A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum

[Native Vermonter]

As I was scouring the internet for components/cables for my two channel system in the living room, I came across some things that were great bargains, but not suitable for the reference system I was building. I had an empty corner in my home theater room so I built a near-field studio system.

It is an IMac connected to a Peachtree integrated amp via USB. Speakers are Sonus Faber Auditor Elipsa, sub is a Pinnacle corner loaded active. Cabling is mostly budget mined Audioquest.

I bought unfinished plant stands from Amazon and enclosed the bottom for the speakers. Filled them with around 20 pounds of sand and sealed the bottom airtight. These sit on carrera marble floor tiles. Rock solid so to speak.

I used a large cutting board of VT hard rock maple as a stand for the sub. There is a 1” reveal under the footprint of the sub. I scorched a blade on a chop saw cutting it to size, the wood is like stone. I used two layers of automotive sound deadening material on the bottom of the stand for mass loading, and spikes at all 5 points of the pentagon, and one in the middle for good measure. Sitting in the corner, it is aimed directly at center mass of the listening position - I can pin my ass to the chair when the mood hits.

If I stumble on an integrated with a DAC and room correction, the Peachtree might move to the GF’s house to go along with the other stuff I’ve put there...gotta have good tunes no matter where I go...