The BEST system you've ever built !!!!

This is the best thread I have looked at so far on Audiogoninsane. There's enough here to keep a legion of psychiatrists working for two careers. I took a stab at an answer to another great egomaniacal question about the minimum amount required for a true SOTA system, where Albertporter started the bidding above 100K, by asking if he had been locked up yet. I didn't send it in, thinking it too impolite. Obviously he is still out and about. I congratulate him on his ability to elude the mundane and wish him the best listening to his system. I am impressed, nay humbled by his arcane knowledge of things hi fi and his great grasp of the quintessence of reproduced music. If I didn't know better, I would think the whole thing is a hoax. For that kind of money I would insist on a few live musicians dropping in daily after my hard day's work is done to provide some real music. I think audio has gone full circle and is actually munching on its tail at this point.

roksan kandy amp-sherwood newcastle 5 disc changer(dual 1 bit converters)-monitor audio bronze floorstanders.CHEAP ixos interconnects-audioquest type 2 speaker cables with spades.this system had almost the best speed and DEPTH of sound than ive heard from almost any system(regardless of price).the only thing lacking was deep bass-if you used outlaw audios new icbm external crossover you could use the direct input on a sub thus giving you likely a simple and incredible system for the money.the cd player could probably be replaced with any other player(except maybe those using single 1 bit converters) for as good or better results-same goes for the interconnect-but not the speaker cable-any audioquest interconnect might be a good upgrade.

the trick (as with all engineering) is to get great sound on a fixed budget (thereby ensuring one also has a happy marriage, a small mortgage, and a lower stress job which allows time to listen to the rig).
I love my current system. Even my mother-in-law loves my current system. Front-back: Marantz CD67(new) - Monarchy 22A DAC (used) - Densen B-100 amp(new) - spica angelus(used) - REL strata 3(used) - all cables homemade. Total cost, about $2600 USD.

I had to sell my system again seems like its every 6 months now.Dont no why they all where great.Now I have a mighty tivoli audio model one with black diamond racing cones, blue tacked to the bottom ,also I use a magnum dynalabs antena.The thing just keeps surprising me with its fidelity.I have no desires to sell or further upgrade this fine system. Why do I keep selling my big well matched rigs ?I dont know.I have just started to assemble another system centered arround avant garde duos maybe this time it will work for me .I think I just like the hardwhere to much.what can you do.

Yes, still working on it! And, actually, I think I might upgrade the speakers someday to the next model up. But here it is...It's an ACTIVE set-up using Sonus Faber Electa Amator's (original 1 versions), modified to bypass the simple internal crossover, using an out board electronic crossover (Bryston 10b special), driving both set's of drivers "actively" with Dual high current Threshold T200's with 100w/ch pure class A operating amplification. The preamp for all this is the Pass Aleph L passive/active (virtually tranasparent and amazingly hyper detailed(the Electa's sound much better with Solid state stuff!). The stands are Osiris ehavy dubty stands filled with lead and a tiny bit of sand and glue (stands are 140lbs each!!).
The cabling for all of this is Harmonic Tech Pro-11 (dual runs bi-wire/amp), which is very transparent and detailed (great stuff!), interconnects are Acoustic Zen Matrix on bottom and Ref Silver on top pressently.
The tuner I'm using is a way way over achiever for the money, which is the Creek T43. (only $700 retail, but competes with much much more expensive!).
The CD Source I'm using, which is also being upgraded to separets eventually, is a modest, but way too good sounding Panasonic DVDA310 DVD player! (yes, it sounds cheep, but sounds like several thousand dollar CD players!!..really!). Anyway, probably wait till the formats settle down a bit before I upgrade. As for the power conditioner/source, I'm using the PS Audio P300 for everything but the amps!(in the wall pressently)
Ultimately, I've heard a ton of sytems from years of working in several ultra high ends shops, and have installed and sold a ton of gear, plus gone to the shows and what have you. And, I must say, you can probably not get any significantly better overall sound that what I'm using right now! Not to mention the gear I'm using is pretty decent foundation for my medium sized room (2 channel only), but the ACTIVE set-up, driving the speakers directly with the amplifiers (bypassing the internal crossover), is so much more dynamic and realistic than the standard high end dainty, that it makes everything else seem like flat weak sound! I mean the dynamics are so strong it hurts!!! We're talking about just about as close to Dynamic transparancy as you can get!...very real! you simply can't get this kind of pressence, dynamic finess, and solidity of image that you get from the "active" set-up! The only thing I can think of that sounds close to being this strong in this regard, is something like Avantegard horn loaded speakers, at unrealistic sensetivity ratings!
I don't know, I've tried all the high end delicate little "non dynamic" speaker choices out there over the years, and can say that I'm pretty tired of anemic dynamic drive and realism that most of them offer. And believe me, most of it is pretty, polite, and just not that exciting if you play anything that "rocks", "rolls", thumps" or "bumps!"
In this regards some of the mid-fi "self powered" speakers with amplified sub's do better than a lot of the purist audiophile offerings! I've sold Thiel, Wilson (better than most), Dunlavy's, B&W, NHT, Magnaplan, Martin Logan, Celestion, Infinity, Mirage, and others, so I can say this with experience!
I think the manufacturers of high end gear can only go to active set-up/speakers if they want to improve over anything that' been marketed over the last 30 years! ACTIVE is the way to go if you want to get to that illusive "you-are-there" sound reproduction! The thing that the pro-audio industry has known for some time, is that active speakers are simply more realistic and dynamic/life like transducers of sound! If there's really going to be any strides in Audio speakers, it's going to have to go this way, or the way of ultra high sensiitivity quality speakers! Everything else has been done over and over again (only with different labels!).
Anyway, eventually I'm going to work on my Surround sound system a bit more. Probably end up doing some hi resolution monitors all the way around eventually, doing an active(modified) set up, using some Diappolito configured speakers like dunlavy's, or go crazy and play around with moding some Wilson Cubs!..and do some killer sub/sat(active) combo w/multiple subs!!!...bang!..the glory!
And if you ask me,..."it's all about ACTIVE baby!"...