I have a CJ PV5 and MV75 "in process" now, that I hope to receive by the end of the month. I also have an ARC SP8 that had some "upgrades" done, but I decided to push it a little further, and don't have it back yet. My turntable is a 25-year old Linn LP12, and I'm on my second Koetsu Black (although it is relatively new), and I have a 25 year old Koetsu step-up transformer.
In a sense, I suppose you could say that I'm "cheating" because almost all of these pieces have been/are being "updated." So be it--I don't think the basic tonal structure is changing. The irony is that, although these particular CJ and ARC pieces are new to me, they are virtually identical to the gear I used in the 80's...along with the Linn, Koetsu, etc. So I am more or less in the process of recreating the system I used 20-25 years ago...with, I hope, a bit cleaner sound, and perhaps some additional reliability.
Now, all I need is my Dahlquist DQ-10's...
In a sense, I suppose you could say that I'm "cheating" because almost all of these pieces have been/are being "updated." So be it--I don't think the basic tonal structure is changing. The irony is that, although these particular CJ and ARC pieces are new to me, they are virtually identical to the gear I used in the 80's...along with the Linn, Koetsu, etc. So I am more or less in the process of recreating the system I used 20-25 years ago...with, I hope, a bit cleaner sound, and perhaps some additional reliability.
Now, all I need is my Dahlquist DQ-10's...