All time classics? Your top 3 or 4?


Most of us here on AudiogoN have had more than our share of components and speakers...so:

What items do you feel are "all time classics"?

These would be audio products that set the standard for others and are (likely) even now well thought of.

I will start things off with:

1. The Dahlquist DQ-10
2. The Large Advent
3. The Conrad Johnson ART pre-amp.
4. The Classe CAP-100 integrated.

(I could/should have mentioned others...but that's why I started this thread!).
whatjd
I guess I'd say...

The Decca Mk5 cartridge
The Infinity Servo Static 1A
The ARC SP3 and the Mark Levinson JC-2
AR Turntable & The AR 3A
Lists are always a recipe for a good thread.

1) Power amplifier - Marantz 8/8b. Look up classic tube sound in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of this amp. Still lusted over

2) Integrated amplifier - NAD 3020. Provided a lot of enjoyment, smooth, musical, nice. Before things got crazy. Honorable mention to Advent receiver

3) Pre amplifier - Mark Levinson LNP2. Dawn of a new era. How things got crazy; caused three different audio paths - [1]faceplate more important than what's inside?, [2]exotic parts quality, and [3] heart stopping prices(no longer did we spend more than our friends, we spent more than our friend's car. Audio equipment as jewelry

4) Tuner - Marantz 10. Zenith(no pun intended) of tubes, plue gadgetry and measurements before they became ridiculous

5) Cassette player - Nakamichi Dragon. Made with the expert skill that produced samurai swords

6) Turntable - AR ES. Lives on in the Linn

7) Digital - CD player/separates - Wadia. "I thought all CD players sound alike.?. How much does it cost?!?"

8) Digital - High Resolution - Sony SCD-1. Will SACD become Beta/DAT/MiniDisc or is this the player that will make CD the 78 of digital?

9) Loudspeaker->tie:
[a]Infinity IRS Beta. Seeing them in a room is the audiophile's version of visiting the Taj Mahal. WAF?, you know your woman really loves you if she allows them. I have personally hear these speakers(modified) sound better than live in a precious fleeting moment.
[b]Klipsch CornerHorns. Most people still have their speakers in the corners. The postwar audio industry is born
[c]Quad ESL57. Like owning a real dog, not a stuffed animal. Yes, they are work, but everything else is fake
[d]Vandersteen 2 speakers. The Bruce Jenner of loudspeakers. Difference? The speakers have not aged, no plastic surgery

10) Cable, speaker->tie
[a]AudioQuest Indigo
[b]Kimber 4TC
[b]StraightWire

Yes, Monster Cable started the ball rolling by having us pay more than $0.89 for our wire, but these cables made us view cable as a component. No use comparing the three, they all sound the same. Wire is wire

11) Cable, interconnect - Cardas. Oh no! You mean interconnects sound different too? Honorable mention to gold plated RCA plugs/jacks

12) Cable, power cord - Synergistic Research AC Master Coupler. Well, we did forget one cable in the system...
Many fond memories.The Well tempered TT.
ARC SP3 until my Spectral DMC 10 moved in.
Quicksilver 60 watt mono amps. The original 1980 version.
Loved my Celestion 600s. So much so that I sold my Snell type A.
The original CLS. Had a love hate relation with this speaker. Apogee Duetta. CJ PV5. Very colored but very enjoyable.
The first Electrocompianet 25 watt amps. Wonderful sound when they weren't blowing up. No digital was allowed at that time. I wonder what I would think of this gear today?
Great to see my dear friend Brulee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If a product is worth as much today as it sold for new, it is a classic. Some items mentioned above qualify but most do not.