Dream Amps I Could Not Afford 20 Years Ago Now Undesirable


As a young audio enthusiast I used to lust for the high-end Audio Research LS25Mk2 and Reference Two preamps but couldn’t afford them during that time. Today at their used prices they are much more affordable now but I no longer find them appealing.

Does anyone here have such similar experiences? Stuff that you dream of owning 20 or 30 years ago do not appeal to you anymore and considered as junk (as an exaggeration).

Another one is Focal JM Labs Mezzo Utopia as the high price made it look unattainable 30 years ago. Now when I look at it in the For Sale ads mostly in poor condition with worn cabinet, the aspiration of owning a seemingly unattainable high-end gear from the past seems to be a thing of the past. The new Focal Utopia speakers are another story though..

ryder

Showing 1 response by neonknight

When I was a college student in the late 1980s I dreamed of a pair of Apogee Caliper or Celestion SL600, and Martin Logan CLS. I also dreamed of a Linn LP12/Ittok/Koetsu Rosewood. I was a part time salesperson in college in an audio store and the Onkyo M508 and Perreaux amplifiers always called to me. 

 

Now I am 57 and I have had the chance to acquire some of these pieces but chose not to. Some cannot be serviced and restored to their glory. Some of the gear has voicing that I think can be improved upon with modern gear. 

However I have acquired some vintage pieces or their modern equivilent and thoroughly enjoy it. 

Martin Logan CLX ART speakers, they are a dream come true. 

SOTA Cosmos Eclipse with SME V arm. Always dreamed of the SOTA since the first Star Sapphire, and same with the SME. 

Ortofon MC2000 cartridge with T2000 transformer. Recieved a new diamond last year and a tune up, and the magic is there

Kiseki Blackheart. I am so fortunate to find one in OEM condition, and the magic is indeed there. Not the most neutral of cartridges, but it's a treat to experience. 

In some ways the past has been a road map for my current audio travels. Yet in other ways modern gear like my Classe Omega monoblocks and Trinov Amethyst preamp are unique experiences.