Personal speaker evolution

1993 ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers (DM1600 = $1000)

I bough my first speakers from money I have earned during summer job (working in a moving company for 6 weeks). The speaker were ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers in D'Appolito configurationfrom a small German company. They were not even that great for the Rock music that I listened to at the time.

1998 Mission 751 freedom monitors

I started loving these speakers back in 1993 when I first heard them at a dealer in Germany. Somehow could not convince myself to go "back" from a stand speaker to a smaller bookshelf. After a move in 1998 I finally had the excuse to get them. I have been going through several changes in the surrounding equipment, I have never regreted these though. Probably the best bookshelfs Mission has ever made. These are the reason for me becoming an audiophile in first place.

I guess it is time to update my post from 7/29/04:

1989 ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers (DM1600 = $1000)
1998 Mission 751 freedom monitors ($400, regular $800)
2005 Spendor S3/5 ($650, regular $1200)
2005 Omega Super 3 ($550)
2005 Cain & Cain Abby (Fostex FE166E) ($1600)

I hope that's it for a long while. No way I will be getting rid of the Abbys any time in the future.