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Which components knocked you out on first listen?

I've been listening to stereos since 1973 and I am still waiting to be truly knocked out by the sound of a component. I have sat in showrooms across the country and have been pleased by what I have heard but never truly blown away.
The closest I came was when I listened to a Meitner str-55 amp and VTL preamp a few years ago, sourced by a Linn Ikemi and Revel loudspeakers. However, I also have been moved by a
Apple computer cd drive, circa 1994 through a Creek 4040 and RA Lab speakers, estimated cost about $1,200; maybe more so than the Linn,Revel 10K system. How about you?
cody

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rooze
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My first encounter with tubes was with an old Leak Stereo 20 power amp. I picked it up at a garage sale and had all of the caps/resistors etc replaced with audio grade parts.

The sound was unreal, so musical and non-fatiguing. It blew away my Linn LK1 and LK2-75 combo, for a fraction of the price. Although memories fade, my recollection is that it sounded way more natural and musical than my current CJ CAV 50 integrated.
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