Dream Amps I Could Not Afford 20 Years Ago Now Undesirable


As a young audio enthusiast I used to lust for the high-end Audio Research LS25Mk2 and Reference Two preamps but couldn’t afford them during that time. Today at their used prices they are much more affordable now but I no longer find them appealing.

Does anyone here have such similar experiences? Stuff that you dream of owning 20 or 30 years ago do not appeal to you anymore and considered as junk (as an exaggeration).

Another one is Focal JM Labs Mezzo Utopia as the high price made it look unattainable 30 years ago. Now when I look at it in the For Sale ads mostly in poor condition with worn cabinet, the aspiration of owning a seemingly unattainable high-end gear from the past seems to be a thing of the past. The new Focal Utopia speakers are another story though..

ryder

feldman

 

Nice score! on those Sony SS-AR2 loudspeakers. 

 

Happy Listening!

I have given this some thought myself. I do have a bryston amp and pre-amp that are about 20 years old, and they are good enough for me. For DACs, I presume their technology is advancing quickly like computers and the value equation favors the current models.

I cant see myself buying any linear amps of any sort since class D has become mainstream. I got an edge a2-300 from ebay for $250 and it sounds surprisingly good to me, so that is the technology I will explore when I upgrade.
Due to the natural progression of my career and children now adults, I do have the money for a lot of those dream items from the 90s that are to be had on ebay, but class D is where I am going forward.

I am also seeking to go with balanced from pre to amp, so that rules out a lot of old amps and pre-amps. My bryston bp 25 has this covered, but at some age of gear, balanced was not implemented at all.

Back in the day I had a threshold stasis amp that was pretty nice, but I sold it. I thought about getting another one, but those are pretty old now and I wonder if the power supply caps can be replaced with new and the solid state devices, and unbalanced, to gonna keep it in the fond memory location. 

@koh_i_noor   If you're a fan of class D and balanced I'd say Atma-sphere is right up your alley. I don't see how you could go wrong.

@rooze just curious.  what equipment were you running with that little krell?  I had one, and it was mind-blowing to me at the time.  just for sh*ts and giggles, i paid USD $2115 brand new.