astormsau Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I would have to say my VAF I91's which I purchased about 10 years ago. Prior to them I had used mid range Yamaha speakers and they really opened my world to how satisfying sound could be. Five moves later, 2.5 years ago I finally moving into my own home with a 4x6m living room, they had the opportunity to really open up and show their low end and it was like getting a whole new pair of speakers. I've built my entire system around them and then changed it again and they are the one thing I really don't feel the need to change. Drew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclemack Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 At the risk of turning this into a slightly different "Nostalgia for Old Garbage" thread, the best return on investment I got on audio gear was the $50 I paid for a pair of Aiwa SX-810s. I was 20 something, working at a Dick Smith, studying things I'd never use outside drunken party conversation, and until that point my audio experience was limited to a series of terrible roadside amps (15 watts and scratchy pots) and speakers from a dinky little Akai all-in-one. I wasn't far from Vic Markets that day - intending to trawl Heartland Records for terrible German electro- industrial music - when I decided to to do the student thing and stop by Cashies. "3-way is better than 2-way," I thought, "and whatever Music Power is, 80 watts seems like a lot!" I was on foot, so after handing over half a day's casual pay, I tied the speakers up using the bell wire they came with and carted them around the city for half a day before catching the tram home. They were (and still are) thick, heavy MDF, it was a sticky summer, and I was in my 'black shirt and black jeans at all times' phase. It was a lot of work. I got them home, hooked them to the DSE A2760 I'd bought with my meagre staff discount, and instantly knew I'd spent well. I mean, compared to my current setup the treble is tizzy and the bass flabby - but I'm comparing $50 to $2700. Back then I wouldn't have spent $2700 on a car, let alone speakers. Years of music fly by. Eventually the DSE lost a channel and found its way to the bottom of a skip. Houses in which the Aiwas had resided were sold, renovated, or demolished. Friendships built as they pumped away at house parties slowly broke down the way friendships often do. But here the speakers sit - unassuming, unchanged. When I find a suitably cheap amp to pair them to I might set them up again. Eventually, when my newborn daughter is old enough, I might give them to her. See if she can't blow them up with whatever is popular 15 years from now. Great story mate. This is the sort of experience within this hobby that we all want. A purchase of necessity that exceeds expectations. I have a similar experience with a $45 pair of Linear Design 12” 3 Way speakers that I bought as a throwaway for a 70s themed party. 5 years later and I still use them daily and enjoy them. Great stuff. Hope your daughter enjoys the Aiwas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclemack Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 Tell us how they end up Mack. One of my favorites as well. I will mate. Really keen to get this done and get them “dressed” again. Thanks mate. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cope Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 9 minutes ago, unclemack said: I have a similar experience with a $45 pair of Linear Design 12” 3 Way speakers that I bought as a throwaway for a 70s themed party. 5 years later and I still use them daily and enjoy them. Excellent. I don't think there's anything quite as fun as a big, old, efficient 12" belting out tunes, except maybe a big, old, efficient 12" belting out tunes while you enjoy a beer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclemack Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 Excellent. I don't think there's anything quite as fun as a big, old, efficient 12" belting out tunes, except maybe a big, old, efficient 12" belting out tunes while you enjoy a beer. So true. I’ve also got a great pair of Jensen Model 6’s. 15” five speaker fat cabinet 70s gems. Not very refined but so much fun to listen to. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone Malone Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 In high school in the 1980s I bought a second-hand pair of Beyerdynamic headphones. Plugged them directly into my CD player and listened like a king, bypassing the ghettoblaster that served as my "amp and loudspeaker"! I still think it was the best $50 I ever spent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joz Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 My active SGR Illuminators, they can handle anything thrown at them without breaking a sweat. But along the way finding source components which just keep making them better. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridmon Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 On 28/01/2018 at 9:37 PM, Al.M said: Quite are few: Amps and pre KT88 Tube amp eBay Chinese copy Goldmund Nimisis power Tram 2 Tube preamp Supratek Tube preamps (on loan) Death of Zen DIY solid state preamp (recently acquired) Sumo Nine power B&O Class D Speakers NS1000 Proac Response 2.5 speakers Kef Ls50 Jamo Concert 8 Accoustat 121 ESLs ERaudio ESL panels B&W 801 F Quad 57 ESL Sorry about the off topic... may I ask which setup worked best with your LS50s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al.M Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 (edited) 23 hours ago, Gridmon said: Sorry about the off topic... may I ask which setup worked best with your LS50s? There is an old archive discussion on best amps for the Ls50, but for me I have to agree with others on that post saying the high powered or high current grunty amps worked the best ranging from vintage Yamaha P2100 solid state 200w power amp to 200w Goldmund Nimisis 29 Chinese clone solid state power amp. It can sound quite quite good on my KT88 tube 60w power amp but bass Impact is less than the other power amps. I think a very gutsy or high current lower powered amp of say 50-100w would still be good. Edited February 22, 2018 by Al.M 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakey72 Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 Just hooked them up after 6 months. Usher S-520 period! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 As per the title of this thread my answer is too many things to pick only one. I have been divesting more than collecting lately, but in the relatively recent past, I purchased my B&W CDM 9 s which are outstanding and purchased at a great price through the good ole' forum FS listings. I loved them when I went to audition them and that has only increased. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gat474 Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 On 2/11/2018 at 12:00 PM, gat474 said: All of my purchases has been my favourite - until I tire of them or think I'm upgrading. The current favourite and hard to replace item is my JL fathom sub - great with music and HT. Blends so seemlessly with my active atc's that I only really know that it's on when it's turned off. It doesn't make the soundstage bigger or extent the treble response like some say adding subs can do but it does add a layer of power and authority to the bottom end of the music that just underpins the whole audio experience. For HT it certainly finds the resonances of every wall, door and window in the room. Now, just to find a second one for dual subs. EDIT: The above mentioned JL Fathom F113 isn't the best purchase I've made, its' the second best hifi purchase since I just bought another JL F113 which is the best purchase I've made now that I have two of them. The bass performance is more even and detailed. I haven't spent much time dialing anything in yet, the second is working as a slave from the first. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sime Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Well, last week at least, the Mytek Brooklyn, what an awesomely versatile piece of kit. Him’s a keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PorkBun69s Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Modwright LS100 tube rolled. RCM Sensor 2 Dual SVS SB2000's. All bargains picked up that exceeded my expectations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Spyne~ Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Squeezebox Touch. Cheap, cheerful and makes listening to my collection astoundingly more convenient. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyW Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 A toss up between my Gieseler Groß DAC, Oldchen K3 integrated amp and Aurum Cantus F620 speakers. I was going to say the Groß DAC though without the other two it wouldn't make any sound at all..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 For me it was when I was a teenager and I got to choose our new hi fi. Technics turntable (SL 220?), Pioneer SA 6500 Mk 2 amp and Technics SB something ‘time-aligned’ 2 way speakers. Many happy memories listening to this system and learning songs on the guitar. Still all at mum’s place, but in storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frodo Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 (edited) My PS Audio NuWave DSD dac. Made a beautiful improvement to my setup. Only thing is I now want the Direct Stream Dac - but out of my price range. Edited March 10, 2018 by frodo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gat474 Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 On 06/03/2018 at 6:49 PM, gat474 said: EDIT: The above mentioned JL Fathom F113 isn't the best purchase I've made, its' the second best hifi purchase since I just bought another JL F113 which is the best purchase I've made now that I have two of them. The bass performance is more even and detailed. I haven't spent much time dialing anything in yet, the second is working as a slave from the first. Re-quoting my quote. I watched the first half of Blade Runner a few weeks ago with just the one F113 sub and then the second half last night with the two fathoms. The difference was extraordinary. The bass was much fuller and although no deeper seemed to fill the room better yet there were less rattles in the walls and ceiling than with one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarbethRob Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share Posted March 10, 2018 I would like to add two new pieces that I have recently bought from SN members in the classifieds: Bel Canto Preamplifier which is really quite stunning. It has showed me what a big difference an active preamp can have on your system. Before this, I was hung up on the idea of passive preamps. Rega Dac. A terrific buy at a great price. I could easily just live with this single DAC in my system (though I have no intention of doing that!). Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essence Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 Soekris R2R dac1421. Don't even have it yet, but have been waiting for so long for it to be stocked. My alternative answer would either be Vsonics IEMs that lead me into this hobby or simply my next purchase! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penance Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 Paradigm Signature 4 v2 in Birdseye Maple Have had them for years now through valve, SS, Class-T and Class-D amps, countless pre-amps, DACs, subs etc and they're always on song. I've heard lots of expensive speakers and honestly the only ones I've heard that would make me umm and ahh about swapping out the Paradigms would be Paradigm S8 v2/v3, Lenehan ML3 References (havent heard ML5s yet) or Sonus Faber Cremona M floor standers. Too bad Paradigm stopped the Signature series, they're new fancy-series look terrible IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper() Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Coral X-VII speakers for $100 .. now I have many corals! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzroyalty Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 1. Job 225 amp second hand for around $1k. Proper high-fi for a silly price. 2. A Subscription to Tidal 3. PS Audio Perfectwave DAC Mk1 (also for around $1k). Currently upgraded to a mk2 with a bridge 2 installed and acting as a streamer, preamp and DAC. The DSD upgrade beckons! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternaloptimist Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Geez I loved my first "proper" hifi setup: Arcam A65+ amp, CD62 CD player with B&W DM303 speakers. Still have a soft spot for the speakers which are at my mother's house... More recently... Audiovector Si3 Avantgarde Arrette speakers. Wow. May be my last speakers... certainly for a long time.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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