Considering simplifying my system... talk me down (or whatever)

At 68, I share your sentiment. Like my wife, I have a hard time letting go of things I like. Recently I moved from separates to a Rogue Integrated tube, only because it was past time for my most loved 33 year old Audible Illusions Pre. to be sent in for re-cap and up-grades, even though it still performed like a champ. I do enjoy the good sound and simplicity of using the Rogue Integrated. It does have a built in decent phono stage, so have come to believe that downsizing from separates too integrated, doesn't necessarily mean a bad trade off. If I ever have to be concerned about space, I could very comfortably live with a good integrated......Jim

Maybe you are telling yourself "simplying" but really what you are feeling is the need for a change, but can’t put your finger on it?


Unrelated to audio, I can remember when I got my first digital SLR. I took the film camera out of the bag and put it in the drawer. At least initially, I did not want the temptation of grabbing it. 11 years later, having never come out of the drawer, I put it on Ebay. Over that time, several digital SLRs went through my hands, each bringing new fun to the hobby.

Maybe you shouldn’t look at this as a time of simplification, but a time of exploration? What new ways can you find to enjoy the hobby of audio and music listening?

I suggest you look into the Bakoon integrated amps.Unfortunately none have inbuilt phono stages but they are compact minimalist sort of amplifiers and have incredibly natural and pure sound.They also sound superb with high sensitivity speakers like Klipsch and Tannoy.They do not sound like any other SS amp you have heard because they do not operate like any other SS amp.They are much closer to a really good SET amp-being current drive and having high output impedance but also using the unique Bakoon Satri circuit.They are by far the best amplifier I have ever heard for reproducing piano.They do tintinnabulation in a way that I have never heard before from an audio system.
I use the 35 watt Satri 5521 but even the cheaper 15 watt ones sound superb.Just to confuse you there are Japanese made Bakoons and Korean made ones.I have only used the Japanese ones.For me they are the ultimate minimalist package because they cut to the essence of what is beautiful in music and dispense with even the slightest hint of grunge or timing smear.

Simplest to not simplify your system if it works.  It might be anything but simple and set you off on the upgrade path again

This comes a little late in the discussion, but as they say, better late...

When I retired at 70, I too faced the reality of 40 years of upgrading, tweaking and adjusting my music system. I ended up with what I considered an extraordinary system for the medium-size, high-ceiling room it was in--the Magnepan/REL, Bryston, Cary, Esoteric combo, with occasional help from ZSystems, was accurate and satisfying to my ears. (I have two discrete systems--one exclusively digital, the other analogue--in two separate locations in the house. But I digress...)

The problem was, even looking at these electronics could be intimidating to someone who just wanted to hear good music out of something other than a TV or a computer. So when I recently turned 71 I decided to stop fiddling with the stuff and simplify the setup--I replaced the imposing Magnepans with an ancient pair of refurbished, 2-way Advents (c.1972), driven by a pair of Bryston 4BSTs that I love, along with a McIntosh C52 pre and a new Marantz Ruby SACD player. Granted, a bit of the precision and clarity of the Maggies is gone, but the sound is a tad warmer, fuller and, well, more human. (The simple equalizer built into the C52 allows minor tonal adjustments if needed, but the SACD analogue playback quality from the Marantz is superb.) Remotes allow me to control almost everything from the couch.

What I’ve found to be more significant, however--don’t pooh-pooh this--is the wife factor. Since she learned which four buttons to push and not to play with the equalizer, my wife has become quite comfortable choosing her own music, turning the system on and listening alone. I once found her sitting, transfixed, with tears in her eyes from the beauty of what she was hearing.

Despite the very minor quibbles I might have with the current system, knowing that my wife can honestly enjoy music at a legitimate audiophile level without being intimidated by the electronics makes it worth every dime and every minute I’ve spent on it. It’s worth a thought. Thanks for the note. Jerry