amrutmhatre90
Well-Known Member
Can you be 100% satisfied with your system?
Well, I am — and it took some time, (years) patience, and fine-tuning to get here. I thought I'd share my full chain and experiences. Maybe it'll help someone else who's also on their journey!
Most of my listening is happens in the night, though there are weekends or holidays when I listen during day time too. Let me start by sharing some Day and night pictures of my listening space.
The midrange shines — transparent and effortless.
The treble is sweet, detailed without fatigue.
The low-end isn’t extremely strong on its own, but that’s taken care of with a properly integrated subwoofer.
(Side note: ATCs are known to be studio monitors for a reason — they don't flatter poor recordings but reward great ones immensely.)
Initially, I never planned for Hegel (or its budget), but I found a pristine condition piece at a deal too good to pass.
The control, scale, and dynamics it brings to the SCM19v2 are outstanding — the grip on bass and the clean separation between instruments really must be heard to be believed.
Another bonus: it's Roon Ready and supports Spotify Connect, which was very welcome for streaming Indian music directly without needing another device.
(It took a fair amount of burn-in time, but it’s now performing at its best.)
I calibrated it using MiniDSP and Dirac Live, and the results are simply outstanding — no boom, no overhang, just clean extension.
Compared to manual ear-tuned calibration, Dirac fixed all uneven peaks and dips.
I’ve even set up different presets (flat, +1.5dB, +3dB, +4.5dB), though mostly I leave it flat for maximum integration with the ATCs.
Anyone who has visited loves how seamlessly the sub merges with the main speakers — truly a "where is the sub?" type of experience.
Upsampling up to PCM 768kHz or DSD512 makes a noticeable difference.
Sound quality over i2S > AES > Coax, based on my experience.
(The USB port doesn’t upsample though — a minor drawback.)
I even had to make a custom i2S cable because Gustard uses a non-standard pinout.
It’s musical, detailed, and supports LAN streaming, HQPlayer NAA, and external clocks — something rare in this price range.
Used directly with HQPlayer and Roon for quite some time before I added a streamer.
The SOtM streamer upgraded my experience even further - Roon + Diretta + Hqplayer upsampling now.
(Big thanks to @reignofchaos for informing me about the free Diretta update for SOtM users!)
The LHY OCK-2 clock was the final touch in my digital setup. Adding an external clock to both Gustard R26 and SOtM made a noticeable difference, especially in bass tightness and instrument separation which was confirmed testing internal vs external clock, The LHY OCK-2 helped synchronize my Gustard R26 DAC and SOtM sMS-200 Ultra, reducing jitter and improving timing. The soundstage became more open, and the overall music felt more natural and organic.
Got a pristine pre-owned unit (Japan model, 100V, using a step-down transformer without issues).
It feels new even today and just spins like a dream!
(Shoutout to Tariq for patiently answering all my questions)
From the first notes: more lushness, dynamics, bass grip, and a sweet midrange that lets LPs (even old, worn ones) sound full-bodied yet detailed.
It doesn’t "clinical-ize" the music — it breathes life into it.
I used to think the day vs night listening changes in sound were placebo, system sounded really good in the night — but with the OnFilter PDU, the noise floor dropped audibly. Everything sounds cleaner, tighter, and the music flows more effortlessly, even during noisy daytime hours.
Was worried filtering would rob the Hegel of its "punch" — but nope, attack and energy are still intact, just smoother and more controlled even with lower-quality recordings at higher volumes. Major improvements will come to source material and pre.
Now, almost everything in my chain is powered through the OnFilter, even PS audio Detect is powered via this for additional equipment.
Musical, dynamic, non-fatiguing, revealing but natural.
Yes, there will always be "better" gear out there, but honestly, I feel no itch to upgrade anymore. (Well, we all say this!
)
Thanks for reading this far!
Would love to hear if others also reached a point where they feel fully satisfied with their systems!
Well, I am — and it took some time, (years) patience, and fine-tuning to get here. I thought I'd share my full chain and experiences. Maybe it'll help someone else who's also on their journey!
Most of my listening is happens in the night, though there are weekends or holidays when I listen during day time too. Let me start by sharing some Day and night pictures of my listening space.
My System Chain:
Speakers: ATC SCM19v2
After moving on from my warm and lush Wharfedale Lintons, I knew I wanted something revealing, neutral, and honest to the recording — and the ATC SCM19v2 delivered exactly that. These speakers truly come alive around 80–85dB, with breathtaking dynamics, but surprisingly they are also very enjoyable at late-night listening levels (60–70dB), which I was initially worried about.The midrange shines — transparent and effortless.
The treble is sweet, detailed without fatigue.
The low-end isn’t extremely strong on its own, but that’s taken care of with a properly integrated subwoofer.
(Side note: ATCs are known to be studio monitors for a reason — they don't flatter poor recordings but reward great ones immensely.)
Integrated Amplifier: Hegel H390
Everyone knows ATC speakers need power, and the Hegel H390 handles them beautifully.Initially, I never planned for Hegel (or its budget), but I found a pristine condition piece at a deal too good to pass.
The control, scale, and dynamics it brings to the SCM19v2 are outstanding — the grip on bass and the clean separation between instruments really must be heard to be believed.
Another bonus: it's Roon Ready and supports Spotify Connect, which was very welcome for streaming Indian music directly without needing another device.
(It took a fair amount of burn-in time, but it’s now performing at its best.)
Subwoofer: KEF KC62 with MiniDSP + Dirac
This was long on my wishlist, mainly due to its small size and apartment-friendly design.I calibrated it using MiniDSP and Dirac Live, and the results are simply outstanding — no boom, no overhang, just clean extension.
Compared to manual ear-tuned calibration, Dirac fixed all uneven peaks and dips.
I’ve even set up different presets (flat, +1.5dB, +3dB, +4.5dB), though mostly I leave it flat for maximum integration with the ATCs.
Anyone who has visited loves how seamlessly the sub merges with the main speakers — truly a "where is the sub?" type of experience.
Digital Chain:
CDT: Shanling ET3
I had wanted a CD Transport for my CD collection, and the ET3 was perfect — small, well-built, and with a fantastic i2S output.Upsampling up to PCM 768kHz or DSD512 makes a noticeable difference.
Sound quality over i2S > AES > Coax, based on my experience.
(The USB port doesn’t upsample though — a minor drawback.)
I even had to make a custom i2S cable because Gustard uses a non-standard pinout.
DAC: Gustard R26
Probably the longest-serving piece in my chain — and still no urge to upgrade. It delivers a musical, natural sound with incredible detail and clarity.It’s musical, detailed, and supports LAN streaming, HQPlayer NAA, and external clocks — something rare in this price range.
Used directly with HQPlayer and Roon for quite some time before I added a streamer.
Streamer: SOtM sMS-200 Ultra neo (with LPS)
The main reason for adding this was Diretta protocol support. Gustard R26 was serving we quite well with its LAN input and Roon + HQplayer combination. But then there were talks of Diretta protocol being talked about which said was better than NAA. When I first tested Diretta with a basic Raspberry Pi setup, I noticed a significantly bigger soundstage and a more organic presentation compared to traditional NAA. Stunned that a protocol can sound so good, got SOtM 200 Ultra neo.The SOtM streamer upgraded my experience even further - Roon + Diretta + Hqplayer upsampling now.
(Big thanks to @reignofchaos for informing me about the free Diretta update for SOtM users!)
Clock: LHY OCK-2 External Clock
Got a fantastic deal on this when bundling it with the SOtM.The LHY OCK-2 clock was the final touch in my digital setup. Adding an external clock to both Gustard R26 and SOtM made a noticeable difference, especially in bass tightness and instrument separation which was confirmed testing internal vs external clock, The LHY OCK-2 helped synchronize my Gustard R26 DAC and SOtM sMS-200 Ultra, reducing jitter and improving timing. The soundstage became more open, and the overall music felt more natural and organic.
Analog Chain:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200 MK3DS
Always had a soft spot for Technics turntables — they’re built like tanks, easy to mod, reliable, and user-serviceable.Got a pristine pre-owned unit (Japan model, 100V, using a step-down transformer without issues).
It feels new even today and just spins like a dream!
Cartridge: EBI-01
Upgraded from AT-VM95ML to the EBI 01, and wow — it was like a 5–8x improvement. Dynamics, textures, and detail retrieval all went up dramatically. Even my wife noticed immediately ("Play Lagaan again!") — she never commented so much before about sound changes, so that was a true testament!(Shoutout to Tariq for patiently answering all my questions)
Phono Stage: Vertere Phono-1
My analog chain's final bottleneck was the phono stage. Previously used iFi Zen Phono 2 (upgraded with LPS), which was good for the money, but I wanted something better — but under 1 lakh (INR). Tried several phonos but only Vertere impressed me.From the first notes: more lushness, dynamics, bass grip, and a sweet midrange that lets LPs (even old, worn ones) sound full-bodied yet detailed.
It doesn’t "clinical-ize" the music — it breathes life into it.
Power:
Power Conditioner: OnFilter PDU
Thanks to @saur1985 for letting me borrow his unit before purchasing.I used to think the day vs night listening changes in sound were placebo, system sounded really good in the night — but with the OnFilter PDU, the noise floor dropped audibly. Everything sounds cleaner, tighter, and the music flows more effortlessly, even during noisy daytime hours.
Was worried filtering would rob the Hegel of its "punch" — but nope, attack and energy are still intact, just smoother and more controlled even with lower-quality recordings at higher volumes. Major improvements will come to source material and pre.
Now, almost everything in my chain is powered through the OnFilter, even PS audio Detect is powered via this for additional equipment.
Conclusion:
Right now, this system matches what I always dreamed of:Musical, dynamic, non-fatiguing, revealing but natural.
Yes, there will always be "better" gear out there, but honestly, I feel no itch to upgrade anymore. (Well, we all say this!
)Thanks for reading this far!
Would love to hear if others also reached a point where they feel fully satisfied with their systems!
