If Money Were No Object... A Fantasy Question


Let's say you're filthy stinking rich and had $1,000,000+ to spend on an audio system. What would you do, assemble a single SOTA system or for the same amount of money put together multiple very high quality (and certainly not cheap) non-SOTA systems.

This fantasy is in the either/or format. Points will be deducted for thoses who answer "both".
128x128onhwy61
Aroc: I bought one of your tonearms on E-Bay 3 years ago. It was a 16" Shure Dynetic with built in cartridge(the worlds first stereo magnetic cartridge circa 1957). Since (IMHO)it is still the best tonearm AND cartridge ever made I'll mount that onto the Walker and thro out the Walker arm .Its hard work trying to spend One Million dollars on stereo equipment.If I find out that a Lenco ($99 new) sounds better than a Walker and the $20 Shure M3D dynetic sounds better than a ZYX Universe have I defeated the purpose of answerning this thread question?
Mint604 writes
"Aroc: I bought one of your tonearms on E-Bay 3 years ago. It was a 16" Shure Dynetic with built in cartridge(the worlds first stereo magnetic cartridge circa 1957). Since (IMHO)it is still the best tonearm AND cartridge ever made I'll mount that onto the Walker and thro out the Walker arm."

I'm surprised a cult hasn't developed around this arm/cartridge combo. I have two of these arms, including one with the original factory packaging which includes a transparent plastic cover for display purposes.

The original arm came with a mono cartridge and was called the STUDIO DYNETIC. When it was upgraded to stereo it became the STEREO DYNETIC arm and cartridge. I remember sending it back to Shure for new cabling.

Shure's own website has barely a mention of these arms, which was designed to play 16" ET's (33 rpm LPs for radio programs). I even have the original mono M-1 cartridge in its transit case (uses the N-1 stylus) which plugs into the same socket at the end of the arm, like the M-21. The M-1 were custom made, and again in very limited quantities (I'm told only 50 to 75 total). But it was the first quality tone arm of the LP era that could track at 1 gram. The vertical shaft to which the arm was attached rode on a ruby bearing. It is truly a futuristic design and looks modern even today 50 years later.

Less than a thousand M-216 arms were made, and I'm told they were designed by Raymond Loewy who also designed the futuristic "bullet train" locomotive of the 40s, and also is credited with the design of Leisurama Homes, a planned community in Montauk, NY. You might also remember the Nixon-Krushchev "kitchen debate" in Moscow, which took place in a Leisurama home built at the world's fair. Loewy also designed a few Packard automobile models.

I am looking for a Shure N-1 stylus, BTW.
One final note: if you use the stereo catridge be sure that the stylus replacement is the N-21D original Shure with the very fine tubular stylus shank which tracks at 1 gram. Almost every marketer of stylii says the replacement for the n21 is the same as the M-3 replacement. NO! The N-3 stylus (which is not tubular, but a "V" shape, is designed to track at 3 grams, which the M-216 (and the shorter M-212 can't handle).
Always room first.

$1,000,000+ barely gets me a house with a nice dedicated listening room in my region.
Mint604 I have heard the Schroeder arm briefly, but have spoken with people who have a lot more experience than I, and the difference between great arms like the Walker and the Schroeder is a matter taste. Some people prefer butter pecan to chocolate chip cookie dough. I know two people have one on order and will probably keep their existing arm and the Schroeder on the same table.

Buy both arms and use them for specific LPs.
just as there are houses in town with 10 or 20 bedrooms, marble foyers, crystal chandeliers, and so on, etc., i already have a 14 x 20 living room, with a nice assemblige of components and cd's and records that i have enjoyed collecting over a period of 40 yrs or more. how could i have it any other way?- my stereo and my music is a reflection of my tastes as much as it is my past or present budget. for example , i have eggleston andra-2 speakers. i was considering selling them awhile ago to get "the absolute sota in their size catagory", but i upgraded my cables (transparent) instead, and now the egg's sound like a whole new set of speakers. is there something way better out there, putting aside the issue of more spl's? IMHO, it would be really difficult without getting into something MUCH LARGER IN SIZE, which is NOT what i want or need. sooo, the TWO things i dream about now are- 1.a reel to reel tape recorder with high-end electronics that is not a 400lb. console- something that was never made (so i continue to enjoy my teac x-2000r to copy vinyl or cds, which it does remarkably well anyway). 2.my other dream is finding lots of neighbors and friends that enjoy (classical and jazz) music as much as i do, and come over here on a regular basis, and freqently invite me over to their houses as well (where i get to hear their version of audio nirvana). until that blessed day comes, i like to read the audiogon forums and send in a comment now and then.
as for the million dollars- a lot of that would go towards a cleaner and healthier environment...