Main system
- Source: Audial Model S DAC (served ALAC files via Sonos)
- Amplifier: Sugden A21SE integrated amplifier
- Loudspeakers: North Creek Big Kat loudspeakers
- Cables / other: DH Labs D-75 digital cable, Mogami 2549 RCA interconnect, Mogami 2921 speaker cables, Asylum power cords, 3" solid curly maple shelf audio rack
Bedroom system
- Source and amplifier: Bel Canto C5i integrated amp & DAC (served ALAC files via Sonos)
- Loudspeakers: North Creek Kitty Kat loudspeakers
- Cables: DH Labs D-75 digital cable, Mogami 2921 speaker cables, Asylum power cord
Kitchen system
- Source and amplifier: Bel Canto C5i integrated amp & DAC (served ALAC files via Sonos)
- Loudspeakers: Neat Iota loudspeakers
- Cables: DH Labs D-75 digital cable, Beldon 5000UP speaker cable, Asylum power cord
Sonos
Serving the digital files to our various audio systems is a Sonos system. We have three Sonos ZonePlayer 90's (ZP90), a S5, a S3, a S1 pair, and a Playbar, all connected over ethernet and wireless via a Sonos Boost. We control our Sonos system via iPad, iPhone, and MacBookPro.
Metadata
We have spent some time perfecting the metadata information of the ALAC files. This took some experimentation; as anyone with a large classical music collection will tell you, the “iTunes” way doesn't work well for classical music. Eventually we created custom genre tags based on century (10th C, 21st C), with further division where helpful (13th C secular, 17th C instrumental, 18th C—Haydn, et cetera). And replacing the “artist” field with the title and performer (“Cavalli: Vespers (Concerto Palatino)”). Contact us if you would like more details.