End of an era


Those of you who follow me on Facebook most likely have already seen my low-key existential crisis as it relates to car stereos. The long and short of it is that as I was doing a (much needed) garage cleanup and organization I came across some car audio parts which, in the moment, I realized I'd probably never use. The landscape of car audio (like practically everything else) has changed so much since I became interested/obsessed with it in the mid-1990s.


Today's cars are so much better built and as a result the audio systems are now deeply integrated in to the cars containing them and that makes changing them up impossible in some cases and, at best, a major process/pain in the ass. It was because of that I surmised that I'd likely never install another car stereo. That made me sad. Still does. I've got some really positive memories associated around car audio and in many ways has led me down this life path that I'm so thankful for. It's a weird thing to realize, so instantaneously, that a chapter of your life that had previously occupied so much time, effort, and thought has closed. I guess I've known it's been coming for years and hadn't quite accepted it. I've also realized that while I love watching youTube videos about building/fixing cars it's not something that's probably ever going to happen on account of my complete lack of mechanical skills, space to start/finish such a project, and shortage of free time to devote to such a huge undertaking. Weird times these middle-aged years as we look back on what we can do with the time one has left.


Maybe if the Powerball gets big enough I'll play (and win) so I have the free time to do so. Anyhow, that gets me on to today's blog topic and it's one I've written a bit about before and that's audio and music.

Seriously, it's my Dad's fault...


To clarify, I'm talking about my interest in all things audio. Growing up, there was ALWAYS music playing in our house and from a very young age I'd been exposed to what music could (and should) sound like. Furthermore, I knew how to operate all the components and was allowed to use them so long as I did so properly. We had a pretty good stereo and when we got a VCR in the mid/late 1980s I was used to watching movies with the stereo on (Dad claims I was the first in the house to be able to program the thing without reading the manual-that tracks) and really enjoyed Top Gun, Star Wars, etc. When we got a CD/Tape player combo a few years later I was, again, able to operate that with ease.


We'd often, either as a family, or the two of us visit any of the local retail audio shops. I can remember being like 9 or 10 at Salon One in Wisconsin Rapids, WI listening to speakers that cost as much as a house. Wild. When I was younger (like pre-junior high) I wasn't too thrilled about going to these audio shops. As I got older I definitely came around and as the prospect of having my drivers' license became a reality I sought out Wausau's TEAM Electronics, Sound World, and Furniture and Appliance Mart. We went to stores and sound-offs in the region in cities like Antigo, Stevens Point, Appleton, Green Bay, Eau Claire, Madison, and Marshfield. I devoured any information I could get my hands on to learn about car audio. I was obsessed with Car Audio and Electronics, Car Stereo Review, Auto Sound and Security, and Car Sound Magazines. I snagged any manufacturers brochures I could find. I was particulary enamored with Soundstream, Precision Power, MTX, Phoenix Gold, MB Quart, JL Audio, and Boston Acoustics. I probably should have gotten a job to support that hobby... I did not. A few years later when I was starting college I finally had some additional cash (thanks to a job and some generous grants/scholarships) and solidified my standing as the worst car audio installer in history. Fortunately the internet now existed and I met some people who taught me a ton as did being in school for electronics and (arguably) the coolest/most fun job I ever had which was selling car stereos at Best Buy from 1999-2003..


From roughly 1997 to 2020 I installed an upgraded audio system in nearly every (nope, every) vehicle Tracy or I owned. Dozens of amplifiers, stacks of subwoofers, piles of speakers, miles of wire, and yards of carpet. Modest systems, outrageous ones, and some you could feel coming before you could see the car.


I mention all of this as a back story to give you a clue of how important music and audio is to my origin story and what the sunsetting of a hobby meant and means to me. So when I was visiting Wisconsin back in late May I spent a few days with my Dad and one of the things we did a LOT of was listen to music...much of which was on vinyl. I have to say, honestly, I was (and am) absolutely floored by how excellent his setup sounds. A year or so ago my dad replaced his tried and true Klipsch KG-4s with a pair of the Klipsch RP-8000F ii. He bought the KG-4s from Sound World in Wausau, WI back when they were in the Menard Plaza- I was probably 9 or 10 when he got them so it's safe to say that they had a good run. In fact, he sold those speakers to a friend's kid and are still seeing regular use. Pretty cool.


Now Dad's setup isn't anything particularly esoteric or wild, but, what makes it sound so stellar is good equipment that is absolutely suited for it's environment. Countless hours spent listening to source material he's intimately familiar with, tweaking the position of the speakers, and adjusting toe angles to acheive absolutely perfect soundstaging and imaging. Those speakers are connected to a Sony ES Stereo Receiver (for the unaware the ES line is Sony's best gear) which have his TV, DVD player, and Turntable fed in to it. The turntable is a Thorens model (of which I'm completely blanking on the model number) that he bought before I was born (so that's old) and in today's dollars converts to around $1,300 if I recall. That Thorens turntable recently had an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge installed (I'm looking at one myself for my turntable) and absolutely punches WELL above it's price point. I think if I had to say anything about what he's acheived is that he's got a sound that, to equal or best, would require MANY THOUSANDS more dollars be spent. He'll ask about a different amp or.a speaker and I have to honestly say that he's so pushed the envelope of diminishing returns that he might as well just light the money on fire. I'd rather see him and Larry slowly give it back to Redeye on Tuesday afternoons.

So what's that mean for you?


Well, after spending so much time listening to high quality audio because of a (more) optimized listening environment I knew that when I got home changes were in order for my space. Previously, I had my desk (which had my speakers and computer monitor on it) facing the window in my office. While that arrangement made for a good backdrop for video calls (which was nice for working from home) it was far from optimal from a sound perspective as the speakers were far too high up (ideally the tweeters should be at about ear level), they weren't anywhere near the corners, the sound would reflect off the window glass, and the pathlengths were strange for good imaging.


The system components were:

  • Mac Mini/Desktop PC source units
  • Audio Technica LP120 USB turntable
  • Pioneer VSX-LX305 Receiver running in a stereo bi-amp configuration for the bookshelf speakers and subwoofer output
  • Klipsch RP-600M Bookshelf speakers.
  • These are the largest in their Reference Premier lineup
  • Klipsch R12SW subwoofer


My solution was to rotate the setup 90 degrees and put the speakers on stands (closer to the corners) to optimize their bass response, equalize their pathlengths, and get their height at a more appropriate level. In the process I also went through a thorough organization and decluttering of my office. I built a new shelf, removed the old ones that were holding junk in the closet, and purged a TON. I'm happy to report that simply by reorienting the room the quality of sound went up exponentially. Bass was tighter, staging an imaging were better, and just generally more pleasant to listen to. Definitely a step in the right direction. I was, however, chasing the dragon of sound on par with Dad's setup.


YouTube's algorithim has figured out that I like audio stuff and around this time I started watching videos about amplifiers and their various topologies. More and more companies are beginning to utilize Class D topology in their gear due to it's high efficiency and low heat generation. I also really like that they have an insanely high signal to noise ratio (which is sound vs. background noise and higher is better) Older designs didn't sound great but new ones are amazing and models from OEM builders Hypex and Purifi are HIGHLY regarded and find themselves in units costing MANY THOUSANDS of dollars. Digging a little deeper I found a manufacturer called Buckeye Amps out of Ohio that produced some of these units for what I felt was a reasonable cost. My next logical step was to see if I could find any used versions as I generally prefer to buy (most) electronics used or refurbished. A few days later I found a Buckeye Amps Hypex NC502MP in Washington on eBay with the Hypex NC502 module rated to develop 250 watts of power to each of two channels at 8 ohms (the standard value for a home speaker).for a price I felt was more than fair. The only challenge was that this unit featured XLR/Balanced inputs and Speakon output connectors-neither of the which are connectors on a source unit/preamp I had access to. Of course, I bought it.


That, naturally, meant I needed a new preamp to feed this monstrosity and I looked at some vintage units from NAD but then the question became how do I provide signal to the subwoofers? I guess I could use the XLR out to the amp and then the RCA outs to use my MiniDSP for EQ/Crossover functionality. Plus, those units are OLD. Most of them were manufactured in the 1980s or earlier and that means bad volume potentiometers, capacitors that need replacing, and buggy operation. The answer should have been fairly obvious. It eventually ocurred to me that MiniDSP offers a processor called the Flex (which I'd previously owned and liked) and they offered a version that takes a balanced input and output. That meant that I could easily feed the Buckeye amp with an XLR to TRS cable for the highpass/bookshelf speakers, TS to RCA cable for the turntable inputs, and a single TS to RCA cable for the subwoofer output. A couple added bonus points for this unit are that it's got a pretty high end DAC built in and by connecting it via USB to my PC I could free up one of the other digital inputs for later expansion (I'm eyeing a SACD player), it's capable of being upgraded to DIRAC Live, and (like the Hypex) it's got a super high signal to noise ratio. The question then became where/how do I source one? The forums/eBay were a bust and thanks to our dumb-shit orange "President" they're now $200 more on MiniDSP's website. Thanfully Parts Express had them in stock and in a few days it was on my doorstep.


I got all of the gear initially wired up and realized that I wanted a way to control when the amp turns on/off in relation to the MiniDSP so as to minimize or eliminate turn on and turn off thump. Fortunately, I stumbled upon a vintage product called the ACE-515 from ADCOM. ADCOM is an awesome vintage audio company who (in the mid 90s) even made some insane car audio gear. I wired all the gear to the appropriate plug, jack, or input and fired it up. I installed the MiniDSP software on my PC. Oh, I also decommissioned the old, giant PC that was barely working, in favor of a Mini PC and a Mac Mini Pro for photo duties. Happy with that choice. I dialed in a highpass filter for the bookshelf speakers, lowpass/subsonic filter for the subwoofer, and basic time alignment to account for the difference in when the sound arrives at my ears because of the location of the speakers in the room.


How's it sound? Freaking amazing! I've done VERY LITTLE tuning and no room correction and the results are night and day from where it was. There's no noise I can hear even when no music is playing, which is a a big deal when you're using efficient speakers like the Klipsches I run. I'm hearing details in recordings that I've previously missed and I'm blown away by how good the turntable sounds. I listened to Ashford and Simpson, Little Feat, Taylor Swift, Metallica, and Peter Frampton thus far. I've only had it running about 18 hours in this setup. I want to stop typing this and go listen.

So what's next?


As regular readers of this blog know I'll probably make some changes. I've got a few planned for sure and a few ideas I'm kicking around:

  • Build a shelf for the Adcom ACE515 power conditioner/sequencer so I can get it off the top of my entertainment console
  • Already started that project
  • I might upgrade the power cabling on that unit to an IEC plug so I can run a larger 10AWG power cable and use 8 AWG cable internally
  • Tidy up all of the wiring behind the console
  • Connect both PC and Mac via CAT6 ethernet cable to the network switch
  • Upgrade the phono cartridge to an Ortofon 2M blue
  • Swap the Klipsch RP-600M for the newer RP-600M ii
  • Newer ones are supposedly a bit more neutral with better horn dispertion
  • I've also been flirting with the idea of a pair of KEF Q150s
  • Probably do a little sound treatment in the room
  • Also like to put can lights in the ceiling to augment the lighting for work and improve the image for work video calls.

That's about it, which for me, feels like a short list. I'm very happy with how this project has turned out. If you're in the area drop by, bring music you like and let's have a listening session!