The BEST system you've ever built !!!!

my current sytem and room have recently kinda "come together" to a considerable degree...... it is simple where it should be and complex where it should be......

my system;

digital--Linn CD-12...Marantz SA-1
analog--Rockport System II Sirius, Clearaudio Insider Gold, Koetsu RSP II, Aesthetix Io, Chroma 60601 AC Power Source (motor drive)for tt motor
no preamp--Jena Labs XLR switchbox, Placette RVC (remote volume control)
amps--Tenor Audio 75Wi OTL monoblocks
speakers--Kharma Exquisite 1D
interconnects--all xlr Valhalla except rca from Rockport to Io
speaker cables--Transparent Opus mm
power cords--Shunyata KCv.2 (3) on sources, Synergistic DRS on amps
power treatment--PS 600 for sources,(4)dedicated 20amp lines
room--18'x12'x11'...stepped ceiling, bay window, ASC tube traps....flat to 25hz.
tweaks--Walker Tuneing Kit, Walker hi-def links, Aurios, BDR cones and shelves, ceramic cable elevators, Symposium svelt shelf.
racks--Zoethecus, 2 equipment racks, 3 amp stands.

this system gets out of the way of the music....it is full range and dynamic and yet always supremely musical...a joy.

Purist Audio preamp, Purist Audio 4 piece speaker system (biamped using Lamm 1.1 on satelites and Krell power amp on bass modules), Purist Audio Dominus interconnects and speaker cables, Krell MD-10 transport and 64 processor.

The system I use now is Welborne ApolloII single ended mono amps fed by a Levinson 390S CD player through JPS interconnects. These play through Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage speakers and a REL woofer. I have a Gatekeeper power conditioner and dedicated mains. I really enjoy this system, BUT, I had years ago a modified Dynaco Stereo 70 and a REGA Planar turntable with a cheap Grado cartridge hanging off a Grace 707 arm. This was hooked up to an old Marantz tube preamp playing through original Quads. I could kill myself for starting the upgrade quest. I'm not sure I've ever improved my enjoyment from that system!!

It was the following:
Audio Research SP6b pre-amp.
Audio Research D52-b power amp.
B&W DM 302 monitors
Klipsch SW8 sub.
Piece of crap pioneer CD player(old as dirt)
Very good RCA cables and speaker wire.
There was something about this combination that would
bring chills to your spine.It was fantastic.I should have
never broke it up.
89vett

Interesting to hear many of you mentioning your love of vintagey components and old systems.

I would vote for a system I had in high school in 1979: Kenwood KD-500 with SME III and Grado Signature/Dynavector Ruby, Yamaha C-2a preamp, Hafler DH-500 power amp and Magneplanar MG-IIbs -- much more musical and enjoyable than many other mega buck systems I have had in recent years including Levinson, Audio Research, Martin Logans blah blah blah.

I used to listen for hours and now I just stumble around this forum and high end stores like some bleary eyed junkie searching for some relief.

I am not normally a sentimental guy. Has audio quality actually gotten WORSE in 25 years?

Hmmmm......maybe it's just that nasty little binary code --that we keep trying to improve?!?