There’s a lot to like in Redditor Couchchimp’s computer setup, not the least of which is a bust of Albert Eistein that serves as a headphone stand. Not just “serves” — it’s actually a purpose-built headphone stand. That’ll smarten things up nicely.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
In addition to the coolest headphone stand you’re likely to see today, Couchchimp rocks a MacBook Pro on a Brydge Vertical Stand with a 34-inch Samsung curved widescreen display.
A wide-enough widescreen
“I didn’t want to keep turning my head so much, so a 49-inch [monitor] was out,” he said in response to a comment. “Also, the ones that I were looking at didn’t support multiple co-current video sources. I didn’t even consider multiple individual monitors as I didn’t want the screen frames to get in the way when butted up against each other. This monitor does everything I need.”
Lighting and desk
Couchchimp also has his lighting in good order, as evidenced by the KableRika Computer Monitor Light with six color-temperature modes.
A 3.3-foot LIFX Smart LED Light Strip back-lights the desk, which is a butcher block from Home Depot on an electric stand-up desk frame. The light strip is compatible with voice-activated systems (“Hey Siri!”) as well as HomeKit.
“If you look to the right hand end of the desk there’s a little control panel,” Couchchimp said. “You can set the heights you want, press a button, and it will automatically raise lower to those points. Or, you can press the up/down arrows and achieve the same.”
Stream deck not used for gaming
Couchchimp said he uses his Elgato Stream Deck for work and stock trading.
“I’m not a gamer, that more of the area of my 14 yr old, who also has the Streamdeck XL for his Windows (blech) machine,” he said. “I do a lot of conference calls, PowerPoint presentations etc. the usual business stuff. So, specifically, I have mine set up for: Zoom, Webex, MS Teams, PowerPoint. I also do some trading, so I additionally have it configured to bring up a new desktop with all of my stock trading apps.”
The shortcuts a Stream Deck provides help a great deal, he said.
“It might not sound like a lot, but it saves me hunting for the applications and the right keystroke combinations to do what I need, especially when I need to hop between different conferencing platforms … and then my auto notifications tell me that $GME or $AMC has dropped so I need to buy more!” he said.
Best plugin ever?
And apparently a Zoom plugin for Stream Deck has a “get me the fuck out of this meeting” button. Who knew?
“It’s a Streamdeck command that comes with the Zoom plugin,” Couchchimp said. “Press a button and it closes the Zoom for everyone on the call.”
Charging and connectivity
In addition to the Brydge vertical laptop stand, Couchchimp has a Brydge Stone Pro Docking Station with Thunderbolt 3, USB-C and other ports.
And if that’s not enough, even his desk mat is a charging station. Specifically, it’s a Jelison Leather Desk Pad with 15W Wireless Charging Station, compatible with Qi-enabled wireless charging devices.
That’s a lot of cool gear. But, really, he had us at “Albert Einstein Headphone Stand.” You can find it in the list below.
Shop these items now:
- 13-inch MacBook Pro
- Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
- Magic Mouse 2
- Brydge Vertical Dock
- Brydge Stone Pro Docking Station
- 34-inch Samsung CJ791 Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor
- Elgato Stream Deck
- LIFX Light Strip
- Electric Stand Up Desk Frame
- KableRika Computer Monitor Light
- Albert Einstein Headphone Stand
- Jelison Leather Desk Pad with 15W Wireless Charging Station
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.
