HOW DID YOU END UP WITH YOUR DREAM SYSTEM?


I want to know for those who have arrived got their best system together. What is the story behind how you ended up with your gear and will you be happy for a long time with it.

calvinj

For me it was through upgrading my equipment over time.  I decided to move from a home theater setup to one focused on music.  Went from integrated equipment to separates which made it easier to upgrade.  I’ve been working on it for about 3 years and I’m very happy with the sound, ease of use and appearance.  I have a 2.2 setup with a streamer, DAC and CD player.  I never got back into vinyl after moving on to CDs years ago.  I will keep on tweaking my system because to me it’s a fun part of this hobby.  I’m enjoying my musical journey and my music.  

Getting involved with the audio business got me off the typical merry-go-round of buying and swapping well reviewed mid-fi stuff that I was never particularly happy with. Working for Merlin and Paul Heath Audio gave me exposure to a much higher level of equipment, and insights to some of the more affordable sleeper gear.

Before long I had a Lazarus tube preamp, modified B&K ST140 amp (Distech), and a nice big pair of Merlin 4 speakers that brought me into a much improved resolution and sound quality.

Bobby Palkovic from Merlin inspired me to start building my own speakers. After designing, building, and selling several models, I finally settled on a pair that I’ve kept and loved since 1989. Around that same time, I was given a Dynaco 70 tube amp that my uncle built from a kit in 1964, and discovered that it mated really nicely with my tube preamp and speakers. Those components still comprise the core of my system today.

Another Dynaco 70 tube amp got added to the mix, so I could use them in a vertical bi-amp setup. In 2020, I added the VTA circuit board mods to amps, the Lazarus has been refreshed/modified a bit, and an active crossover has been added below 80 hz to the system. Any other changes have been refinements, and I absolutely love how the system sounds.

 

The journey involved building the house of stereo first and foremost. Then spent five years figuring it out. Otherwise it was easy lol.