Which components knocked you out on first listen?

I purchased a 1962 Sherwood S-7700 using the 4 7868 output tubes. I hooked it up to my Electro Voice 12-TRX's that were in bass reflex cabs at the time. I will never forget the <25hz bass that was produced with vinyl. My wife said, "My God!"

In chronological order: Magnepan tympani 1D with Crown electronics (late 1970's), Beveridge electrostatic SW2 (1970's), Hill plasmatronics (early 1980's), dayton wright XG-8 electrostatic with leaf tweeter; threshold and krell electronics (1980's), Apogee Divas and Duetta Signatures (mid 1980's), Innersound Eros (2000).

Walked into Innovative Audio here in Brooklyn about 7 years ago. Heard the Wilson Watt/Puppy with VPI TT. don't remember the pre and the amps(all tubes as I remember, could be VTL), but the sound I heard was amazing. Soundstage was so good, I didn't even have to close my eyes to see Nataly Cole standing right there and singing Unforgettable. The best I ever heard...

Mine, Viva Solista integrated amp with any good and easy to drive speaker. It feels you are sitting with Miles and Thelonious. They are so there. In front of you. You feel the bass. It's real. Not disco/club-like-type-of-bass, sort of like wooosh!. No. The type of bass you feel like woomp, right in the stomach. The real velvety sound of bass. Not the electric one. Electric bass makes our ears so distorted (very different from live music.) The Viva was as close to live music as I ever heard. (Also, I would add the latest VTL with the JM Lab Grande Utopia; and I really enjoyed the Wilson Sophia with the T+A; finally the Sonus Faber Grand Piano with the McIntosh 2275. Beautiful sound).

Funny you mentioned the Creek 4040. I was just talking to a very good friend of mine. He is a well-regarded engineer for a high quality audiophile brand. I will not mention his name. He said that the 4040 had something unique, which was lost in later designs, that made it as good as some five figure amps. He got me so intrigued that I bought one used, just to try. I will receive it in a couple of weeks and will let you know. I will try it with Triangle Celius and the Wavelength Audio USB DAC; and will compare it against my Audio Aero Integrated. I look forward to.

Good post.

Josep

The Tom Evans Linear A amplifier. Ten minutes after I powered it on I knew it eclipsed any other amp I'd heard. It's hard to convey in words what a transformative audio experience this amplifier has been for me. It's bewilderingly good.