Desk Top Systems

[Dave Clark]

What are you guys using for a desktop set-up or personal (not necessarily headphone rig)?
I have the ELAC B4 here's being driven by the little Parasound Zamp. The preamp/DAC is the Schiit Jothnheim with the Schiit Wyrd handling USB issues. I chose their PSYT USB cable (made by Straightwire it appears), speaker cables are Canare 4S11, interconnects from Zu Audio, and AC cables from DH Labs and Dynamic Designs. Network cables are from Audioquest. Daedelus DiD under the items works well enough. JRiver Media Center 21 organizes the files on the Certon C4 Integrita NAS. oh, and the iFi USB Purifier too. Dell PC running W7 professional. Headphones range from Sennheiser to Focal to AKG to Audeze.

[Joe Pittman]

Vanatoo speakers, AudioQuest NightHawk headphones, PS Audio Sprout, new Oppo UDP-203 4K Ultra HD universal player, Sony 55" 4K monitor and computer with high performance graphics card. Absolute Fidelity power cables and IsoTek power filter.

[JCOConnell]

I also have a desktop/PC system in the bedroom which I use for the computer and also listen to music quite a bit. Its much simpler digitally. For amplification and speakers, I use a Denon PRA 1500 preamp, a Niles SI-245 power amp, and Focal Electra 905 nearfield monitor speakers. The preamp is fed by a Sony ST-SA5ES tuner, a DIY 24/96 DAC connected to an Onkyo DX-6800 CD player used as a transport, and the line out of my PC which runs win10. Audio software is simply windows media player and goldwave. My PC has reaktek hd audio chipset on the motherboard so I don't use a soundcard. I enjoy PC Audio, YouTube, CDs, and FM stereo on this system. I also have the record out from my main system in the living room connected to this PC system so I can listen or record vinyl digitally but I don't do it that often.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Never quite got desktop systems with little speakers. I just plug an Audioengine D3 into my notebook and use my headphones, or use them with my Questyle QP1.

[JCOConnell]

yeah, but headphones are no substitute for real speakers and amplifier

[Alrainbow]

Now now bud don't say that till u heard a good one lol. I use a sub woofer to feel the bass too. You would be surprised I feel.

[JCOConnell]

I prefer the music coming from a soundstage in front of me, not in the middle of my head. P.S. I have high end headphones too, but those are for loud late night listening as to not disturb the neighbors.

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks for starting this thread. It's a subject that I'm becoming interested in too! I want something better than computer speakers!

[JCOConnell]

All you really need for a pc setup is a pair of quality bookshelf speakers and a reasonably powered integrated amplifier.

[Boblaclune]

There's a lot to be said for a good desktop setup with a small sub blended in . It's an immersive nearfield experience that takes the room out of the equation. The trick is to optimize the system for what it is - a desktop and not try to jerry-rig leftover bits and pieces for the job. Steven Stone at TAS is a desktop fan and his articles make for good reading. Loads of choices out there , without question the best one I've had and listened to was the Mini Maggie setup, specifically designed for the desktop. Wendell Clark describes them as having 3.7's on your desk and he's not wrong. You'd have to be pretty far along in 2-channel land to beat that. Currently running a pair of Clairaudience 1+1 V2+ speakers with the new ELAC Element amplifier which has built in sub-blending and room optimization with a REL T-Zero sub. Given how close the listening position is to the system, I've found multi-driver speakers don't really work (for me) given their dispersion characteristics. Isolation off the desktop is also important , I've used Iso-Acoustics but the best stands by far (though they take up a lot of real estate) are the Ardan stands.

[JCOConnell]

There's a lot to be said for a good desktop setup with a small sub blended in . It's an immersive nearfield experience that takes the room out of the equation. The trick is to optimize the system for what it is - a desktop and not try to jerry-rig leftover bits and pieces for the job. Steven Stone at TAS is a desktop fan and his articles make for good reading. Loads of choices out there , without question the best one I've had and listened to was the Mini Maggie setup, specifically designed for the desktop. Wendell Clark describes them as having 3.7's on your desk and he's not wrong. You'd have to be pretty far along in 2-channel land to beat that. Currently running a pair of Clairaudience 1+1 V2+ speakers with the new ELAC Element amplifier which has built in sub-blending and room optimization with a REL T-Zero sub. Given how close the listening position is to the system, I've found multi-driver speakers don't really work (for me) given their dispersion characteristics. Isolation off the desktop is also important , I've used Iso-Acoustics but the best stands by far (though they take up a lot of real estate) are the Ardan stands.

Yes, driver configuration is important, I find a two way with a small center to center distance between drivers works well but I would not recommend a 3 way for nearfield usage.
I also do not place the speakers on the desktop, I have a shelf behind and above the desktop that places the speakers at ear level. I have a subwoofer but seldom use it as I have
difficulty tuning it to match my focal bookshelf speakers.

[JackD201]

Apogee One external USB with Adam Artist 3 active monitors. Even on my desktop, I need my ribbons

[Dr.Ears]

The Nobsound Integrated with adapters, which allow you to replace the new Chinese tubes with 6SN7's driving a pair of ECC85's. I am using small $250 a pair B & W's, which sound great for the money. The integrated accepts a Bluetooth input, which allows me to use any device, which outputs Bluetooth as a source. Any of my Apple Macbooks work fine. It also has 2 sets of RCA inputs.