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Audio stuff that you've loved from the start....and keep on loving!


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G'day all, this thread was 'inspired' by a recent email exchange with a well regarded manufacturer of high quality audio and other allied stuff.  He made the observation that it seems to be an 'audiophile' perception that new gear is loved at the start but then regarded less after a few months of use. 

 

I had a think about it and I realised with a shock that the comment is true in large part.  I know that it has certainly applied to me.  Yet there are 'audio' things that I have loved from the start and keep on loving!  Things like my Tivoli One radios and my Shure M97xE's.  Maybe they are not perfect but are indeed worthy of ongoing love and respect!  Anybody else feel that way?  Regards, Felix. 

Edited by catman
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Hi Catman.  My Aspen Soraya amp and GK2 Pre fall strongly into that category.  Always clean, clear and amazing.  However, in a way, my Vandersteen 3A Sig speakers are almost more of a love because IMO, all speakers are more varied (coloured if you like) than most other components and one can always eventually tire of their presentation and seek something better (different???).  So after many, years (and on a second set) to still be totally satisfied with their sound does give me a warm feel each time they are used.  I have fallen out of love with items in the past though; after the initial rosy glow of anticipation fades and the realisation dawns that the new isn't perfect. :wacko:

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My Luxman class A  integrated and my B&W PM1 speakers. I won't ever sell either of these

 

Of course I will try, buy and use, other components and speakers over time but the above 2 shall remain with me until my demise. Then they will be passed on to a friend who doesn't know it yet:)

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My B&W 803D2 have me happy enough to stop the speaker merry go around for me, even after listening to others way out of the B&W league (focal Stella's but I don't have $150k to burn on 2 big black boxes). Electronics not so much however I'm still very happy with my Nad M51 DAC. These 2 items seem remain while all others seem to last a few months at best......

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7 minutes ago, buffkid said:

Bryston gear, it is for me.

 

Have you heard their speakers? I had a listen a few months back and I was amazed how good they are. I was also very much surprised ,but perhaps I shouldn't have been.

 

Just superb

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My VAF Soundwall

 

Over 8 years, and it is untouched.  Everything else has changed, but not the 'wall'.

That said, the product hasn't been 'upgraded' by VAF in those 8 years to my knowledge, so there hasn't been any simple upgrade possible.

 

Haven't seen or heard anything that will give the 'sound' and still have the high 'WAF'.

 

Benje

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Another Aspen fan here...I've stopped on the Naksa 80. Never really finished my gk2. Now it's just a collection of parts...

Krix Lyrix speakers, last of the 2nd generation anyway. Had them for nearly 15 years.

Cambridge Audio CD player...only the 2nd CD player I've owned in 25 odd years...yeah that'll do too.

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I tend to buy components and keep them running for as long as possible.  My speakers, power amp, my main turntable, cassette deck and tuner were all obtained in the 80's.  My preamp and CD died about 5 yrs ago and have been replaced, and I'm very happy with the upgrades.  Recently I've upgraded a couple of interconnects, which will mean that I can get rid of the cheap+natsty on my tuner. 

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Theres a pair of speakers I listened to at an audio show ages and ages ago, and I never managed to forget about them, seems like an old speaker love affair. They were so musical, so controlled bass, so nice.....

 

but they're very hard to get also on the 2nd hand market, I never see them for sale, the Leedh Aura two

leedh-aura-2-81304.jpg

 

Probably the new designs of these ages run in rimgs around these, but still... nice speakers...

Edited by haraldo
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The pic below is quite old, from a magazine... I do have most of the stuff still, main things are Sqeezebox (now squeezebix touch), Benchmark dac1, Krell KAV 400xi and Meadowlark Kestrel 2

(plz dont look at the spikes on the outside, they're not touching the ground)

 

I want to make it simple and this is it, I love it :love

 

Some issues with the Meadowlark's though, they really need to be cranked up to come alive, Wonder if this is a feature of the 6.5" Peerless HDS Drivers; or maybe its a feature of the transmission line loading...

 

You can see the speakers are spiked to stone plates and then I use Valhalla feet between stone plates and floor. I use 3 spikes, not four.

 

This arrangements with spiking and stone plates give an extra touch to the bass, much more "balls" it's quite signficant! But waf factor is not tops with stone plates.

 

Actually, my wife absolutely love these speakers, and there's hardwood Cherry front, quite good looking too.

 

I have some Aussie made speakers too of course, Duntech pcl-15. Love'em too

    

IMG_0022.PNG

Edited by haraldo
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Bought a second hand Linn with a Grace 707 arm and a sonus blue cartridge in 1979, had a yamaha cr 40 reciever and leak sandwich 600 speakers, upgraded in 1983, had a mission 774 arm with ortofon spu classic n cartridge fitted to the linn, changed yamaha for a mission cambridge 778, 50wpc mosfet output stage, a nad cd player and mission 770s speakers with mission speaker cables.

 

This system survived moving house and states many times, the linn had a valhalla, new bearing and oil with eventual overhaul in 2011, the amp died in 2005, replaced with a musical fidelity x 150, this did not match the speakers, put them in storage, bought monitor audio rs6's, brilliant speakers for the price, replace nad for a rega apollo, the cd sound was too bright, used a chord cobra 3 with good taming of sound, change the mf x150 for a creek destiny amp , sold the apollo and bought matching destiny cd player, this was a match made in heaven, changed the creek amp due to reliability and now have a leema pulse 3 with a MIT CVT terminator  2ic cable to cd, compelling listening.

the linn has been replaced with a vintage rega planer 2, moth 202 arm and ortofon 2m bronze mm cartridge, still enjoying the music!

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On 12/12/2016 at 11:40 AM, wen said:

Bought a second hand Linn with a Grace 707 arm and a sonus blue cartridge in 1979, had a yamaha cr 40 reciever and leak sandwich 600 speakers, upgraded in 1983, had a mission 774 arm with ortofon spu classic n cartridge fitted to the linn, changed yamaha for a mission cambridge 778, 50wpc mosfet output stage, a nad cd player and mission 770s speakers with mission speaker cables.

 

This system survived moving house and states many times, the linn had a valhalla, new bearing and oil with eventual overhaul in 2011, the amp died in 2005, replaced with a musical fidelity x 150, this did not match the speakers, put them in storage, bought monitor audio rs6's, brilliant speakers for the price, replace nad for a rega apollo, the cd sound was too bright, used a chord cobra 3 with good taming of sound, change the mf x150 for a creek destiny amp , sold the apollo and bought matching destiny cd player, this was a match made in heaven, changed the creek amp due to reliability and now have a leema pulse 3 with a MIT CVT terminator  2ic cable to cd, compelling listening.

the linn has been replaced with a vintage rega planer 2, moth 202 arm and ortofon 2m bronze mm cartridge, still enjoying the music!

 

Old Linn's never die :thumb:

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My DEQX with 3 way active.

I was completely satisfied until I upgraded speakers and went 4 way active. Then I bought a 2nd DEQX unit to go 4 way.

Simply fabulous hardware solution for pre-amp/active Xover/speaker correction/room correction. 

 

My Acoustic Elegance TD18s were also a winner from the first listen - gobsmacking mid bass and they continue to amaze me everytime I turn the stereo on.

My wife loves the TD18s (bless her), and the PSE144s that sit on top, and wonders why people that like good sound bother with smaller speakers (yes - she's a keeper).

 

cheers

Mike

 

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  • 1 year later...

My favourite piece of gear (not the most hi-fi, or most accurate, or most transparent etc etc), but the one that I'll keep using til it dies because I love it so much is my Linn Classik.

 

 

Linn-Classik-2.jpg

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On 17/04/2018 at 10:00 PM, cafe67 said:

I had a  Rega planar 3 from 1992 to around 2014. After I love my dynaudio confidence 5 , doubt I’ll ever sell them.......easily.......

 

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Guest deanB

For me it's my Naim Cd5x (with a Teddy Pardo Teddycap). It has taken on a kind of primacy all the way through my curiosity induced system changes. I'm also hanging on to a Cd5si as backup for when the 5x eventually needs refurbished.

 

Edited by deanB
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