Hello AudioCircle,
I've been sitting on the audio sidelines for a while and have recently gotten back into it more seriously. I've been an audiophile since high school when I build several Dynakits. More recently, although 25+ years ago, my partner and I started Mirror Image Audio. That was fun, but both of us were technical types and not business types. And we didn't have a lot of resources. So we sold it to Polyfusion.
Since then, while always into music, the depth of my involvement with high end audio has varied based primarily on available time. I'm fortunate to have an understanding wife who put up with a living room with three chairs and a pair of Carver Amazing Platinum speakers, later Magnepan MG20's. Mirror Image Audio amps of course. We remodeled, the system came down, and really didn't reappear for years.
I work from home and have had good sound in the work area, but after another remodeling and expansion job the system in the work area was taken to new heights. That got me wanting the dedicated listening space back once again. Re-establishing contact with an old audio friend pushed me over the edge so now I'm back in. I've always been a
cheapskate value oriented person and still am. Also still a technically oriented person.
Years ago, at the first CES that Mirror Image was exhibiting at, a guy came into our room while we were setting up, said he just started a speaker company and thought we might be interested in hearing them. The speaker company was NHT. Both my partner and I were impressed and each bought a pair of the first model they made. Several years later they came out with the Evolution series and I picked up three M6 and two SubTwo i subwoofers for a home theater system. It was years later when I realized just how good these speakers are. Lately I've been hunting them down.
My current system is:
- PC and Foobar2000
- Modified sound card
- Holo Audio Spring DAC Level 3
- Mirror Image Audio 1.1m amps
- NHT M6 mains - three per side, stacked
- NHT SubTwo i subs - two
- Homemade interconnects using solid silver S-video cable and Eichmann Silver Bullet plugs
- Homemade Linkwitz-Reily 24 dB crossover with differential inputs
I suspect you'd be surprised at how good this system sounds. I know KLH007 was. I'm adding remote input switching and volume to the crossover that will be controlled through Foobar, just waiting on the parts. Vinyl is ripped 24/96 through a modified sound card, played on a Well Tempered turntable with Van Den Hul One cartridge through a Mirror Image Preamp. SACDs & DVDA disks are also ripped prior to playing.
Anyway, it's good to be back and I'm looking forward to meeting you.
Dave
