What has been a favourite moment in Audio?

I have another moment.  It might take longer to get there than necessary.

About 7 years ago, I hadn't had much of any hifi for 15 years.  On this part of the journey I started with an RME ADI2 DAC and a B&W Zeppelin - I think there have been 3 models - this was the middle one which has analogue audio in.  I use it as a sound bar.  I bought a Cyrus CD transport.  TV, sound bar, music - all good.  I liked the Cyrus - quirky - sounded fine to me through the Zeppelin.

A year or 2 later I visited 2 hifi shops to listen to Cyrus and B&W.  The Cyrus amp was underwhelming.

So onto the place with B&W.  I listened in their intermediate room to 7 series speakers - OK I thought.  Now let's listen to 'the big boys'.

I didn't hear the speakers.  I heard the amplifier.  It was McIntosh.  I was blown away.  I had never heard anything like it.  Nearly ten times the price of the Cyrus.  This was my audio moment.

I have kept it really simple.  It is McIntosh and B&W for me.  There are so many choices - it could be endless comparing.

First the headphone amp.  Then 805D3.  The amp - and as wonderful it is to have an ability to drive speakers - it was underpowered.  At 40% it would run out of ability.

I ordered an MA8900, but then heard a review about the largest Mc integrated.  Even though this integrated is barely any difference in price to similar separates, the reviewers said get this one.

It is amazing how well it drives these poor little speakers.  Depending on beverage level and music type - 40 to 60%

A friend and I tried Oxygene at 70%.  It sounded fantastic!  Possibly too many beverages?  I cannot remember if this was the time when the amp started giving warnings "Whoa slow down lads!"

Putting in my first hearing aid after years of needing one. Brought tears to my eyes when I turned on the stereo.

Watching 2 new in box GEC Gold Lion KT88s red plate and flash and die in a Michaelson & Austin TVA-1.

$1000 gone in a few seconds.  

@jonwolfpell bursting into flames is funnier than a bunny de-hatted.  Both together would be wonderful.  If I saw a bunny's hat blown off (not Hugh's type of bunny, nor a rabbit) from a a sub, and the whole lot burst into flames, I would consider "It doesn't get better than this!"

I have a 1/2 size commercial fire extinguisher in my hifi room.  About $100?  Spend the money - buy one.  It is good for most fires extinguishable.

I had an oven that 'had an issue'.  The RCD kicked in straight away.  The electrician came round and we flipped the RCD, set the time on the oven, and then an extremely nasty electrical sound from it with the RCD flipped again.  We both instantly jumped back.  It had that smell of fried equipment.  When we looked at the circuit board - we could see - the oven was finished.

Playing my mother's Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and James Taylor records on her Gerard turntable,  Kenwood receiver out to her AR speakers drinking Pepsi doing pushups in front of the woodstove on a zero degree F night.  

@lrlacosse It was probably around 1976 that I got my first real stereo. I earned the money by helping my grandfather on the farm and erecting irrigation pivots. An older cousin sold electronics and he let me finance it.  A big Panasonic receiver with built-in 8 track.  Altec Lansing speakers, and BSR turntable.

Your mention of Radio Shack reminded me of a funny story. My first job out of college was working for Tandy.  Anyway, one night there was nobody in the store except me and my manager. Small store.  A lady walks in and is browsing the next aisle over. I get a whiff of some awful smell, so I blurt out "geez, Chuck. What did you do? Sh*t yourself?".  He slowly shook his head and mouthed the word "nooo".  Needless to say, we did not make a sale to that lady. Lol

My first stereo, purchased in 1973.  I had to save up for "half" the cost as my Dad provided the other half.  I was 13 then.  Radio Shack "Realistic" shelf system.  I thought it was the greatest thing in the world!

I saw two very funny things in an audio store in about 1980 in Cambridge, MA where my brother worked. The NAD 3020 Integrated amp was the new “hot” thing in very affordable & good sounding amp but had limited power & quality/ reliability issues. While listening to a demo & the salesperson’s hype on how good it was, it literally burst into flames filling the room w/ a horrible smelling smoke.

Then another time I heard a salesperson explains to a customer when it was taking so long to set up his new to the market NAD turntable because the tech doing it was very meticulous & it would be perfect & sound amazing ! I then walked into another room where I could see someone bent over the turntable saying “ what a piece of crap!”. It turns out the geometry of the included arm was wrong & a cartridge couldn’t be properly aligned ever. So funny! He became a good friend & went to design & build high end cables first for Audioquest & then his own company.

Thanks for the story and now imagery I’ll never forget.  It made me remember when I went back to a 2 channel music only system a couple of years ago.  I was listening to Who’s Next, my favorite and go to 1st play/test album.  At the end of the 1st song, Baba O’Riley, when Keith Moon’s drums come up out of the background and build over time.  Put goosebumps on my arm and a smile on my face.  That’s a favorite audio moment for me.  Not very bunny but it’s what I’ve got to share.  

I’m flying by the seat of my pants when posting pics/links these days, but yes - unless you have a storage site the "already" works if it up for public use.

Not about in/out from my side, but curiously funny as far a subs go, IMO.

I enjoy "entertaining" Youtube videos - even more-so in this day and age.

DeKay

@dekay I like.  Possibly a joke about garbage in, garbage out.  Good use of a wheelie bin.  How do I post an image of the de-hatting?  Does it need to link to where it is already online?  It seems that way.

I’m not a sub-person (really), but I imagine that it went something like this...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DHGjFdnGT_Q

DeKay

@thecarpathian My bad.  That is funny!  Cheers dekay.  Not those kinds of bunnies.  But I reckon you could blow the hat off one of those bunnies with the correctly calibrated sub.  We need a different funny story.  We have all the imagery required for my one.

@bilateral ,

That would be Hugh Hefner.

Next you'll be telling us they were real live rabbits. 

@dekay (that feature hadn't worked before) I might be embarrassed to not know who Hugh is.  I have a cousin named Hugh.  I will assume it isn't him and I have not talked about this with him.  He has nothing to say about it.

What did Hugh have to say about it?

DeKay