Sound qualities set aside... What is the most beautiful component in your system. If you can please provide links to a picture of it. For me it is my Basis 1400 turntable. This turntable is a piece of art. Unfortunately, I cannot find Basis' home page.
hmmmm....I would say my Usher BE-10 speakers or my Esoteric P-03/D-05 transport/dac combo...both have amazing build quality and a very nice look to them (to me anyway).
Almost all of my components happen to be totally utilitarian, with little concession to aesthetics. The Naim 555CDP looks okay, if you like all black, with no decoration. My linestage, Emotive Audio Epifania, is also purely form-follows-function, but the wood base is made of very nice tiger maple slabs (not veneer).
Just came across this thread again. Since my last report many components have been added ( and some left).
The Original La Luce by SpJ is still the most beautiful among my newer addditions: Clearaudio Master Ref on Clearaudio Everest Stand- beautiful Metronome Kalista Transport- sexy Zanden Signature Transport 2000 - Elegant Zanden monoblock amps 9600 - beautiful I was really sorry to let my MBL 6010D preamp and Jadis orchestra go as they were both also really beautiful!!
My Audio Research, Bel Canto and Dynaudio stuff is very nice looking for audio gear. Even the Carver stuff though build quality is technically lesser. But I would not go so far as to call any audio gear beautiful, with the one exception I noted in my post above.
I had a Norwegian beauty, a Tandberg tr2080 receiver for years. Maybe..... Tandberg gear is visually one of my favorites in general and also great performers, but most of it is getting up in years these days.
My custom two inch thick, 200lb. Pommelle Sapele-finshed custom built enclosures, housing updated Tannoy HDP 315's, with custom-designed/built crossovers.
Speakers: Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage (original ones in Walnut).
Amp: My Art Audio Symphony II. At night with 300b mesh plates and the 2 small blue crystals reflecting on the stainless steel (looks like chrome) chassis.
I have a very simple three component system: Zu Def 4s and Ancient Audio CDP and SET. All three are beautiful. Their physical appearance was a consideration when I selected each of them. Given the current number of high quality audio products, there is no reason to exclude looks when making a purchase. Everything must be designed; no component looks the way it does by chance. Why not include aesthetics into the design of a product?
What's wrong with Lady Gaga cuing up? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder I suppose. Me? I sometimes like a little edginess and that girl fits the bill, so there!
The Parasound Halo A21. Most of my stuff is black and the result of too much logic, left brained thinking and not enough passion! Not so the A21, and although I'm sure there are prettier girls at the ball, Parasound really did a nice job with the big Halo models.
I do like the solid wood (not veneer) bases on Emotive Audio gear. My Epifania linestage also has the tiger maple wood base and it is quite nice looking.
If other than in my audio system, I just bought a kitchen faucet aerator with built in LEDs that changes color to reflect the water temperature. Pretty...... My wife does not like it though because the water pressure results in a splashed and messy sink.
Magneplanar Tympani T-IVa loudspeakers, black cloth and dark wood side rails. Elegant simplicity.
My favorite looking amplifier is the Atma-Sphere M60, with the chrome-plated version of the round-cornered power transformer cover (and it's 50's-style UV meter). Very cool.
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