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AUDIOPHILE OR JUST CRAZY ?

FELLAS,
I have been building and putting together systems since the sixties when I build my first health kit FM tuner ! Yes it was a father and son project my dad got me for my 11th birthday in 1967 .I have been in pursuit of the best sound system ever since, thanks to my dad who had the loudest HIFI in the neighborhood ! None of the neighbors ever complained ! i could mow the yard and hear Elvis, playing at the same time ! I have spent fortunes, in audio equipment ever since my first job .I was that kid who could spend all day at the audio superstore, looking watching listening to the systems in the speaker audition room ! The audio stores are far and few in-between these days, but here is my problem ! In the early nineties i purchased an Onkyo Grand Integra M-508 power Amp @ 225 wpc and a Onkyo P-308 pre amplifier .Went solid state, got my first R2R pioneer 909  audio reverse and a Thorens td 166 mkii turntable with a shure mm cartridge ! A Nakamichi dual Cassette deck , oh yes ! I forgot to mention my Klipsch Cornwall speakers with 15 in woofers and horns ! I was on top of the world ! None of my friends or family could touch the sound that came from that system !  
In the early 2000, i felt last decade, and got back into the tubes, with Conrad Johnson ! Since 2004 I have spent over $45,00.00 k on nothing but the best equipment money can buy ! I am still not as Thrilled as I was over Thirty years ago !
discussed , I sold everything for penny's on the dollar ! Everything except my old Onkyo m-508 and p-308, an old ADC graphic EQ , kept my old AR turntable one of Eric's Sound of the wood, and my klipsch  La Sacla's ALL Vintage Audio old ass equipment and I am the happiest i have ever been ! It is music to my years after spend $$$$$$ and never being satisfied !!!! Am I crazy or what ? I call myself EXPERIANCED ! 

128x128geurds
billwojo
397 posts
 
guerds, I feel the same way about my current system. Here it is.
My current system is a Victor (JVC) two arm TT from the early 80's, an Audio Research SP8 MkII preamp from 1983 a set of restored Mac MC40 monoblocks from about 1961 and my speakers are 1971 HeathKit AS101's (Altec Valencias in much nicer cabinets).
Most of the high dollar gear that I've heard leaves me unimpressed. Very detailed, almost clinical, but lacking soul, missing the musical aspect of it all. My system engages me as I'm sure yours does to.Bottom line is that high end gear from years past is still high end gear. I wouldn't trade this old stack of gear for new stuff of comparable value, I'd be getting ripped off.

BillWojo
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,195 posts
 
Bottom line is that high end gear from years past is still high end gear.
My Sansui AU 7700 was considered one of the best amplifier in the world at his price level (450 dollars in 1978) Today there exist better BUT at a very higher cost but even then with NOTHING  at any price that mimic his flexibility...

I paid it peanuts and i am amazed by details retrievals and tube sounding for a S.S. amplifier.... No fatigue, only ecstasy... I even bought another one in case....😁
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,905 posts
 
The music of my youth has never ever sounded better than today at 69 years old.
Mine sounds better now. But not really. Technically, absolutely. But not the same as hanging with pals and girls. 
justmetoo's avatar
justmetoo
381 posts
 
Well, I'd also say you NOT crazy, at all - but very lucky your sound memory is not based on some 60s battery driven transistor radio, or equally sad, some 60s black and white (neither black nor white really) television, watching out for the English pop 'revolution'. Beatles et al. 

I did, - so I might be lucky in that sense, as ANYTHING hifi I than owned was absolute trash by today's standards. Junk - period. 

My present system is between 15 to 20+ years old, all vintage hi-end by now (see my system page) and with some degree of tweaking, jolly, bloody fine for a long time yet to come. 

Yet... People taking note of my music passion, quietly think that I AM crazy 🤪 
Michélle 🇿🇦 
russbutton's avatar
russbutton
438 posts
 
Get RID of the ADC graphic EQ. Really. Send it off to electronics recycling. If your speakers need that to get sound you want, you have the wrong speakers. But then, the Klipsch LaScala was intended as a PA speaker. No decent low end to speak of either and an edgy mid-range to boot. Other than that...

So you unloaded everything and are left with this? The Onkyo gear is OK. If the AR table is serving you adequately, then fine. I hope you’ve changed out the tone arm. A lot of people made that change.

But for speakers, there are so many, many better choices available. Your power amp has enough sheer muscle that it can drive anything. I have no idea what budget you might have, but these Avalon Acoustics Opus loudspeakers would make you happy in a way you haven’t felt in decades.

If "getting your hands dirty" in audio is fun for you, then I’d encourage you to consider the SEAS Thor kit from Madisound. By the end of the project, you’d have dropped about $2500 and would have something similar to the $13,000 Joseph Audio Perspective 2.

One more thing.  I'm as old as you are.  I built a Heathkit AJ-14 FM tuner back in my junior college days, then Dynaco kits when I went off to UC Berkeley.  Built Hafler kits later.   When I bought my first record, Lyndon Johnson was president.  You really can do a lot better than the La Scala.
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