I have gradually updated my desk setup over the past few months. I thought of posting about each individual upgrade as they came, but never did in the end. And since I don’t think there are any upcoming big changes, I figured I would record all changes at once.
Standing Desk
The biggest physical change was my desk. The previous desk was an IKEA Malm. It was 55" wide and 25" deep. I had a few problems with this desk:
- It’s an IKEA product. It’s cheap, looks wise and structurally
- The desk is too small
- The desk cannot support monitor arms because there is no room for a clamp
- I wanted a standing desk after trying one
I didn’t want to cheap out on the desk, since I want to aim to use it for the rest of my life. I chose the Flexispot E7 Plus frame and a custom 6’ × 30" walnut desktop. The E7 Plus is one of the most affordable 4 legged standing desks, which has significant stability improvements over 2 legged desks. I went with a walnut top because I think hardwood is cool and was tired of using IKEA chipboard. And I’ll admit that it actually does look very nice.
I think that the E7 Plus and a cheaper laminate top will make a killer deal for anyone who wants a stable standing desk (don’t go 2 legged). If you can appreciate the benefits of a standing desk, I would recommend this combination.
This new desk supports mounting monitor arms, is somehow more wobble-resistant than the old Malm desk, and the extra area is extremely beneficial. I can now push my monitor further back and comfortably have a laptop on the desk.
Going with a big desk was a good idea in hindsight, because I may have ran out of space again because of the next upgrade.
Speakers
A coworker who knows a lot about audio gear helped me get started with this.
My encounter with speakers started with my TV. Initially, I used a portable Bluetooth speaker whenever I used the TV, because even my untrained ears thought the built-in speakers were bad. Later, I got a soundbar and subwoofer, and the difference was astounding. I couldn’t go back to the tiny Bluetooth speaker.
So I was always aware that good speakers made a big difference, but I continued to use that same Bluetooth speaker for my desktop because I wasn’t tempted enough to upgrade. It was either that portable speaker or my HD800, which is a pretty high end headphone.
But thanks to that coworker I mentioned, I was able to get a nearfield listening setup. I have the KEF Q150 on Kanto SP9 stands, and the SMSL AO300 for the amp and DAC. I overspent on the subwoofer, which is a SVS PB 1000 Pro.
The AO300 is very handy because it simultaneously supports 2.1 and headphone output, so it replaced my JDS Atom + stack I used before. Plus, the AO300 supports Bluetooth input, so I can use any device as input.
This new setup is absolutely incredible. Speakers sound so full and powerful, headphones just cannot compare. My HD800 has been reduced to the point where I only use it when I need to use a microphone. For any other use case, I always use the speakers. My Bluetooth speaker now goes mostly unused.
Even if some people might find no value in a standing desk, I think literally everyone will benefit from a decent speaker setup. It doesn’t have to be very expensive, just something slightly above the basic Logitech pair will do. Good audio makes everything so much better, even just watching Youtube videos.
Ultrawide monitor
As I upgraded my monitor over time, there were 4 moments when I made a jump that I couldn’t go back on.
- High resolution
- High refresh rate
- OLED
I experienced the first two through my “previous” monitor (I still have it), which is a 300 Hz 1440p monitor. High refresh rate and pixel density are very noticeable upgrades over a generic 60 Hz 1080p monitor. Everything feels much faster, smoother, and everything looks sharper. I can comfortably recommend a good monitor to everyone as well.
I experienced OLED through my TV. OLED makes gaming and media consumption so much better, the difference between it and LCD is incredible.
And finally, I now experienced ultrawide. And I’m not sure I can go back to regular 16:9 screens.
I have a really big dilemma right now. The ultrawide I used is probably over 8 years old, which is ancient for electronics. My 300 Hz monitor is simply superior in every metric except for the aspect ratio. It’s newer, faster, better calibrated, has a wider colour gamut, has better contrast, and has newer connectivity. And yet despite the inferior specs, I cannot get over how much better 21:9 is compared to 16:9. Both work and gaming are so much better, and I can tolerate the black bars for content that doesn’t support 21:9. I tried going back to the 16:9 monitor and it just looked so tiny in comparison.
I honestly think I’ll stick with the crappy ultrawide for a bit. Since I really miss the speed of my 16:9 monitor, I might upgrade to an ultrawide OLED in a year or two. There are roadmaps showing panels that sound close to perfection: 21:9, OLED, 39" screen size. I’m hoping OLED monitors make good progress in that time and prices decrease.
No RGB
The journey to this point took a lot of time and some money. I’m pretty satisfied with the current state and don’t think there are signficant future additions that will enhance my setup. The next big thing will probably be the monitor upgrade, but that’s at least a year or two away.
I think I learned that having a solid desk setup is pretty important. Desk size might be the most intuitively important piece, but all these upgrades are great enhancements for daily computer usage and are really hard to go back from. Definitely prioritize a pair of speakers over RGB lights.