Snakeoil Salesman 2 channel setup

[agent_kith]

Nice set you have!

Funny, I immediately recognized the Ikea chopping boards :-) as I am also using one myself. Have you also tried other kinds of wood?

Not really. Only replaced the original shelves (thin MDF) to these IKEA boards as the dimensions (width and length) fit the rack perfectly.

What I get after switching to bamboo is an immediate better perception of depth. As you can see from the picture having all the equipment stacked in between the speakers (and all the way up to the tweeter) is far from ideal. Unfortunately I am limited by the room, so there's little else I can do. Before the IKEA motherboards, imaging was never as good as I liked. But after the change to IKEA chopping boards, imaging is somehow "fixed". Don't know why .

Two relatively cheap upgrades I didn't find in your list, but will certainly help improving your system even more:
- using a better USB cable instead of the 'printer' one with your PPA card. Despite the fact that a USB cable just transports 0's and 1's all USB cables sound very different regarding sound stage, speed and tonality. There is no such thing as a 'digital cable'. A cheap Supra cable would already be a nice step up. But there are many other cables to be had that are much better (but also more expensive). Maybe you can lend a good one from a friend or dealer just to experience the differences.

I've borrowed some from local audiophiles. Both USB cables and Ethernet cables, and do get a better sound from them. This is something I will eventually upgrade to. I do have a "aftermarket" USB cable (Achtung from ebay). But that cable sounds worse compared to my printer cable .

- using an optical network. Doesn't cost that much (<100 dollar) and made a huge difference in my setup. I use two TPlink MC220L's. The one connected to my streamer is powered by a LPS.

Something in my todo list. Just not sure how to implement this in a good way as yet.

 Thanks giving us an impression of your setup!

My pleasure.