Another successful DFWAC meet: Brian's House

Joey_V

mpitogo wrote: »

What does a boulder remote look like? OK sorry I don’t even know what a Boulder looks like, unless it made out of schist. House spanning two zip codes is out of my league, I’m only a CTO.

Here's the preamp pics and the remote pics

mpitogo

Researched Boulder and found out the more you know, the more you don’t know. One a sliding scale they make McIntosh like like a value brand.

Joey_V

mpitogo wrote: »

Researched Boulder and found out the more you know, the more you don’t know. One a sliding scale they make McIntosh like like a value brand.

Yes, I’ve always wanted to hear the bigger brother to my Boulder and I did. I was not disappointed.

Brian spoke to me on the side and said I have to get the Boulder preamp and get rid of my Cary... I was like looking at him like he was crazy.

“I don’t think I can afford your gear, man”

But yes, all the funny posts aside... it was really cool to experience what happens when you literally have no budget. Now I know how good it can get (audio tastes aside). Carlton and I discussed this.

Yes, it can get very good.

It was enlightening to say the least and very educational. I learned a lot about the room... which I was more interested in than the gear.

Joey_V

Btw for those interested, how he situated the gear is impressive.

Secret door to the left of the amplifier.

Joey_V

All doors closed.

oldrocker

Impressive!

motorstereo

What a fantastic rig and that's seriously a great idea about the room behind the gear. That has to make cabling and electronics changes a snap.

Joey_V

motorstereo wrote: »

What a fantastic rig and that's seriously a great idea about the room behind the gear. That has to make cabling and electronics changes a snap.

Yes but adds several feet to the cords which if you’re looking at ultra high end, adds up $ real quick.

I’m cheap so I get 3 foot cords of my AQ Wel.

This guy just coils 9 foot long Tara Omegas. That extra 6 feet really really hurts.

Not to mention double the length of your interconnects to the amp or elongate your speaker wire.

The more you think about it, the more you realize guys like him are on another plane entirely.

Truly humbling.

WLDock

Joey_V wrote: »

The man with the boulder remote is the owner.

The crew we have is a good crew, Carlton got to meet most of them but not all.

Er/trauma doctor
Family doctor
Cardiologist doctor
CIO of an oil company
President of a finance company
Sales director of oracle
GM of a car dealership

Brian the owner is an ophthalmology doctor and his wife is obgyne doctor.

But I suspect he won the lottery or something similar.

Yeah, I was adding up the system and room costs and it's probably more than my net worth, LOL! No, surprises that folks with $$$ hang around others with the same expen$ive hobbies. It looks like the room was well thought out. Further more, I'm not even in the six figure club but IMO, it makes no sense to have a speaker and a rig that expensive and not have a well thought out dedicated space. I love the hidden front end.

Viking64

Boulder DAMN!

tonyb

Super sweet. I can only imagine, but just to get an ear on that much quality in one system has to be a coming to Jesus moment.

I might opine, I hope he has bumped up his homeowners insurance, being in the basement means one busted water pipe could take out the whole thing. Given the weight of it all, he really had no choice though.

Joey, you should bring the Cary over to his house and see how it stacks up against the Boulder pre....using the same associated gear he has. I'd be willing to bet, there may be some pro's and cons to the comparison, but not enough to warrant the price difference.

mpitogo

I too like the room idea. I was contemplating the very same thing hidden door in the wall to my wife’s coat closet. I can pitch it as hiding unsightly gear for better aesthetics. Is a win-win.

or maybe i’ll just hang up on he idea for now.

Going to see Billy Joel tonight, should clear my head.

Jaybeez

Wow, what an incredible visit. The only thing missing from his setup is some of Jesse's cable lifters!

Joey_V

tonyb wrote: »

Super sweet. I can only imagine, but just to get an ear on that much quality in one system has to be a coming to Jesus moment.

I might opine, I hope he has bumped up his homeowners insurance, being in the basement means one busted water pipe could take out the whole thing. Given the weight of it all, he really had no choice though.

Joey, you should bring the Cary over to his house and see how it stacks up against the Boulder pre....using the same associated gear he has. I'd be willing to bet, there may be some pro's and cons to the comparison, but not enough to warrant the price difference.

Tony my man,

Carlton @Legender will confirm me, but this was no basement.

Brian lives in the most expensive gated neighborhood in the entire Dallas Fort Worth metroplex short of the super large homes of George Bush and Ross Perot near downtown.

This was a new wing of the house that he built, built on the 2nd floor with steel reinforced floors, a room encased within a room, with its own ventilation system and power system isolated from the rest of the house.

I believe he bought the lot next to his house to build the addition. I believe the addition which includes this stereo room is approximately 5,000 sq feet, and built a tennis court and a basketball court and a swimming pool.

Yes, he built a 5,000 sq foot addition to
Hold the stereo room.

If you look closely he has sprinklers installed in the ceiling clouds above the boulder and above the listener.

The whole house has 4 lightning rods. I am sure he is insured by Chubb or similar companies that insure the high end.

The room is amazing. There is no vibration on the floor even with all that bass

But yes, his house is amazing. I believe Carlton looked it up, it was upwards of 17,000 sq feet not including outdoor patio and garage and storage space.

[Deleted User]

Nice Studer!

megasat16

Is this a click bait thread or it's just my computer acting up? I am here for Audio Pron but I don't see a single pic.

Joey_V

I see like 10 pics

megasat16

Argh! Shame on me for still using XP with old Firefox. It sux! I can now see all the audio **** when viewed from Win 10 PC.

Nicely setup system. What's with a bunch of weirdos stirring at the Alien looking speakers from the front middle row?

I betcha it probably stimulates the audio sensory into the 4th dimension!

Legender

I concur, no basement here. It was on the 2nd level above the kids play room with a concrete floor installed to reduce vibration. Even the glass panels hiding the equipment/racks is specially designed with 2 layers and anti vibration material between them. Brian spent a year designing it and working out the details.

Even had outlets placed in two different locations just in case he wanted to move his racks from behind the wall. You can see the power distribution box on the wall in the access room. The transformer that feeds his house, he's pretty sure, only feeds his house. It was indeed an awesome experience.

F1nut

No doubt, an impressive room and gear.

Joey_V

I didn’t know that. The transformer that feeds his house is only for his house? I missed that info cuz I was late

Wow

oldrocker

Just showed my daughter the pics. She said WOW and then asks "Dad, you think he'd pay off my last student loan"

Told her that's not gonna happen...

Joey_V

Funny story.

We were 8 at dinner, fancy restaurant. The check comes.

Brian points to me and says Joey will take care of the check.

Jerk.

Clipdat

Consider it the price you pay for having the pleasure to fondle his boulder.

Joey_V wrote: »

Funny story.

We were 8 at dinner, fancy restaurant. The check comes.

Brian points to me and says Joey will take care of the check.

Jerk.

voltz

Thanks for the Info and pictures Joey. I like the hidden room with all the gear in it behind glass because with that setup cable management seems impossible.

WLDock

Joey_V wrote: »

Yes, he built a 5,000 sq foot addition to
Hold the stereo room. But yes, his house is amazing. I believe Carlton looked it up, it was upwards of 17,000 sq feet not including outdoor patio and garage and storage space.

This is where I say a curse word!! Man, this build just makes me think of the guy that converter a barn that was next to his house into a listening space. Both of these are builds at the highest level. Anything better than this is a full stage with live musicians!

ALL OF THIS:


INSIDE OF HERE:

https://positive-feedback.com/Issue16/lavigneroom.htm
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/04/the-audio-system-and-high-end.html

Joey_V wrote: »

Funny story.
We were 8 at dinner, fancy restaurant. The check comes.
Brian points to me and says Joey will take care of the check.
Jerk.

I'm sure he spent the last dime of his going out and play money on the stereo. Maybe he has not recovered yet? LOL!

txcoastal1

I had bought 3 acres to build a home with dedicated audio room outside the main house (He-man audio cave), but the wife decided she didn't want to move. Here are some drafts. Design was to try to eliminate nodes and slap before adding any treatments.

Joey_V

WLDock wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

Yes, he built a 5,000 sq foot addition to
Hold the stereo room. But yes, his house is amazing. I believe Carlton looked it up, it was upwards of 17,000 sq feet not including outdoor patio and garage and storage space.

This is where I say a curse word!! Man, this build just makes me think of the guy that converter a barn that was next to his house into a listening space. Both of these are builds at the highest level. Anything better than this is a full stage with live musicians!

ALL OF THIS:


INSIDE OF HERE:

https://positive-feedback.com/Issue16/lavigneroom.htm
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/04/the-audio-system-and-high-end.html

Joey_V wrote: »

Funny story.
We were 8 at dinner, fancy restaurant. The check comes.
Brian points to me and says Joey will take care of the check.
Jerk.

I'm sure he spent the last dime of his going out and play money on the stereo. Maybe he has not recovered yet? LOL!

Believe me, he’s recovered and then some. He was fully powered for anything.

Really it was like meeting Bruce Wayne.

Rich502

Great pics and epic system, thanks for sharing Joey.

Joey_V

@WLDock

Mike Lavigne’s room is a special one indeed.

I have dreams of having a room like that when I grow up.