Calloway, I appreciate your kind offer. If I ever have another cause to be in the East, I would hasten to give you a call. Alas, being retired there are few business trips. |
My current system as is, cables and all. Especially cables, thank God! I turned into a neurotic crazy nutcase looking for the right ICs for my system. Turned out that for me, I preferred copper for all cables (SC, IC, and PC). That really helped me zero in on what was best for me. So I am done looking. Though will still go out to hear other equipment, but only out of curiosity. Not because I am dissatisfied in any way. (Chose to not list my equipment here. You can look up my system if curious.) |
My Leben HiFi RS28CX tube preamplifier is likely never to be replaced unless I can one day afford a Jadis JPS8 preamplifier. I like this preamplifier better than the Audio Reseach, McIntosh, and Cary preamplifiers that I have owned in the past.
My Bob Carver Cherry 180M tube mono blocks will also likely never be replaced.
My Jadis JS2 D.A.C. Would only be upgraded with a newer Version of the Jadis JS2, but I am very happy with it so I dont see that happening anytime soon.
I love my Core Audio Component Rack and Isolation Stands, they will never be replaced.
That's about it. |
Tannoy Canterbury SE's
PrimaLuna Prologue 5
Decware Zen Torrii III |
The Krell amps - so transparent and powerful - I love it. |
VAC(amplifier) & Von Schweikert (speakers) |
B&W 802 Diamonds! I'm building my new system around them. I have some old Mac gear and Mitsubishi automatic turntable and arm with a Grado X6 cartridge. I am using Analysis Plus Black Oval 9 speaker cables and Oval One interconnects, and considering either an Oppo BDP105 or Primare BD32 universal bluray player. Later, I may decide to install a McIntosh surround sound processor and multichannel amp. However, I am primarily interested in good stereo music, and if my old reconditioned MC2505 amp and C26 preamp are up to the job of driving the 802's, I may very well take the advice of Normanseizemore, and be happy with my stuff, old and new. |
TRL ST-100 stereo tube amp
TRL Dude preamp
Intuitive Design Gamma Summits
Mosaic Suspension Bridge power conditioner
Mosaic ICs and SW
Sistrum SP101s
Starsound technology Energy room (the room is part of the "system after all).... |
Mcintosh MA7000, Monitor Audio GX300 speakers. Could not afford the PL300's. |
Almost there. Finally found a PSE Studio IV amp, added a Cal Audio Tercet MK IV CD player and a Luxman T117 tuner, Cardas speaker cables and Discovery Signature interconnects..older KEF 102 reference speakers ( go the 80's)...this summer will slip in a Cary SLP50 pre and a sub and only trod the Audiogon boards to window shop. |
Kerry-
for me, Conrad Johnson electronics. Transparent Cable/Cords. I am still auditioning both cd/sacd players and speakers. |
I could have list many such products, such as the ARC SP-3 pre and Dual 75 stereo amp, the H-Cat preamp, Fulton Premiers and speaker cables early on, but the reality is that whether I was looking or not, I found superior components. I now know that such thinking about looking no more is fanciful.
I have components and cables now that are far superior to earlier "best" products. |
Stax 323 Series 2 amplifier for Pro Electrostatic Headphones. |
Mark Levinson No. 27 power amp, Audible Illusions Modulus preamp. This combination is by far the best performing duo I've come across so far. |
Tidal Piano Diacera for sure! |
Now that Ive had eight years to think about it, there were a couple of components that I bought, back in the 90s, that curtailed my audio endeavors for quite some time... my girlfriends boobs. |
ProAc, Audio Research, Hegel |
Krell1, good for you. System satisfaction is a novelty in audiophile land.... |
I see that this thread is still alive. So:
A couple of years ago I shipped my Lumi and M120 mono amps to Scott Frankland for repair and upgrades.
The Lumi was treated to the most significant upgrade Scott could do. The result? "WOW"!
He also did a more modest upgrade to the M120 amps. Still: "wow"....
Cables are now all from Grover. A very good bang for the buck.
The rebuilt/upgraded Chapman T7's continue to sound terrific.
I do minor tweaks here and there. The latest is using a Mapleshade platform under the Shanling CDP with brass cones under the platform and ball bearing supports under the player.
Still more than satisfied (after all these years) :)
I confess to being lazy about tweaking the room with sound treatment. I have not done so.
Yet. |
Tannoy 215 DMT II
Canary C900
Cary SLP 05
Wavelength Audio Triton Signature
Wavelength Cardinal
Art Audio Jota
Cardas Clear |
Definitely the Berning zh-270. I certainly wouldn't mind trading for the Berning Quatrature or maybe a future dream offering from David, a 50 watt SET zero feedback Class A with zotl circuitry. Could it GET better than that, a wide bandwidth SET triode with real bass! I have heard this is not a dream, a prototype does exist. |
Magico Q3 with Rowland 8T amp. |
HiDiamond cable. All of it. |
Speaker wise, for me, it was Selah Audio speakers the Tempesta and Esatto, very well designed and sounding speakers. |
Bander,
HD is better than SilverSmith? |
Luxman, Ayre, Nordost, Verity. Two years stable. If money were no object I would surf higher on the Luxman wave. |
ZYX Diamond Gold Cartridge |
Needfreestuff, I've heard that it is as good as the Ikeda 9TT but more expensive, but not the equal of the Ikeda Kai. |
SMc Audio modified/upgraded TLC-1. This linestage from the 1990's was the forebearer to SMc Audio's highly regarded VRE-1 linestage, basically a buffered passive, which is most often configured for 6dB gain resulting from the transformers. Steve McCormack at SMc Audio performed "across the board" modifications to my TLC-1 resulting in what I call the TLC Signature Edition (TLC SE).
The improvements have resulted in a virtually new preamp with the additions of a Shallco discrete resistor volume control, Lundahl input/output transformers, new wiring, other new passive and active parts, and the outboard choke power supply from the VRE-1. The preamp now includes a balanced input and output. Even the faceplate and knobs were redone.
Steve is currently completing additional upgrades using new capacitors and transformers that have just come on the market, and modifying the gain structure. The SMc Audio TLC SE has met all my audio needs in a preamp/linestage and, in my system, has sonically bested a wide range of very good preamps in the general retail range of $5-10K. I look forward to getting it back and hearing Steve's latest work. |
Threshold SA-1 amplifiers. |
Tbg like everything else you must hear it to really form an opinion. I know I have never heard a better cartridge and it is head and shoulders above anything I have heard. Best of Luck |
StraightWire Maestro speaker/interconnect cables. 20 years in my system, everything else has come and gone. |
GregKraus:
Did you buy the BD32 or Oppo-105? How do you like them? I am trying to make the same decision now. Any info/advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
|
Conrad Johnson
Aesthetix
Pass Labs
Thiel |
McIntosh C50 Pre-Amp, McIntosh MC452 Power Amp, PS Audio P10 Power Plant Power Conditioner, PS Audio DirectStream DAC, Autonomic MMS-5A Server, Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amp, Focal Sopra No2 Speakers, JL Audio F113V2 Sub Woofers, Wireworld Cables, 10-ATS Acoustics Bass Traps! |
Trans Fi Terminator/Salvation TT |
Prima Luna Dialogue HP
Sonos Connect
Schiit YGGY
Aerial 5T
|
My speakers- Thiel CS 2.4SE. |
Acoustic Zen Crescendo MKii speakers
Ayon CD-3sx
Pass Labs INT-60 |
After 4-5 years of upgrading my hardware, piece-by-piece, to the horror of one of my audio buddies, I think I'm "done" with system upgrades for the foreseeable future. I've got hardware I really like, "dialed in" to the "man cave", now I'm teaching myself about classical music, which I've enjoyed, but don't have much experience with.
My system:
McIntosh MC452 power amp
McIntosh C50 preamp
Bryston BHA-1 headphone amp
Autonomic MMS-5A music server (coax output to the DAC)
PS Audio P10 power plant
PS Audio DirectStream DAC
PS Audio PerfectWave CD transport (I2S output to the DAC)
Dell Laptop running Tidal, iTunes & Roon (USB output to the DAC)
Focal Sopra No2 speakers
JL Audio F113V2 subwoofers (2 of them)
Sennheiser HD800 headphones
Wireworld cabling
|
11 years. Haven’t changed a thing.
|
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Wywires Platinum Interconnect cable
|
Townshend Audio Rock turntable, London Reference Pickup, QUAD ESL (original), Magneplanar Tympani T-IV, GR Research/Rythmik Audio Direct Servo-Feedback OB/Dipole Subwoofer, ASC Tube Traps, Owens Corning Rigid 703 Acoustical Panels, J.S. Bach. |
Spectral Audio. MIT Cables. Goldmund. |
After six years of building a system from scratch, I finally feel like I am on the home stretch; last stop is the amp(s) that will complete my system for good.
What I have that is staying:
Simaudio Neo 280D with Mind module (dac/network player)
Synology 216play 2TB server
YS Audio A2 Balanced Gold tube preamp
ZU Audio Omen Def MkII’s with Radian upgrade
Richard Grey 600 pro power
Assorted ZU and AQ cables
I really like my Audio Research 300.2 amp, it synergizes so well with my tube preamp and ZU speakers, though I have never tried mono blocks, let alone tube mono blocks. The efficiency of my ZU’s beg for me to try a pair at least once; either I will love them or go back to SS. Last piece of the puzzle to complete for me. (for now).
Cheers |
I tell myself "I am DONE!!" with each new purchase. I think I AM DONE after the last purchase (this weekend). I bought the recently discontinued Marantz SA-11S3 SACD player to keep my recently purchased Marantz PM-11S3 integrated amp company. Sound and build quality is amazing and cost for the pair was 4 times my original budget ($1,000) for my entire system, but zero regrets. |
Vandersteen 2Cs
Since the 70s, have owned Electro-Voice, Genesis, Boston Acoustics, Mission, Klipsch, Acoustat, Vandy 1Bs, Monitor Audio, Pioneer, and now Vandersteen 2Cs.
Nothing at all wrong with any of the other speakers, but for my ears, the Vandy 2Cs are perfect. Love them.
Tom |
Love the 2Ce's too Tomcarr!
But i I am very happy with my present system, but knowing I'm a hopeless Audiophile I know that anything is possible, and I may get the jones for something else in the future. But, the one single thing in my rack that I know I will never replace is my Magnum Dynalab FT101 tuner! I never knew FM radio could be a high end source until I got this tuner! I have no desire to look further, Last tuner I will ever own.
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Emm Labs separates.
-Transport
-DAC
-Pre
This head-end combo just can’t be beat. Also, my EquiTech symmetrical balanced power system model 5Q. Nothing touches it.
The search continues with all the rest. Have to mention I absolutely love my new PrimaLuna Dialog Premuim integrated. |
