Personal speaker evolution

Polk (dont remember the model)
Klipsch RF-3
Sonus Faber Concerto
Sonus Faber Signum, and the only speaker that wold make me trade my signums : Quad esl-988

Wow what a great question... You have just
reminded me what i love so much about music.

My list is not very glorified.. but I can guarantee
i had as much fun as anyone!

8 years old

1.) A really bad set of full range's that came with
an 8 track player that i also used to run my first
electric guitar thru. It was so bad i used to get
that Black sabbath grind (some serious amp clipping)
without a distortion box. AWESOME! Oh and anyone
remember just how bad 8 tracks were? You could actually
hear other tracks playing in background.

The other day my son told me his walkman has better bass
than my new SUV's stereo. I havent had a chance to upgrade
yet. All i could do was laugh. And tell him he's right.
Poor kid is seven and already gettin bit by the bug.
Brought back memories.

11 years old

2.) A set of Bose 301's the ones with the reflector
for the tweeter. At the time they were the sh***t
to have. I used to turn them up to eleven every day and
just flogged the hell out of them. There were times i
thought the wolfers were going to jump out of box.
HOLLY SH***T!

13 years old

3.) A set of Sonic's they had two 12 wolfers two 5 mids
and two 1 or 2 inch tweeters in each. I had to replace
the tweeters many times. I used the Rat Shack super tweeters
a couple of times. Absolutely drove the neighbors nuts.
If they or I have any hearing problems its might be from those.
Crank em!

16 years old

4.) A full Marshall stack (guitar amp) which includes 2
cabinets with 4 12's in each driven by an 100 watt tube
amp. The same one's Ted nugent used to get 150db at his
shows from.
YEAH hair on fire!

20 years old

5.) A set of kenwoods. One of their many three way's. Dont
remember model. Probably cause they really didnt do anything
well. Still loved em though. Dont know what i abused more my
first car or those poor speakers.

26 years old

6.) Still running Kenwoods upgrade to monster wires and cables. pretty amazing they held up as long as the did.

33 years old

7.) My first real step... Four Infinity RS series i think
they were RS3's with a 8 inch Infinity sub and a 15 Cerwin
Vega sub. Ok.. getting better!

36 years old

8.) First really good sound... four bi wired (analysis plus)
Infinty IL30's two IL10 centers and a Velodyne 15 SUB. I think
most of you would be pretty surprised. Ok.. much better!!

37 years old (really ready for good stuff now)

9.) Im on the verge of upgrading to Revel studio's, voice center and gems for surround or comparable Infinity MTS series or possibly Martin Logan's I am hurting for room so that might cancel the Logans. I have a six channel system thats been assembled to do everything well (yes two channel also) so everything i do is a big step. As if i needed another expensive hobby. I live on water and recently got
the offshore powerboat bug also (if you think hi-fi gear is expensive go buy a 35 foot Fountain offshore powerboat) Hi-fi is a wonderful bargain and great investment compared and there's no matinence.

So as you can see my equipment has been limited until last couple of years. I am the owner (also the lead engineer) of a succsesful company now that specialzes in High density, Highly complex circuit boards www.risingedgedesign.com. I have personally designed 48 layer PCB's with approx 10,000 connections. So i understand the electronics very well. I am also a musician also so i know what the music is supposed
to sound like and what the recording proccess can do.

The one thing that hasent changed over time is my love for music and equipment. It is and has always been a huge part of my life. I didnt know what i didnt have... And was just happy with what i had. And i wouldent trade the experience for anything! Well maybe new Revels..hmmm? Nah..

Hope i didnt go too far off track here... Just got caught up in last 37 years.

Best regards to all and dont forget to have fun!

5" full-range infinite baffle mono ($3?) 1960
Home-made 8" triaxial Jensens in a 90 lb clay sewer pipe! $100 parts 1969
Kirksaeter M50 and M70 ($90-110) closeouts 1975
DIY Peerless/Phillips 6.5" 2-ways ($150 parts) 1992
VERITY AUDIO PARSIFAL ENCORES! ($8000 used) 2000
Home Theater: Spendor SP3/1p fronts ($800 used) + SC3 new ($500) + Bostoan Acoustic V-MX surrounds ($350 open carton) and Boston PV1000 active sub ($550 open box) 2002
Other impressive speaker values: Thiel 1.6 (new $2k 2002),
Revel Performa F30 ($3600 new 2000), Thiel 2.3 (2000).

Fisher 2way 1972 (60.00)
Pioneer 2way 1974 (150.00)
Boston Acoustics A100 ($?)1979
Klipsch KG2 1983
Magnepan SMGa 1987
Magnepan MGIc 1990
Magnepan MGIIIa 1994 (still own these babies!)
Magnepan MMG 2000 (used as rear channels in HT)
Magnepan MGI 2002 (bought for 50.00/pair, in process of rewiring the panels)

Any upgrades may be to move up to some Kharmas or Wilson Watt/Puppy (But don't tell my wife)

1) merlin vsm..?$...new
2) aliante pininfarina model one--$5k
3) von schweikert vr-5 hse...7$--new
4) piega p-10...$12k...new
5) piega c-8ltd...$13k..new...should arrive in 1-2 weeks