What’s on my desk
This is a timeline of my desk setup over the years. Changing priorities, house moves, and fluctuations in my financial situation have caused my setup to evolve/de-evolve in interesting ways. These photos were taken by me at random moments, and I’m documenting them all here for nostalgia.
You may also be interested in what I’m currently using, over at /uses.
Last updated
2025
While the rest of my setup had stayed the same, I had replaced my dismal Sky Glass TV with a 48″ LG C4 OLED. This made the movie-watching and gaming experience infinitely better. (I don’t always close the blinds. Sue me.)
2024
I had sold the LG monitor and replaced it with a 42″ Sky Glass TV (I know, I know. It was a temporary lapse in judgement). I had also bought a Hisense soundbar, now that this desk was going to double as my computer setup AND my TV watching station. The cable management underneath the desk was embarrassingly chaotic.
2023
The Fender Champion 20 amp under the desk had just been purchased when this photo was taken. While not necessarily part of my “desk setup”, the Fender Strat and the Epiphone Bass are also new. (I had sold my Squier Strat a few months prior). There is also a Stylophone on the desk, which was a birthday present from my wife.
2022
My very first day with the PS5.
This photo was taken soon after we moved to Belfast in September 2022. The monitor is a 32″ LG Ergo 4K. I had purchased the mic, the mic stand, and the audio interface a few months before. The keyboard upgrade (Logitech MX Keys) was also recent.
The first appearance of my 2021 Mac mini and MacBook Air (still in use as of May 2026), which I bought after selling my 16″ MacBook Pro that died on me. The Logitech MX Master 2S mouse was also a new upgrade.
2021
This isn’t a photo of the full setup, but still worthy of note because the audio gear had expanded considerably. I had added an equaliser, a second amp, and a switcher (to switch between the two amps).
2020
This was my setup at the first rental my wife and I moved into after getting married. The desk was custom-made to my spec, with a 36mm laminate top and a robust powder-coated steel frame. The gear stayed almost the same, with the notable exception of a dual monitor arm which allowed the two monitors to float above the desk top. I had also upgraded my audio setup by this point, by adding a Schiit stack. The PS4 is tucked away behind the monitors. I had also bought a UPS to deal with the frequent power cuts.
I sold the older ViewSonic monitor and bought another one of the newer model. I could never get the colour profiles to match exactly; I gave up trying after a while. I also had a 2019 MacBook Pro 16″ at this point, which is docked behind the monitors.
Not much had changed by this point, but this is a first appearance of my Massdrop-Sennheiser HD6XX that I can find. You can also see my Creative BlasterX headphone amp on the desk. The PS4 had been moved on to a small pedestal on the side of the desk (not pictured).
2019
The dual monitor setup was a major upgrade for me. The 32″ ViewSonic in the white body, on the left, came first (I don’t seem to have a photo of it on its own). I added the second one a bit later. They are mismatched, because ViewSonic had discontinued the first model shortly after I had purchased one. This was also shortly after the addition of a PS4 Pro, the first game console I ever bought.
2017
We had moved house. The desk came with me. The MacBook Pro and the AOC monitor were still in use at this point, and I had purchased a pair of Mackie CR3 studio monitors on a friend’s recommendation.
2016
Pictured here is my 2014 MacBook Pro 13″, an external display (a cheap AOC model if memory serves), and Logitech peripherals. The Urbanears headphones bring back a lot of memories.
2014
The good old days. The lack of electronics on the desk is to do with the fact that I only owned a laptop, which was shared with my brother. Perhaps it was being used elsewhere when this photo was taken.