Home-Based Audio/Video System Evaluator

The image below shows some of the equipment used in our home-based system evaluator. Additional, newer equipment -- not shown in the image -- appears in the bulleted list below. This system, used in conjunction with our computer-based evaluator, provides us with good, scientific insight into image and sound resolution from various source material.

The newer equipment, not shown, includes:

• The "Magnavox Mess" CD-650 heavily-modified CD player with "Rat's Nest" external DIY power supply
• Various Toshiba and Philips/Magnavox CD and/or DVD players used as stand-alone or for transport.
• Musical Fidelity A3-24 192 KHz Upsampling Digital-to-Analog Converter [DIY-modified for better performance]
• Monica non-oversampling DAC [DIY-modified]
• Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi CD/DVD-A/DVD-V/SACD player [DIY-modified for better performance]
• Meier Audio CORDA Headamp 2 (headphone amplifier) [DIY-modified for better performance]
• Pimeta 2 DIY headphone amplifier (various opamp models used)
• PPA2 DIY headphone amplifier (various opamp models used)
• headphones/earphones:
  • Sennheiser HD-650 with Cardas Cable
  • Sennheiser IE-8 IEM earphones
  • Shure SE-530 and IC-3 IEM earphones
  • beyerdynamic DT-831
  • AKG K-701
  • Grado SR-325i
• QLS QA350 DAP (portable digital audio player) [DIY-modified for better performance]
• Teclast T-51 DAP (portable digital audio player)
• Marigo Stealth 3-D Ultra Thin DVD / CD Mat
• Panasonic PV-GS200 MiniDV camcorder
• Pantone ColorVision SpyderPRO color analyzer

The Sony television's gray scale, among other parameters, was calibrated to D6500 using the ColorVision SpyderPRO color analyzer and Digital Video Essentials and Avia DVDs.

Equipment in image above:

• Audio by Van Alstine FET-Valve Preamp
• Audio by Van Alstine Omega III 260 amplifier
• Sennheiser HD 600 headphones
• HeadRoom Little w/More Power and premium module headphone amplifier [DIY-modified for better performance]
• Paradigm Export Monitor II on lead-shot-filled Premiere stands
• Pioneer CLD-D704 CD/LaserDisc Player
• Chang Lightspeed CLS 6400 power line conditioner

Future projects:

• felt-"loaded" baffle for an all-DIY loudspeaker (or tweak commercial speaker): http://www.speakerdesign.net/ -- http://lipinskisound.com/products/l-505a-monitor/ -- http://www.brmastering.com/equipment.html (use Dunlavy)

• sound card, Asus Xonar ST: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/465801/asus-xonar-st-is-it-really-an-auidble-improvment-over-the-stx/30 -- http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/421890/the-xonar-essence-stx-q-a-tweaking-impressions-thread -- http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/339127/asus-xonar-dx-mods

• class-D + digital direct-drive headphone amp: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/180226/tripath-class-t-class-d-headphone-amp/15
• Teclast T-51 guts: replace opamp to ??