What are your


What pieces of gear are your “keepers”? I’m talking about the pieces that, while others have come and gone, you’ve held onto for years. It’s the piece that you’ve thought about selling a dozen times but never could bring yourself to part with. Maybe you’ve even posted a For Sale ad on Audiogon but then come to your senses and rushed back to the computer to cancel the ad. Or maybe in a moment of weakness you did in fact did sell it, only to kick yourself up and down the house for letting it go, and then you spend months scouring Audiogon hourly to find an exact replacement. Yes, you know there are other pieces out there that might offer a 1% improvement in performance, but this is the item that continues to give you 99% of what you need. So, while you might be tempted by the latest hottie reviewed in Stereophile, you stay loyal to this amp, this speaker, this DAC, whatever it might be, because, to you, it just sounds right.

I’ll start by nominating these as my keepers:
* McCormack DNA125 power amp – musical with all sorts of speakers, plenty powerful enough, and reliable as the rising sun
* Vienna Acoustics Haydn speakers – I try various speakers now and then but I keep these around because when they sing I forget about evaluating equipment and instead just let the music play
jhold
Proton 300 table radio ... in use since August 1991. This radio has seen me through more life than I can even say.

Acoustic Research 302 speakers ... in use since November 2000. Still produce the best bass of any $1500 speaker that I have heard.

SONY SCD 555 ES SACD changer ... in use since November 2001. No problems in almost 5 years ... no reason to replace it. Even though I am itching to buy a Rega Apollo ... just don't know where to put it, without totally replacing an entire system.

I now have a couple of Prima Luna amps ... they should be the next generation keepers.

Regards, Rich
Rar1
I also got the Proton 300 radio with the companion 301 speaker for stereo,YES they are keepers.I bought mines new I believe in 1990.
George
Original Rega Planet

I bought it as my first high end CDP more than 7 years ago. I had posted already a for sale ad and just before packing it up took another listen - no chance I could sell it after that. For the going rate I won't be able to find a better player.

Now it is in my second system; I tried to sell it again last week, responded to a wanted ad and was quite happy the person did not take it. This one is staying now...

Rene
Jadis DA60, Coincident Digital Master w/Troubass subwoofers, and Bud Fried's own long time personal speakers (C/4 sats w/O subs) that he gave to me a couple of months before his death. Obviously, I am humbled by that token of kinship by the man who has done more for the field of loudspeakers in his life than perhaps anyone.