What Holiday Gifts did you ask for or Give to Yourself?


I have been too busy to even think about what I would have asked for or given myself. One of my friends is going Buck Wild giving UPS a profitable finish to the year.

You?

elliottbnewcombjr

Just a small gift for myself. A balanced headphone cable, between my Audotailor Jade OTL preamp and my Audidoquest Nightowl and Nighthawk headphones. Ca 70 usd.

Gave myself the gift of friends for Christmas dinner.  About to start the prep for a huge seafood Paella in my brand new 18/10 SS 16 inch pan.  That's stainless steel not solid state.  🤣  Best of the season to all.  

@bigtwin be right over, i have pacific NW Ling Cod, prawns and smoked salmon…. and a respectable Pinot from 2013….. Good on ya ! Christen that pan well

I have a Hipgnosis book to unwrap….

For me the Christmas Holiday is about giving. Though my children had an LP made for me of songs that reminds them of me. The cover is all of photos from their childhood and of our family. I spent a good portion of their lives forward deployed and to see and hear this LP was very emotional for me. We did a good job raising good citizens and my father would be proud of the adults they have become, as I am. 
 

Merry Christmas. 

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I didn't ask for anything as I'm good, but my wife surprised me with a Golden Snitch.

 

DeKay

Whilst sitting it out waiting for a Gammon Ham to Poach, I had a search around and found a item with 1 hour left in a auction.

I put on a bid and won a Micro Seiki Platter Mat. The mat is one that was produced to special order only. I'll settle for that as a treat to oneself. 

I bought it in the name of my wife delivered for me but i choose it myself and i received it 2 weeks ago ... As an exceptional gift for a model children delivered by Santa Claus before his heavy schedule ...😁

A headphone s.s. amplifier Fosi sk01 with three tone controls for my secondary headphone ( AKG K240 sextett), this amp is driven by tube preamplifier Douk P2 which drive also my small modified active speakers to greatness...( low cost chinese products are not all junk it seems ) .

I probably own one of the best audio system in the world in this low ridiculous price category ... Impossible ratio to beat trust me and no evident defect for this price and a total happiness , i will live with that and my main system a top one (Sansui alpha + optimized AKG K340 ) ... 😊

Two REL T/5x subs.  They have made a night and day difference to my listening experience.

Two things, Me, the person who never wins anything, just scored a very nice DALI IO-6 headphone set. Won them by submitting a review on my recently purchased Bluesound node.

This past Friday the better half indulged me with a brand new Flexsteel power recliner to place in the perfect listening position in my listening space. At this stage of my life, it doesn't take much to keep me happy, but this was a winner in spades!

 

I bought a Bob's Devices SUT a few weeks ago.  It wasn't a Christmas present, but now that I have about 12 hours on it, it's proving to be a very nice gift.  Everything that I play sounds better than ever.

Three Synergistic Research Foundation sx power cables, two Anthem STR’s and a Innuos Pulse in a pear tree 🌳. Merry Christmas everyone!

I knew there would be some no's and lots of yes's.

Anyone waiting for after Christmas Sales, and/or Open Box from a lot of returns?

In Canada we also celebrate Boxing Day.  I'm thinking of buying myself a set of speaker cables.  I don't really need them but it's such a good deal.  A brand new member to Audiogon has just put up for sale, a pair of Nordost Valhalla ll reference cables that sell for $19,000 MSRP, for the low low price of only $1,600.  The seller doesn't have the original box, the printing on the shrink-wrap looks suspicious but they assure me the cables are genuine.  It's Audiogon so I should be OK, right?  🤣

@jayctoy,  congratulations on the LG OLED.  Last January, I purchased a Sony top of the line 55 inch OLED for our living room   My main stereo takes up a good portion of the room so we only had room for a 55 inch.   My wife and I love it, it is so lifelike you can almost reach in and touch the colors.  Enjoy your new toy!

Gosh, where do I start? This December I got a Brinkmann Nyquist Mk II DAC, Graham Engineering Phantom III tonearm, 3-meter WW Platinum Eclipse 8 XLR’s and waiting for my Cardas Clear Beyond x2 tonearm cable. My VAC Master line stage is in Sarasota, FL for silver faceplates and the phono stage. I couldn’t forget my wife for allowing me to buy my toys, so she’s getting something colorless, shiny and more expensive than any of the equipment’s MSRPs.

The latest TV's have resolution that is attention grabbing.

I was in a few stores looking a at few models in the run up to the Holiday.

The TV Watcher has never had it so good.

Last Christmas.  Pro-ject Signature 10 turntable with  matte finish Burl Walnut plinth.  Stayed with Pro-ject for the phono amp RS and Sumiko Celebration 40 cartridge because they discount the "accessories" significantly.

A pair of SVS SB-1000 Pro Subs, to complement my Usher Mini Dancer 2's.  The Ushers already have pretty good bass, but the subs seem to give the sound more fullness and, in the right recordings, improved bass below 40 Hz.  Still tweaking, but already a noticeable improvement.

Was asked awhile ago what I'd like....didn't have an opinion as to what would be considered probable as to $ spent...🤷‍♂️

Managed to get her a stand mixer earlier on she had a lust for, followed by a 'training wheels' pasta attachment to see if the reality met the desire 'to do'...

Fortunately, it did....*s*  A 'surprise gift' of an interesting print (framed) and the framing of a print she'd bought a frame for that was too small and square for a rectangular image...

I got a nice dinner of leg of lamb with good accompaniments...

...but I'm difficult to buy for....

Let’s see. A few weeks ago bought my new Audio Research Ref 9 cdp. Then yesterday bought a Shunata Denali 6000 /s V2. What is for New Years ? 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I'm also treating myself as a New Years gift to buy Hard Media Recorded Music from a recently formed Group called 'boygenius'. This is the type of Group I really like to help out and see as having a Big Future, sending them a decent remuneration for their recorded music, especially music I will end up owning and not renting is for myself a pleasant activity.

Christmas is for giving.  I made my daughter some HQ speaker cables using 12 gauge Tributaries as the core.  My budding Audiophile was very pleased.

 

 

Treated myself to 2 new 1.0m coax cables from Ali-E to compare to my Odin 2 which sound excellent on excellent recordings, but dry on many/most CDs; Odin 2 Gold and a Grey Knight High Fidelity OCC Silver Plated Coaxial SPDIF Subwoofer RCA TV HD Audio Cable 75 Ohm Digital Audio Decoder Cable both under $100 with free shipping: should be here early next week

Im as excited as when I was a little kid getting a vibrating football game

My wife gave me a pair of Western Electric capacitors made in 1934.  She’s the best!

I treated myself to a Hana Umami and immediately purchased more vinyl. @fbgbill I have that same Aja on the way. Glad to hear it was worth the $. Next week they are playing with the Eagles here in Los Angeles. 

@veerossi 

I am also going to get the Gaucho album in UHQR. Have always been intrigued with the Umami Red but never heard one. I have the Ortofon Cadenza Black and it works so well with my setup. Hope you have a great New Years. 

I have been vociferous about qualities on offer from the Aurex SR510 on this forum and took Flack for the suggestion.

In my view it is an exceptional TT to enter into the world of Japanese Vintage DD TT's for very very fair monies parted with.

I have now just won an auction and purchased myself at a real steal (Pennies) a SR 510's Motor and Platter Bearing assembly. The intended purpose for this, is for it to be used as a version of a Kaneta design.

A design that is similar to that used for the Kaneta Design utilising the SP10 MkII Motor and Platter Bearing Assembly. The 510's part purchased has cost approx' 200 x less that the full assembled SR 510 TT. 

The real fun is to come when I start to learn what is required to Power It up and control the Platter Speed, I sought of convinced myself my own SP10 MkII Kaneta Power Supply and Speed Controller is nearly enough to get me on my way.

As a comparative purchase value, the SP10 MkII Motor and Platter Bearing Assembly can be seen occasionally for sale carrying a very similar asking price as seen for the Full Assembled SP10 MkII TT. 

My EE friend who specialises with work undertaken on a SP10 will have a good giggle when I hit him with my ideas for this purchase. 🤔😂.  

Sounds like fun, pindac! You won't get any flak from me (unless you really meant the Roberta kind! 😉)

@dogberry I was recently advised against my intention to have the SP10 MkII stator Bowl inner form CNC cut into a Permali Board I own, as I was informed the use of wood in place of metal may leave me with shielding issues for the Magnetic Field. I haven't given up on the idea yet as I feel confident there is a spray coating that will discovered that offers the shielding properties that are suggested as being needed.

This will also mean the Bearing Housing will also have a Permali Wall.

The Wall might need to be Sleeve Lined with a Metal of Thermoplastic Sleeve.

If Thermoplastic is the selected material, it might be machined with an ID that is the perfect fit for the Platter Spindle following a Reamer Fitting.

For myself, this pondering is a Xmas Pressie for the mind.      

@tomic601 Is that the new one with the prism on the cover? Any good?

@rsmith73  I heard that in a certain voice!

 

Pair of Clayton Shaw Caladan OB speakers; bought back in October, but my Christmas present

Nice gifts people!

I have started my first voyage into the world of tube amplifiers.  I purchased a used Decware Torii MK IV with three full sets of tubes. Using this ~26 watt amp on a pair of 90db sensitive Vandersteen IC and a pair of Vandersteen V2W subs. Absolutely fantastic so far.  Merry Christmas to me. 

I had eyeball lens replacement this year. I no longer need glasses but much more light. This low cost magnifier with light now allows me to easily see the writing on LP spines. A gift from my wife. I bought her a new car. Always better to give than receive.

Large Magnifying Glass with Light

My Son; 8’’ Nipper statue & my Nephew; Why Vinyl Matters: A Manifesto from Musicians and Fans Hardcover. I gave myself; A Boston Audio Mat & loving it!

 

vinylvalet

I purchased a similar one a couple of years ago. Has a handle with 3 different lenses. Also had 1 eyeball repair in September, Long story but they had ordered the wrong lens and she didn't notice until after it was in. Not as bad as it sounds because it was a premium multi-focal lens. So now my non dominant eye is corrected and my dominant eye is original. over the years (like 50+) it has gone from 20/200 to around 20/40 so we are waiting until spring for the next move.