Other than the SOUND, what do you love the most?


High end audio components, to me, are a bit like sports cars.

As enthusiasts, we tend to focus on performance and thrill first and foremost to the audio equivalents of acceleration, speed and handling.

Still, there are other, more elusive, qualities that really make someone fall in love with their cars and reduce grown men to tears when they sell them -- the color, the design, the interior, the smell of Connelly leather and wool carpets, the specific rumble of the engine and exhaust, the shape of the tail lights, the feel of the steering wheel and transmission.

With that in mind, think back and reflect on components you have really loved - the ones that made you weak at the knees to see them, happy to turn them on, gaze at them before, during or after the music stopped and depressed if you made the mistake of selling them...

What were your favourites?
Can you identify any qualities that gave you this feeling?
The weight and consistency of the controls? Or the case?
The color or shape of the lights?

For me, a few things come to mind:

...the fabric, oak strips and exotic look of my first Magneplanar MG-1Bs....

.....the intricacy and silky movement of an SME III tonearm with pulley and "fluid damping" system...

...the sleek anondized aluminum chassis, gyroscopic feel to the tuning knob and the 2001 space age red LED digital read out of a Yamaha T-2 tuner....

Good sound aside, what components have you loved the most and why?

Cheers

cwlondon
cwlondon

Showing 3 responses by joeylawn36111

Cwlondon, you can replace the light bulbs in most stereos with LED's of your color choice. All you need is a LED, Resistor, Soldering iron, and Voltmeter. Details available if interested.
Cwlondon, I have the Yamaha C4, C6, and M4 amps. Those lighted switches are frosted clear plastic with a hole in the back of them for a small white light bulb (not an LED). The color glow of the switches comes from colored rubber covers (yellow and green)that fit over the bulb. This button also pushes the actual electrical switch behind it.

On mine, I left the lights as-is on the M4, but replaced the ones on the C4 (three of them) and C6 (two) with Blue LED's. Way Cool.

Try a search on eBay using "Blue LED" (or other colors) - you may find something to your liking. There is a lot of lighted LED switches there, but mostly for Automotive apps.

Lastly, its good to know that I am not the only one who likes lights on equipment.
I can see it now - a group of 'philes showing off their Tube burns to each other.........