Some computer setups are bare-bones but functional, others are swanky as all-get-out. Leaning toward the latter, today’s setup rocks a powerful M2 Ultra Mac Studio desktop computer driving a new, 49-inch Samsung G9 super-ultra-wide display.
But that’s not all the finery the solid standing desk supports. Festooned with key lights, it’s also a great videoconferencing station, with a premium webcam, a mounted USB microphone and killer speakers.
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Setup’s Mac Studio pairs with new Samsung ultra-wide display
Redditor Busy-Telephone-6360 (“Busy”) showcased the fancy workstation in a post entitled, “My new desktop setup.” You know when someone has an expensive Herman Miller Embody chair, they’re probably not going to skimp on anything.
His powerful M2 Ultra Mac Studio packs 128GB of integrated memory. It drives the setup’s other headliner, a new 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 curved monitor.
And there’s other star power, too, that we’ll get into below and in the gear list.
“Spend most of my day in Zoom meetings and enjoying this new desk setup,” he said.
No, he’s not at all afraid of ‘burn-in’
At least one commenter mistook the Samsung display for an LG 5K2K.
“Your LG is a great monitor, my Samsung G9 OLED 49-inch is for gaming but also use it for office work,” Busy said.
“Not scared of burn in?” someone asked. Burn-in, sometimes referred to as ghost images, is when an screen retains fixed images that “burn in” due to polarization of liquid-crystal material in the panel.
“Not even a little,” Busy replied. “At the rate that I turn over electronics, it will be someone else’s problem 10 years from now.”
But another G9 user confessed to being “a bit scared,” having heard burn-in can happen within hours on QD OLED screens.
Another person brought up worries over poor text rendering on OLED screens because of their pixel alignment, but Busy wasn’t having any of that, either. The 49-inch behemoth works for him.
And why shouldn’t it? The gaming display’s as wide as two quad HD monitors but its 1800R curve tries to keep all the detail in your field of vision. As an OLED screen, it boasts DisplayHDR True Black 400 technology for blacker blacks and other dark colors. It sports a 0.03ms response time and a 240Hz refresh rate with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort connectivity.
Solid standing desk
Busy rocks not just a killer desktop Mac and ultra-wide display on the standing desk. He’s got a great videoconferencing setup, too. It’s quite a lot of gear on a standing desk, actually.
“Does your desk sound like it’s struggling to get to standing height?” someone asked, saying they have a similar amount of gear on their desk and “it’s like ‘I think I can, I think I can’ when moving it up.”
“I upgraded to the [Evodesk] Pro model with 4 legs and twice the motors,” Busy replied. “I knew I would have this for a while.”
Nice videoconferencing setup
Photo: Busy-Telephone-6360@Reddit.com
As you can see in the photograph, Busy’s setup is festooned with key lights. They bask him in a warm glow on video calls, for which he also uses a TZ Stellar USB microphone mounted on a Rode studio arm. He likes the combo, but he wishes he’sd bought a Shure MV7 USB mic.
“They are great and when you turn the color way down, and the brightness, you forget they are there,” he said of the Elago Key Lights.
“I need soft light for front and side fill and when I do use a green screen (half the time) it looks crisp and clean,” he added. “There are no shadows on my face.”
A commenter had questions about the microphone and speakers when Busy takes video calls.
“Is it okay/effective to use a mic like that and speakers for calls or are headphones required when using a good mic,” they asked. “Final question, is the mic in shot on calls. I ask as want to raise my Zoom game but not look like I’m trying too hard.”
“No one can see the mic when I extend it and move it within inches of my face,” Busy replied. “The lights on the side are from Logitech and called the Litra bean I think. They could be enough depending on the natural light in your room. The speakers are $3k with tax and way overkill for Zoom calls but mainly for music in between calls.”
Pricey KEF speakers
Those pricey speakers, by the way, are KEF LS50 Wireless 2. They work with AirPlay 2 and tons of streaming services. Each speaker packs a 280-watt amplifier for the mid range and 100w amplifier for the tweeter.
“Do you wear headphones for calls or is it okay to use the mic and speakers or does the mic pick up the other call participants too much?” a commenter asked.
“I was honestly really worried about using the mic and picking up the speakers, but they can’t hear themselves at all,” Busy replied. “The mic is directional and I have it pointing right at me. I only use headphones for certain calls and I’ll plug in directly to my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 that I use for mic, headphones, speakers and the occasional electric guitar session.”
Rarely seen mechanical keyboard
And finally, when nobody asked about it, Busy brought up his highly customizable mechanical keyboard himself.
“I’m surprised nobody asked about the keyboard,” he said. “I went with the [Mode Designs] Sonnet, which is not a normal choice for a Mac. Works great and I love the sound.”
Shop these items now:
Computers:
Display and webcam:
Input devices:
Audio:
- KEF LS50 Wireless 2 speakers
- Ion Forge speaker stands
- TZ Stellar X2 Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser XLR Microphone
- Rode PSA1+ Professional Studio Arm
Lighting:
Furniture:
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, challenges and plans for new additions.
This curved smart gaming monitor features 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, dual QHD, Neo Quantum Processor Pro, DisplayHDR 400, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, gaming hub and more (LS49CG954SNXZA).
