips for a two channel office system, other than I highly recommend setting one up. Also, don't be afraid to use some decent sized speakers in a small room. I started with Spendor mini-monitors and I like the full-size Theil speakers much better.
