Any audiophiles out there?

[blackdeuce]

During my break from S&Ws, I focused on two other hobbies. One was collecting guitars. And next was upgrading my stereo gear. I've been into stereo equipment and music since I was a teenager. As I've gotten older, I could afford better gear.

I have equipment by companies like Von Schweikert, Coda, Linear Tube Audio, REL, etc. I think I've got my system to the point that I can quit spending money on dacs, cables, etc.

Interesting thing about audiophiles... there is a disproportionate number of rude people in that group (on audio forums). People on this forum are much more respectful.

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear what some of you guys have for audio gear. Pictures are encouraged!

 

[Rustyt1953]

I spent the bulk of my adult life in the music industry. I spent many years studying sound reinforcement and reproduction.

As for listening to music at home I pitched all of my state of the art gear and embraced high quality wireless headphones.

I am content.

 

[blackdeuce]

I spent the bulk of my adult life in the music industry. I spent many years studying sound reinforcement and reproduction.

As for listening to music at home I pitched all of my state of the art gear and embraced high quality wireless headphones.

I am content.

My son spent several years playing in a band and recording music. First in a studio, but he and the drummer got pretty good at doing it themselves. Then, covid hit. Venues closed and the band fell apart. Now, he's too busy with work and kids to play.

 

[wuluf]

I hear music.and everything else.. through these tiny in ear speakers. Not sure upgrading my cables is gonna help much!

 

[Golddollar]

I started buying Infinity speakers back in 1980. I started with a pair of Qa speakers for hooking up to the TV and a set of bookshelf Qb speakers to connect to my Dual turntable and amplifier. Later somebody down in Rockville, MD had a pair of AL-50 4-way speakers. Since they were too heavy to ship, I drove the 60-70 miles one way to buy them. They became an upgrade from the Qa speakers. I still have the Qb and AL-50 speakers and no plans to get rid of them.

 

[Imissedagain]

Life is tough, without a Thales turntable, and other mega bucks gear.
Glad that Hohner makes life livable.

 

[GnarlsR2]

Back in the mid 70's I got into music "stereo" equipment. I have 200 vinyl albums.

One of my best friends was an audio engineer for Altec Lansing.... I learned a lot about what I didn't know about sound.

Most self-identified audiophiles I knew didn't know what the Fletcher-Munson curve is and never had a hearing test.

 

[3rdgenfriend]

Man I couldn't wait to get those Tech Hifi and Tweeter catalogs. Would drool over them when I was a kid.

I had a McIntosh component system, with McIntosh speakers, Thorens turntable nakamichi tape deck. and a 1500 Vinyl collection. My grandfather, a Musician himself, willed it to me. I had it for 3 years and poof, My parents sold the stereo system from under me but I still have the albums. I had a Sony home theater I got from the sony rep after an electronics show. I also have a full PA system that I gigged with that became my home system, why not it's versatile and powerful. and sounds crystal clear. but now, like everyone else...I use my in ear monitors for critical listening and my 40 inch flatscreen is loud enough...

 

[AJ]

I use a Sansui Receiver and Sansui CD Player connected to Bose 301 speakers. Wife fusses if I turn the amp over 2. I have a Technics turntable in the attic along with a Teac reel-to-reel.

 

[moosedog]

I'm envious. My hearing is so bad that I can't even hear the ringing in my ears anymore.

 

[Ranxerox]

This is my system in the more or less current configuration, consisting of
- hybrid turntable, chassis and motor Pro-Ject, SME pickup and Thorens plate
- Nakamichi CD Player 1
- Rotel RC 1082 pre amp
- Roten RB 1080 booster
- ASW Cantius 604 loud (very!) speakers

 

[TX-Dennis]

I once had a Sansui receiver, Philips turntable, Hitachi cassette deck, and Polk speakers along with over 1000 vinyl albums. Later added a Technics CD player / burner, and I still have around 300 CDs.

Now I mostly listen to music through a cheap set of Logitech computer speakers and TV with a Vizio soundbar system, so I would certainly NOT be classified as an audiophile.

 

[s&wchad]

We bought a Harman Kardon system and KEF Q series speakers when we were married. That was about 32 years ago and it's still going strong. I thought the integrated amp fried the left channel last year, but it turned out to be dust shorting the speaker cable.

I'm currently using a Denon DP1200 with an AT440ML cartridge that I picked at an estate sale for $25!

It's not an ultra high end system, but it works for us!

 

[Model19man]

During my break from S&Ws, I focused on two other hobbies. One was collecting guitars. And next was upgrading my stereo gear. I've been into stereo equipment and music since I was a teenager. As I've gotten older, I could afford better gear.

I have equipment by companies like Von Schweikert, Coda, Linear Tube Audio, REL, etc. I think I've got my system to the point that I can quit spending money on dacs, cables, etc.

Interesting thing about audiophiles... there is a disproportionate number of rude people in that group (on audio forums). People on this forum are much more respectful.

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear what some of you guys have for audio gear. Pictures are encouraged!

I was unable to afford the system I wanted in the 1970's. It was very expensive and being a high school student I had no money.

Fast forward to about 2003 - I was surfing on eBay and noticed the cost of everything was pretty reasonable. So I bought my system that I couldn't afford as a teenager. I now have a Sony amp / receiver that puts out 100 watts per channel, a pair of Akai 80D 8 track players, and a foursome of Sansui speakers that will handle 80 watts each.

Oh - and roughly 1200 8 track tapes with no duplication.

 

[Model19man]

I spent about $300 on my system in 2003 - the same system was $1200 in 1975. The tapes cost more than the system maybe $2000 for all of them and $300 for the cases to store them in.

 

[AJ]

I spent about $300 on my system in 2003 - the same system was $1200 in 1975. The tapes cost more than the system maybe $2000 for all of them and $300 for the cases to store them in.

You got a good deal. I was buying stereo gear in Japan in 1971. Bought a Akai 1800 reel-to-Reel/8-track, Akai cassette deck, Sansui Turntable, Sansui Receiver/Amp and Pioneer HPM-100 Speakers and it cost quite a bit more than that. Shipping that equipment out to home, when we pulled out for Viet Nam cost over $100 in Postal Fees and that was the slow boat.........

 

[huntsman22]

I put a new radio in my '99 F-350 a while back. Does that count?

 

[Smoke]

I say this every time this topic comes up.

I've always been an Audiophile but didn't have the ears to really appreciate music.

In 1995 my father died. I don't remember what my inheritance was but it wasn't much. I decided to spend it on something that I would keep for the rest of my life to remember my father.

I bought the very last Kenwood Bookshelf System they had at the PAFB BX.

I was certain that music technology would never progress beyond that.

I was wrong.

In 2021 the VA gave me my first pair of hearing aids.

I don't know if it's because the hearing aids were specifically tuned to my ears or because technology has advanced that much but I remember the day I got them sitting at my kitchen table and I heard this tick tick tick tick tick. I turned around there was a clock on the wall behind me that I didn't know made noise.

This is what I use for a benchmark. If I want to know how good a stereo system is I listen to Dark Side Of The Moon on it.

The very first time I streamed Dark Side of the Moon through my Phonaks was almost a spiritual experience.


I'm almost positive that none of you has heard of this artist or this album but OMG it's almost better than sex through my Phonaks.

On Wednesday (?) my wife watches Survivor and The Amazing Race, I have no interest. So, I pick a couple of Albums and sit on the couch and listen to them while she watches TV.

ETA I still have the Stereo. I gave the turntable away several years ago and I had to replace the CD player. The tape deck is gone but I still have the receiver, the equalizer and the speakers.

 

[AJ]

View attachment 758348
I say this every time this topic comes up.

I've always been an Audiophile but didn't have the ears to really appreciate music.

In 1995 my father died. I don't remember what my inheritance was but it wasn't much. I decided to spend it on something that I would keep for the rest of my life to remember my father.

I bought the very last Kenwood Bookshelf System they had at the PAFB BX.

I was certain that music technology would never progress beyond that.

I was wrong.

In 2021 the VA gave me my first pair of hearing aids.

I don't know if it's because the hearing aids were specifically tuned to my ears or because technology has advanced that much but I remember the day I got them sitting at my kitchen table and I heard this tick tick tick tick tick. I turned around there was a clock on the wall behind me that I didn't know made noise.

This is what I use for a benchmark. If I want to know how good a stereo system is I listen to Dark Side Of The Moon on it.

The very first time I streamed Dark Side of the Moon through my Phonaks was almost a spiritual experience.

View attachment 758353
I'm almost positive that none of you has heard of this artist or this album but OMG it's almost better than sex through my Phonaks

PAFB BX? Patrick Air Force Base?

 

[Smoke]

PAFB BX? Patrick Air Force Base?

Peterson AFB. Now Peterson SFB.

 

[AJ]

Peterson AFB. Now Peterson SFB.

Same with Patrick Space Force Base. Still trying to figure out what those folks do???

 

[Smoke]

This is also something I talk about every time music comes up.

When I was a kid I had maybe 50 LPS. I had a friend who had managed to amass a collection of 1500. I thought that was so cool. I wanted an LP collection like that.

I had another friend his name I don't even remember who said that he never listen to the radio anymore because he had so many good albums.

Again, I wanted to be that guy.

On the way I have accumulated between 6 and 700 CDs. I just checked and 160 of them are on my phone. I can take them anywhere I go. I maybe listen to 30 of them on a regular basis.

I have Pandora and TuneIn on my TV, I have Klove, Air1 and the local Christian station on my phone.

And 90% of the time when I'm home alone I turn on the TV I turn on the local Christian station that we have through TuneIn and that's what I listen to

 

[Smoke]

I spent about $300 on my system in 2003 - the same system was $1200 in 1975.

I'll bet you if you adjusted for inflation it's the same price

 

[Smoke]

Same with Patrick Space Force Base. Still trying to figure out what those folks do???

My grandson-in-law is Space Force. He basically sat in an office in Colorado Springs and killed people in Afghanistan with drones.

According to him and I have no reason to doubt this they make him wear OCPs to work so that he remembers that he's in a combat situation.

And they gave him the Space Force equivalent of a combat patch which he refused to weat

 

[wood714]

I'm using some of the same stereo stuff that I bought when I was a kid.

The Marantz receiver I bought in 1974 from a friend in high school. I have it set up as a tuner only now, but it still works. I bought the Phase Linear amp and pre amp in 1978 from my cousin who owned Sight and Sound on Queen City Ave.

 

[lkabug]

One of tthese makes quality stereo equipment unnecessary.

 

[Smoke]

The vast majority of you will not give a damn about this and I wouldn't have posted it except for this just came in the mail today and this thread is here.



The CD is 28 years old and it is almost impossible to find


When you do they want upwards of 70 bucks for it. The last time I looked for it they were selling it between $75 and $85 a copy.

I found one copy on eBay from a Goodwill in Pittsburgh. Three bucks plus shipping. I think I paid seven bucks for this copy.

 

[AJ]

I have a friend in PA. that I was in the Corps with. He had all the stereo gear your could ever want. Every week he bought a Billboard and checked the "Hot 100 Albums" list. If he did not own all of them he would go to the Sound Shop on base and buy them. Last count he had over 2000 albums (some still sealed). Then he got into CD's (both music and money). Again he has over 2000 of those. Then I got him interested in firarms..............................an we won't go there!

 

[boykinlp]

My grandson-in-law is Space Force. He basically sat in an office in Colorado Springs and killed people in Afghanistan with drones.

According to him and I have no reason to doubt this they make him wear OCPs to work so that he remembers that he's in a combat situation.

And they gave him the Space Force equivalent of a combat patch which he refused to weat

What exactly is OCP'S?
Larry

 

[rwsmith]

During my break from S&Ws, I focused on two other hobbies. One was collecting guitars. And next was upgrading my stereo gear. I've been into stereo equipment and music since I was a teenager. As I've gotten older, I could afford better gear.

I have equipment by companies like Von Schweikert, Coda, Linear Tube Audio, REL, etc. I think I've got my system to the point that I can quit spending money on dacs, cables, etc.

Interesting thing about audiophiles... there is a disproportionate number of rude people in that group (on audio forums). People on this forum are much more respectful.

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear what some of you guys have for audio gear. Pictures are encouraged!

I'm an audiophile but one that's on a tight budget so most of my equipment is
'entry level' audiophile. I and Missus Smiff are both classical musicians and singers. I've been recording our performances since about 1980 and my recording/playback equipment has gotten more hi-fi as the years have gone by. Again, being on a budget I have to be VERY careful in how I chose equipment in order to get the most bang for my buck. I started out editing reel to reel tape with a razor blade and splicing tape. Now I have digital recorders or record into my computer with an International Audio Volt 2 interface. I have Shure and Audio Technica mics (and a few other misc. mics). My best one for vocals is an AT 4040. For editing, I use Audacity and a pair of small Yamaha monitor speakers. I only do enough processing to get a natural sound. My regular stereo equipment is a NAD receiver and KEF speakers (for their natural sound).