High end audio

[ouch]

Guitars??? Drums??? Hell, you need talent to play those.

I'll take high end audio, where any slob can experience the good life from the comfort of their Barcolounger. All you need is a bit of knowledge and a bit of cash (well, okay, a little more than a "bit").

So..............What you got back home, little sister, to play your fuzzy warbles on? I bet you got, say, pitiful, portable picnic players. Come with uncle and hear all proper! Hear angels' trumpets and devils' trombones. You are invited!

[superfly]

haha, nice one... I have interest in "high end" audio for almost 15 years. I have made my own stuff since the beginning. Mostly tube preamps, with some ECC83's (ATX7) and solid state (mosfet) amps.

My last descent rig was the Bride of Zen mosfet preamp, design of the famous Nelson Pass, and mosfet power amp. All trough homemade cables, with CAT5 network cable. 99.9999% pure copper, and Teflon insulation. And at the end, the modest Bower and Wilkins DM 601. I'd love the Grande Utopia's, but I have too small music room ;)

Marantz CD43 for CD player. Nowdays, I'm listening my Technics ST-S7 tuner, and my NAD C 320 BEE integrated amp. Hey, what can I say, it has remote control!

Nenad

[Steelforge]

Cyrus CD8x CD player.
Cyrus 8vs integrated amplifier.
Cyrus PSX-R regulated power supplies (x2), to power the CD and amp.
Cyrus tri-arbour rack.
Dynaudio Contour 1.3Mk2 standmount speakers.
Dynaudio speaker stands.
Chord Odyssey 2 speaker cable.
Chord Chameleon interconnects.
Black Spider noise supressing quad mains socket.

Sounds abolutely amazing on vocals, violin, piano and general rock. :001_cool: :thumbup:

[jduffy]

I'm pretty big into Decware right now. My friend built his amp and the thing is just nuts for sound.

I'm looking forward to building one for myself sometime this December. Single Ended sounds (no pun) right to me.

[Jim]

Great post Ouch-

I built 2 Hafler bridged mosfet single Chanel amps and a Hafler pre amp almost 20 years ago-

Still using the rig today- still sounds great I cannot even remember the names of the drivers I put in my boxes I think I have a folder with all the stuff in it- I scored some very high performance cable at work for my patch and speaker cables back then also.

[catatonic]

I'm a budget audiophile:

Living room:
Onix Reference 0.5 loudspeakers
StudioTech 24" speaker stands with elastomer isolation pads between the speakers and stands.
K&B Speaker cable (12ga, banana plugs)
Yamaha RX-496 Stereo Reciever (yeah it's a reciever, but IMO it's the best performing unit for it's price range)
Pioneer DV-C503 DVD changer (I figured it's a good blend of convenience and performance)
Radio Shack 8-n-1 Kameleon universal remote (a must have component, a decent universal remote)
Custom made double-shielded 75-ohm rca interconnects (I roll my own)

Computer:
SL Waber WaveTracker AC noise filter (125dB attenuation)
Creek OBH-11 headphone amp w/ OBH-2 power supply
Sennheiser HD-280 headphones
Radio shack 3.5mm to RCA adaptor
custom double-shielded 75ohm RCA interconnects (same as above)
Soundblaster Audigy 2zs soundcard (I play computer games, so a pro card is out of the question.

I love surrond sound, but I cannot get the results I want in my current apartment, so I went for a 2-channel living room setup. My computer is headphone only, since I do game at odd hours, and don't want to annoy my neighbors. Only reason I even bought the K&B cable was the price was just about what it would have cost to make my own mesh-covered cables, and theirs looked better than what I would have made! Pity K&B went under a while ago :(

[mrob]

I believe that I'm a budget audiophile:

iPod with Sony headphones
car stereo

And I'm a musician! :biggrin:

[SamKennard]

Home System
Herron Audio HL-1 solid-state line stage preamplifier with phono stage.
Herron Audio M-150 solid-state monaural amplifiers.
VPI Super Scoutmaster with Helikon cartridge and Kinetic Systems active Vibraplane.
Magnum Dynalab MD 102 FM Tuner.
Philips DVD963SA for SACD and CD.
Herron Audio interconnects.
Audio Physic Virgo II loudspeakers.
Audio Physic Luna sub-woofer.
Vibrapod Isolators and Cones.


Office
Herron Audio VTSP-2 tubed line stage preamplifier.
Herron Audio VTPH-1 tubed phono preamplifier.
Herron Audio M-150 solid-state monaural amplifiers.
VPI Aries with Accurate cartridge and Kinetic Systems active Vibraplane.
Magnum Dynalab MD101 FM Tuner.
Philips DVD963SA for SACD and CD.
Herron Audio interconnects.
Reimer Teton Loudspeakers.
Audio Physic Luna sub-woofer.
Vibrapod Isolators and Cones.
(I am the manufacturer.)

[jduffy]

I have yet to hear a Herron system but from what people have told me, it's very impressive.

Regarding the Herron prices, "If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it." :biggrin:

Nice setup you have.

[letterk]

I was a budding audiophile back in college. I had lots of upgrades planned, but I needed to buy a ring for my gal so my audio budget took a big hit. I never really got back into it. This rig, however, has served me well for a decade.

Marantz AV500 pre-amp
Rotel RB-980BX amp
Marantz CD-63 mkII CD player
Camber Laser 7 speakers
M&K MX-1000 subwoofer
Audioquest Topaz Cables
M&K cross-over

[ouch]

Home System
Herron Audio HL-1 solid-state line stage preamplifier with phono stage.
Herron Audio M-150 solid-state monaural amplifiers.
VPI Super Scoutmaster with Helikon cartridge and Kinetic Systems active Vibraplane.
Magnum Dynalab MD 102 FM Tuner.
Philips DVD963SA for SACD and CD.
Herron Audio interconnects.
Audio Physic Virgo II loudspeakers.
Audio Physic Luna sub-woofer.
Vibrapod Isolators and Cones.


Office
Herron Audio VTSP-2 tubed line stage preamplifier.
Herron Audio VTPH-1 tubed phono preamplifier.
Herron Audio M-150 solid-state monaural amplifiers.
VPI Aries with Accurate cartridge and Kinetic Systems active Vibraplane.
Magnum Dynalab MD101 FM Tuner.
Philips DVD963SA for SACD and CD.
Herron Audio interconnects.
Reimer Teton Loudspeakers.
Audio Physic Luna sub-woofer.
Vibrapod Isolators and Cones.
(I am the manufacturer.)

Magnum Dynalab? What's that? LOL

[jduffy]

I see you went low budget and got the 90.

Sweet! :biggrin:

[ouch]

I see you went low budget and got the 90.

Sweet! :biggrin:

:lol: Yeah, I don't listen to much radio these days, so I couldn't justify their top of the line models. Besides, I had to save my pennies for the important parts.

In 1975, I wandered into Lyric Hi-Fi on Lexington Avenue, and haven't been the same ever since. Products from companies such as Audio Research, Mark Levinson, Krell, Spectral, Magnepan, Balanced Audio Technology, Nelson Pass, and many others have passed through my doors. Good audio gear is one of the great pleasures of life.

[rikrdo]

The 2005 Honda Element EX doesn't offer too many digital luxuries. The EX trim package includes a seven-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with MP3 playback capability and a handy auxiliary audio input, located in front of the passenger seat, for use with portable audio devices. The stereo is also XM satellite radio ready, but you'll need a subscription to the service. A healthy subwoofer helps fill the big space of the interior with sound. The stereo's controls are simple to operate, with large knobs that are all close enough to the driver.


We also enjoy our Bose 3-2-1 system
and a AIWA Boom box (w/ CD player) entertains me while I slave away in the garage

[SamKennard]

I have yet to hear a Herron system but from what people have told me, it's very impressive.

Regarding the Herron prices, "If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it." :biggrin:

Nice setup you have.

Thanks.

Keith Herron is a very good friend. Everything that I currently own was obtained through accommodation pricing as one of my companies is in the Audio Industry - The Vibrapod Company.

I have a fair amount of other gear that gets switched in and out at the company for testing purposes.

Sam Kennard

[ouch]

I see you went low budget and got the 90.

Sweet! :biggrin:

Actually, it's an FT101A.:001_tt2:

[ouch]

Thanks.

Keith Herron is a very good friend. Everything that I currently own was obtained through accommodation pricing as one of my companies is in the Audio Industry - The Vibrapod Company.

I have a fair amount of other gear that gets switched in and out at the company for testing purposes.

Sam Kennard

I've had the pleasure of listening to some Herron products- absolutely top notch. Their preamp is amongst the finest available.

Whaddaya say I trade ya some blades for some Vibrapods?:lol:

[jfm]

My high end rig is currently represented by my Grado SR-325s and a simple Technics turntable. Once I finish my dissertation, I will probably upgrade my house to something more accommodating of a listening room.

[scagooch]

I used to think $25 dollars was a lot for shaving cream. Cheap in comparison to $200 interconnects.
Arcam Alpha fmj32
Arcam Alpha 8se Cd player
Castle Eden speakers
VAn Den Huul interconnects and speaker cables

[ouch]

One of the ironies of audio is that the more room you have, the easier things will be. For those with enough room to house a pair of Magnepans, the high end doesn't even have to be all that expensive.

[jfm]

For those with enough room to house a pair of Magnepans, the high end doesn't even have to be all that expensive.

I was going to mention how jealous I was when I read "Magnepan" earlier. :drool:

[Scotto]

I just take all my audio advice from Corey. :a38: :lol:

[ouch]

I just take all my audio advice from Corey. :a38: :lol:

If that's true, I'm surprised you have any money left over for shaving. I'll also have to speak louder, because your hearing's probably not too good!
:lol:

[murchmb]

At "home":
Bryston 4BST amplifier
Chiro C-800 Pre/Pro or Bryston BP5 Pre
Magnepan 1.6QR
Sony ??? Carousel CD Player

All sitting in storage because I got married, moved into my wife's house, and there isn't room for my system :frown:

At work:
Sennheiser HD580
Headamp
Portable Sony Cd player CDP-25???
1G iPod

[SLider]

Seeing as how there are only two things I do almost Everyday (workout and shave) I'm willing to invest in things that make them more pleasurable. I got a pair of the Shure E4c headphones (retail $299 but you can get them for almost half that on ebay). While I'm not an audiophile, I do notice the difference between them and your standard earbuds, but the left ear phone has shorted out twice now in 6 months, and while it's covered under warantee, it's getting tiresome sending them back.

[ouch]

At "home":
Bryston 4BST amplifier
Chiro C-800 Pre/Pro or Bryston BP5 Pre
Magnepan 1.6QR
Sony ??? Carousel CD Player

All sitting in storage because I got married, moved into my wife's house, and there isn't room for my system :frown:



Somebody did their homework. For years, Magnepan has recommended that dealers display their speakers driven by Bryston amps. There may be better combos, but that's a great match.
Your 1.6QR's are probably the single greatest value in all of audio. :thumbup1:

[zachster]

Turntable: Thorens TD 321 with Sumiko Premier MMT Tonearm and Benz Micro Silver Cartridge

CD: Marantz cd63 SE (needs repair -- went haywire last week!) with Musical Fidelity X10D Tube buffer

Tape Deck: Marantz (can't remember the model -- hardly ever use it nowadays)

Preamp: McIntosh C712

Power Amp: McIntosh MC7104

Speakers: B&W DM501; Tannoy Satellite/Subwoofer combo (can't remember the model)

All of this was purchased back when I was single with tons of disposable income... And, yes, I am a stereo dinosaur -- the only way I can listen to music on CD is through tubes, and I will never go MP3 or surround sound! I might spring for an SACD player now that the CD has kicked the bucket...

[jduffy]

How big a difference is there for the CD player with and without the tube buffer?

Just curious.

[zachster]

How big a difference is there for the CD player with and without the tube buffer?

Just curious.

I find that the tube buffer gives it a warmer sound -- closer to analogue, but without the scratches:biggrin1:

[ada8356]

I guess it's safe to assume that my Cerwin Vegas, Pioneer Amp & CD player, and Monster Cables don't belong in this thread!
:lol:

[superfly]

Turntable: Thorens TD 321 with Sumiko Premier MMT Tonearm and Benz Micro Silver Cartridge

CD: Marantz cd63 SE (needs repair -- went haywire last week!) with Musical Fidelity X10D Tube buffer

Tape Deck: Marantz (can't remember the model -- hardly ever use it nowadays)

Preamp: McIntosh C712

Power Amp: McIntosh MC7104

Speakers: B&W DM501; Tannoy Satellite/Subwoofer combo (can't remember the model)

All of this was purchased back when I was single with tons of disposable income... And, yes, I am a stereo dinosaur -- the only way I can listen to music on CD is through tubes, and I will never go MP3 or surround sound! I might spring for an SACD player now that the CD has kicked the bucket...

I like this one the best so far :thumbup1:

Nenad

[Dinder1]

Here is my modest system, I have toned down my audio habits.

Turntable: Systemdek llx w/linn basik plus arm W/Project phono amp
CD: Onix XCD-99 pretty much a moded Music Hall player
Amp: Tube integrated-65w Separo ( Pacific Creek ) P-901 Valve
Speakers:Epos m 12.2 w/ lead filled Atacama stands
Cables ZU Julian etc.
Sub: Aperion Audio 10" powered

I really love the sound of tubes:thumbup:
Cheers, DJ.

[SamKennard]

Somebody did their homework. For years, Magnepan has recommended that dealers display their speakers driven by Bryston amps. There may be better combos, but that's a great match.
Your 1.6QR's are probably the single greatest value in all of audio. :thumbup1:

I have an old pair of 2.7's that the Herron's will not drive. I sold a pair of 3.6's that the Herron's would not drive either. But, a Music Reference RM-200 (http://www.ramlabs-musicreference.com/rm200.html) will drive either one of them pretty well.

My next acquisition will be a pair of 20.1's for the listening room at work.

Sam

[Dinder1]

I have an old pair of 2.7's that the Herron's will not drive. I sold a pair of 3.6's that the Herron's would not drive either. But, a Music Reference RM-200 (http://www.ramlabs-musicreference.com/rm200.html) will drive either one of them pretty well.

My next acquisition will be a pair of 20.1's for the listening room at work.

Sam
Hmmm.. that reminds me.. I have a old pair of Maggies, a little adcom amp and CD player,Superphon Pre, all just sitting unused in my basement. I think it's time to start tinkering again.
Cheers, DJ.

[MasonM]

I just sing in the shower.

[murchmb]

Somebody did their homework. For years, Magnepan has recommended that dealers display their speakers driven by Bryston amps. There may be better combos, but that's a great match.
Your 1.6QR's are probably the single greatest value in all of audio. :thumbup1:

Yep. It was kind of a no brainer. I got the Maggies new, and the Bryston stuff a couple of years used. Gotta love a company that backs up their products with a 20 year transferrable warranty.

I had them set up in my old living room "properly" and they sounded incredible. They were also killer in a home theater setting. No real center channel needed. I'm now debating whether to sell them, or hold on to them and see if I can have a fitting room for them when we add onto our house.

I talked to one of the top guys at Magnepan and he highly recommended Bryston and Krell, but preferred Atmasphere tube amps himself. The Bryston stuff was just too tempting when it came to the economics of it, so I went that route. I'd still love to get into the tube stuff, but that will have to wait until money and time are more plentiful. Probably in 20 years or so when the baby has left the nest.

[murchmb]

I have an old pair of 2.7's that the Herron's will not drive. I sold a pair of 3.6's that the Herron's would not drive either. But, a Music Reference RM-200 (http://www.ramlabs-musicreference.com/rm200.html) will drive either one of them pretty well.

My next acquisition will be a pair of 20.1's for the listening room at work.

Sam

Sam, I grew up in St. Louis and still consider it "home", even thought I've been gone since '89. I envy someone with the money and room for a pair of 20.1's Those are some incredible speakers. Is Flip's Stereo still around? They were the STL Maggie dealer last I saw, but it's been several years since I have shopped that kind of stuff.

[ouch]

Most people don't have the room for really big speakers. I've had Tympani IV's, 20.1's (not the new 20.1I's, though), and giant Apoggees, which were over seven feet tall and three feet wide. The latter currently reside, rather cramped, in my friends house.

Currently, I have the Maggie 1.6QR's, and couldn't be happier. While they're not as big as their big brothers, they still require an enormous amount of space to function properly, and they fill my 30X20X18 room more than adequately. They also need a lot of juice-- no 3W SET's need apply-- so I would recommend solid state amps. Save the tubes for the preamp.
No, the 1.6QR's don't share the lovely true ribbon tweeter of the 3 and 20 series, nor do they dip quite as low as those jumbo panels. But with the help of a REL Stadium III sub (the only sub I've ever been able to properly mate with them), the overall sound is nothing short of breathtaking.


As an aside, of all the audiophile recordings I've ever heard (Reference Recordings, Telarc, etc), far and away the best recording I've encountered for demonstrating an audio system is Roger Water's Amused to Death.

[zachster]

Great post Ouch-

I built 2 Hafler bridged mosfet single Chanel amps and a Hafler pre amp almost 20 years ago-

Still using the rig today- still sounds great I cannot even remember the names of the drivers I put in my boxes I think I have a folder with all the stuff in it- I scored some very high performance cable at work for my patch and speaker cables back then also.

I've heard some great things about Haffler equipment. How does it stand up to some of today's high end gizmos?

[rickw]

Does anybody remember Bedini amplifiers?

[catatonic]

I guess it's safe to assume that my Cerwin Vegas, Pioneer Amp & CD player, and Monster Cables don't belong in this thread!
:lol:

Hey, I have some C-Vs in my bedroom stereo :smile:

In the end it's all about if you are pleased with what you have....if so, then kudos! I'm still looking for a better DVD changer for my setup though...I'll probably just get a Yamaha and call it done. It seems nobody really makes any nice DVD changers anymore.

[SamKennard]

Sam, I grew up in St. Louis and still consider it "home", even thought I've been gone since '89. I envy someone with the money and room for a pair of 20.1's Those are some incredible speakers. Is Flip's Stereo still around? They were the STL Maggie dealer last I saw, but it's been several years since I have shopped that kind of stuff.

Flip's folded around three years ago but Tom still keeps a room somewhere for Maggie sales. One of his ex employees worked for me for several years, Bonnie Perry.

Sam

[dawgball]

Amps...Mac Monoblocks (Mac is McIntosh)

Preamp...Mac

Speakers...B&W

CD Player....Old Sony ES

Turntable....Dual ( I got a lot of old vinyl)

[dszpiro]

Here is my modest system, I have toned down my audio habits.

Turntable: Systemdek llx w/linn basik plus arm W/Project phono amp
CD: Onix XCD-99 pretty much a moded Music Hall player
Amp: Tube integrated-65w Separo ( Pacific Creek ) P-901 Valve
Speakers:Epos m 12.2 w/ lead filled Atacama stands
Cables ZU Julian etc.
Sub: Aperion Audio 10" powered

I really love the sound of tubes:thumbup:
Cheers, DJ.

Hi DJ,

Through most of the 1980s I worked for the company that was the North American distributor for Systemdek. Our customers were the retail stores that sold the products to the end user. The IIX was a model that we pushed the manufacturer in Scotland to make for the NA market: at the time, they were busy making the more unusual Systemdek II that never sold quite as well.

Many Systemdek IIX were sold with a Profile tonearm. I designed that arm and our firm had it made in Japan. "Profile" was our house name for many components and accessories.

I happen to own a Systemdek II myself. When the very first run of 500 black ash IIX arrived in North America we had the manufacturer of the Profile tonearm make a matching run of 500 champagne-colored arms and put numbered brass plaques on each deck: I kept 1/500 for myself. :wink:

Reading your post brought back memories...thanks!

Cheers,

[peacefrog]

My modest home office system: NAD CD player, Cambridge Audio integrated amplifier, NAD Image 4T speakers, Grado SR225 headphones.

My 5.1 system: Integra receiver, can't even remember what DVD player, and NAAD Image series speakers.

My home office is going to become a kid's room soon, so I'm thinking of selling the amp and speakers and getting a decent headphone amp instead.

[slcsteve]

My high end stuff is ancient. I can't recall the last time I turned it on.

Vandersteen 2CI speakers w/sound anchors
PSE Mono-amps
PSE FM Tuner
PSE Studio SL pre-amp

[ouch]

Very cool turntable you have there. I had a Linn back in the 80's, and it was a marvel. The currently make some of the best CD players I've seen.

[ratcheer]

I used to be very much in to high-end audio, but I haven't put my stuff back together in the 13 years since we moved. I still have all the stuff, but it is all just sitting there. :sad:


Audio Research SP-10 pre-amp
Audio Research D-70 II power amp
Goldmund Studio turntable
Pierre Lurne arm
I forget what the cartridge is called, but it was from the same person who made the "Black Widow"
Magnepan Tympani IV speaker systems


Tim

[ouch]

I used to be very much in to high-end audio, but I haven't put my stuff back together in the 13 years since we moved. I still have all the stuff, but it is all just sitting there. :sad:


Audio Research SP-10 pre-amp
Audio Research D-70 II power amp
Goldmund Studio turntable
Pierre Lurne arm
I forget what the cartridge is called, but it was from the same person who made the "Black Widow"
Magnepan Magneplanar IV speaker systems


Tim

I believe that back in the early 70's, Magnepan was owned by Audio Research. No surprise that they make a wonderful combination.

[Jason]

Wow, more people with the same addictions.

I have

Townsend turntable (with cool air suspension and silicone trough)
Encore tube preamp (excellent phono preamp)
VTL monoblocks
Hologram Speakers (dorky name, wonderfull speakers)

I'll avoid the cables, it would take way too long to go through those.

[ouch]

VTL is one of the great "unknowns" of high end audio. They make top notch stuff with excellent, beefy power supplies. I'm currently enjoying very good results with one of their preamps. It's so nice to see companies specializing in vacuum tubes (Balanced Audio Technology, Lamm, etc.) prosper.

[jazzman]

I believe that I'm a budget audiophile:

iPod with Sony headphones
car stereo

And I'm a musician! :biggrin:

Every musician I've ever known has been able to hear "through" the equipment to appreciate the performance. The rest of us are doomed to search for components that sound the best to our less acute ears (although I love my iPod):

Oracle Delphi Mk. II turntable (old/hoping for a VPI in my future)
Benz H2 cartridge
Old Rotel 955 CD player, pushing digits through
Musical Fidelity 3-Box with tubes digital processor
Audio Research SP-8 preamp, modified by a very knowledgable friend
Audio Research D-115 amplifier
Emminent Technology LFT-8 speakers (panels for mid and treble, boxes for bass)

Almost all of the above is old and/or was bought used, so it didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Happy listening, folks.

Steve

[ouch]

Every musician I've ever known has been able to hear "through" the equipment to appreciate the performance. The rest of us are doomed to search for components that sound the best to our less acute ears (although I love my iPod):

Oracle Delphi Mk. II turntable (old/hoping for a VPI in my future)
Benz H2 cartridge
Old Rotel 955 CD player, pushing digits through
Musical Fidelity 3-Box with tubes digital processor
Audio Research SP-8 preamp, modified by a very knowledgable friend
Audio Research D-115 amplifier
Emminent Technology LFT-8 speakers (panels for mid and treble, boxes for bass)

Almost all of the above is old and/or was bought used, so it didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Happy listening, folks.

Steve


If you can find a reputable dealer, buying used is a good idea. The good stuff is built to last for many years, and you can get top of the line products for the cost of some entry level equipment.

[dangert]

If you can find a reputable dealer, buying used is a good idea. The good stuff is built to last for many years, and you can get top of the line products for the cost of some entry level equipment.

Excellent advice! That's what I followed in my last 3 upgrades. Right now:

dCS P8i CD Player
MBL 4004 upgraded pre-amp
MBL 8011S power amp
Montana EPS speakers

Onix Grand Master interconnect (CD->pre)
Wireworld Super Eclipse balanced (pre->amp)
Wireworld Eclipse bi-wire speaker cable

Audiophile furniture BASE rack

[180gVinyl]

Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck
Mentor Arm
Audio Technica AT33 cartridge
Audio Innovations 800 moving coil transformer
Audiolab 8000A
Aiwa AD 850 cassette deck
Marantz CD63 SE cd player
B & W CDM2SE

[drP]

I'm not an audiophile, by no means. Have an old Bose system at my house which i use about two times a year; most of the time i turn on my old transistor on the news network; i listen to music in my car.

Yesterday i read an article about high end audio speakers; i read that the absolute top goes as far as $300.000,- for a pair of speakers:eek:

After having read this, i decided to stick with my collection of shaving brushes:biggrin:

BTW: my neighbour had an equipment with two speakers of $4000,- each; he sold them because he wanted better :eek: ; now he has two speakers which cost about $6000,- each and he says he definitely can hear the difference.....:rolleyes:
He even talks about speaker wires made of silver or gold:eek:


I think he's completely nuts:biggrin:

But guess what he's thinking of me.................:biggrin: :wink:

Peter

[jduffy]

You can roll your own and save a lot of money with tube amps, chip amps, and the same with preamps.

Plus you understand what they do, including the joy of "Hey, I built that!"

Speakers can be done cheaply with great results using fullrange drivers.

[javyn]

I can tell you from experience, Denon is nothing but trouble. My family shelled out the bucks for it, and the components are ALWAYS going out.

My setup is pretty humble. Refurbished TEAC 110w theater receiver off ebay. Not bad, it has a glitch where sometimes I have to switch the sound source from optical to coax after a period of idling, but other than that I love it. Cheap too, 100 bucks. The only complaint I have is the volume setting 1 is a little too loud. Sometimes I like to go to sleep listening to stuff, and it makes it difficult, most things being barely too loud.

Refurbished 7 disc JVC DVD/CD/Mp3, blah blah carousel, around $79.

20" Sony TV

Apex DVD player with hacked firmware plugged into a Toshiba VCR. Nice little Macrovision buster :)

2 Polk speakers and a subwoofer.

Sure it's kind of a cheap hodgepodge, but it has served me better than the pricier garbage I've previously let salesmen sucker me into. Now that that is in my mind, don't bother with Harmon Kardon, either heheh.

Up until this, my last 4 setups have been disasters, and warranty nightmares. It wasn't until I gave up and decided to go the cheap route, thinking if it breaks, hell with it I'll replace it with something else cheap, I don't care anymore. Of course, these components have lasted me longer than anything else I've had in my life!

I guess I'm kind of crazy like that. My entire home networking rig is old, refurbished stuff off ebay as well. I bought the old Netgear routers and wifi access points because they used to actually make them out of metal, and I thought that was cool.

[scagooch]

I used to be an audiophile until I realized how poorly built most of the equipment was. I love the high end stuff but I wouldn't go broke buying it. I auditioned a $4000 pre-power combo that couldn't do bass. I brought it back and bought Gear costing a quarter of the price. Speakers are like shaving brushes you got to try them all!

[ouch]

What are your favorite audiophile recordings? :biggrin: