Other than the SOUND, what do you love the most?


High end audio components, to me, are a bit like sports cars.

As enthusiasts, we tend to focus on performance and thrill first and foremost to the audio equivalents of acceleration, speed and handling.

Still, there are other, more elusive, qualities that really make someone fall in love with their cars and reduce grown men to tears when they sell them -- the color, the design, the interior, the smell of Connelly leather and wool carpets, the specific rumble of the engine and exhaust, the shape of the tail lights, the feel of the steering wheel and transmission.

With that in mind, think back and reflect on components you have really loved - the ones that made you weak at the knees to see them, happy to turn them on, gaze at them before, during or after the music stopped and depressed if you made the mistake of selling them...

What were your favourites?
Can you identify any qualities that gave you this feeling?
The weight and consistency of the controls? Or the case?
The color or shape of the lights?

For me, a few things come to mind:

...the fabric, oak strips and exotic look of my first Magneplanar MG-1Bs....

.....the intricacy and silky movement of an SME III tonearm with pulley and "fluid damping" system...

...the sleek anondized aluminum chassis, gyroscopic feel to the tuning knob and the 2001 space age red LED digital read out of a Yamaha T-2 tuner....

Good sound aside, what components have you loved the most and why?

Cheers

cwlondon
cwlondon
Loved the look of my Teac X-10 reel to reel, just to see the reels turning and the meters moving to the music. The look of the lights on my first reciever, the Pioneer SX-525, and the Yamaha CR1080 reciever with its green glow and dark wood cabinet. And the smell of new gear when first unboxed. Now I love the look of my first tube integrated amp, the SQ-88 with maple trim, with the maple VS JR4's in the maple finish.
My Shanling SP-80s at night. Amber tube glow, green LED display, blue power indicator, all reflecting off gold, stainless steel and champagne anodizing... sound like overkill but when the room is dark it's very cool.

My Klyne SK-5A's circuit layout every time I take the top cover off. The phono stage lets you make plenty little adustments if you want, to R-C settings for the MC inputs, but you get a visual treat every time you do.

My turntable, even when it's not playing.

Nice thread.
Mcintosh MC402 with the blue meters. I became heartbroken as I knew how good is was but has to sell to pay my sons college bill.

Bill
I'm using a pair of Atma-sphere M-60 Mk2.2's, having 16 total 6AS7 power triodes. Their orange glow in the dark is almost as enjoyable as a fire...which comes in handy, since my system's set-up prohibits me from using my fireplace!
Another memory of a hypnotic component...I will never forget my Pioneer CTF-900 cassette deck, circa 1979, received from "Santa" for my 15th Christmas.

At that time, the Pioneer tape machines were very heavy, and well made.

And in contrast to the traditional VU meters of the time, the deck had bright blue LEDs, a blue, digital tape counter and other tiny lights on the solenoid controlled transport buttons.

It made a pretty good tape, but it was even better as a night light - just wonderful.