I’ve spent the last 4 months making my dream desk setup; let me tell you it wasn’t easy. Finding the right components that fit my specifications has taken a lot of time and patience. But finally, I am happy with how the build has come together:
Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk
Having used an IKEA desk for the last 2 years, I knew I wanted something better. I preferred a desk that was contoured and not the usual rectangular shape. I am not a fan of rectangular desks because they bite into wrists a lot. The desk had to be motorized, so that I can stand and a work a few hours everyday. I finally settled on the Jarvis Bamboo Standing desk by Fully. It is a little expensive but is built to last and fits my requirements. The finishing and the design make it worth the price.
Along with the desk, I ordered a pair of hooks that attach on either side. They are magnetic and work great for hanging headphones and my house keys.
Specs:
- Desk: Bamboo Contoured 48x30
- Brown Desk Frame
- Extended Range for height adjustment
- Programmable handset
MacBook Pro 16”
I have been using MacBooks for sometime now. The one I currently own is a MacBook Pro 16-inch in space grey. I am happy with this laptop, and especially the keyboard. It’s not a gaming PC by any means, but has enough power to chug through everything that I do.
I don’t like desktops in general due to their size and the bulk they create. It gets very messy with desktops and prefer to have a laptop. Even though the iPad Pro is a great portable computer, I still prefer using the MBP when I am working in coffee shops, etc.
Even though it’s going to be almost a year since M1 Macs came out, I haven’t upgraded. Honestly, I still don’t find the performance of my 16” MBP that bad, and the battery life is decent (6–8 hrs for me).
Update: Fresh from Cupertino new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. These seem to be monster chips for a laptop. I will have a separate article for these laptops. But no, I will not be updating from my current Intel 16” MBP.
Specs:
- Processor: 2.3Ghz 8-core 9th Gen i9
- Color: Space Grey 2.RAM: 16GB 2666Mhz DDR4
- Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 4GB Memory
- Storage: 1TB SSD
Dell U3417W
I long debated whether 2 27-inch monitors are better, or a single 34-inch. I finally settled on a single 34-inch monitor, the single continuous screen looked better. Lot of the apps I use for work scale across the entire display. It’s also great for YouTube videos that are shot in 2:1. I settled on the Dell U3417W monitor. It’s 60 Hz, has good resolution and great viewing angles. It does not offer the crazy contrast of an OLED neither the speed of gaming monitors. But it’s great for regular use.
I bought it during Prime day 2019 at a significant discount. This particular model might not be available now, but a newer version with Thunderbolt is.
Monitor arm
Having a monitor arm frees up tons of space on my desk. I get to swivel or push the monitor back when necessary. I bought the cheapest one on Amazon that could handle the weight of my monitor.
Logitech MX Master 3
Probably the most popular mouse for productivity. I love the ergonomic shape which makes it great for extended use, offers USB-C for recharging and has great pointer precision. Unlike traditional mice the scroll wheel is magnetic and offers variable scroll rate. It works great with apps like Tweetbot, where I have to scroll constantly. The battery life is great, typically lasts a few weeks.
Ember Mug
This might be the only thing on the desk that’s way too expensive than it should be. But I use it regularly, even during summer. It’s not always coffee, but ginger tea or hot chocolate. I prefer having hot beverages throughout the year, no matter what the season is.
Starbucks Reserve Cup
I love the color and size of this cup, it goes well with the rest of the desk. It’s used as a sticky note and pen holder.
CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock
The dock is a lot more useful than I imagined. My monitor, DAC, microphone all are plugged in to the dock. There is an additional USB-C port which I don’t use at the moment and an SD card reader that I use often. It also charges my MacBook Pro at near full speed. The only downside is lack of any cooling for the dock. I’ve noticed it gets pretty hot, though there hasn’t been any issue with performance.
Sennheiser HD 6XX Headphones I prefer open back headphones over closed back noise cancelling. The Sennheiser HD6XX are perfect, providing excellent mid-range. The only complaint is the cable, which is not standard auxiliary for the headphones. This is a problem with most audiophile headphones, not unique to Sennheiser.
I am not an audiophile by any measure, but I can tell the difference between a bluetooth headset and wired studio quality headphones. Even the AirPods Max aren’t great in terms of audio quality.
DAC
Currently, I am using the SoundBlaster X G5 DAC. Just like the headphones, this is a good entry-level DAC. Provides good gains, especially on Apple Music Lossless tracks.
THX 789 Amplifier
I got this Amp from Drop at a discounted price. Just like the DAC, this is a good entry level amplifier.
Drop ALT keyboard
I love mechanical keyboards and Drop makes a great 65% keyboard. It’s milled from a single piece of aluminum and feels great to type on. I’ve settled on cherry mx browns with Astro keycaps designed by SAILORHG & CASSIDOO.
Phillips Hue LightStrip
I have my entire apartment fitted with HomeKit accessories, and wanted a light strip that work in my current setup. It’s working well so far, provides good diffused light just the way I wanted. I wish it was cheaper though.
Blue Yeti Microphone
The microphone is very underutilized at the moment. I don’t take a lot of calls from my laptop. But, it’s there and does not take up a lot of space. It’s a good microphone (I know there are even better ones out there) if ever I feel like making YouTube videos.
Webcam
I don’t have a dedicated webcam for my desk setup. I just use my Sony A7III whenever I am on FaceTime. It’s better than any other webcam out there and works with macOS without any setup.
