Your greatest high end audio purchase!!!

My greatest ever audio purchase, it has got to be these two amps. The Pass Labs XA200.5 was the personal amps of Mark @ Reno Hifi; as you fellas know, Mark has retired and is now enjoying the easy life; when I drove to Mark’s shop in Phoenix, he told me that Pass specifically made this pair for him, and that it was the last pair of XA200.5 amps to leave the factory. How I got this lucky, I don’t know. I didn’t think I’d ever own anything like this, but once in a while, luck strikes.

My other purchase is Lamm ML-1.1 tube amps. Prior to the Lamm amps, I have a heavily modded and hopped up pair of SF Power 3 amps that Chris at Parts Connexion cooked-up, and they are now running KT-120s. I like them. Then I got these Lamm ML1.1 amps. While it doesn’t have the sheer grunt in bass punch and transient snap, I’ve never heard music like this before. To sum it up in two words: magic and ethereal.

Yeah, I think I was lucky alright... Have a prosperous and a Happy New Year fellas!

It was my simultaneous introduction to the worlds of lossless streaming and active amplification a few years back (<5) via my Akurate System Hub (streamer) and Akurate Exaktbox-i (D/A, 8 channels of amplification).  As part of the same upgrade, a Roon Nucleus was added, completing the package. As my former system had been non-functioning due to a bad amp and resulting blown midrange for some time, this (including a new midrange driver and rejuvenation of my AV 5140s, sans passive crossovers) was life-transforming, even eclipsing my entry in the 1980s with a Luxman L450 integrated, Nakamichi LX-5, and Pioneer/Pickering turntable/cartridge. 

For me it's my speakers - Sonus faber Olympica Nova Vs.  I love their sound and in my opinion look nice. 

Lumin X1.

I couldn't believe how much better (sound quality wise) it is over everything that came before it.

ozzy

My audio journey started 55 years ago, I was in the Army and bought my first system of separates.  Sansui AU555 amplifier, TU555 tuner, Sansui Sp100 speakers, Dual 1019 turntable and AKAI R2R with crossfield heads.  It began a lifelong journey and gave me immense pleasure as rock and roll was at its height of creativity in that period.

That said, many years later (40) I was in a place where I could acquire a new system and put a few $$ into it.  It was 2005 when I discovered Maggies.  After I heard them the first time I was hooked.  My wife was in total agreement and wven said she would be Ok if I wanted the big 20 version, but our room was too small for them and we bought the 3.6s we still have and love.  I think we joined a small cult - LOL, as there are a good number of Maggie fans out there.