2. amps-preamps
  3. 175396-143318

No more "High End" for me...Back to Reality Audio

After a 3 year roller coaster ride with so called "Audiophile High End" Tube Amps,/Tube Preamps, multi thousand dollar DAC's, Speakers of all shapes and sizes, and several DIY mods. I've settled on what will be my "forever system" and stop chasing a Dragon that I'll never catch. There's more important things in life to worry about. Plus HIgh End crap can be very fickle at times. It has taught me though what sounds good and how to get there and of course how much it will cost new or slightly used.

For the first time, I'm building a system around the Speakers. I'm an electronics Geek so that has ALWAYS come first. I've always done DIY Speakers as well form High School to College to married life (my Wife puts up with A LOT).

My Bose 901 "passion" will be with me forever. I will defend those Sealed Box odd shaped boxes till I do. Any old Geezer will be told off wherever they knock that Brand down. I did it last last week.

Anyways, the list :

  • Klipsch Cornwall IV's driven by a pair of resto modded McIntosh MC50's
  • Sony UBP-X1000ES (gotta get some more before they and the 1100ES become as rare as the overpriced Oppo crap) with my mods to the Analog Output boards
  • Orchard Audio Ultra Amplifers x6 (I'm getting near the end of hand buiding/soldering the 6 pcb's)
  • Stax SRM-007tA with Koss 95/X Electrostatics
  • Surround Speakers will be 4x Series I/II Speakers with two on Tulip Stands and two more hung from the ceiling (what the Wife can see sitting down but can hear is always a good thing)
  • Center Channel with be two Heresy's resting horizontally angled up towards the screen slightly
  • two double stacked 12" H-Frame Subwoofers on the back wall 
  • All the Electronics will be mounted in the wall giving lots of space for the Cornwall to do their "thang"

To those still chasing the Dragon. Enjoy !

 

 

rajugsw
sns
3,265 posts
 

All depends on what peak you're trying to climb, funny thing is one creates the peaks in one's own mind.

rajugsw OP
217 posts
 

Yeah. I just can’t believe how good my system sounds with such cheap "not Audiophile" stuff. I’m listening to MoFo’s SACD of Tapestry at the moment just enjoying the music and not giving a Rat’s Ass how it’s getting to the KEF R3’s.

Did I just let the proverbial Cat out of the Bag ?

Imaging, Soundstage, Depth, Phantom Center. It’s all there ! Can’t wait for the big boxes at the end of the month. Go big or go home. I always say...LOL !

Cheers Everyone !

jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

It’s about the music. Like what you like if it cost $2k or $200k this hobby or obsession whatever you chose, is about you and the music.

Now go enjoy it.

vanson1
126 posts
 

I spent way too much time and money during the shutdowns having lots of fun buying and selling and researching. 

 

I now have a very satisfying sounding system. 

 

Property much better than I would have imagined. 

 

Now it's back to traveling and enjoying the world. 

 

Will check out interesting comments but done upgrading. 

RIP Covid 🙏 

erik_squires
16,138 posts
 

Glad you have found out exactly who you are and what you want.  I take exception to one thing though:

overpriced Oppo crap

It may be overpriced today, but the reason for audiophiles to love the Oppo was the analog sections.  Even in their less expensive units the sound quality coming out of the 7.1 outputs was superior to most AVR's and processors.  My Oppo kept me from having to purchase $10K surround processors for several years.  I've only now replaced it with an HDMI only UHD player.  Whatever your other opinions are, Oppo BD players were pretty awesome for the price.  They were never crap.

Their headphone amps/DACs however did not sound nearly as good to my ears.

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