Other than the SOUND, what do you love the most?

High end audio components, to me, are a bit like sports cars.

As enthusiasts, we tend to focus on performance and thrill first and foremost to the audio equivalents of acceleration, speed and handling.

Still, there are other, more elusive, qualities that really make someone fall in love with their cars and reduce grown men to tears when they sell them -- the color, the design, the interior, the smell of Connelly leather and wool carpets, the specific rumble of the engine and exhaust, the shape of the tail lights, the feel of the steering wheel and transmission.

With that in mind, think back and reflect on components you have really loved - the ones that made you weak at the knees to see them, happy to turn them on, gaze at them before, during or after the music stopped and depressed if you made the mistake of selling them...

What were your favourites?
Can you identify any qualities that gave you this feeling?
The weight and consistency of the controls? Or the case?
The color or shape of the lights?

For me, a few things come to mind:

...the fabric, oak strips and exotic look of my first Magneplanar MG-1Bs....

.....the intricacy and silky movement of an SME III tonearm with pulley and "fluid damping" system...

...the sleek anondized aluminum chassis, gyroscopic feel to the tuning knob and the 2001 space age red LED digital read out of a Yamaha T-2 tuner....

Good sound aside, what components have you loved the most and why?

Cheers

cwlondon