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Biggest bucks = Satifaction? Hmmmmm...

With a self-classification as "rookie", "newbie", or, best yet, "audio ignoramus", I ponder the signifigant satisfaction fellow members have enjoyed (or failed such) with their highest dollar acquisitions.

Before "The Fever" got me, my biggest buy was a $1k Kenwood rack system bought from Circuit City (jeez, I hated that salesman...but it was Circuit City or Sears, can you blame me?) 10 years ago. That system was fine until I heard a MacIntosh at the local high end shop (just by chance - I buy my CDs there). I was blown away, not just by the sound, but by the cost factor as well. I knew I had to start upgrading, so over the past two years I have, in my humble opinion, built a fine beginner system. My highest dollar buy has been a pair of B&W CDM9NTs, and even though I paid full retail for them, they have rewarded my expenditure twenty-fold, delight to the point that they rank very low on my near-future upgrade list.

How about you? What single audio component most severely damaged your pocketbook, and was it worth it?

Cheers, Steve...
zootallures
hifiho
50 posts
 
I think speakers are going to take the cake here. Hands down. My upgrade from Paradigm Studio Monitors (yeah... the "Originals", not the newer, "Reference" crap! What a waste of R&D) to NHT 3.3's. That was a nice step up. Demo's for $2K. Not a megabucks upgrade, but definitely the most pleasurable.
david99
1,467 posts
 
I have the Paradigm Reference crap. The Studio 80 v-1's (floor demos) to be exact.Crap sounds pretty damn good to my ears! And yes, I gave you the negative hits.Watch what you say about other peoples choices here.Lots of people feel NHT is crap too but to each their own.The Paradigm Reference series has received awesome reviews,as have many NHT speakers.Peace!
As to the question regarding this thread.My Rogue Audio 99 preamp (new) with phono and NOS Russian 6SN7 line stage tubes and NOS Telefunken and Radiotechnique phono stage tubes and BDR Racing cones #4's for it to sit on hurt the pocket book profoundly and keeps me driving a Hyandai Excel :( I want an older classic black BMW!!!
longplate
48 posts
 
I agree with David double 9. When I was selling Paradigm a dealer down the road sold NHT. I lost count of how many people traded in their NHTs for Paradigm.I was underwelmed by the first series Reference, The series 2 was a whole different animal..They were a product that really sold themselves. You could put the Studio 100s up against speakers costing 4-5 grand...and we did. 70% bought the Paradigms. And almost all of them were looking for speakers in the 4-5grand range.
ikarus
113 posts
 
ML 32. I am not sure whether it was a good thing that I bought it though. That thing is so good and refined, I started having doubts about rest of my stuff - primarily power amp & speakers. It's predecessor - KRC-HR is no slouch either, but, 32, IMHO is a class of its own.
mapleleaf
30 posts
 
David99,

So Stereophile is on the money...all audiophiles secretly wish to drive BMW's!

As to what made the most profound changes to my system, I'd have to say my VansEvers PLC. Pretty cheap too, compared to other stuff bandied about.
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