My system is intentionally short on boxes and long on synergy. I’m after a fast, colorful presentation with plenty of tone, so each piece of the chain earns its place. The setup below is what you’re hearing about in my posts unless I call out an experiment.
Digital Front End
- PS Audio AirLens handles streaming duties over Ethernet from Roon and the usual mix of local FLAC plus Tidal sessions. Its galvanic isolation keeps the noise floor nice and low before the signal ever hits the DAC. [PS Audio]
- PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC (Mk I) is the current heart of the system and replaced the Gold Note DS-10 Plus after the Coltrane upgrade epiphany. The DirectStream’s relaxed, dimensional take on transients pairs beautifully with the DeVores.
Amplification
- Alan Eaton 45 Monoblocks are hand-built, bespoke monaural amplifiers running vintage 45 tubes — fewer than three watts per side. Arrived March 2026 and already rewriting my assumptions about what low-power SET can do. More to come.
- Decware Zen Triode SE84C+ is a 2011 Decware that was factory-upgraded with Poly Bypass capacitors and 25th Anniversary UFO transformers, effectively bringing it to current SE84UFO spec. It’s my own now — picked up from a fellow hobbyist in Acworth, GA. The loaner SE84UFO2.1 from my friend John has gone home.
- Dennis Had Inspire SET IFA-1 is my low-power, high-tone option for intimate, late-night listening. My first SET amplifier, but I predict it will not be my last.
- Audio Research I/50 brings a more incisive, holographic presentation when I want speed and clarity.
Speakers & Low End
- DeVore Fidelity O/96 loudspeakers sit on their open stands and live for dynamic swings. Their 10-inch paper woofers and wide baffles give me that “musicians in the room” energy even at late-night levels.
- REL T/5x SE fills in the last octave. It’s set to just kiss the lowest registers so the DeVores keep their speed while the REL adds foundation to organ pedals and synth drones.
Cables & Support
- Morrow Audio MA3 interconnects carry the signal from DAC to amp. I updated from some MA1 cables I used years ago.
- Tellurium Q Black II speaker cables keep the connection to the O/96s lean and lively.
- Power is routed as simply as possible: short, shielded runs and a grounded strip on its own wall outlet. No drama—just stable juice.
Room & Setup Notes
The listening room isn’t huge (21x12), so I pull the speakers a couple feet from the front wall and toe them toward the outside shoulders of the listening chair. That gives me the holographic center lock while still letting me move around the space. Acoustic treatment is intentionally light: a thick rug, curtains, and absorptive panels behind the listening position keep slap echo down without overdamping the room.
That’s the core of Audio Notes headquarters. Future tweaks will get logged here, but for now this chain is exactly the honest, dynamic window into the music I write about.