oldhvymec asked me this in another thread, and I thought it was worth sharing to hear how others might respond and spend for themselves.
Erik, if you could, would you. if you could and had all the means, would you buy the absolute best you could buy?
Maybe a better question is, would I drop a million dollars on a stereo system if I could? No, I can’t imagine unless this involves building a home around it. In large part because I don’t see the returns. Let me expand on this.
First, what is best? I completely and utterly want to burn down the idea that high-price = high-end. So, the question for me is, is there higher performing gear I could get given cost is no object? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think you can get to great performance for free or what a covid economy would call cheap.
For me, much of this hobby was in building, not buying. I made my own speakers, which may sound like crap (but I like them!), but the pride of ownership is unparalleled. Anyone with a fat enough wallet can buy their way into the club and pretend to be part of the cognoscenti but when you build anything, even if from a kit, you are ahead of everyone who has not. If I had any amounts of money to spend in my version of this hobby I’d experiment with custom line arrays or for HT, high output MTM, and innovative bass traps. My money would go to 3D CAM based milling machines, and sawdust removal. I would also hang out on Audiogon laying waste to snake oil salesmen all day long.
In terms of electronics what have I heard I feel is the equal or better than what I own?
Luxman
Ayre
D’Agostino
Vandersteen
CAT
So sure, I could see myself with a gorgeous looking D’Agostino stack but I’d have more fun with a room full of 30-75 W tube amps and integrateds. From Citation to CJ, Luxman and others, I think it would be much more fun to have colorful, juicy integrateds swapped in regularly than to assemble some sort of godlike equipment stack. Of course, if I do that I’d probably end up with some rather large JBL or Altec horn loaded speakers to offer enough output.
In another area, headphones, I probably would drop a lot more money than I have. The best audio at a show, ever, was from Audeze headphones driven by Woo Audio tube headphone preamp. I’d love to have that experience in my home again. BTW, that was a very long time ago, so if I did this again I’d definitely want to listen to Raal Earspeakers and other headphone amp/DACs.
Any remaining money I’d spend on supporting musical education and culture. Great musicians come from an environment that includes formal education, access to instruments and a thriving supportive community.
roseofsa it is very simple for me. If I didn’t, think BIG I would have 1000 unfinished project, instead of only 25 or 30.. That one I posted is surely # 31 on the list... Besides I still gotta work on the funds.. 3-400 mill aught to do it..:-)
OR it could be like the Bay Bridge rebuild, started at about a billion, they lost track at about 7-9 billion, BILLION for a bridge repair...Lost track, LOL... YUP... What's a billion here or there.. 6.00 starbuck was marked up to 60.00 a cup, YUP...
Considering that I am quite happy with my dedicated audio room, I would leave it pretty much as is, but would definitely make some upgrades to my system. If I had a large sum of money to dedicate to nothing but audio, for me, in the space that I have, it would be: Sound Lab 645PX speakers
A pair of VAC IQ power amps or to conserve a bit of space and cut down on the heat, a Gryphon Diablo 300 SS integrated amp.
Upgrades to both my analogue and digital front end systems, but not sure what.
There's no system that's more outstanding than a great recording regardless of format. The most difficult problem is finding great performances that are recorded that well. That can really wake up almost any system I can think of. But yes, as much as I was surprised by the experience, going from a B&W 801 speaker to an Eggleston Andra was like night and day. The Andra's cost almost 3X as much and I waited for years before I could afford them. And I still haven't heard the Egg.-3's...
i would buy Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa AZ, turn it into my mansion, have a staff of pizza cookers and organists, pay to upgrade their hybrid wurlitzer organ into one capable of antiphony with pipes in the rear. that would be my ultimate house and surround sound system!
First of all I'd buy a bigger house that will fit my current system better. Then I'd create a dedicated music room and a dedicated media room. Like other people mentioned - I'd install dedicated lines for the power. Equipment-wise? I'm finally happy where I'm at. I may try some uber expensive speakers with my current equipment.
I am sure that I would be eager to assemble multiple systems for my likes.
I have always wondered if one such 'system' would involve a TT, run to a balanced headphone amp, run to a balanced set of headphones. There, as balanced as possible. Since the funds are unlimited, then try to collect the best of each type of system, whether it be headphones, loudspeakers, actual performers, and more. Yah, and underground house for this noisy world, with concrete structure, but each listening room built into and yet isolated from the very concrete structure that holds it. Check Please!
I would get 2 systems ome with Tidal akira driven by dartzel monos and preamp with wadax dav and server cables and power conditioning Shunyata omega and Everest the other one Alsyvox speakers with full shindo or audio note system all cables by audio fidelity and Shunyata power conditioner and dcs dac
Here's what I originally typed: "I'd manufacture a killer speaker at an affordable price, provide free in-home auditions, and happily lose money on every sale."
That may look nice at first glance. But...
It would very be unfair to all of my competitors (many of whom are also my friends) who still need to make enough money to pay the bills.
So maybe I'd conduct or fund research that would hopefully be published and made available to speaker designers everywhere. Which is not a very original thought, many companies and many individuals do this already. I just hadn't appreciated it until Erik invited us to contemplate what we'd do if money was not limited.
The romans conquerors wanted to pay any gold amount to buy Archimedes genius from Syracuse and he was killed by a too enthusiast roman soldier interrupting him when he was devising geometrical physics principles on the sand of his garden....
No audio system on earth can match the geometrical happiness of Archimedes dying....I bet no cars either....
Money, cars, music or geometry? The choices we made said much about ourself than anything else....
Anyway we must choose our fate, or at least participing in it, i hope that it will be in a better way that the way most choose an audio system component first....
Should we "upgrade" our life or is it better to embed it rightfully to begin with?
I apologize for my "delirious" post, it goes without saying....
Worldwide factory tours. Fly in your own listening room, while waiting for the largest cruse ship, converted in to A grate big place to, you got it...
To DANCE..30 40 listening rooms. 10 - 12 full blown homes on board. That would do.. Never have to take to a safe port. Cruising speed 400 MPH or 0 in a cat 5 hurricane. Stand a dime on it’s side.
Everything would be grown onboard, puff puff pass... :-) Fresh salad and produce everyday, live in the oceans, Listen to the music, oy, Amigo, Paradise!
There is no way millercarbon would get left out of this, he’s gonna be there, doing something... Give him a helicopter so he could come and go as he sees fit.. Just have fun.. go to port BUY a piece of gear, or a car or a girl named Buffy, just no Adam's Apples. Gotta watch for that stuff.. :-)
All of ya, we’d have a ball... YUP!
Bluntness tolerated, rudeness not.
BTW, By invitation only. :-) Took me a while to think up a good one..
....all the irregulars are here....may as well doom this thread....
maps, 👍 on Ohms, anything Walsh...natch.
Erik writes a bro bouquet, and nobody blinked....🤦♂️🤷♂️
E....re 'phones: Near Nirvana Now, get a pair of muscian-grade earpieces fitted into your head. Obviously, Bluteethed and you get your phone as well. And if something ails your ears, covered. ;)
"...maybe if I got to go to the Munich High End show I'd have very different ideas about what kind of a high end system I'd actually feel worthwhile??"
Once in Munich, how do you even remember to go to the High End show? It is a nice city with many interesting corners. Just sit in a cafe in Schwabing and forget about impedance and soundstage.
What is a hearing aid? It is a miniature speaker with built in eq. Except a hearing aid is not designed to have ultra high end sound quality it is simply designed to work. A speaker is a big hearing aid which you dont have to wear. The problem is it needs to be custom tuned just as a hearing aid needs to be custom tuned to each user.
And we know that Kenjit speaker would be very inexpensive, because no speaker can possibly cost a lot to build or make. He’s told us so, many times.
Depends. I could do reasonably priced speakers or I could do what everybody else does and charge you 100K for some accutons. If you are interested, payment will be required upfront and we can have your ears tested to determine the exact tuning required.
If you had unlimited money you would need to hire me to come and custom tune a system for you. Solid concrete cabinets. No mdf nonsense. Just thick concrete. Perhaps 10 metre thick should do the trick. Accutons or scanspeak, or textreme. All active tuned crossovers not passive and PERFECT phase. 20-20khz no problem. PAINSTAKINGLY CUSTOM tuned by hand and by ear. PAYMENT UPFRONT AND ACCOMODATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES MUST BE COVERED. The sound quality would be so beautiful that we wouldnt be held liable for any reactions that might occur including heart attacks or stroke.
You know what I just thought of though, maybe if I got to go to the Munich High End show I'd have very different ideas about what kind of a high end system I'd actually feel worthwhile??
Becoming instant 1%ers changes most people Erik. You post like it doesn’t. It should be: How I’d spend... If my values don’t change.
Not likely.
But you did get a lot of responses: "What I would buy if I had (suddenly) no spending restraints (instant rich.) How could they possibly know?
Exactly. Another off the wall goofball fantasy thread. When in reality if you woke up one day with all the money in the world another stereo will probably be the last thing on your mind.
What would happen is first you go looking for a better home. But it turns out all the really good homes already have people living in them. So what do you care? Buy them out! Why not? You have all the money in the world! And the world is such a big place, pretty soon you're hiring people to find even better places and stuff. Whole teams, armies of people! Why not? What do you care what it costs? You have all the money in the world!
This is like the other one he did, anyone remember? Its the end of the world, everyone gone, you make one last trip to the store what stereo do you get? What do you mean what stereo? Whole planet to yourself, gonna spend it cooped up in a shack in the woods? What planet are you on?
Planet! Now you're talking! All the money in the world, before long the question is, why just this one world?!
Then again maybe not. Maybe you really do think so small all you can come up with is Krell and D'Agostino. Even stuck in the stereo rut the choices aren't very imaginative. All the money in the world. What a waste.
The point of how becoming a 1% er overnight is rather moot, as I am sure it’s not about to happen to me. ;-)
The question really is, what do I like in my hobby? Am I a shopper, tinkerer or builder?
Next is what do I admire. I absolutely admire me some $2 million dollar cars, and $30 million dollar homes and with the funds would buy some. Have I ever heard a $300K speaker system I wanted to own, make space for and spend time with? Sadly no. With that kind of funding I’d still be a tinkerer.
Anybody who covets mbl but either can’t afford them or lacks the proper room to set them up in should consider a pair of Ohm Walsh speakers for a fraction of the price then throw the kitchen sink at them to get the most out of them. Maybe even if they can afford mbl but just want something more flexible with placement and manageable. OR simply hand made in the USA. Also reliability will not likely be an issue, not to say it would be with mbl.
The best thing money can buy is carefree and relaxed time to listen. In other words, the most important things for a great listening experience is: 1. Your state of mind/body (key: eat healthy, exercise, do good) 2. Your room. (you know what you need) 3. Your system. (insert list of devices, here)
Having spent a large portion of my life amongst such people, I promise you the only thing they have you do not is more choices.
With that comes huge input from people asking for funds continually for as many "worthy" causes as you can name.
Finally, if your huge wealth is well-known, you need to pretty much hide and so do your children. That is what gated mansions and yachts really do.
Be happy with what you have. As I have told my daughter ever since she was able to understand, most humans in the world live in dirt-floored huts with no sanitation or medical care. Being born in the USA or any other developed nation is blessing enough.
Oh, I would spend a BUNDLE on Audio Research and Magnepan stuff and it would reproduce music better than anything else.
Season tickets for several world class symphony orchestras plus all the necessary 1st class round trip tickets and lodging for me and a select few of my classical music loving friends.
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