Audio's Biggest Loser?



This relates to my recent thread for high end on the move, but puts it in a different context.

Before I begin, I am not especially interested in "lifestyle" audio, the "wife approval factor", abandoning the high end, or recommending mid fi components shaped like sleek tiny boxes or balls, or all in one kitchen systems available in a range of colors and finishes.

But as the proud author of two enduring threads devoted to biggest and baddest cables and amplifiers, I have had a contrarian thought in 2011:

what are the smallest, featheriest truly high end components?

Some quick math suggests that my latest system has weighed about 500 pounds - and not even including 5 spare power amplifiers, 3 or 4 sets of spare mini monitors, DACs, cables, tweaks accessories, heavy rack furniture and MYE stands for the Tympanis which could easily double that amount to half a TON or so.

And I am sure some of you can "weigh" in with even more - would love to hear from the Wilson MAX and Pass Labs owners.

But in the spirit of change, experimentation and spring cleaning, I am currently wondering how my life and listening room might feel if I changed to the smallest, lightest, but genuinely high end equipment.

Here are some thoughts:

Lenovo X 201 Computer - 2.5 pounds
Behringer DEQ2496 - 6 pounds
Nuforce Reference Monoblocks - 17 pounds
Silverline Audio Minuet Supremes - 15 pounds

or say, about 40 pounds for the entire system - only a few more than the shipping weight of my Audio Research preamp, my lightest component.

How much does your system weigh? Does this enhance or detract from enjoyment of high end audio.

What might inspire you to be the Biggest Loser on Audiogon?

What smallest, lightest components would you recommend?
cwlondon
After reviewing your system and your well thought out setup, my reaction is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Or, at least, don't fix it by going to the opposite extreme.

In my limited experience with them, well designed mini-speakers are certainly capable of producing gorgeous sound on suitable material. But ultimately I think you would feel constrained as to what kinds of music you can listen to with good results.
How much does your system weigh? Does this enhance or detract from enjoyment of high end audio. What might inspire you to be the Biggest Loser on Audiogon?
1)About 425 pounds.
2)The 425 pounds of components fit into my modestly sized living room unobtrusively and without aesthetic or practical compromise. That did, obviously, require that appearance and physical configuration be carefully considered as part of the component selection process.
3)Nothing.

Best regards,
-- Al
All right, you asked for a response from Maxx/Pass owners. Well, It's good that my living room sits on a slab. The Clearaudio Champion II is roughly 50 lbs. with motor and base, Pass X1 and X350 weigh in at around 180, the Maxx IIs are close to 900 the pair. Dunlavy IVs are light at 260 a pair. The other amps, DACs, processors, etc add about 100 more. Leaving the stands out, that's 1850 lbs. (all estimates, I'm not weighing this stuff). If I had to downsize I could live with my Mac iTunes, squeezebox touch, Benchmark DAC, a nice ICE integrated and Tiny Dancers. I could actually pick up all that gear.
adding up the weight of ALL my stuff devoted to music: 3 TONS. (well two tons are the 6,000 LPs and the shelving!!)
Between the amp receiver, power conditioners, speakers, three sand filled racks, piles of redundant equipment...
At least it would take an entire crew several hours to clear out ALL my stuff, and they would be tired when finished. (they would be dead before they finished... between the options of strangling, stabbing, or shooting them, I think shooting is the easiest... Stabbing would be more fun though, I just do not have the hand strength needed to strangle efficiently.... but that is just me.)
(8^Q...
Apparently I'm a 30-watt guy. I've got a moderately weighty Pass Aleph III, but for light, and just crazy good, I'll go with my Red Wine Signature integrated. About 10 pounds of pure battery-powered bliss.