Ultimate Desktop

Reviewer:Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Sonnet Pasithea, Laiv Audio Harmony; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Vinshine Audio x Kinki Studio Dazzle & Gold Note PA-10 Evo in mono on subwoofer; Headamp: Enleum AMP-23R; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Exact Express Flame, Furutech; Power delivery: 2 x Kinki/Vinshine Tai Hang on amps and source stack, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, AudioQuest FogLifters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos; Loudspeakers: Virtual Hifi Cobra [on loan]; Subwoofer: Zu Method; Cable loom: Exact Express Earth; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra, Akiko Audio Corelli Corundum & Castello Solo; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Furutech cable lifts, Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
2nd headfi system: DAC: Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, HifiMan Susvara
Desktop system: Source: HP Z2 work station Win11/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC/preamp: Audalytic DR701; Headphone amp: Audalytic HP70; Speaker amps: Topping B200 monos; Loudspeakers: Virtual Hifi Viper; Headphones: Final D-8000, aune SR7000, FiiO FT7
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7; Headphones: Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3
2nd upstairs speaker system: Source: FiiO R7; Integrated amplifier: Simon Audio Lab i5; Loudspeakers: ModalAkustik Musikboxx with Dynaudio S18 subwoofer
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: ~€20K

John Darko's recent talking-head tale on his $20K ultimate desktop system stimulated today's editorial. How to build an ultimate hifi system? Easy if you think nearfield. This instantly shrinks our needs of amps, speakers and their expenditures. Having experimented with all manner of on-desk speaker setups, my final solution parked the Virtual Hifi Viper monitors on sufficiently tall stands on either side of the desk. This declutters the actual workspace, eliminates bleed-thru structural resonances and creates a properly wide soundstage. With miniature subwoofer-style mid/woofers augmented by dual passive radiators per side, in such proximity these 3D-printed boxes are good for a shocking 30Hz. Driving them are €600/ea. Topping class A/B 200W/4Ω monos. Fronting those is a FangSound Dionysus. In XLR4 headfi mode that outputs a crushing 40wpc/32Ω. As a preamp I thus run it in low 1 x amplification mode. It gets balanced 5Vrms signal from a Gustard R26II discrete R2R DAC. Digital signal enters that RJ45 or USB. Those paths are isolated with a LAN and USB bridge from LHY respectively. Source is an HP Z2 workstation with Win11/64 and the most current version of Audirvana Studio. That embeds my Qobuz Sublime subscription and routes local files. Spotify Premium and YouTube meanwhile run through Windows.

With old-style PC/keyboard/monitor users displaced by a large laptop majority, it took some digging to source a desk with classic keyboard drawer plus built-in monitor shelf of sufficient depth for smaller hifi kit. This is a strong wood/metal affair whose tempered glass surfaces I covered with leather sourced from a local cobbler. It eliminates otherwise unavoidable fingerprints and looks warmer.

As any office worker knows, key to long-lasting happiness for back and wrists are proper ergonomics. Hello desk, adjustable chair and keyboard all at our perfect height; plus proper lighting. My latest lumen score is this Quntis LED rod atop the—and USB-powered from—the 34-inch curved screen as inspired by John's video. A rough mental calculation pegs my sound-related hardware at ~€20K so surprisingly similar to his figure. That's admittedly before my on-ear transducers which include FiiO's FT7, aune's SR7000, Final's D8000 and HifiMan's Suvara Unveiled.

Having over the last 10 days or so compiled the above six playlists of World Music and 72 test tracks, I spent long days and nights listening in the office. With four other regular speaker systems set up throughout the house, I kid you not when I call this an ultimate hifi. It performs at a very high level yet remains petite as far as these things go. Again, the open secret is to focus on the nearfield so ~1m listening distance toed in face on. When done correctly, it minimizes room interference in the seat. Close proximity reduces distance losses. That benefits high resolution. It also reduces the need for stiff SPL. Lower levels benefit longer listening. The only limitation is ultimate scale though compared to headfi which the nearfield shares a lot with, that's already comparatively enormous. Incidentally, a desktop isn't the only way to do a nearfield system. Here's another. Rather than wait endlessly on the perfect room to materialize wherein to build our big dream system, may I suggest to assemble a far smaller system now? To operate at the very top of the audio food chain isn't predicated upon palatial expanse and an unlimited budget. We just need to rethink what endless show and magazine coverage presents as the one, only and correct way to do hifi: kit and speakers against the wall, seat in the middle of the room. There are other ways. To shave off serious coin in the above, replace the Gustard/FangSound centre section with two Audalytic minis coming in at €750/pr. Wherever there's a clear vision then will, there is a way…