My living room/listening room with strange box shelving and random doors...

That sounds great! I haven't bought the Mac Mini yet, so the server part can still be an open slate. I'm thinking Solid State Drives. The new Mac Mini looks like the power source is within the Mac Mini unit, and it as well uses a C7 connector. Im still not decided on all the ethernet cable yet. Not sure if thats something that I should just buy, or wait to devise something for... I can easily get it myself, if that is not a tunable type of cable... Unsure about that one. I further stripped down the DAC and the Power Plant 5. Loosened all the connections and took the sides off. I also further loosened everything up on the Manleys. Lots to loosen up. It definately gave another small improvement.
However, I must've taken a half turn too far on one of the screws... as one of the big can capacitors discharged with a lovely light show when I switched off the unit. I wasn't too sure which one, and where the unplanned contact was made, but tightening them up a little bit more than they were, solved the problem. I'm really glad nothing was damaged. It was good to be kept in check while I'm doing all of this... reminded me about safety first. Okay... now back to the sound. It sounds better.
Here's some pics.... I carefully documented everything so it can be put back together exactly as it was should I decide to abandon the Power Plant if I'm not happy...




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So, apparently the Manleys have a faulty switch that has been failing on this unit. The light show was not the loosened screws at all but rather the switch failing. Glad for that.
Michael, do you have any suggestions for being able to completely liberate the boards and transformers etc., from the PS cases? Would this even be possible with the rear connectors and front touch screens, which I'm pretty sure you would recommend doing away with anyways? But for now, I'm slowly/carefully documenting and taking it apart to attempt to tune it. Gotta get some stands though...

Hi JD

I was thinking you were going to get to this LOL. Sometimes I watch a listener to see where they are going to go as their system develops. Many times it means a take apart after the first couple of screw turns. The answer is yes, your system can do without the chassis and without heavy connections. Here's a snag I saw with stacking the components in a top tuning MGA Rak.



If we were going to tune the components in a typical Rak fashion we run out of space because of the shelf. 2 components yes, 3 won't fit.

Option 2

A little less bulky looking but you need to be creative if top tuning the top unit.

Let's say she says for better or worse.

Option 3 opens up a whole new world.



The flexibility this gives you in tuning is huge and you can use what you have or move on if you find something more open that does the same thing.

If you don't mind I'd like to show you what I see when I look at your system.

Hi MG,
Are those just single platforms in the first option? Would I just put all the components (however they may fit) on top of each of them? These are the components that need to be tuned, or at least placed in the shelving somewhere:
DAC
Transport
Power Unit
NAS
Cable box
Blueray player
Router

I like that idea. But I think the top shelf may need to have a top tuning rack that can suspend at least 2 components. The bottom shelves can be those large platforms but with maybe top tunable racks as well? I don't have a problem trying to open up the holes in the existing shelves used to run the cables. I can do it, I just need to have everything in place, then start cutting/drilling. This setup you suggested looks optimum to utilize all my space and allow proper separation. I'd still like to maximize the space up top as well.
If possible, I'd like the top component of the top tuning shelf to be covered as it is directly below a shelf that is being used all the time for odds and ends. I would hate for something small to fall off one of the shelves and into the top unit and possibly short or crack something...
Yes, speakers and platforms are something I would like to begin as well. Is it possible to work it out and get back to me? I can't wait to tune the Manleys as well. For now I'm factoring in the power unit as I am still attempting to tune it. Once the system is up and going, I will then play with A/B'ing the power sources (wall outlet vs. power unit) and go from there. This is just a process that I have to go through... I'm ready to get it together!
Here's a pic of what I managed to draw up so that everything can fit in the shelving with minimal cord mess....as far as I can see. Is this feasible do you think? At one point, I think I just have to jump in and go with something that will at least allow all the components and dial it in more specific as I go...?

Hi JD

Here's the drawing of the unit.



Looks like a plan. We can make the Platforms low profile to make sure we are good on space. I have a wood that will do the trick. I need to go through the thread and find the ID measurements now and get sizes. Are those on the thread or in an email? Maybe you could post them on the thread for me. I got clobbered by emails this month and have a tendency to loose my way trying to find things.

Some day I'm going to order me a new brain with more practical memory. I can remember a sound forever, but finding numbers I wrote down Yikes

I will get the measurements up on the thread today!

Thanks JD

This is going to be hot!

Lower Left Cubby: 24" wide X 13" High X 19" Deep
Lower Right Cubby: 32" wide X 13" High X 22" Deep
Upper Shelf: 24" wide X 25" High X 22" Deep

Hey, jdparker,

I just want to say that I'm glad that SOMEBODY else HAS to have a TV in their set-up.

Robert

Haha.... Yeah, all of this would be pointless if my other half couldn't watch Sex in The City with superior sound! The beginning of Apocalypse Now is pretty unreal tho on the TV with the sounds!

Michael,
Do you need the dimensions for the Manleys? Also, what model speakers were you thinking? Is there a link for some info on the different models? I seem to remember clicking my way there one time, but I'm not having much luck...
How do you normally proceed at this point? -- JD

Hi JD

I'll be back in house at noon tomorrow and will send you the details of proceeding and the different pieces. At that time we will get the different sizes of the platforms and boards nailed down.

good times ahead

MG,
I'm excited to get to tuning my system with the racks and platforms! I'd like to ask you what you see possible with tuning my living room with Soundstages. This will help me determine how many to go with. With my limited knowledge so far, I know that at least 4 of them could definitely improve my sound, but specifically, do you see any areas of my room that would benefit. (on top of tables/shelves, in front of curtains or trees?) I'm even open to the idea of wall mount or sound shutters....
Thanks for your help with this idea! -- JD

Hi JD

I'm pretty pumped for you too! You have sound coming from so many places that there are no doubt some hidden treasures to uncover.

One thing I was thinking about the other day while playing in one of my rooms was the area marked on this drawing.



Have you tried a pillow on the ceiling there yet? I wonder how a ceiling controller would do there.

Hi JD

Yesterday I was out looking at wood and was wondering what would happen if we converted a couple of your shelving areas into PZCs. Not the bottom shelving of course where I'm making product for, but the upper shelving, like the one behind your TV either the top one or the second from the top.

Have we done the Abbey Road test at your place yet? We've been using track 12 mainly to check on a few things. Let me know if you have this CD.

Hey Michael

What's a ceiling controller?

Sonic

Thank you, Michael.

I got home from a long day at the office and turned on my system to warm up and opened Tuneland to read this post. I placed a pillow about my listening position and with some settling, there is more clarity to the center image whether it is a voice or instrument and the pillow added to my soundstage spread. Keep in mind my listening room is 20' deep and center image is about 1/3 out from front wall with nice placement of instruments behind center image. My listening seat is on the back wall with speakers placed about 7 feet from my listening position. Kick drums are so distinct behind center image that it is amazing.

Sorry for hijacking this thread.

Hi Garp

What sort of pillow did you use? Was it one of Michael's products?

Y'see Sonic is launching an all out effort to fix my ceiling problems.

Sonic

Hi MG,(and Garp),
I did the exact same thing and it was hard to describe. If I had to say I would say the sound in my room expanded outward from center. Like the sound stage expanded in all directions, especially upward. This was a good thing. I tried different positions for the pillow but about a foot in front of and directly above my listening position sounded best.
I ran the soundstage ideas by the forces that be, and I have "full reign" to tune the shelving with sound stages. They can be used either on the front shelving or on the sides as well... I was wondering how I could turn those traps into great sounding and (nice looking) panels.... I think they would de great there... Of course talking pricing would have to be done, but your pricing always seems beyond reasonable...
My next post, hopefully tomorrow, I'm going to get you all the cable lengths. I just have to plan out the power bar routing to power all the devices (router, mac-nini etc...)
Also, I'm wondering if you do any kind of ethernet or firewire cabling... or a type that you've found best at this point? Lightest possible connectors? No shielding? Flat ethernet cable vs. round ethernet cable? cat5/6/7 etc????

MG,
How about a couple wall mount Soundstages on my rear wall on each side of the painting???? - JD

On the Electrical side..... Below is my fuse/breaker Box. With regards to sound, can anyone recommend specific items that need attention? I'm going to crack open all the screws I can find. Also, I imagine that the bundle with the electrical tape should be unwrapped. Are there any pitfalls or obvious ideas that anyone may have to helping to free my signal at this critical point? Thanks so much for any of your insight or valuable knowledge here...

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Hi MG,
Sorry, I forgot to answer your Abbey Road question... It's my fault for being all over the place with learning to tune... So many questions!!!
To answer your question... No, we haven't done that test, but I definitely have that album... I believe track 12 is the Sun King no?