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Speakers & Electronics - Matching Components - Your Evolution

While its great to read about the list of speakers that Audiogon members have owned in the past, and it’s equally great to read about the amps Audiogon members have owned too, I was thinking - many people would really like to know what’s a good match for the speakers that I own or the amp / integrated amp / receiver that I own.

With that in mind, I thought listing both electronics & speakers would be very interesting and could be a more useful tool for those looking to change gear. Also, if any combo was extremely good and synergistic or the other way around, please denote it so others can learn from your audio journey.

I apologize in advance is this is too much of a chore to do. I pulled up my speaker ownership and electronics journey in separate tabs, then copied and pasted the amp ownership here and then filled it in with my speaker ownership, so it really wasn’t that difficult to reproduce.

Here’s the receiver / int amp / amp & preamp and speaker combinations I’ve owned from about 1977 to the present:

A. Harman Kardon 330c receiver / Sound Research Speakers
B. Mitsubishi DA-R8 receiver / The Smaller Advent Loudspeaker

1. Yamaha M50, crown straight line 1 preamp / The Smaller Advent Loudspeaker
2. Sansui AU717 / Jamo Compact 50’s & 70’s & Triad Subwoofer
3. NAD 2155, Luxman preamp & Acoustat TNP pre
4. B&K ST140, Acoustat TNP pre, Music reference RM5 mkII pre & dyna PAS 2 / Mirage 660’s
5. Dynaco ST70, Dyna PAS 3 / Mirage 660’s
6. McIntosh MC225, Music Reference pre / ProAc Studio 1
7. B&K EX442 Sonata - sounded almost exactly like the Paoli’s), Music Ref pre / Celestion C7
8. Paoli M60 monoblocks, Music Ref pre / Celestion C7
9. cj MV50, Music Ref pre / Celestion C7
10. Music Reference RM9, Music Ref pre / The Smaller Advent Loudspeaker
11. AMC CVT-3030 / Chateau Research 1.5
12. Mac 1900 Rec’r / ADS CM6
13. Mitsubishe DA-R7 rec’r / Celestion C3 / Infinity Qb
14. Creek 5050 int. / Vandersteen 1B
15. Acurus A80, Hegeman Hapi2 pre / Vandersteen 1B
16. Early Korneff 6bq5 SE int. / Klipsch KG3.5 (black)
17. John Ecklund PP6bg6 triode - moded Conn organ amp / Klipsch KG3.5 (black)
18. Custom KT66 SE int (from ebay) / Klipsch KG3.5 (black)
19. Onix OA-21s / Tannoy D90
20. ads A-2 / Tannoy D90
21. JVC AX-55, 80 watt Special class A int. / Tannoy D90
22. Musical Fidelity B1 / Tannoy D90
23. Kailin 6bq5 int / Tannoy D90
24. Rawsonte Brick gainclones, Superphon Rev. Basic Dual Mono preamp / Omega Grande 8 / Mission 70 mkII / Boston Acoustics A-200

25. Audio Space Mini-Galaxy II / Omega Grande 8 / Celestion DL-8 II’s / RogerSoundLab CG-6 / Wharfedale CRS-5 / Mission 700 LE / Wharfedale Delta 70

26. John Ecklund PP6bg6 triode - moded / Klipsch KG 3.5 (oiled oak) / Pinnacle AC800 / Linn Helix LS250 / Celestion C100s

27. Yamaha AX-550 int amp / Linn Helix LS250
28. Tandberg 3030 receiver / Linn Helix LS250
29. Fleawatt TPA3122 D2 Soft Maple amp / Omega Grande 8 (re-acquired)
30. Fleawatt cigar box amp TPA3122 / Omega Grande 8
31. Fleawatt TDA7297 Zebrawood / Canton Plus S
32. Optonica SM-1515B int. / Canton Plus S
33. Onix OA-20/2 / Paisley Reseach AE-500
34. Ditton Elan DI-260 / Paisley Reseach AE-500 / Mordaunt Short MS-20
35. Denon DRA-700 receiver / Canton Plus S
36. Antique Sound Lab MG-si15DT / Paisley Reseach AE-500
37. Tandberg TIA-3012 / Fostex P1000-BH 4" Full Range Back-loaded Horn

(#31, 32 & 35 were part of a separate bedroom system)

And the most memorable/best sounding: Mac MC225, Music Ref RM9, Korneff 6BQ5, PP6BG6 amp, the Onix’s, the B&K’s, Paolis, the Fleawatt’s, ASL, and the Tandberg 3012

And the worst sounding/bigest disappointment: cj (just didn’t mate up with the MR preamp & wish I had a PV5), Musical Fidelity B1, Kailin (fans just too darn loud), MAC1900 (great tuner but early SS harsh sounding amp)

For my notes on speaker ownership & my favorite speakers, please see:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-is-your-speaker-ownership-history-since-1995/post?postid...

Thanks for reading, look forward to hearing from other A’goners :)
128x128lou_setriodes
9 responses Add your response
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes OP
682 posts
 
Never heard any of the Quad electronics; although, I had an early FM4 several years back that I liked very much.  Also, heard the ESL63's once thru 50 watt tube monoblocks and they were indeed very nice.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
I bought a Quad 33/303 combo in 1971 and I still have it (it has been refurbished twice in th emeantime). The Q303 is now in semi retirement (i.e. on loan to my son to drive my old desktop LS3/5a speakers) as I replaced it with a refurbished Quad 606-2. After a move to a bigger house and after replacing my old ELS 57s with the less efficient Quad 2805s I decided I needed more power (and more watts do indeed sound better). The desktop system in my study uses a refurbished Quad 405-2 to drive a pair of Harbeth P3ESRs that replaced the original LS3/5a.
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
The B1 was special. I think it weighed about 80 lbs. 
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes OP
682 posts
 
Always wanted to hear the Epos ES14's, they look like very nice speakers.  The older Yamaha stuff is very interesting too.
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
I picked up a Superphone Rev Basic at a high end dealer in Grand Haven Mi around 1990. It replaced the Luxman. That with the Yamaha B1 amp running epos 14 speakers really sounded good for what I had into them. I was using an Empire Troubadour turntable at that time with a grado signature cartridge on a black widow arm. Odd combination, but it worked.
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes OP
682 posts
 
Boxer - mine was an early Jeff Korneff 6bq5 int amp, Jeff didn't even want me calling it a Korneff as his Korneff 45 amps were much different in build quality from his earlier stuff.....I loved it though and thought it was terrific.

I heard Lowther's once at a show and didn't care for them.  They sounded too bright.  I once heard a pair of Epos ES-11's at Sound by Singer years ago being played on an Adcom 545 amp and it sounded wonderful.

I haven't had too many SS preamps either.  The Superphone Rev Basic Dual Mono was a really nice sounding preamp though.

I've had great luck with a tube preamp and SS amp but am curious to hear what a tube amp and SS preamp would sound like.  
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes OP
682 posts
 
bdp - that's been since 1976, and actually system #6 I had for 5 years, but systems #7-13 I went through in about 6-7 months and then I got out of audio completely for about 4 years.

In 1993, my daughter was born and I had these ProAc Studio 1's on spiked stands and I knew it was only a matter of time when she started crawling that I had to get rid of those speakers.  At that time, I met somebody who was changing gear all the time and I traded the ProAc's for his Paoli monoblocks.  He then traded me the Paoli's and some $$ for the cj MV50 and then the cj + some cash for the Music Reference RM9 and really couldn't afford either at the time, so I traded the RM9 for an AMC CVT3030 + CD6.  I then got sick of audio and with a little one, it just wasn't important at all.  

Four years later, we moved into another home and i wanted to get another system, so I purchased Rob Doorack's (the reviewer from Listener magazine) Creek 5050.

i tend to change more often when I have solid state gear and when I have tubes, tend to keep it a lot longer......
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
Good Lord that's a lotta systems! Why so many? Bored with same old same old? Or just hard to satisfy?
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
+1 on the Korneff amp! They are great products. I run Lowther speakers with an REL sub. The Lowthers demand quality low powered amps, as they are ruthless with anything even marginal. I have a Korneff single ended amp that powers them (currently trying some Valvet single ended SS amps with them, but it's to early to tell if they'll stay). Prior to the Lowthers I was running Epos speakers. Had several amps go across them. The best were Audio Research D40 & Yamaha B1 amps. Very different amps as one (the Yamaha) is solid state & the Audio Research is tubed. In the end I preferred the tubes for their 3d ability. I was just starting my audiophile journey back then so also had several preamps. Never cared for the solid state ones although Stan Warrens designs were pretty good. Tried a SS Mac preamp once (don't remember which one) & hated it. Same with Luxman at the time. Ended up with a Melos 222 which I'm still using today. In regard to analog, I really think the Rega 300 arm was way overstated in the audiophile world. Bought an old Victor arm (from the 80's) for about the same money & it absolutely blew it away. Replaced the Victor with a Polestar arm which is very understated in regard to reviews but to my ears about as neutral as they get. Very impressed with it. I've had several cartridges over the years. The standouts were dynavector karet & Clearaudio's MC concept. Denons flagship & the Benz L2 were also good but paled in comparison to the other two mentioned. I haven't gotten into the digital high end world but am impressed with the measly priced Parasound ZDAC. It appears that digital has made some considerable leaps in sound quality since the late 80's so will probably put some effort to that at some point in the future. That's it for now. 
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