Surprise when revisiting your older gear. Ever happen to you?

Thought I'd share a surprise and ask if others have experienced something similar when revisiting old gear.

So, my dad visited and commented on my much improved and evolving gear.  He mentioned that he was considering new speakers--he's using some reasonably nice, but now old, three-way JBLs I gave him over a decade ago when I was heavily flirting with multi-channel/surround.  He's not crazy about this stuff and had allocated a fairly limited budget.  He also expressed disappointment in the dwindling number of B&Ms for decent lower-priced gear.

I told him I had a couple of extra sets he could listen to, and, if he liked a pair, he could have them.  He resisted, but I insisted.  I dug out a pair of lightly used B&W 602s3 that I acquired in a bad trade a long time ago.  I used them for very brief periods of time, here and there, would like them for a short while, but found them fatiguing at times and always found some need to rotate/upgrade them out.  There is a chip in the plastic front from the guy I got them from and, so, audiofolk being a picky lot, never thought I'd get enough for them to justify selling them.  Doesn't affect the sound, though.  They went into the "collection."  I downplayed them and gave him my mixed review.

Plopped them on some plant stands almost in the middle of a large room, unhooked a pair of, IMO, very nice towers, and hooked the B&Ws to one of the Cary setups, and we were both blown away.  I had never heard these things even sound close to good as they did.  Never had anywhere near the imaging, bass, non-fatigue-y-ness, or generalized room-filling goodness in any prior setup.  Not that these things all of sudden became the best thing ever, but they sounded many times better than they ever did before and quite livable.  Sure, the gear in front is better than what the B&Ws were usually with, but damn.  I might not have swung for the expensive towers, just lived with these, and bought a nice motorcycle or two with the money saved.

Anyway, dad loved them.  I'll get them boxed up this weekend to ship to him, but they are getting some very enjoyable playtime until then.

Anyone have a similar experience when revisiting old, long upgraded out, gear?  Especially something "below" the level of the new gear?