Your "secondary" living room system

[hopkins]

I watched this "Ask Paul" video this afternoon:

The description states "Because high end audio systems are so revealing, poorly recorded media like some classic rock suffer."

His suggestion is to use a "middle of the road" high end system for casual listening around the house in addition to a high end system (in a dedicated room).

I'm not sure everyone would agree with his premise, but regardless i often wonder how many people here who have high-end audio systems in dedicated rooms also have a more modest system in their living rooms, and if so, how often do they listen to it, what equipment did they choose and how satisfied are they ? What is it that they enjoy about this second system?

Perhaps some who do not have a dedicated room and have their "toys" in the living room also use a second set of speakers for casual listening?

 

[Another Johnson]

I used to run three systems at our last house.

I did run lesser, sometimes vintage, gear in those systems.

I found myself only using them when I wasn’t motivated to go to the out building where my main system was installed (very cold weather, torrential rain, or too many uninterested guests).

One such system was quite well liked by guests … it was based on Martin Logan, Krell, and Linn gear.

I also experimented with modern Marantz, as well as modern Cambridge Audio, Thiel, Revel, Levinson, VPI, lots of CJ, and several others. Between multiple houses, I’ve had as many as five systems going simultaneously at various times.

Our current downsized digs do not have space outside of my “man cave” to support much in the way of more audio. What has evolved here is the use of two Denon Home 350 streamer/amp/speaker boxes. My wife loves these. We have a small HT with a Denon AVR/ three Sonus Faber front speakers, PSB Alpha AV rear speakers, a Revel B112v2 sub, and a Sony Bravia. And I’ve set up a second Sony Bravia with an eARC connection to a McIntosh MA9500, running a pair of Revel M126Bes.

It’s all good fun, and more than adequate for “soundtrack of your life” kind of listening.
But I spend 4+ hours most days listening in the “man cave.” I use the HT for exercise. We use the Denon Home 350s in the bedroom and the kitchen. And the Sony/McIntosh/Revel system for group TV.

What I remember about Paul’s pitch was that he was building a living room system around his Sprout and other second tier gear, though I have not followed the evolution. He wrote a book on putting together systems to a price point. I have it here somewhere. He presented a logical approach that might have appealed to me had I encountered it in 1980 instead of 2020.

 

[Another Johnson]

I think this is the book …

https://www.amazon.com/Audiophiles-Guide-Stereo-Paul-McGowan/dp/B08STSRW49

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...the second system probably gets more use than the main hifi, as it is centrally located on the main floor.

The "good" system is in the dedicated area in the basement. That level of acoustic treatments, etc. would be a no-fly upstairs.

I installed a second system about two years ago, as I have too much (for me) noise outside (city) and I spend more time upstairs doing general tasks.

I was upgrading my dac from a deconstructed DAVE to an MSB Reference, and I thought rather than getting hosed on a sale, why not just add some active speakers and enjoy music upstairs. Excellent result for this place.

--Eleac Navis active speakers
--Aurender ACS10 server/streamer
--Chord DAVE on a Sean Jacobs DC4 power supply, with cap board add-on (inside DAVE) and Denefrips Gaia to bypass Amanero USB board. DAVE is used as pre-amp.

I put it on a Niagara 1000 and it's on the house network for control app from iPhone and Qobuz streaming.

Unless and until you go downstairs, this little system sounds very nice. A wee bit boomy on some tracks due to location, etc. but no biggie. And I have headphones (which I never use) should I get the urge to plunk down in the chair and zone out.

The quality of life upgrade by having decent tune-age in the upstairs is massive. Drowns out city noise and piano major DMA student practicing for juries next door. Ugh. Condo life.

 

[hopkins]

Looks like a nice living space!

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...three floors up. One down. Funky. Eclectic. Suits us. But man, I'll tell you getting good sound in an open floor-plan home is a genuine challenge. I gave up and went to the basement. I told Sweetie if she goes first, I'm selling the dining room table and china-cabinet and converting the dining room and adjacent space into an audio space with the biggest, baddest speakers I can get my hands on! Big-ass towers or those crazy giant horny speakers we get pics of sometimes.

 

[Robh3606]

I have a small set-up in my Livingroom. Use it for TV, movies, streaming and plain stereo. Use it almost everyday. Performa F206's a subwoofer with "active" crossover in the preamp. DVD player handles movies and CD.

Rob

 

[ChasFreeland]

Recently posted, (March 21, 2024), a review of my new secondary system, which has yet to garner a single response. . Based around Sonus Faber Maxima Amator floor standing speakers. Quite nice, but still sports a rather handsome price tag.

 

[hopkins]

Recently posted, (March 21, 2024), a review of my new secondary system, which has yet to garner a single response. . Based around Sonus Faber Maxima Amator floor standing speakers. Quite nice, but still sports a rather handsome price tag.

Can you post a picture of the system?

 

[ChasFreeland]

My secondary system. Photo taken from the listening position. I do listen to this system quite a lot, in answer to one of your original questions.

 

[Bones13]

My secondary system is a Sonos system with several in-wall speaker sets. There is a nicer set of KEF bookstanders, with a sub, in the Den area, fed by a Sonos AMP. The 5.1 TV watching is separate, based on a Pioneer receiver.

My wife can use Sonos, and listens a lot. She does like my system though.

 

[daytona600]

Wiim Amp + RP50M Klipsch
Stock image below , ARC with TV & roon streaming for $600

 

[joeling]

Secondary system for watching Crunchyroll & Netflix in the bedroom. Speakers are a pair of ATC SCM19. Decoding durties fall on ARC DAC8.