Souped up MacBook Pro centers super-symmetrical setup [Setups]

There's nothing like a warmly lit, super-symmetrical setup — especially if it has two Studio Displays. Photo: drewbiez@Reddit.com

When it comes to computer setups, social media loves symmetry. People often praise perfectly symmetrical setups and plenty of folks kind of freak out if anything’s even slightly askew, often supplying their own joking references to obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD.

In today’s warmly lit and well-organized workstation, a high-spec MacBook Pro drives dual Studio Displays. And pairs of other items in the room contribute to the overall symmetry.

M1 Max MacBook Pro with stout 32GB RAM drives two Studio Displays in symmetrical setup

VMware engineer, photographer and Redditor drewbiez showcased the fine-looking setup in a post entitled, “M1 Max MBP and Studio Displays | 40 y/o VMware Engineer and Photographer.”

The symmetry arises from the fact that there are two of practically everything. First and foremost, there are two Studio Displays lined up side-by-side.

“They are typical Apple, lol,” Biez said when asked how he likes them. “Good quality, not ultra cutting edge, over priced, but they’ll last for years and just work. I do wish I had gotten the nano texture ones.”

But there are also two 16-inch MacBooks — a tricked-out M1 Max for personal use and an M1 Pro for work that trade off driving the displays.

And the doubling continues throughout the room. Two identical Vasagle bookcases with identical lamps on top stand on either side of the desk, which is made from Vivo standing desk legs/frame with a 72-inch butcher block on top, Biez said.

The two lamps light up two framed pieces of artwork on the wall that match, aligned on either side of a window.

And on either side of the Studio Displays sits a black KRK 5-inch studio monitor with yellow markings that go nicely with the desktop wallpaper on the screen, the lamps and the light shining on the walls.

Each speaker sits on a thin pad to quiet vibrations. Biez said he might replace the pads with stands to bring the speakers up to ear level — if he can find any he likes.

Is the whole symmetry fest too perfect? Maybe. But it works.

Here’s more from Biez on how it works:

The work laptop is an M1 Pro with 16GB, my personal is an M1 Max. The cool thing about this setup is that it connect everything with those 2 TB cables.

Hidden under the desk are 2 TB4 Hubs, a 10gig network adapter and a TB 4tb NVME disk. It’s pretty clean right now, all I have to do is swap out the laptop body to swap between work and personal and have all my stuff automatically connected.

The final bit that I’m trying to work out is a 3D printed under the desk mounted tray with a mount for the TB4 cables, so that all I would need to do is slide the laptop in and out and free up the desk space.

Shop these items now:

Computers and hubs:

16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro (32GB RAM) 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro Thunderbolt 4 hubs (2)

Display:

Studio Displays (2)

Input devices:

Magic Keyboard Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse

Audio:

AirPods Max AirPods Pro Universal Audio Apollo Solo audio interface KRK studio monitor speakers Speaker isolation pads

Furniture:

Vasagle book shelves 72-inch butcher block tabletop Vivo standing desk legs

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.