Equipment that has made you 'stop' looking?

My Fisher Price Record player. Got it when I was 3 and have been so happy with it I have never wanted to look at anything else. Of course it doesn't actually "play" so I have to whistle and pretend. But it is fun to play with.

Bryston 14b3. marantz SA-10. I heard some very expensive equipment last weekend and I'm happy with what I have.

B&W Nautilus 801.  Krell FPB 650 MCX

Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck. Used to startle friends with how good their tapes actually were! Kept it. I was lucky to get one of the last few made. Serendipity. I’ve kept it and am building a new equipment rack where it will be very welcome. 

For me, it's been my Audio Note Kit 003 speakers (Audio Note AN-E LX/He spec).  I've been through a few different speakers last few years including Spatial Audio M3 TS, Totem Element Ember and Tekton Double Impacts etc.

These AN's do everything I've lusted after and more.  Now I'm finally tweaking the rest of my system around them instead of vice versa.     

For me its my B&W Matrix 800 speakers and ARC Ref 6 preamp 

Spatial X2s

Lyngdorf 2170,
Within the first 2 wks of using,I stepped directly off the Preamp,pwr amp,dac merry go rounds and started listing and selling gear that I would no longer use or need.

The only related gear that I look at now is Lyngdorf’s new 3400.

Kenny.

Looking back at my post from 2005 where I answered the question of " equipment that's made me stop looking " ,then seeing my answer being Mcintosh XRT-22 dual column line arrays my answer still holds true ,anybody else here still have the same equipment they fell in love with 15 years ago ? 

My Mcintosh XRT-22s have never been taken out of my 5 channel Mcintosh system as no speaker I've heard makes me feel as they do ,until I lucked into buying Roger Russells personal Mcintosh XR-290 triple column line arrays a few years ago ,the all Mcintosh system still has every component it had in it when I posted in 2005 e.

McIntosh C2500 pre amp, MC452 power amp, Autonomic MMS-5A server, PS Audio P10 power plant, DirectStream DAC, DirectStream CD transport, Focal Sopra No2 speakers, JL Audio F113V2 sub woofers (2), Sennheiser HD800 headphones, Dell laptop iTunes/Tidal/Roon, Wireworld cabling

After auditioning several integrated amplifiers over the last two years I have settled on the Mark Levinson No. 585 integrated.  It will stay around for a long time.  I’m also be happy with the recently acquired Focal Sopra No. 1s.  

The wedding ring - the smallest handcuff to mankind!

 I bought an HITACHI AM/FM Stereo FT920 back in about 1976 and it's been on and playing ever since. In the 80/90's I tried a couple of the most highly touted new digital tuners but found I easily preferred the Hitachi. It replaced a very highly touted Marantz(then given to a brother in law) I found the Hitachi bettered the Marantz in clarity and nuance and particularly the bottom end which I found too 'bloomy' in the Marantz. I can't comment on aspects other than the sound received from good FM stations. 

My wife. Or at least she has tried!

The 2Q symmetrical balanced transformer product from Equitech is 
definitely a keeper as a foundation for AC power isolation/conditioning
in my Spectra/MIT system. The beauty of the product is the incontrovertible
mathematics it's based on. A breakthrough with an apparently limitless
application timespan; well,as long as we use electricity...

Emm Labs separates.
-Transport
-DAC
-Pre

This head-end combo just can’t be beat. Also, my EquiTech symmetrical balanced power system model 5Q. Nothing touches it.

The search continues with all the rest. Have to mention I absolutely love my new PrimaLuna Dialog Premuim integrated.

Love the 2Ce's too Tomcarr! 

But i I am very happy with my present system, but knowing I'm a hopeless Audiophile I know that anything is possible, and I may get the jones for something else in the future. But, the one single thing in my rack that I know I will never replace is my Magnum Dynalab FT101 tuner! I never knew FM radio could be a high end source until I got this tuner! I have no desire to look further, Last tuner I will ever own. 

Vandersteen 2Cs

Since the 70s, have owned Electro-Voice, Genesis, Boston Acoustics, Mission, Klipsch, Acoustat, Vandy 1Bs, Monitor Audio, Pioneer, and now Vandersteen 2Cs.

Nothing at all wrong with any of the other speakers, but for my ears, the Vandy 2Cs are perfect. Love them.

Tom

I tell myself "I am DONE!!" with each new purchase. I think I AM DONE after the last purchase (this weekend). I bought the recently discontinued Marantz SA-11S3 SACD player to keep my recently purchased Marantz PM-11S3 integrated amp company.  Sound  and build quality is amazing and cost for the pair was 4 times my original budget ($1,000) for my entire system, but zero regrets.  

After six years of building a system from scratch, I finally feel like I am on the home stretch; last stop is the amp(s) that will complete my system for good.

What I have that is staying:
Simaudio Neo 280D with Mind module (dac/network player)
Synology 216play 2TB server
YS Audio A2 Balanced Gold tube preamp
ZU Audio Omen Def MkII’s with Radian upgrade
Richard Grey 600 pro power
Assorted ZU and AQ cables

I really like my Audio Research 300.2 amp, it synergizes so well with my tube preamp and ZU speakers, though I have never tried mono blocks, let alone tube mono blocks. The efficiency of my ZU’s beg for me to try a pair at least once; either I will love them or go back to SS. Last piece of the puzzle to complete for me. (for now).

Cheers

Spectral Audio. MIT Cables. Goldmund.

Townshend Audio Rock turntable, London Reference Pickup, QUAD ESL (original), Magneplanar Tympani T-IV, GR Research/Rythmik Audio Direct Servo-Feedback OB/Dipole Subwoofer, ASC Tube Traps, Owens Corning Rigid 703 Acoustical Panels, J.S. Bach.

Wywires Platinum Interconnect cable

REL B2 SUBWOOFER. 

11 years. Haven’t changed a thing.

After 4-5 years of upgrading my hardware, piece-by-piece, to the horror of one of my audio buddies, I think I'm "done" with system upgrades for the foreseeable future.  I've got hardware I really like, "dialed in" to the "man cave", now I'm teaching myself about classical music, which I've enjoyed, but don't have much experience with.
My system:
McIntosh MC452 power amp
McIntosh C50 preamp
Bryston BHA-1 headphone amp
Autonomic MMS-5A music server (coax output to the DAC)
PS Audio P10 power plant
PS Audio DirectStream DAC
PS Audio PerfectWave CD transport (I2S output to the DAC)
Dell Laptop running Tidal, iTunes & Roon (USB output to the DAC)
Focal Sopra No2 speakers
JL Audio F113V2 subwoofers (2 of them)
Sennheiser HD800 headphones
Wireworld cabling

Acoustic Zen Crescendo MKii speakers
Ayon CD-3sx 
Pass Labs INT-60

My speakers- Thiel CS 2.4SE.

Prima Luna Dialogue HP 
Sonos Connect 
Schiit YGGY
Aerial 5T

Trans Fi Terminator/Salvation TT

McIntosh C50 Pre-Amp, McIntosh MC452 Power Amp, PS Audio P10 Power Plant Power Conditioner, PS Audio DirectStream DAC, Autonomic MMS-5A Server, Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amp, Focal Sopra No2 Speakers, JL Audio F113V2 Sub Woofers, Wireworld Cables, 10-ATS Acoustics Bass Traps!

Conrad Johnson
Aesthetix
Pass Labs
Thiel

GregKraus:

Did you buy the BD32 or Oppo-105? How do you like them? I am trying to make the same decision now. Any info/advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

StraightWire Maestro speaker/interconnect cables. 20 years in my system, everything else has come and gone.

Tbg like everything else you must hear it to really form an opinion. I know I have never heard a better cartridge and it is head and shoulders above anything I have heard. Best of Luck

Threshold SA-1 amplifiers.

SMc Audio modified/upgraded TLC-1. This linestage from the 1990's was the forebearer to SMc Audio's highly regarded VRE-1 linestage, basically a buffered passive, which is most often configured for 6dB gain resulting from the transformers. Steve McCormack at SMc Audio performed "across the board" modifications to my TLC-1 resulting in what I call the TLC Signature Edition (TLC SE).

The improvements have resulted in a virtually new preamp with the additions of a Shallco discrete resistor volume control, Lundahl input/output transformers, new wiring, other new passive and active parts, and the outboard choke power supply from the VRE-1. The preamp now includes a balanced input and output. Even the faceplate and knobs were redone.

Steve is currently completing additional upgrades using new capacitors and transformers that have just come on the market, and modifying the gain structure. The SMc Audio TLC SE has met all my audio needs in a preamp/linestage and, in my system, has sonically bested a wide range of very good preamps in the general retail range of $5-10K. I look forward to getting it back and hearing Steve's latest work.

Needfreestuff, I've heard that it is as good as the Ikeda 9TT but more expensive, but not the equal of the Ikeda Kai.

ZYX Diamond Gold Cartridge

Luxman, Ayre, Nordost, Verity. Two years stable. If money were no object I would surf higher on the Luxman wave.

Bander,

HD is better than SilverSmith?

Speaker wise, for me, it was Selah Audio speakers the Tempesta and Esatto, very well designed and sounding speakers.

HiDiamond cable. All of it.

Magico Q3 with Rowland 8T amp.

Definitely the Berning zh-270. I certainly wouldn't mind trading for the Berning Quatrature or maybe a future dream offering from David, a 50 watt SET zero feedback Class A with zotl circuitry. Could it GET better than that, a wide bandwidth SET triode with real bass! I have heard this is not a dream, a prototype does exist.

Tannoy 215 DMT II
Canary C900
Cary SLP 05
Wavelength Audio Triton Signature
Wavelength Cardinal
Art Audio Jota
Cardas Clear

I see that this thread is still alive. So:

A couple of years ago I shipped my Lumi and M120 mono amps to Scott Frankland for repair and upgrades.

The Lumi was treated to the most significant upgrade Scott could do. The result? "WOW"!

He also did a more modest upgrade to the M120 amps. Still: "wow"....

Cables are now all from Grover. A very good bang for the buck.

The rebuilt/upgraded Chapman T7's continue to sound terrific.

I do minor tweaks here and there. The latest is using a Mapleshade platform under the Shanling CDP with brass cones under the platform and ball bearing supports under the player.

Still more than satisfied (after all these years) :)

I confess to being lazy about tweaking the room with sound treatment. I have not done so.

Yet.

Krell1, good for you. System satisfaction is a novelty in audiophile land....

ProAc, Audio Research, Hegel