What do you LIKE BEST about your current audio system?

Unlike when I had Maggie 3.5Rs, my current system does not go through ribbons and I no longer need behemoth amplifier/s

calvinj. Thanks for the ALLEN TOUSSAINTS "The Bright Mississippi" recommendation.  great album.  I'm listening now also, wonderful!!!

A music streamer is actually an incredible addition to any system.  Regardless of cost or quality you have access to millions of songs and albums.  It has definitely opened my ears up to so many different artists, music genres, and styles.  

And yes it is all about the MUSIC, the way it transport you while listening.

To Calvinj. : enjoy your music!!! I lost also my best music-friends and when i was a kid, 30 years ago, i started with a record player and a small “telefunken”-system. I had a bad childhood and immenser myself in music. Now i am always pleased that i have thrown myself into music. Everyone here,who loves music,will the best for themselves. Whatever instalation, enjoy your music,and at times thinking of the people who are or were dear, to make you a musiclover and a nice person.Lukas

It’s paid for!

And, I love the sound of my classical CDs through my 2.7 speakers and Stax headphones.

Like most-It makes me better feel the soul / feelings of the artist.  Take the ride along with more artists, or listen to more music. 

Y’all provide a few more recommendations that are great recordings and hidden gems. Best underrated jazz album ever is Duke Pearson “THE RIGHT TOUCH” buy the RGV EDITION, if you look at who is playing on each instrument ir will blow your mind! The whole album is great. My system goes into a toe tapping frenzy while this album is being played. Came out in 67. But if I’m on an island this album is a must. TRUE AUDIOPHILES ALSO KNOW THE MUSIC NOT JUST THE EQUIPMENT THAT PLAYS IT! 

What I like most about my current system is the coherence of my speakers. I have had many great 2 and 3 ways in the past, and didn't really feel that they were incoherent, but having a horn that covers all but low bass makes me realize how important it is for music reproduction.

Right now I love my new speakers!  A pair of towers I built myself taught me what 'happens' as you move through a sound path to the music.  50 years after buying my first system I now have some basic ideas and know how about the technology and how it works.  These 4 foot tall towers have very high sensitivity 10' and 6 &1/2" drivers and bullet-horned tweeters from B & C, a highend Italian product.  I built them over and over in the last 9 months and changed out new crossover boards twice to get it all where I want it.  This also put over $1000 in each cabinet.  I could have bought some great speakers for that money...instead I got to build some great speakers for that money and get an education.  

As I shouted with the first rattler I laid into it with the Jazz-Punk of the L.A. sonic rollercoaster of QUI, "It's alive!  It's alive"   These kids really kick up the dust and made my speakers dance and sing.

Right now, I pretty much like everything but two things stand out.  First, I have never heard amps sound as good in my system as the big Class A Clayton amps and I have tried out more than a few highly-regarded competitors.  They simply sound more real to me than others I have tried. The closest competitor was the Lamm M1.2 Reference amps that I also could have lived with - but I like the Clayton's better.
Second, my recent move to large (105 lbs) monitor-type acoustic suspension (i.e., sealed box), limited low frequency (i.e., 40 Hz) speakers on stands along with two high quality subs has improved imaging and has greatly improved the mid-bass response, bass depth, and impact, even at low volumes.  
Good thread @elizabeth 

This is a nice idea for a thread, elizabeth.

At first I'm tempted to say I'm most satisfied in the way my system seems to be good at almost everything I care about - organic warmth, timbral accuracy, great soundstaging and imaging, dynamic.   As close to an all-rounder system as I probably have owned.

But if I'm going to zero in on one aspect, my mind goes to the density of the sound.  (I'm using Thiel 2.7 speakers/Conrad Johnson tube amps).

It's not simply that the imaging is precise, it's that unlike other more ghostly versions of imaging I've heard, the sonic images seem dense, palpable, THERE.  When a drummer starts off a piece, the density of the central image is like a drum set has suddenly been set up between the speakers.  Same with a sax, or vocal, or whatever.  Wherever the sound source is in the soundstage, all the energy seems aligned so it's moving real air in the room, which connects me to the music.

Not saying my system is the last word in this respect, there is always "better" to chase.  But this is a feature of it's sound that I find particularly consistent and satisfying.  

The 3 dimensional imaging. It may not be pinpoint down to the millimeter but when I shut my eyes. It's as though my imagination sees the drummer in the back 15 ft (if the recording allows it) behind the lead singer who is in a 40' by 20' by 15' room so on and so forth. On some recordings and not all of them are recent. (late 50's early 60's) As far as I'm concerned record producing /mixing is still an art. I can hear the squeak of the stool the singer is sitting on, people are either running or walking up or down the isles in a classical recording. When it's just right I can truly get lost in the moment. AHHHHHHH!

I started building my retirement system about 6 months ago.  So far, the parts I enjoy most are streaming Tidal masters and playing hires music using my Innous Zenith MK2, and listening to vinyl using my Technics SL-1200G.

With this new gear, I’ve been hearing my CDs and albums again for the first time.  I’m hearing subtle background music, voices, and instruments with a clarity that I never heard before.  I get lost in the voices and music when listing to Randy Crawford singing “Imagine” on the “Casio Nights” album or Stevie Wonder on the “Songs In The Key Of Live” album, etc., etc. I just love the sound of vinyl in my new system. 

I am glad that I can play my stereo (hate the word 'rig') as loud as I want, rather than having a bad case of stomach backfiring, and people three units down the hall hearing it.

I think the best thing about my "rig" is that I can listen to it for hours and not think it needs to be better somehow...I don't listen to my favorite music and think, "Should I reverse the fuse? cover the walls with foam panels? look up what Nelson Pass is thinking about? buy tube dampers?" Nope. I might swap out something someday just for fun or if something dies, but for now...it's utterly dialed in to my tastes.

I’m with you Wolf, the part about somehow needing to be better. Communicating the musical message is what matters and all the rest is to degree. Yeah, it could be improved but not in any profound, substantive way that is going to be revelatory, been at this too long. Isn’t it about engagement with the music that is the end goal? To that end I’m home.

I’m also with Wolf.  I will have thoughts of upgrading something or other when I read the audiogon form, 6moons, TAS, etc, but NOT when I’m listening to my ‘rig.’

Hi Elizabeth, good question. For me that was when I realized my new system was making me want to go back and re-listen to all kinds of stuff I hadn't listened to in years because music I'd once discarded was coming alive again. The sheer joy of rediscovering old musical friends.
I made the horrible mistake 8 years ago of selling my HiFi and replacing it with a Yamaha/Dali home theatre system that was great for movies but not so good for music while I mostly listened to music on my PC (Cambridge Audio DACMagic/Audioengine A5+/AQ).
When we moved house and the home theatre was sold with the house, I bought an all new British system (Rega/Spendor/QED) - I'm British but have lived in the States for nearly 30 years - I do think there is a "British" sound and partly what I've Ioved is getting back to hearing that once familiar timbre in my recordings.

We are always curious to out what the next great thing is or how that thing MIGHT improve our system. I find out most of the time it doesn’t. 

Elizabeth I got some really good advice from Gary at Audio emotion in Scotland.  He sold me my speakers. He actually gave me tons of advice before I actually bought anything from him.  Great guy.  Makes great suggestions.  Not just about the sale.  My current set up has some great inner detail. It does so with great separation.  Because I listen to a lot of quick hitting jazz with a lot of layered instruments 

My recently acquired, vintage, mint,original and amazing sounding Dahlquist DQ 10's.....(yes, they have been re-foamed..) Best $375 I have ever spent.....

Best way to improve the system is to replace it. If it is quite good already, by introducing new elements you create confusion and discord, so no wonder the result is unsatisfactory. If it is not yet, thoughtful upgrading works.

@inna I agree a lot with that statement.  When you dial your system in a lot of people don’t understand that one change could lead you to change 4 or 5 other things.  It’s very delicate. Equipment and cabling!

In fact, the only thing I would want to upgrade is wall current. It is getting worse by the day. Some conditioners and power cords help but not fully.
I have been thinking about adding open reel deck to my system, but that would not be an upgrade in a strict sense of it since I would be making compilations from records and even maybe cds. Probably not, I will most likely leave it for the next system.

I too agree with this. After buying a Moon 600i to separate my home theater and stereo, I spent about a year working on my system, source interconnects, power cords, outlets, plugging speaker ports, etc.Then decided to buy a SR Blue fuse, this lead to the confusion and discord @inna suggested and caused me to make more cable, outlet and speaker port changes!

I have been at this to long to say with confidence that  "I'm happy now" but..... what I am hearing since these latest changes is creating optimism.



Gary.

I love sitting in the dark listening to my Devore Nines and admiring the green glow of my McIntosh MC275. I recently got into reel to reel and the detail is really astonishing on 15ips!

What do I like the most? Let me think . . . . . I could start with the Bryston 4B3 amp that you convinced me would be worth an audition. It is a permanent part of my sound system! Along with the Herron VTPH-2a phono pre that I purchased soon after the Bryston, what I listen to sounds like MUSIC. You're a gem on this forum Elizabeth. Keep the conversations alive.

I think, this would do for my next system. They work great with Lamm and Wavac electronics. 
Good price, excellent, but no takers so far.
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis955ce-kharma-exquisite-1b-with-klc-sr-1-speaker-cable-reduced-f...

Like best ? The amp cost me 10 bucks and speakers fifty at a garage sale. Speaker cables bought in China town and some decent inter connects . You know the ones that cost 10,000.00 bucks  After work, a chesse sandwhich and 2 pain killers  it sounds fabulous . There you go .

Toasted Cheese sandwich....... and a beer.

I drink beer. Boys drink beer. Girls drink beer. I like beer. I still drink beer. Do you drink beer? 🤪

I see the keg as being half full.

Mmm, Beeeeer 

I recently purchased a headphone based system to fill a gap while I figure out a much smaller speaker based system and so far it’s in limbo .
Having just sold my Magnapan 20.7 speakers and Rel subs we down sized our home preparing for retirement.
I have to thank Bob Katz for his personal recommendation of the Audeze LCD 4 headphones and the absolutely fabulous Mjölnir Audio Bipolar amplifier however I did order the newer Audeze 4Z model instead.
Having never giving headphone listening any serious thought I sure like it now , no room speaker interactions , no more complaints to turn it down and best of all I think my wife loves me more . 

And finally i am absolutely thrilled with this combination and once again I thank Bob Katz for his recommendation.

B&K EX-442 Sonata (mains)
Adcom GFA6000 (center/surrounds)
Parasound P5
Magnepan MMG mains/MMG-C
Paradigm Phantom v2 surrounds
Rythmik FG12
Denon DVD-2900 (CD transport for critical listening)
Pioneer DV-F727 (300 CD file changer for casual listening)
Denon DVR-X4000 A/V pre-pro

It’s not all "high end", and other than the Maggies and Denon A/V receiver, it was all purchased secondhand - all for under $4,000. My family room has one entire wall that is 2/3 open to the kitchen, and the other wall consists of two glass door walls. Acoustically, its layout and composition rather.......suck. But I am VERY happy for the sound quality I can squeeze out of this rig. It does the job for my HT needs (minimal), and it was really put together for 2.1 channel listening. I’m very, very happy with the cost/benefit ratio.

In answer to the OP , what I like BEST about my system is "It's all about ME and MY listening preferences and tastes !"   Pass Pre & Power Amps,  PS Audio Transport, DAC, Phono Pre, Regenerator,  Denon DP 3000 TT with SME III Arm and Grado Cart , B&W 802D's  are making me happy.  ( Kimber Speaker cables w/ Cardas Ref IC's , Zu & Cardas Ref AC cables ) .  
Currently the BEST for ME and My ears ! 

Shad 

Once I heard the Harbeth P3 speakers (in a room very similar to my listening room), I decided to build a system around those speakers.

I'm not saying those are the best speakers ever;  just that their tone and expression of timbre appealed to me, along with their size and a certain amount of forgiveness regarding placement.  The speakers are well suited to the type of music I listen too, and I listen at moderate volumes.

Finding proper amplification continues to be a journey.  According to Harbeth designer Alan Shaw, any properly specified amplifier in good working order should suffice.  Nevertheless, I found that experimenting with amplification made a considerable difference in the sound of the system (I am currently using an Odyssey Khartego SS stereo amp with an Odyssey Candela tube pre).

Of course, listening to music is the best part of owning a nice audio system.  It was enlightening, however, and fun, to build a system starting with the speakers.

I like going to a Hilary Hahn concert with piano accompaniment, coming home and streaming her “Encores” album and being there again. Maggie 0.7s just disappear on instrumental music like that, a real favorite of mine. That’s what I like my system to do — just disappear and leave the sound.

...DSP...without a doubt...and Folks, this isn't Dad's slider eq!...minute adjustments within 1/10th of a decibel.  The 3D dimensional presentation possible in 2 channel sound with a good hi fi system, good source is simply remarkable.  Great retro gear (Thorens, Altecs, Tannoys, McIntosh MC275s, etc) notwithstanding.  Take a "finished system" like that THEN go to work with skilled DSP...oh my!  We live in wonderfully exciting times for both music access and playback.  The purity of A to B to C approach is no less valid...there are many ways home.  Cheers, Norm

I like how it sounds life like, tone and the imaging. Not to big or anemic. It’s full and spacious. I had a channel imbalance that has been bugging me, fixed now. Cart set up issue. Now wondering about just a little more of. . .something. A blue or black fuse or a Padis. My rca’s on my tonearm wire are for shite $ wise. Anyway it’s sounds good overall just nit picking around edges. 

Great thread Elizabeth. When Christy Moore sounds like Christy Moore and Chris Thile sounds like himself. On a system I can load in and out of a hatchback myself. And does not change the family budget calculus. 

I like what the 833-A triodes do for the bass response of my woofers. My 833-A SET amplifiers are homemade because I could never afford the few commercially made ones available. I run it on 1000 Volts with interstage transformer coupling (Hammond 126B) for a 245 to drive it at zero grid voltage and a Hammond 1642SE output transformer. It was work to perfect it, but I have a design that works beautifully.

I like how honest it is. If the recording allows a deep wide sound stage, the system conveys that. If it's acoustic or horns, it conveys that in the proper space as well. It doesn't sound electronic & I am often able to have dead people performing in the room for me :-). It just sounds real. The amps are Valvet, preamp is Jeff Rowland, speakers are Tekton. The front end consists of Audio Alchemy DAC & phono amps connected to a cambridge transport & a hand made turntable with 2 arms. Phono cartridges vary with my mood. Power for all front end components & preamp is filtered through an exactpower transformer. The power amps (mono blocks & sub amp) come straight out of wall. 

Maggies don't disappear (although they do sound great)...they're simply too large for that, although useful as screens for quick costume changes. Try to change clothes behind my Heresy IIIs...you have to curl up in a ball on the floor. Another thing I like about my hifi pile is that I can induce a coma in 99% of the people I know simply by talking about tubes...a service I'm clearly happy to provide. 

It takes a LOT of space, but if you have enough room to get Maggies well away from the wall behind them (a minimum of 5’, 10’ being much better), they actually can be made to produce images that seems to be "hanging in the air", not coming from nor connected to the panels themselves in any way. What Maggies do better than any other speaker I’ve heard is produce life-size images; a grand piano sounds as huge as it actually is. This is particularly true of the Tympani 3-panel models, the T-IVa version of which I myself own. Same for the new 30.7.

Dynamics, transients, coherence. 

From the bottom up...
Hard driving deep tuneful bass
Layers of inner detail,clear with rich timbre
Expansive sound stage, highs not bright yet completely expressive. 
The way it looks and feels and the emotional reaction I have when listening to some damn good music.

The way it makes my Patricia Barber, Diana Krall and that song about Keith not going sound...

I am a headphone guy first and home theater guy second. 
The love i have for my headphone rig is out of this world, although it is a sensitive beast requiring top notch recordings. 
I use the sennheiser hd 800 c's, cyrus cd i with its own intelligent power supply (PSXR-2), Chord qutest DAC and a burson soloist amp. The headphone rig is complete with great interconnects, power cords and a powerline conditioner. The PRAT ( pace rythem attack timing) and dynamics displayed is really something. I love my headphone rig. Best i have ever heard and it is all mine!! :) 

Too bad it doesn't always sound like I posted above but I working on it.... 
Some body real please tell me about power conditioning , I am an un believer.

"...and that song about Keith not going."

Not sure if that was rhetorical or not, but I think you're referring to the Nils Lofgren song "Keith Don't Go".