# My uncles dedicated stereo room



## Talley

I finally got my uncle to send me some photos of him room. Ya... kinda nuts, he has cooling on the amps to channel outside into the laundry room and baskets in odd ball places he says is an effective diffusion setup same with the floor stuff he has. He made some diffusion strips out of 2x6 lumber that is stained and are located in the corners, he use to have 6 of the ACS tube traps but is down to just one behind his head which not sure why but oh well. he built is QRD panels that are stained on the rear/sides of his room you can see some cables thrown over one of them, he also made the big blag resonating absorb er and the Helmholtz panels in the back since he had an issue with a particular frequency. His gear, for what I do know about the stuff:

Krell FPB 350mc monoblocks
Audio Research Ref 600s
Apogee Duetta II Signatures
Basis Audio deck
tons of tube FM tuners
lots of other stuff
more stuff
All mapleshade isolation blocks under the amps/speakers/preamp/table

He use to have a couch at the listening position but got rid of it and opted for the computer chair which can be seen in one of the photos. He switches from the krells to the ref 600s depending on what he feels like listening to. he has a few of the wet cleaning machines for his LPs, and a few older but high end tube testers laying around too. 

He is my inspiration to continue to never be happy and always desire more/better

Figured I'd share


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## willis7469

Thanks for sharing! I've been wondering what his room looks like. Ironically if you shrunk the speakers down, it looks suspiciously like my 12 year old sons room(minus the fords randomly placed). I'm sure the crane has a purpose with the thing hanging from it but I can't figure what. Lol


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## jamesfrazier

Baskets and bricks all over the floor? 

That's the busiest audio room I think I've ever seen. How does he get around?


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## willis7469

jamesfrazier said:


> Baskets and bricks all over the floor? That's the busiest audio room I think I've ever seen. How does he get around?


 THATS what the crane is for! I knew it had a purpose.


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## Blacklightning

:gulp: WOW :dizzy:

Looks like WAF is not a factor. If that was me I would sell some equipment and contact GIK. That room would be killer with some properly tuned and placed treatment. No need for guess and check and make shift treatment in this day and age. lddude:


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## Talley

willis7469 said:


> Thanks for sharing! I've been wondering what his room looks like. Ironically if you shrunk the speakers down, it looks suspiciously like my 12 year old sons room(minus the fords randomly placed). I'm sure the crane has a purpose with the thing hanging from it but I can't figure what. Lol


He has all sorts of stuff all over the place. His logic... anything helps break out the sound. 



jamesfrazier said:


> Baskets and bricks all over the floor?
> 
> That's the busiest audio room I think I've ever seen. How does he get around?


Haha... ya he gets that alot. The bricks/baskets acts as diffusion for the floor... I thought he was crazy so he removed them from the floor... played me a song... then replayed the same song while he put them back. by the time he got to the end of the song I was floored at hearing the difference as he was putting more in. It does work.


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## Peter Loeser

The definition of a man cave.


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## jamesfrazier

willis7469 said:


> THATS what the crane is for! I knew it had a purpose.


Haha good eye. Didn't really see how many little today's he had laying around. I did see a microwave though, when he decides to listen, he must hermit himself for pretty long time periods haha.


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## Talley

I forgot to mention he took his Apogee's apart and refinished them with some paint and added some insulating paint additive from here: http://www.hytechsales.com/

he said that this helps hide the sides of the speakers because they absorb higher frequencies.


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## Talley

He told me he is at 1,000 cd's and 3,000 LP's. And now his system is dialed in after 12 years of building his room to the point where he just wants to collect more music now. He wants another 2,000+ LP's.

Yes, he listens for 8hrs at a time... his system gives 0 fatigue but he mainly listens around 80-85db too to help not fatigue his ears.... until he plays pink floyd he says you have to play pink floyd at 95db... no questions asked.


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## Peter Loeser

Has the placement of the plush smiley faces been proven to improve imaging?


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## Talley

Peter Loeser said:


> Has the placement of the plush smiley faces been proven to improve imaging?


No but it was placed exactly where 90% of the vocals come from...

it really jacks with your head watching that little thing sing haha


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## Talley

You think his audio room is nuts... check out his garage. Yes he's a ford nut.

(thats a 900hp 71' torino GT, 700hp 03' cobra and 750hp 07 shelby)

...and vintage tube integrated from the 70s with some kinda of 70s speakers for the garage too lol.


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## 480dad

Talley said:


> until he plays pink floyd he says you have to play pink floyd .


ahhh...now that could explain alot of things going on here.


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## Blacklightning

Talley said:


> Yes, he listens for 8hrs at a time... his system gives 0 fatigue but he mainly listens around 80-85db too to help not fatigue his ears.... until he plays pink floyd he says you have to play pink floyd at 95db... no questions asked.


Agree. They said 83db is the perfect audiophile level.


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## willis7469

Talley said:


> ford nut


 being in the same sentence clarifies a little! Sorry talley, I'll stop now. Kinda dig the cobra though...


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## Peter Loeser

Talley said:


> You think his audio room is nuts... check out his garage. Yes he's a ford nut.
> 
> (thats a 900hp 71' torino GT, 700hp 03' cobra and 750hp 07 shelby)
> 
> ...and vintage tube integrated from the 70s with some kinda of 70s speakers for the garage too lol.


Is he in Houston too? Does he show/race any of those? That Torino must be a serious sleeper.


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## Talley

willis7469 said:


> being in the same sentence clarifies a little! Sorry talley, I'll stop now. Kinda dig the cobra though...


Haha... nice.

I'm the same though... Ford nut and all. I'll drive anything... but I'll only race a Ford. I mean.. I wanna go fast right? haha


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## Talley

Peter Loeser said:


> Is he in Houston too? Does he show/race any of those? That Torino must be a serious sleeper.


No not here... Indiana. I go up once or twice a year.

That Torino is definitely NOT a sleeper.


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## jamesfrazier

Talley said:


> You think his audio room is nuts... check out his garage. Yes he's a ford nut. (thats a 900hp 71' torino GT, 700hp 03' cobra and 750hp 07 shelby) ...and vintage tube integrated from the 70s with some kinda of 70s speakers for the garage too lol.


Guessing he will be picking up the new ford gt?


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## willis7469

Talley said:


> I mean.. I wanna go fast right? haha


 my 7 year old twin boy would say, the only way that's gonna happen is getting pulled by a bowtie!


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## willis7469

Nope. A 6-71 BDS hanging out of the hood is pretty obvious!


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## Talley

willis7469 said:


> my 7 year old twin boy would say, the only way that's gonna happen is getting pulled by a bowtie!


lol



jamesfrazier said:


> Guessing he will be picking up the new ford gt?


Nope... he had 0 interest in the 05' and none for the new one. He would rather have three fast cars then one exotic. 

His 03' is a race car... only see's the track. He road races it around the country about 6-10 times a year. He goes through a set of tires/brakes each weekend he goes out.

Fun stuff.

either way.... "An audio nut, my uncle is. Yes, hmmm."


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## Talley

willis7469 said:


> Nope. A 6-71 BDS hanging out of the hood is pretty obvious!


8-71


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## willis7469

Even better!


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## Tonto

So what kind of stereo equipment does he have in them? Would have to get pretty loud to overcome those engines by the look of em!


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## willis7469

Tonto said:


> So what kind of stereo equipment does he have in them? Would have to get pretty loud to overcome those engines by the look of em!


 nope. Roll em down and listen to the pipes!


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## Talley

willis7469 said:


> nope. Roll em down and listen to the pipes!


exactly...

although he wears ear plugs when driving all three because they are too loud. He wears ear plugs all the time actually. We both work in the petrochemical industry where ear plugs are pretty much standard so it's something we are use to.

anything like mowing, trimming, racing etc... he has plugs in.

only time he cares about music is in his room... driving is just news .


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## Peter Loeser

Talley said:


> No not here... Indiana. I go up once or twice a year. That Torino is definitely NOT a sleeper.


Oh... Didn't notice that in the first shot. Not a sleeper at all.


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## Talley

Well I had to make an emergency trip to Indiana last week for a funeral and stopped at my Uncles for some more demo. That system is just unbelievable... so unbelievable. 

I took a few quick snaphsots with my phone. Here they be:


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## Lumen

Those diffusers look mathematically accurate. Are they DIY? My favorite pic is the second from the bottom. Is that a vintage Pioneer spring reverb unit in the lower right?


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## Talley

BlueRockinLou said:


> Those diffusers look mathematically accurate. Are they DIY? My favorite pic is the second from the bottom. Is that a vintage Pioneer spring reverb unit in the lower right?


I'm sure it is. He has 17 vintage tuners for sure all from the 60s-mid 70s. He's a collector and is constantly upgrading the caps and other parts to bring life to them. His system plays 24/7 when on the solid state gear but he does shut it off for the tube stuff to preserve hours.

When I was up there last week I listened to his apogee's with the Krell 350 monoblocks. He has some 12 layers of isolation under his turntable which includes the custom 4" thick maple shelve he made. All the maple blocks he made except for the ones under the krells those are from mapleshade.

The diffusers right above speakers are the RPG skyline there are 18 of them and he bought them when they were made back in the mid 90s at a dealer cost of 75/ea. now they are alot more. The boards that run along the ceiling/wall are a mimic of the RPG flutter free product and he made those himself using 2x6 material. He says the baskets work good and are cheap just goto any hobby store or he bought his from Pier 1 imports for around 10/ea. The diffusers on the left/right of each octa window are little mini rpgs that were from an audio show he got for 50ea and the center rpg 2d was another one he got at an audio show for cheap.

I really should of got a shot of the other side of the rack.... there are a thousand cords it's crazy. He even has two splitter banks for his FM antenna on his roof (he has two antennas) so all the tuners can share.


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## Savjac

Now I am mad Talley, you came into my state and did not tell me ?? We at least needed to have a drink and say hi. You need to be punished now.

Besides that outside area looks like the fairgrounds near me


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## Talley

Savjac said:


> Now I am mad Talley, you came into my state and did not tell me ?? We at least needed to have a drink and say hi. You need to be punished now.
> 
> Besides that outside area looks like the fairgrounds near me


HA... well we went through texarkana to memphis and came up 57 through Ill. which is the quickest route for us. 15hrs and 22min to de monte where my sister is.


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## Savjac

Talley said:


> HA... well we went through texarkana to memphis and came up 57 through Ill. which is the quickest route for us. 15hrs and 22min to de monte where my sister is.


Ahhh yes De Motte Indiana, very nice place. Well I hope to meet you one day never the less. I do hope you waved as you went by.

:wave:


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## prerich

Talley said:


> You think his audio room is nuts... check out his garage. Yes he's a ford nut.
> 
> (thats a 900hp 71' torino GT, 700hp 03' cobra and 750hp 07 shelby)
> 
> ...and vintage tube integrated from the 70s with some kinda of 70s speakers for the garage too lol.


Garage speakers look like vintage Acoustic Research speakers (or Advents)! Seems like uncle has some very expensive hobbies indeed!!!!


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## Talley

prerich said:


> Garage speakers look like vintage Acoustic Research speakers (or Advents)! Seems like uncle has some very expensive hobbies indeed!!!!



Yes they are Advents in his garage.

Went back up there this past week for another vacation and enjoyed some listening. Truly amazing system it is. I also snapped of a photo of his living room TV speakers (Vandersteen 5C Signatures) and also his basement system too.


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## Blacklightning

Man, the power bills he must have!!!


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## Talley

Blacklightning said:


> Man, the power bills he must have!!!



He is on an average plan so he only pays 365/mo for his light bill.


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## NBPk402

Talley said:


> He is on an average plan so he only pays 365/mo for his light bill.


Only $365 per month... YIKES! We pay an average of $100-$150. $365 a month pays for my car lease.


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## DEANO222

Talley said:


> He told me he is at 1,000 cd's and 3,000 LP's. And now his system is dialed in after 12 years of building his room to the point where he just wants to collect more music now. He wants another 2,000+ LP's.
> 
> Yes, he listens for 8hrs at a time... his system gives 0 fatigue but he mainly listens around 80-85db too to help not fatigue his ears.... until he plays pink floyd he says you have to play pink floyd at 95db... no questions asked.


I listen for about 6 hour's at a time at around 80 db's but I use JRiver smartlist, sometimes depending on the song it can hit 98 pretty quickly. Yep you guessed it , no Waf to worry about . My niece and nephews love it.

Sent from my SM-T113 using Tapatalk


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