Hi Marakanetz (keep thinking it's Marrakesh, any relation?),
I once went about 2 1/2 years without touching anything. This was with my B&W Matrix 801s, British Fidelity A-3 amp (looked and heated like a black brick oven, pure class A and more than 200 watts), and ARC SP-14 hybrid (one-tube in phono section) preamp. At the time, I also had a CAL Tempest II, a two-box CD player with one tube in it as well. I used thick Monster Cable speaker runs and I can't remember which interconnects, I think the old Audioquest Ruby. This was in the late 80's. Then in 1993 I was at a local dealer's for a "musical evening" hosted by Transparent Audio and heard Transparent cables. I tried some at home and couldn't believe how much better the tubby bass on my 801's sounded. Changed out all my cables to Transparent Ultra and lived happily for another couple of years. Then got unhappy with the flabbiness of the bass on the 801's all over again and in quick order got Meridian 500 transport and 563 DAC, and later added the 518 digital processor, and in a fit of insanity auditioned a $13,000 Goldmund SS amp, the Mimesis 29, and the improvement in the bass on the 801s was so great that I actually BOUGHT the Goldmund! This was in about 1995. From then on it's just been crazy w/upgrading, auditioning, trial and error, trying the most modern technology, retreating to some of the old tried but true technology, etc. But the answer to your question is, I once went 2 1/2 years without changing anything or lusting to change anything. Those times, alas, are long gone. Though I am very happy w/my two systems right now (both listed on virtual systems here) and hope I am in for another long listening without upgrading period.
Good luck to you, esp. with your financial diet.
Sarah
I once went about 2 1/2 years without touching anything. This was with my B&W Matrix 801s, British Fidelity A-3 amp (looked and heated like a black brick oven, pure class A and more than 200 watts), and ARC SP-14 hybrid (one-tube in phono section) preamp. At the time, I also had a CAL Tempest II, a two-box CD player with one tube in it as well. I used thick Monster Cable speaker runs and I can't remember which interconnects, I think the old Audioquest Ruby. This was in the late 80's. Then in 1993 I was at a local dealer's for a "musical evening" hosted by Transparent Audio and heard Transparent cables. I tried some at home and couldn't believe how much better the tubby bass on my 801's sounded. Changed out all my cables to Transparent Ultra and lived happily for another couple of years. Then got unhappy with the flabbiness of the bass on the 801's all over again and in quick order got Meridian 500 transport and 563 DAC, and later added the 518 digital processor, and in a fit of insanity auditioned a $13,000 Goldmund SS amp, the Mimesis 29, and the improvement in the bass on the 801s was so great that I actually BOUGHT the Goldmund! This was in about 1995. From then on it's just been crazy w/upgrading, auditioning, trial and error, trying the most modern technology, retreating to some of the old tried but true technology, etc. But the answer to your question is, I once went 2 1/2 years without changing anything or lusting to change anything. Those times, alas, are long gone. Though I am very happy w/my two systems right now (both listed on virtual systems here) and hope I am in for another long listening without upgrading period.
Good luck to you, esp. with your financial diet.
Sarah