H2O Signature. It is By far the best amp I have ever heard. |
the Von Gaylord LAD-L2 Preamp. I sold a BAT VK51 SE after hearing this pre and i think it can hold it's own with the VTL |
Easy ...
Audio Research SP10 Mk11
Audio Research D115 Mk11
Mark Levinson ML2 (a little known but awesome class A trannie)
DNM Series 3a Six Pack Pre Amp
Martin Logan CLS with Kinergetics SW800 Subwoofer
Oxford Crytal Reference turntable with Airtangent arm and Koetsu Rosewood signature cartridge
Fourier Components Sans Pareil OTL Valve Amps
California Audio Labs Tempest II SE Cd |
Cambridge Audio for the money
Jolida 1501a hybrid integrated just sounds right, cost practically nothing and is a keeper. |
Then and now. The first system that opened my ears to what audio was all about was in 1972-ish: Dynaco tube pre- and power amps, Garrard Zero100C turntable, and Pioneer CS99A (15" woofer, 4-way) speakers. Of course, in retrospect, it wasn't that spectacular but it was head and shoulders above the consoles (or portable radios) most of my friends' families listened to. So it got the journey started...
I've heard lots of great gear since then, but I still think my favorite was Wadia front end feeding VTL 7.5 preamp, with big Ayre amps driving Vandersteen 5a's in a well-treated room. Immediacy, pace, rhythym, really good tonal balance -- speakers disappeared and left the singer in the room with me. Sigh... |
upon first listen, i've been knocked out by:
Dodson DA-218 DAC
Reimyo CDP-777
Vandersteen 5A
Aesthetix Callisto
Placette active linestage
Silversmith Audio Silver and Palladium cables |
Klipschorns and Tannoy Little Reds. |
Back in 1976, I heard a pair of Frasier loudspeakers (model unknown but they were about the size of small refrigerators). They were driven by a 350 wpc Phase Linear amp and Phase Linear auto correlation preamp. Dunno what kind of turntable and cartridge. For the first time, it seemed like the musicians were in the room with me. It started me down the audio path in one listen. |
When I first had to do something pro, this was my first experience - back in college. I boggled at how life-like and artifact free that first master was. |
In no particular order, and over the course of 33 years:
1/ Dahlquist DQ10 speaker in 1975. Amplification was Audio Research Dual-76A with ARC SP3a1 preamp. In the context of what was known in 1975, this speaker was a revelation.
2/ Julius Futterman-constructed hand-wired mono tube amps. Speakers were Quad ESL and preamp was Audio Research SP3a1. Still sensational.
3/ New York Audio Labs NCP-2 preamp
4/ McIntosh MC1201 power amps (one of the few amps to shove a speaker crossover out of the way of the music, if you know what I mean). Mac MC501s are nearly as effective.
5/ Audiopax 88 power amps. Want to hear new details on recordings you've been listening to for 30 or 40 years? Buy these amps.
6/ Souther Engineering Linear Tracking Tonearm
7/ Audio Physics Virgo & VAC Avatar integrated tube amp together -- simple and heavenly
8/ Zu Definition loudspeakers - just about the end of the road.
9/ KR Kronzilla amps - BLAM!
10/ Denon DL103D phono cartridge - doing things right since about 1964.
Phil |
Component that "Knocked Me Out" the first time was the tube radio in a 1953 Pontiac that hit me in the head when I was trying to swap the OZ3 regulator.
After I woke up it sounded great! Best of all, that evening I could listen with my girl at the Mansfield drive in during intermission when they had nothing great going on the screen.
You all remember that don't you? |
When I listened to my Jadis JA-500 monoblocks at a dealer's, I was astonished with their clarity, hsoundstage and three dimensionality. In an extensive evaluation session, the Jadis was compared with 6 or 7 other top notch amps. The differences were so hugely obvious that no other amp stayed for more than 10 minutes. I thought the Jadis amps knocked me down, and I ended up buying the pair and continue to live with them.
GD |
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Seeing Alberts name up there reminded me of the time I was at his place and his big Soundlab speaker tipped over and fell on me. I was out for about fifteen minutes. |
Nrchy,
My conscience has been bothering me, it's time to fess up. Remember when you were here and you thought a pick pocket had taken your wallet?
Well, when you were out cold from the "big bang" speaker, I snagged your cash to help pay for system upgrades.
Knowing what a music lover you are, I assumed it would be OK. You'll forgive me won't you? |
Albert after that stunning display of honesty how could I do anything but forgive you. Actually I would like to reward you for your honesty, and will be sending you my credit card to with as you please. |
Speakers: Magnepan tympani 1Ds, stacked Quads, Dayton Wright XG-8's (leaf tweeter version), Apogee divas, Hill Plasmatronics
Electronics: Early Threshold and Krell class A amps
Turntable: Linn Sondek with dynavector 505 arm and dynavector ruby cartridge
ICs&PCs: Still looking but so far K-works makes very nice cables
Speaker Cable: Apex Signature (no longer looking) |
My special edition Audion Silver Night PX25 with all the silver in it. I got goosebumps the first time I heard it and they haven't gone down yet.
The Fab Audio Model 1 speakers - perfectly consonant with my tastes in sound.
Kimber Select 3038 speaker cables. They have an "OK, I'm done" sort of sound... |
I purchased a 1962 Sherwood S-7700 using the 4 7868 output tubes. I hooked it up to my Electro Voice 12-TRX's that were in bass reflex cabs at the time. I will never forget the <25hz bass that was produced with vinyl. My wife said, "My God!" |
In chronological order: Magnepan tympani 1D with Crown electronics (late 1970's), Beveridge electrostatic SW2 (1970's), Hill plasmatronics (early 1980's), dayton wright XG-8 electrostatic with leaf tweeter; threshold and krell electronics (1980's), Apogee Divas and Duetta Signatures (mid 1980's), Innersound Eros (2000). |
Walked into Innovative Audio here in Brooklyn about 7 years ago. Heard the Wilson Watt/Puppy with VPI TT. don't remember the pre and the amps(all tubes as I remember, could be VTL), but the sound I heard was amazing. Soundstage was so good, I didn't even have to close my eyes to see Nataly Cole standing right there and singing Unforgettable. The best I ever heard... |
Mine, Viva Solista integrated amp with any good and easy to drive speaker. It feels you are sitting with Miles and Thelonious. They are so there. In front of you. You feel the bass. It's real. Not disco/club-like-type-of-bass, sort of like wooosh!. No. The type of bass you feel like woomp, right in the stomach. The real velvety sound of bass. Not the electric one. Electric bass makes our ears so distorted (very different from live music.) The Viva was as close to live music as I ever heard. (Also, I would add the latest VTL with the JM Lab Grande Utopia; and I really enjoyed the Wilson Sophia with the T+A; finally the Sonus Faber Grand Piano with the McIntosh 2275. Beautiful sound).
Funny you mentioned the Creek 4040. I was just talking to a very good friend of mine. He is a well-regarded engineer for a high quality audiophile brand. I will not mention his name. He said that the 4040 had something unique, which was lost in later designs, that made it as good as some five figure amps. He got me so intrigued that I bought one used, just to try. I will receive it in a couple of weeks and will let you know. I will try it with Triangle Celius and the Wavelength Audio USB DAC; and will compare it against my Audio Aero Integrated. I look forward to.
Good post.
Josep |
The Tom Evans Linear A amplifier. Ten minutes after I powered it on I knew it eclipsed any other amp I'd heard. It's hard to convey in words what a transformative audio experience this amplifier has been for me. It's bewilderingly good. |
Sound Lab A-1. Big in every way, subtle also.
Supratek Syrah. Fantastique tube line and phono preamp.
Supratek Cabernet. Closer to the truth even then the Syrah.
EMM Labs CDSD transport and DCC2 Digital Control Center. An impressive music machine. |
Magnapan's with Conrad Johnson in 1981. That system got me into High End audio. |
Spica TC-60s. Incredible value. But, they're a bugger to position. Got 'em two weeks ago, and am still trying to find the best arrangement. They don't respond as expected to position changes. They were muddy, flat, and imaged poorly on 26" stands 5' from the front wall and 2' from the side walls, toed-in, in a 12x19 room. At 4' from front wall and 18" from side walls, imaging was great, but bass was still thick. Pushed 'em toward the corners for furniture reasons, expecting bass to get deeper. Nope. At 2' from front wall and 6" (six inches!) from side walls, bass is evened out, lower midrange is no longer congested, and imaging is going gangbusters. Counterintuitive, but furniture-friendly. Still experimenting. The one absolute of positioning these things is that they have to be aimed right at the throne.
Imaging is hot on the heels of $3,000 Gallo Reference 3s and Martin Logan Aeons. |
Hill Plasmatronics 1A. Still do! One reviewer made an apt comparison. The Plasmatronics are the audio equivalent of an SR-71A Blackbird... everything else is a Cessna 150. When you play back a recording of a telephone ringing on a pair of Hills, everyone in the house walks over to the phone and picks it up. Nothing else even comes close...
For daily listening I use Quad 988's and 63's, Gale GS401A's, and Lecson HL1's... The Gales are best for getting dressed in the morning, the 988's best for sitting down and reading to FM classical music, the HL1's for something a little funky. |
Years ago: Audio Physic Caldera Loudspeakers, the older, three box version. Nothing else ever came close, listening to multiple speakers over a span of several years, until I found Intuitive Design Summits, which I think may be even better. |
The Aesthetix IO - After 25yrs in the hobby, it blew me away. |
Without a single trace of doubt: Tidal Contriva loudspeakers (the 2005 model with ceramic mid drivers) last May.
I had been looking for "definitive" speakers for over 3 years and auditioned a number of B&W 8 series, Wilson Audio Sophia, Audiodata Avance, etc., and yes, I had also heard Avalons at audio fairs. In the end, I was "sure", it would have be the Sonus Faber Amati Hommage.
And then, I sort of stumbled across the Tidal Audio website. I had never heard of the equipment but was intrigued. It turned out, in Germany there aren't even stores that sell the equipment, so a pair of Contrivas was delivered to our apartment by the Tidal people for auditioning (250 kilos two stores high, poor blokes). They didn't have to worry about lugging them down again: After some Ron Carter, Rosa Passos, Sarah K., Marc Moulin and Glenn Gould both my wife and I knew we had to have these and sat listening to music until very late in the night! 3 years against a half hour to find the Holy Grail of Speakerdom! And, never mind their weight, they look blindingly beautiful on top (look at Audionut2005's system - hope you don't mind Jörg) |
I first listened to Martin-Logans in 1994 and immediately bought a pair of Aerius-i speakers, since I couldn't afford anything beyond that price point. A number of different speakers followed during the next 12 years (eg, B&W, Tylers, Thiel), but in 2005 I finally found the speakers that I'd been pursuing ... C&C SuperAbbys and Bailey sub. After 15 months, it's still a total thrill to listen to music through these wonderful speakers |
MIT power conditioning products while evaluating top level Krell and Mark Levinson power amps. Stunning ! |
KLH Model 9 electrostatic speakers with Marantz Model 9 and/or Futterman H-3 amp with a Dyanco PAT3 preamp. Turntable was either a Toshiba which had a pencil thin arm with an electret cartridge or it was a Garrard fitted with a Stanton EE. It's been a while (late 60's) but that's a general idea of the set up. |
Quad 988.
Klipschorn and many other klipsch speakers were my main stay - but I had been wanting to improve the midrange tone. Heard many other "high end" speakers JM Focal, Tannoy, 801's, and on and on... sorry to all who disagree, but Klipsh's design from the 1940's beats them all. BUT... When I heard the 988 - I thought I had gone to heaven - brought a pair home then very next week. Happily ever after... |
Grateful, your last name is not "Dead" is it?
If yes, would you autograph some LP's for me? |
Rogers LS3/5A w/Janis subwoofers. The amps were classic tube designs (I think 70's marantz) with a Linn LP-12 source. My first experience with a true high-performance system and it was absolutely mind blowing at the time. I still have my LS3/5A speakers in my office and hear them everyday - still love 'em!
More recently, the Metronome Kalista transport - reinforces the idea the source component is THE most important. |
Jeff Rowland 100 Watt Stereo Solid State amplifier and matching Preamplifer. They were hooked up to Vandersteen 3a speakers and were fed by a unknown very high end turntable with a Denon DL-103 cartridge. This was in 1993 while in Hawaii. |
H2O's Fire preamp tops my list now. |
21 700 wpc Phase linear amps driving six towers and an overhead unit at PF's inaugural Dark Side Of the moon tour, 1973.
In 1990, it was a pair of the biggest maggies being driven by two Mark Levinson 100 wpc monos w/ML pre, and the Sony/phillips transport/DAC... or maybe it was '88.
in 2003 it was an all thor poered VR4 JR sytem with Cary Audio's top tube Cd player. thor 30wpc mono's + the MK II pre.
2006, my own gear. I fall short of the Floyd gear a mite. Not wuite the imaging of the Magggies and ML, but better sonics. flip a coin between this and the thor... thor's more the natural, perhaps... and mine is nearly the weight and much bigger sound stage... and far louder. |
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Reply to Albertporter,
No my last name is not Dead ;) But the login, Grateful, is an ole to my younger days -- However, I must confess; 'American Beauty' sounds as stellar as 'Introducing The Elmo Hope Trio' on the Quads.
"...all you have to do is smile, smile, smile" |
I believe a system that has blown me away the most was
probably at a montreal hi-fi exibition in what was called
the audio Center room,here in this huge listening invironment
was a Marklevinson and wilson set up.
First there was one pair of Grand Slamms in the front and a
pair of wilson Maxx in the rear combinded whith a watch-dog
in the middle.Electronics composed of a pair of H33 mono-
blocks by ML,the rest was reference stuff by ML.
The sound was soooo large and awesome even though it was in
a gigantic room still to this day five yrs later I seriously
wonder if Ill ever have the chance to here something as
jaw dropping as that set-up. |
I had a Classe 400 that Was doing a fine job, until I sat this little Acoustic reality ICE amp down next to it. Way more open on both extremes, much better bass, and a much cleaner sound without being digital. I could not believe all that from 12 lbs monoblocks, crazy. |
The radio in the fire engine as I responded to my first fire over 23 years ago.
And the job is STILL exciting! |
JBL L150A's........ONE OF THE BEST SOUNDING SPEAKERS EVER MADE!........... |
Passive preamp!
Totally blown away when I first tried a passive pre. It was the reference line preeminence 1b. My jaw dropped.
That and when I started making my own thick solid core cables and interconnects. |
System-wise - dCS P8i ~ Focus Audio Master 2 ~ Vitus Amps;
Individual Component-wise - Focus Audio FS-888, Magico Model 6, PrimaLuna Prologue 2, Yamamoto HA-02, Zu Definition Pro's, Rogue Audio M150's, Aurum Cantus V3M, REL R505, Pathos ClassicOne |
the best system that knocked my socks off was back in 1979-80,I was 19-20 y/o I walked into Northridge audio,northridge ca,and heard for the first time- accustat model 3 with accustat tnt amp/preamp comb.and the kenwood kd5500 (marble base table )I think it had a dynavector cart .From that point on I was hooked ,since then my wife calls be a geekphile instead of a audiophile,lol.My system now is all Mac intosh /w maggies 3.6 ..love it!!!!!!!!!!! harry T |
Avantegarde Duo driven by Audiopax Model 88s. I too have been an audiophile since the mid 70's. I have been a fan of Rogers, ESS AMT 1B's, Magnapans, Dalquist, Acoustats, KEFs, Infinity Composition Preludes, Usher AC-10s, ....but they all sounded like stereo. Being the only thing I like better than listening to stereo is listening to live music. The Avantgarde Duos were the first speaker that completely caught me off guard (because I HATED horns) and changed my perception of what a dynamic loudspeaker should sound like...live music. They truly have the ability to touch you on an emotional level. I have, no kidding, seen grown men weep... |
Lavardin amplification, Avantgarde loudspeakers, and to a lesser extent Totem Model Ones. |
