Nest Theater Description Update & Contemplations 01Apr23

The last time I described my audio system incarnations I cast the Nest Theater with differences than exist in it today; it's been improved. Yes, there are increments described in the blog like streamer system updates and phono systems addition or final vinyl, and the like. Given it is the reference for me I'm gonna update the comprehensive description to accurate here. I am also gonna speculate on some next steps. If you have heard the NestT, you are lucky ~ but perhaps there could be more. If we watch movies in this area we typically just use Sony's stock audio TV ~ which is awesome, there's no question. Most often we listen to music, on it's low power, high efficiency 2.1 elements.

The Nest Theater is my 2.1 setup in Silverthorne; it is intended nearly solely for music reproduction and is the best audio system I have built. It is the most recent, and most customized system in my arsenal. The NestT is an ultra high efficiency 2.1 audio system featuring custom designed and built back loaded horns employing the fine Japanese Fostex 168es 6.5" full range drivers. They are the DRC BLHs. These high efficiency full range horns are complimented by a musical 600 watt HSU ULS 15-Mk II subwoofer and a pair of high efficiency Russian Viawave SRT-7 ribbon super tweeters to hit the lowest lows and the highest highs.

I'm driving the DRC backloaded horns (and the super-tweeters) with a custom hand-built 8 watt 300B single-ended-triode integrated amp (all tubes - power/rectifier/pre-amp); I'm delivering stereo line level to the sub, which has its own amp; I'm driving the super-tweeters without feedback or crossovers directly from the SET amp as well, since the efficiency is the same. Behind this power and transducer section is a sweet liquid sounding Chinese Denafrips Pontus discrete ladder (R2R) D/A connected via AES. After sourcing bit-perfect from a tiny Linux PC running JRiver Media Center, modded for timing and media via a Topping 10S,  I have a mini-DSP DDRC 22D signal processor which uses DIRAC Live measurement and correction to yield a keen and equalized stream to the DAC. I source mostly FLAC or DSD files from a custom JRiver Media Center - this is a great library and bit-perfect source but alternatively I can use YouTube on the Roku as a source - again corrected via DIRAC. My monitor panel returns digital audio via optical for YouTube and other videos residing on the net. Alternatively I play vinyl via specifically a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo turntable with a Sumiko Ranier MM (moving magnet) cartridge. Since my hand built amp does not include a phono stage pre-amp, I amplify the ultra-low signals from the cartridge via the Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2, an ECC83 tube pre-amp.

I've dampened room reflections acoustically with rugs and augmented the audio with a keen 77" Sony XBR-A9G monitor - excellent virtual concerts during the pandemic and forever. I control the whole set with an integrated Harmony remote control and remote keyboard (when needed for text input) and added theater seating. The component below the tube amp in the rack is really just a power strip. This system is the best I've done and is my reference... though it is much cheaper than other off-the-shelf systems I've assembled. I measure it after any tweaks (like rolling power tubes in the SET amp or adjusting audio paths somehow) and sound pressure levels across the audible spectrum match my desired "house curve" well, as these graphs show.

CONTEMPLATIONS...  The next several Nest Theater projects are just refinements as the 2.1 system now is very fun. The weak link in the phono audio path is a cheap A>D converter 48KHz/24bit ~ 1) I'd like to replace that with a higher performance pro-grade piece to eek out some fidelity from vinyl; something doing full 96KHz/24bit with better S/N would be nice. 2) I'm also contemplating adding a center channel of my own design & build to compliment the DRC BLHs. I'd use similar but smaller Fostex 4" drivers for this and likely do another back-loaded horn. The trick will be finding a cheap Dobly Digital 5.1 decoder from which to extract a center "dialogue" channel, and amplifying that suitably. This is not a priority given the music-centered design and use model well served by the 2.1 setup already. 3) Back in the physical plant realm, we need black-out shades on the windows to stop glare and darken the theater, especially during the day. I doubt they need to be automated shades but we'll see.