@roxy54 It was at least 30 years ago and it is a very specific amp if you know anything about it. Thanks for your comment though.
An audio component you just can't let go
What is a component you just can't seem to let go or sell even after you've already upgraded and not really using it anymore. What makes this component so special?
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I have two Dynaco ST 35 amps in my closet that I purchased many moons ago. I can’t exactly remember the speakers I used with the first one, but the midrange as I recall was magical at the time. I bought a second when I saw it, well because, I saw it and even at the time didn’t come up for sale often. |
Thorens TD150 mkII - I have demoed a fair number of new turntables costing up to three grand and have not been tempted to change out this old Thorens. I like what Rega Planar 8 and a Well Tempered table offer, but not enough to cough up the cash. The TD150 mkII is sitting on Mapleshade isolation system, which is definitely an improvement, and I am using a Nagaoka MP-500 cartridge which is a good match for the stock arm on the Thorens. kn |
Bryston B60 & Thiel CS1.5 - bought as a gift to myself for the birth of my twins 28 years ago. They represent personal accomplishment, financial accomplishment and SQ accomplishment; I still marvel at their sound to this day when I set them up every now and then. I regret that neither offspring are remotely interested in inheriting them ....sigh. |
30 yo VPI 19 Mk IV turntable. Modified with a SOTA Total Eclipse standalone motor assembly and modified suspension. I know it has a well bearing and relatively small (11 inch/16 pound) platter, but its lead/delrin/cork construction sounds nice enough. They don't make them anymore but it's likely because of the lead in the platter and not the sound. It runs an equally ancient modified Eminent Technology 2 tonearm with high pressure manifold. While they are anachronisms, they have been brought to the future with a DS Audio cartridge and equalizer. This blend of old and new still sounds more musical than my much more expensive digital front end. |
Tascam DA-3000. This unit can record 24-192hz or DSD from Quboz or whatever sources. The only problem is Tascam is a terrible company. Its service is really terrible. Instead of fixing mine under warranty, after 8 months in their possession I ended up having them send it back unrepaired. Terrible, terrible, terrible service, rude etc. They actually bragged about them having units for over 2 years unrepaired! I ended up buying another unit used elsewhere. ozzy |
Still have my 3D Acoustic Satellites from 1979. They are the front L/R in my theatre system with 5 B&W (center, back, and surround) and a Vandersteen 2W sub. Rebuilt them once and they are great for this system. Also, my Acoustat 1+1 monoliths that I acquired in the late 80's. I am the third owner and they have been rebuilt twice (once by the 2nd owner and again by me a few years ago). I have built my primary system around. Even my wife likes them. |
@yesiam_a_pirate +1 Oh yes, the ARC VT130. I had this for a few years 1997-2000 or so if I recall. This amp with the LS5 III and Magnepan 3.3 / 3.5 speakers was absolute magic. Romantic is an understatement. Hunted for a pair of VT150s for a few years with no success and then moved on to other amps. But the VT130 was special. I did have a couple events of tube failure which blew the ceramic power resistor with a loud bang and puff of smoke. Waited overnight, soldered in a new resistor, replaced the tube, set the bias and I was back to smiling. I would love to hear one of these in my system today. |
Infinity 7 Kappa’s I purchased new while stationed in Korea in 1992 they were half off/discontinued for $750.00. I use them in my living room with a Yamaha M70 amp I Purchased new while stationed in Germany in 1983. The speakers are as beautiful as the day i bought them, actually better looking with the grills off due to the Miller Sound upgrades to the mids and subs. The sound is warm, perfect for a lounge area while just hanging out with family and friends. The ZU ODS’s in my sound room are far superior in most any measurement but the Infinity’s put a smile on my face every time I power them up. |
My Brooks Berdan custom modified SME IV tonearm. Both fortunately and unfortunately, he fitted it with the thinnest silver Cardas wiring, shot closed foam in the armtube for elimination of resonance and epoxied both ends of the tonearm and RCA box so it may die one day. Also, I don’t anticipate upgrading my speakers unless I become wealthy (Von Schweikert VR9....to an Ultra 9 or 7). Also, I don’t anticipate upgrading my amps, Westminster Labs REI or CD transport Jays Audio CDt3 Mk3. Everything else is open to change without any date or really desire at this time. Dumped most of the tweaks as unnecessary with high end equipment. |
I have to list equipment that was lost in a house fire this year as equipment I would have never sold or willingly parted with. a pristine pair of VMPS tower II SE speakers that served as the mains in the theater room and in equally high status was a pair of VMPS larger subwoofers. Each sub was blessed with a 12" and 15" driver plus a 15" PR. That is a lot of cone area. I had a carver 1.5t that had been restored driving the main speakers and a pair of AR-3a that had been rebuilt to new specs for rear channel speakers driven by a Carver PM-900 that was in good shape when I got it. A yamaha t85 tuner as well as my 2nd and 'keeper' turntable Technics SL-d1. I had an aging Yamaha 6 ch receiver that I liked very much. Not much power in stand alone mode but it worked well as a pre-amp. Replacing all of that now is going to prove a daunting task. |
I like to joke that when I die someone has to bury my Quad ESL-63 electrostatic speakers with me because there is absolutely no way I am going to be parted from them. Fate was kind to me because she put a stray copy of Opera News in my doctor’s office where I happened to see it and then read an article which insisted that Quads were the perfect speaker for opera lovers. I am an obsessed opera lover and I also love classical music of all kinds. Quads are renowned for their beautiful mid-range. They do wonderful things for the human voice, for violin, piano, guitar and so much more. I imported them in 1985, had them completely refurbished in 2017 or 2018 and then in 2023 I snapped up a just refurbished pair of the US Monitor version of Quads. I feel like the luckiest person that I will never need to agonize over what my next speakers might be. I already have the perfect speakers for me and perfectly suited to the kind of music I like. |
Infinity RS Kappa 7 speakers, bought new off a dealer's showroom floor in 1989ish.They have managed to survive 30 plus years of my life, but with some wear. These were my first audiophile purchase, and are incredibly important to me. I had the foam surrounds replaced for the woofers, Millersound refurbish the Polydome midranges, and luckily the EMIT tweeters have survived. I had GR-Research update the crossover networks with modern and much higher quality resistors, caps, air core inductors, bypassed the pots, replaced the internal wiring with OCC wire, and added WBT speaker connectors. They sound amazing! But I've spent several times more than what the speakers are worth, but to me it was worth every penny. |
I ripped all my CDs onto an external hard drive, but still am super fond of my Oppo 105 CDP. Of all the components I have had over 50 years of having good gear, the Oppo DAC's are the best combination of sonic excellence vs. price. I have had all of Don Sachs interations of octal tube-based preamps and his newest one is the best of all of them, but all have been immensely excellent. |
That’s easy. My Musical Fidelity A3cr preamplifier. I bought it barely used too many years ago to remember. It started out in my main audio system, got moved to my TV system and then moved to my desktop computer audio system. I’m not using my desktop system any more, which is a shame, but fading eyesight and my iPad nearly obsolete it. It’s an important component of my computer audio system, along with its equally reliable mate, an Adcom GFA 535II amplifier. my older Oppo 83SE and an Audio Alchemy DDP-1 DAC. A lot of people would rejoice to have this good sounding system as their main audio system,
it only takes a reading through this review to renew my resolve to never let this preamp go. Every piece of music gear would rejoice to have received a review as glowing as this one. https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/revequip/musical_fidelity_ac3cr_preamp.htm |
@ibmjunkman i also have a Teac 2300-sx for over the past 40 years that I would never part with Long with my Tandberg 3001A which I purchased new and is in excellent shape which I keep calibrated to this day |
My Nagaoka Kilavolt #103 De-stat wand from the ’80s’.....One C cell to ’stat’ them all..... Best sub-$100 item I’ve ever bought With a carbon fibre brush included that lives next to it. Simple as it is, never been reproduced since....a pity, that. A Niles Audio CPM-31 Universal Component Patching Matrix....also ’80’s. a 6 in X 6 out analog box that the back ends up looking like an octopus with delusions of grandeur....*L* ....and requires physical stability enhancement when fully engaged with 24 RCA’s.... A JVC JX-S777 AV selector allows 6 a/v in/out, 2 additional with optical in and a single opt out, and 3 monitor loops....one with the opt out.. Used for 'component in' mostly..... Keeping my 4 large ESS amts’....and my Walsh diys’ obviously.... @grislybutter and all.... Shut off the screen for the next 4 years.....if it’s important or vaguely logical, we’ll hear about it elsewhere.....:( |
I run an vintage system in my spare room and for me its fun. my A/D/S L910 speakers are keepers for life. I also love vintage Sansui integrated amps. AU 20000, AU 777, are some of my favs. Sansui Tuners are some of the best ever made love my TU 9900. dream of TU-X1. I use the TU 9900 in my main system still, have not found anything that sounds better, note mine is fully restored. Revoa Agora B active speaker system is another vintage speaker system that amazes me on a regular bassis. I don't think i could sell these speakers. very rare in North America. Each speakers has 3x100w A/B amps for each section. thats 600w of power in these speakers. Some of the best bass i've ever heard regardless of age.
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Sony TA-E80ES preamp from 1990. Class A solid state. More inputs and outputs than I thought possible (3 tape loops!) including balanced. Stellar MC phono stage, quietest I’ve ever experienced with a LOMC. Maybe it’s the double cascaded power supply regulation.. Nonetheless it now anchors my TV system along with: Heathkit UA-2 EL84 tube monoblocks from the late 50’s. An easy rebuild, they’re the sweetest (and most dynamic!) 12 watts I’ve ever heard whether they’re driving rebuilt Large Advents, a Fostex backloaded horn single-driver system, or, my favorite, B&W 805 D3’s. |
ADS 200s: Historically, these little "studio monitors" represent the first legitimate mobile audio (car stereo) system ever assembled. They broke the "sound barrier" and took us from Clarion coaxials (yuk!) to true high fidelity in a car/truck/van. We built competitive car audio systems for years (including winning a national championship trophy) and these have a special place in my heart. And, in my current office system. Low end is handled by custom-built (teeny tiny) passive sub to integrate seamlessly. Nakamichi TA4: These were introduced around the Golden Age of "big boy" receivers and featured Nelson Pass designed Status technology. In my view, they were head and shoulders above what was offered in the day, and sound quality was more akin to a competant integrated. When we upgraded a system of a previous TA4 customer to high(er) end gear, we boxed up this receiver for him and placed it in storage in his basement. For years, I begged him to let it go and, finally, he was willing to part with it. It is currently boxed up and sitting in my loft (with plenty of other stuff), not being used. This topic reminded me that I need to get it out and "exercise" it a bit, and do a little checkup and maintenance. Klipschorn 1958: Got this in a trade from a customer who wanted a pair of current high quality bookshelf speakers. The drivers are correct and the speaker sounds pretty amazing for its age. Not sure how/if I'll ever use it. But, have no plans to let it go. |
@mesch A friend is currently using the Mirage M760s with a rebuilt Sony TA-N80ES. I was quite impressed with the sound. The B&K gear is tucked away for safe keeping. |
I've got and old Audio Research VT130 amp that was kind of "thrown in" on a purchase I made some years ago. It had a blown screening resistor (that kept blowing thanks to a failing 12BH7 tube that tested OK) I replaced a number of resistors and bought a matched tube set for it from ARC ($2100 GULP). The 'ol girl just sounds so warm and sweet with such a silent black background that I just keep finding "second location" systems to include it in. For now it's job is to make a pair of Maggie 2.7s sing in my small office. It doubles as a space heater in the winter and smells wonderful when it's warmed up. I suppose it's true romance. |
