Like many of you my journey started years and years ago in the early 70's.  It was a hobby started by my father and continued by me.   The biggest improvement in sound as a result of a purchase that I can remember was adding a McIntosh C27 preamplifier to the pre-out jacks of a Marantz 2325 receiver.  At the time, I was using AR3a speakers and with the addition of the Mac, sound just seemed to jump out of the AR's in a way that was so fresh and clean (circa 1979).  Not sure how many audio purchases I've had since then, likely +40 or so, but nothing has made that big of an impact, all at once, that I can remember.          

Monitor Audio PL500 II speakers

Jeff Rowland 735 mono-amps

Without a doubt, my wife’s wedding ring. She "allowed" me to keep my hand-built 6’-4" Alpine white speakers in "her" Living Room, and a revolving door of boxes, cables, blinking lights and things that made (mostly good) noises.. Just to demostrate how much she loves me, she gave me permission to relocate her framed, signed musical score by Barry Manilow. It was positioned at an an early reflection point in the room and degraded the sound quality.

But, I’d say that the most unexpected, impactful component I ever audtioned in my home in "later life" was a Sutherland phono stage. I had no idea until that day just how much music was being left out of those cheap and/or internal phono stages.

My vinyl rig --  VPI TNT HRX fitted with a Graham Phantom arm mounting a Koetsu Rosewood Signature cartridge with a custom Gingko dustcover.  Feeds a Manley Steelhead phono preamp.

No question: My Acoustat 1+1s and added later, RHLabs sub. They and my pop's hand me down Linn LP12 are the only constants in my system since '84. Amps and preamps have come and gone but those panels still make me smile after all this time.

Happy listening.

Purpose built 2 channel room.

  It was a really nice pair of original Quad 57's that came with a pair of Futterman H3aa's that I picked up in the mid-eighties that I'll count as one.  It was always a love/hate relationship; I always wanted more output out of them and I'd go back to a box speaker but would always go back to the Quads.  To me, within their range, they are amazing in that this fifties technology gets you 90%-95%  of what is available today.  With a modern preamp and source, they shine. I remember listening to them at the local dealer I purchased them from with a Spectral DMC 10 preamp and a fully loaded LP12 back then and it was stunning, even when compared to Modern ESL 63,s and a pair of Entec SW-2's.  I still own the Quads but they reside in my basement with one of them out of commission.  The Futterman's I got rid of long ago as they were problematic.

  Either that or my LP12 which has been with me in constant use since 1986 that drove my view of analog superiority.

  Or my Esoteric K-OX3D / F-05.  The K-OX3D changed my worldview on digital music but with the F-O5 sometimes startles the sh@t out of me.

+1 @rick_n room acoustic treatment -- Without a doubt my best purchase was the MEN 220 Room Correction system. My listening space could not be treated with acoustic panels as it already had wall-to-wall bookcases. The books provide a basic treatment, but surprisingly not anywhere near the revealing benefit of the MEN 220 automatic correction. As a bonus, it also provides active crossover management for my two REL S/510 subs and can shift the sound field with a touch of the remote to change sweet spots in the room.

What "ruined" me was the Audio Research SP 6. Bought it in 1978. Loved it. 

That would be my MSB S-200 power amp; it's my one component I've not thought about upgrading, and I've had it for over 10 years. 

Magnepan 20.1s, purchased like new for $5,500, new would have been $12,500. The imaging is almost always breath taking.

No doubt Vandersteen 7 mk 2 with 7 high pass amplifiers…. been doing this since Dad’s stereo arrived in 1965 ( Dual / Grado / Mac / Bozak )….. 

Lots of memories including MX-110Z, Concert Grands, SOTA Sapphire, Dynavector Ruby, Souther , CJ Premier 3, stacked Quad ESL, etc…. best bang for $ = Audioquest AQ-404…. i still have a heavily modified ( Mike Samra - thank you !!!! ) MC-240…. magical….

Enjoy the music

After years of listening pleasure, I would rank my vintage Pioneer SA-1000 integrated amplifier as my favorite component.  I use it as a solid state stereo amp, and as a preamplifier for my Alan Eaton 45 tube mono amp and Reisong A10.  Bought it at a neighborhood garage sale for $10.  When tested by the previous owner, it did not power up.  So later I bought fuses at Frye's Electronics in Burbank...problem solved.

Marantz 1060 Integrated Amp, Philips GA-212/B&O SP-12 and Large Advents. My college system. Had to have a TT with auto-stop. Put lots of miles on that system. Would own any of those pieces again.

Marantz 3250170DC/2110 Stack. Gorgeous to look at and to listen to. Plus the tuner had an oscilloscope! Should never have sold it.

JVC QL-7 Turntable. Better than any equivalent Technics, then or now. Should never have sold it.

My Apt Holman Preamp. Bought in 1981, rebuilt/upgraded in 2021. Will never sell it.

McIntosh MC-240 Amp. Customer trade-in for $100 credit on an Onkyo receiver. Retubed it kept it 20 years sold it for $1200 to buy my first home theater. Miss it.

Adcom 5400 (Nelson Pass design 100W/ch MOSFET) When all else fails, my 5400 comes to the rescue. Currently driving my in-wall subs in my theater. Might reunite it with my Apt for dedicated vinyl system.

VPI Super Prime Scout /JMW Memorial 10.5" Printed Arm/Hana SH. My retirement present to myself. A thing of beauty to look at and listen to, and nowhere near as cantankerous as VPI detractors would have you believe. Keeper.

Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G. Absurdly good speakers for the money. British refinement plus the dynamics of a JBL, all in a package that's intended to be placed closer to the rear walls than most, which is what my living room requires. 

There are lots of other pieces I've owned enjoyed, and sold or traded for various reasons, but these are the ones that that remain my 'greatest high end audio purchase(s)'

Great question and what fun to read everyone's comments! I owned a pair of original Snell Type-E's around 1981. I replaced the woofers a couple of times as the foam gave out. After Peter Snell passed on the company evolved away from my personal sound preference. My beloved Type E's wore out as well. Today I have one of the two spiritual descendants, the DeVore O/93's. (The other being the Audio Note AN-E's) In my room space the O/93's are wonderful. Paired with my Cary CAD 300SEI Integrated I drive them with 15 watts of SET goodness. Happy times.

Enjoying this post everyone. I don’t cycle gear much, tending to get gear that sounds good to me on a limited budget and listen to it for a long time. But sticking with the “greatest hi-end purchase”  question, it was buying a pair of Quad ESL 63s a few years ago. I joined AGon in order to buy them and got them from a great seller for a good price. Turning up the volume on these was a revelation. I never knew recorded music could sound that real. 
 

That purchase sent me down the electrostatic road to a pair of Sound Lab M1s and a pair of MC2500s bridged for 1000 watts. (The SLs are hungry.) All bought used. My wife, a singer, after listening for an afternoon, thanked me for buying them.  

I am going to cheat and answer this a little differently.  I am going to answer the question of "what was the most important audio purchase I ever made"?. 

The answer was a pair of Thiel 2.0 speakers in 1985.  Not that they were all that great but the options back then were pretty limited. What they did do was start me on the road to being a dedicated "follower of fashion", whoops I mean a dedicated follower of the Thiel brand.  I am now on my fifth and last generation of Thiel speakers,  the 3.7's, which are phenomenal speakers.  It is was great loss for the audio community the day Jim Thiel died.

I would say speakers I've had for 22 years would be qualify as a pretty good investment, and those would be a combination of the amazing 10" driver Innovative audio Cabinet speakers and Sub-table and the equally amazing Acoustic Research Phantom 8.3 low slung surround speakers. 

More recently would be the Oppo 205 of course, the best Blu-Ray player ever made even even today it can't be matched because of some of its features and even the DAC was state of the art six years ago (and still used in current components)

Last but not least is the glorious Audio Research MP1 100% analog multi-channel preamp.  This thing is built like a tank with a circuit board that looks like it was constructed by hand with individual daughter board per channel--and sounds equally sensational.   As long as I stay in the far superior sounding analog world, it's not going anywhere!

And finally for headphones, the drop-dead gorgeous titanium-infused Final Sudio Sonorous X cans that look is good as they sound. One of the most underrated products ever released in my opinion.

Easy one for me. I purchased a used PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC for an extremely reasonable price. Ok it was a steal. Everything was fine until I would stream songs in different formats (flac, then dsd, then aiff). Each time it switched formats there was a very loud POP through the speakers. It concerned me enough that I contacted PS Audio. The rep on the phone was very helpful but couldn't resolve it over the phone and suggested I send it in. So I packed it up and off it went. They ran through a battery of tests and found nothing wrong. So back it came but upon hooking it up there it was again. Another phone call and back it went. This time Ted Smith took a look, another round of tests, and the call came back that everything was functioning as should with that unit. They were going to send it back again but I took a shot emailing Paul McGowan and explained that although the unit sounded amazing when playing music it was the transition that I thought could ruin my speakers and I would probably have to sell it and look at another brand. Paul immediately responded that he would look into it. Shortly after, he responded again and said he had met with everyone involved in the troubleshooting and said they all came to an agreement. Would I be interested in straight up trading the Perfectwave for a brand new Directstream? Are you kidding? I didn't even buy this from you. I got it used for a small fraction of what you wanted new. Paul's explanation?  "You are part of our audio family now."

Who gives customer service like this?!? Amazing company.

Magnepan Tympani 1-D's and a Mark Levinson 23.5 started it all for me 25 years ago.  I later went vintage with a Marantz 7c, 5's, 8b, 10b, SLT-12, driving JBL Hartsfields.  My favorite system of all~

A pair of Focal Sopra 1 speakers brand new in the box with stands for $5000.00. Won’t ever sell them unless I become a full time nomad. Great sound and they always make me 😊 

I'm inclined to say my best was the Apogee Duetta II speakers I bought in 1988 and had refurbished a few years ago.  How many audiophiles can be satisfied with the same speakers for 35 years? 

Shortly thereafter I bought my Classé Audio DR-7 preamp, which may even be better and remains the preamp in my main system.  It's dual-mono--left and right volume knobs, no balance knob--and uses an array of discrete resistors instead of potentiometers for the volume controls.  It also has a knob which can select stereo, mono, reverse stereo, right-channel-only or left-channel-only--very useful for troubleshooting and for musicians such as myself.

Mine wasn’t my endgame system but my first system a pair of Monitor Gold 200 and a Naim integrated amp.

My system now is similar in only I still believe an integrated is the way to go!

Mola Mola Kula integrated 

Lampizator Baltic DAC highly modified with VCaps, Audionote caps and resistors.

Auralic Ares G2.2 streamer

kubala Sosna realization cable loom

2 JL Fathom F212 subwoofers and one Jenson iso-max transformer

to hook it up to the Kula in a crazy way!

degiter internet switch.

10 stillpoints aperture panels for room treatment.

AUDIO GD HE 1 VACUUM TUBE PREAMP WITH REGENERATIVE POWER SUPPLY. This is the Best value in Hi-Fi today. What a masterful sounding piece of gear. I love mine. 

Ansuz Ethernet Switch A2.

Xavian Perla Esclusiva Speakers, around $2000, very musical and scale up nicely with the upgraded equipment.

Job 225 amp. I don’t have very deep pockets, so I believe this is my endgame solid state. Rarely do I see used 225’s for sale.  Thanks Hifi shark!  Pontus II with OG firmware still installed.  

All of my system is important.  But the component I least want to replace is my Rowland Coherence One Series 2 preamp.  It is the hub of the system.  This past week, I replaced all four preamp modules of the line stage which I hope will extend its useful life beyond my remaining listening years.  

Snell A - II’s in 1982 powered by a pair of Hafler DH - 200’s strapped for mono I built. Got me started on this never ending path.

Basis 2500 Turntable w/ their Vector 4 arm in 2003 w/ a ZYX mc  cartridge & Art Audio Vinyl 1 phono amp. Still have & enjoy the whole set up ( new cartridge & belt).  20 years later still produces a musical source ( w/ good recording in good condition) that is very difficult to top at any cost, analogue or digital.

ATC SCM50ASLT active speakers.

I live been doing this for over 40 years now. I think if I have to pick just one item, it’s probably my pair of Amber Series 70 amps I bought new. They served me well for many years with a variety of equipment powering first my Large Advents them my Boston Acoustics A400s. I took a long break from HiFi, probably about 20 years. When I decided to get back into it, I fired up the Ambers and to this day they look and sound great, though they’re not currently in use. The Ambers were paired with many preamps over the years, including a Perreaux and a PS Audio IV in the early days and a Luxman tube amp more recently. They were what got me started and I doubt I’ll ever part with them.

Recap: As previously mentioned, my absolutely incredible Revel Salon 2 speakers (which I currently own) is my #1 prized high end audio purchase that I've ever made in all my years as an audiophile.  My #2 greatest purchase, which I currently own, is my Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty DAC/streamer.  Incredible!!!    

I have been in this thing since the late 60's and the two items that I have enjoyed the most were Quad ESL-63's and a Linn Sondek LP 12 and I wish I had them back now.

I bought two components in the early 1980s with sonic signatures that matched quite well my listening biases/preferences:

- a pair of Spica TC-50 speakers

- a counterpoint sa-7 preamp

These two components, combined with various front ends and amps, made me happy for 15 years or so. Then the upgrade bug bit and lots of speakers and pres have come and gone. Interestingly, I’ve tended over the years toward designs and sonics similar to those of these two early “audiophile” purchases. Was I lucky or conditioned? Does it matter?

In 2006 I got a chance to visit Siegfried Linkwitz at his home to hear his Orion loudspeakers and fell in love. Because I lived in a Craftsman bungalow at the time, I had a local cabinet maker do a custom build of the Orions in a Mission style, instead of the stock Danish Modern look. A couple years later I upgraded the build from version 3.1 to 3.3 with the addition of rear firing SEAS Millennium tweeters.

I’ve heard the LX521, which is a wonderful loudspeaker. Were I looking to do something new, they would be a serious consideration. But every time I fire up my Orions, I fall in love again. Voices and acoustic instruments just sound glorious to my ear.

Last year we moved to our current home on Hawaii Island, which was more than twice the size of our old bungalow. It has a "great room" which is enormous:

42’ long x 36’ wide x12’ ceilings

It encompasses the living and dining rooms, as well as the kitchen. I love to cook and the stove top faces directly across from the loudspeakers, so I get to do two of my favorite things at the same time. Dinner prep is prime listening time too.

The Orions have enormous dynamic range, and even in this room, are never strained. I recently cranked up Beethoven’s 9th, at full concert level of 109 db and the system was never strained. This is my "forever" loudspeaker system.

...hasn't happened yet?

It’s a tie for me: My PAP Trio15 Horn1 speakers with my Whammerdyne DGA1 amp (4.3 glorious 2A3 watts of sonic beauty).

Nice thread.

I bought some used Shure KSE1500 IEM electrostatics, a few years back.  They have a decent DAC built into the eStat amplifier provided that can be bypassed when listening via the line out (2.5mm single ended) output, if you have a DAC you want to utilize already.  The DAC kicks in when listening via the USB port to your computer, or phone, and the amp can be charged off your computer USB port while in use.  They're in-ears, and provide something like 30dB isolation, I can attest they do a great job isolating outside sound, which helps blacken the background quite a lot when listening.  They're fairly durable, not a delicate hi-fi item, which i value. Also, they're not going to bother anyone in your office, as open-backs or even some close backs would. also great in church or funerals :)

Some users say they lack bass, but they don't (frequency response digs down to ~10Hz), you can clearly hear/feel that sub bass on electronic music with bass information that deep, its all there.  Rather they lack "slam" other headphones/IEMS may have. I would just call the bass quality fast and accurate, and extremely detailed, as are the mids and highs. I listen to everything (acoustic jazz to classical to rock, death metal and rap, some audiophile recordings)... The KSE1500's compliment everything i listen to through them.  I'm sure there are  headphones that sound better, but not at this price range. They reveal everything that was intended by the recording, the most dense mixing/mastering all of a sudden, you just "get it." Doesn't matter if it's heavily produced or the most bare bones audiophile touch . They make everything sound great.

Cons:
Some folks don't like IEMS, or do not like listening through headphones at all.

The amp that comes with the IEMS can be cumbersome when trying to use them in a portable situation.

These (and possibly all Electrostats in general?) sound most engaging at higher volume, past comfortable listening levels. Maybe that just my opinion...

Shure KSE1500's can be had new $3,500, or can be found used around $1,000-$1,500. They also make a KSE1200 that is the same setup, without the onboard DAC. Some prefer those if they already have a high end DAC as part of their existing system.

Highly recommended. Happy New Year all.

audioman58:  My speaker cables are JPS Labs Superconductor 3, which  I purchased over 13 years ago.  The Superconductor 3s are so compelling to me in their excellence that they have withstood the test of time, and I've had no inclination to replace them.  I use a couple of Shunyata Sigma ethernet cables in my system, which I did not replace for the same reasons I didn't replace my speaker cables.   With my latest upgrades, and with the combination of Audioquest, JPS Labs and Shunyata cables in my system, I was able to successfully achieve the highest level of sound quality ever, in any audio system that I've ever owned.  This was just my own personal audio journey experience that I thought I'd share with others.

Happy listening.  

A Lynx Hilo mastering ADC/DAC/headphone amp, purchased in 2013.  I'm a composer and audiophile, and purchased this for recording a high-end piano, after first seeing it mentioned in an issue of The Absolute Sound praising its DAC, the headphone amp, and the ADC (for transferring vinyl).  Among recording and mastering professionals, this unit continues to be know for its exceptional purity and transparency.  I recently embarked on a 10-year upgrade to my recording system, and my first thought was simply to upgrade the Hilo.  Lynx replied, however, that the one I bought today would be the same as one I would purchase today!  After extensively testing ADCs by Merging Technology, Prism, Lavry, and Ayre, I found that each has a different sound regarding balance of frequencies contributing to timbre, the impression of presence (close or more distant), and the width of the soundfield for each sound.  The Hilo continues to stand tall among these, with great purity of tone, perhaps capturing the nuances of timbre the best of  these ADCs.  My comments about the ADC results of the Hilo applies equally to the DAC:  since it is intended to be a mastering device (mastering typically involving playing a recording through a DAC, processing it in some creative way, and then re-recording it with the ADC, the DAC had to be designed to be exceptional -- at least as good as the DAC.  The headphone amp has its own DAC, is very clear, and powerful enough to handle the Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic headphones I use for headphone analysis (and Audeze LCD Xs, but they are low impedance and easy to drive).  

Should have proofread!  Sorry for errors!  Most importantly, I meant to say that Lynx said that if I purchased a new Hilo today it would be technologically the same as the one I purchased in 2013 --  so you could buy a used older one in good condition and get the essential equivalent of a new one.

CJ PV10AR

Adequately finished open concept with refurbished IRS beta and twin Yamaha Pc5002m amplifiers. I smile… a lot ! 

Cheers 

My greatest ever audio purchase, it has got to be these two amps. The Pass Labs XA200.5 was the personal amps of Mark @ Reno Hifi; as you fellas know, Mark has retired and is now enjoying the easy life; when I drove to Mark’s shop in Phoenix, he told me that Pass specifically made this pair for him, and that it was the last pair of XA200.5 amps to leave the factory. How I got this lucky, I don’t know. I didn’t think I’d ever own anything like this, but once in a while, luck strikes.

My other purchase is Lamm ML-1.1 tube amps. Prior to the Lamm amps, I have a heavily modded and hopped up pair of SF Power 3 amps that Chris at Parts Connexion cooked-up, and they are now running KT-120s. I like them. Then I got these Lamm ML1.1 amps. While it doesn’t have the sheer grunt in bass punch and transient snap, I’ve never heard music like this before. To sum it up in two words: magic and ethereal.

Yeah, I think I was lucky alright... Have a prosperous and a Happy New Year fellas!

It was my simultaneous introduction to the worlds of lossless streaming and active amplification a few years back (<5) via my Akurate System Hub (streamer) and Akurate Exaktbox-i (D/A, 8 channels of amplification).  As part of the same upgrade, a Roon Nucleus was added, completing the package. As my former system had been non-functioning due to a bad amp and resulting blown midrange for some time, this (including a new midrange driver and rejuvenation of my AV 5140s, sans passive crossovers) was life-transforming, even eclipsing my entry in the 1980s with a Luxman L450 integrated, Nakamichi LX-5, and Pioneer/Pickering turntable/cartridge. 

For me it's my speakers - Sonus faber Olympica Nova Vs.  I love their sound and in my opinion look nice. 

Lumin X1.

I couldn't believe how much better (sound quality wise) it is over everything that came before it.

ozzy

My audio journey started 55 years ago, I was in the Army and bought my first system of separates.  Sansui AU555 amplifier, TU555 tuner, Sansui Sp100 speakers, Dual 1019 turntable and AKAI R2R with crossfield heads.  It began a lifelong journey and gave me immense pleasure as rock and roll was at its height of creativity in that period.

That said, many years later (40) I was in a place where I could acquire a new system and put a few $$ into it.  It was 2005 when I discovered Maggies.  After I heard them the first time I was hooked.  My wife was in total agreement and wven said she would be Ok if I wanted the big 20 version, but our room was too small for them and we bought the 3.6s we still have and love.  I think we joined a small cult - LOL, as there are a good number of Maggie fans out there.

My Greatest high end purchase was my ARC REF 750 mono amps. Phenomenal amps.  

Dahlquist DQ-10 speakers

Quad speakers (63s and 57s)

Berning TF-10 hybrid preamp