HOW DID YOU END UP WITH YOUR DREAM SYSTEM?

As I mentioned near the close of the last record
This record you are now playing
Is another example of the Completion Backward Principle
If you can possibly manage the time
Please play both sides at one meeting 

Some already know my stance in this reverie, but some expansion of my local focal locus in this universe....whichever one it may be....🤷‍♂️ *laugh*

Long ago, I dispersed a rather nice collection of bits so's not to drag them about, doomed to dust in storage for an unknown span.  Kept a couple of items that I knew then they'd been and would remain the 'odd but very useful' items that would be difficult if not improbable to replace...

Upon reaching a landing more 'permanent', time spent settling the dust and an income stream, it was obvious that to return to that audiostrata would require +/- 2X$ to do so......which has repeated itself in the interim a few times, enough to make SOTA  SOOR: " Sota' Out Of Reach."

One could consider that a kick in the cojones' , but in stead took on the not-so-lost-'lean can be mean' scheme....likely for less than the lucky few will spend for a cable....yeah, one.

In same recent return to the flay, I recalled a fascinating stumble into a pair of new Ohm F's very long ago...about the same time I ran into the fledgling ESS brand prior to the Heils' which happened not long after....own 4 of the large drivers...

I make my own walsh drivers these days...spend too much time enjoying than I ought, but whattya say at the end of the day.... ;)

Enjoy where you are until you don't....

Watch for those post- holidaze ads...and have a wonderful Christmas. *5's * 

Couldn’t agree more that listening to music should bring you joy.  Nothing better than ending the day listening to music you love.  Having a system you love is living the dream.  As Hans always says, enjoy the music.  Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a happy New Year to all!  

@calvinj I fully agree with you, music is one thing that has consistently brought me joy and has often gotten me through some rough patches in life.  I also feel that I have achieved my "dream" sound within the confines of my modest listening space.  My "dream" system would be some financially unattainable system housed in a dedicated listening room that I will never have. Its ok to dream, but I have finally achieved the sonic contentment I have been chasing all my life. My system may have costed a fraction of yours, but it would still be considered an obscene amount of money to spend on music reproduction to my friends and relatives.  Its a strange and unique club us audiophiles belong to and I'm glad to be a member. 

A life of crime.

Not quite but close. I several times considered selling a kidney for a component (but have not. yet)

@calvinj wrote:

I want to know for those who have arrived got their best system together. What is the story behind how you ended up with your gear

Some 10 years ago I started to resaddle into a different approach with speakers that are high efficiency and at least partially horn-loaded, with the initial intention to use low powered SET amps in conjunction with these. While the combo of all-horn speakers and SET’s offer a sonically alluring and extremely well-sounding solution, I slowly veered into a different direction with dedicated horn-based subs, large format pro segment horns, direct radiating mid bass section, SS amplification (eventually class A/B) and outboard active configuration.

Macro parameters were then sought with proper height of acoustic center, smooth power response at the crossover between midbass and horn section above (i.e.: sameness in directivity pattern here, which requires of the mids/tweeter horn to be large to control directivity that low), relatively unrestricted LF extension down to 20-25Hz, virtually unlimited macro dynamic envelope for effortless reproduction at every desired SPL, optimizing the amp to driver interface with active configuration, and finally taking advantage of a high quality digital crossover/DSP for use with horns and the requirements here for delay settings, steep filter slopes (to keep the horn sections within their safe and sonically best operating range), filter notches, PEQ’s, etc.

From this physically and acoustically appropriate framework, which is a requirement for me in whatever form or shape a specific setup would take (but which is still somewhat dictated due to these requirements), there’s a fairly meticulous tweaking process that’s ongoing. There are no severe bottlenecks in my setup as is; a some 10-12 old ref. model DAC/preamp that’s still excellent sounding compared to new iterations, a high quality DSP, great studio amps and cabling (mainly Mundorf silver/gold), and high quality pro drivers. Dedicated, some 50 year old JBL Alnico tweeters will be implemented over the next month or two.

.. and will you be happy for a long time with it.

Most surely, already have been for some years now, and it will only be better in the following years with further tweaking and smaller modifications here and there. Whatever changes may come down the road will be in keeping with the overall philosophy as outlined above.