Have most ticked their bucket list equipment yet, or are there still itches to scratch?

[p147]

just for you

OMG, That looks like a bit of steam punk!! I am too much of a traditionalist.

 

[audio_PHIL_e]

Tape was a great medium

It never skipped when the car went over a bump

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Just a pair of Dali epicon 6s in walnut one day

 

[montesquieu]

I'm pretty much done. My big Tannoys I've had for 9 years (and I had other Tannoys both immediately before and also long before that, with several years of Quad ESL use in between.

I've been using Radford amps for most of the last 10 years, the STA100 being in my view top of the tree from a Radford point of view. Three years of the Audiopax Model 5 preamp (latest series, a custom all-balanced version built for me), four years of the Allnic HA5000 head amp and H7000V phono stage (the head amp the culmination of more than 10 years experiementing mainly with SUTs, the phono stage being my third LCR phono stage after the Aurorasound Vida and EAR912).

My DAC is a custom build originally based around my old Audio Note DAC 2.1x, again from more than 10 years ago (though only the AD1865 chip remains of the original), plus a Jays Audio CDT2 Mk3 upgraded with the Headquarters Audio puck and suspension mods.

TD124 MKII I've had for 10 years, this much upgraded with a panzerholz core plinth, full Schopper kit, Longdog regenerating PSU and a pair of Glanz tonearms, 10in and 12in. Cartridges are a Murasakino Sumile and MySonicLab Hyper Eminent stereo and Eminent Solo mono, plus a Miyajima 78 cartridge. Wires, BMU, distribution boxes are all 'adequate'.

I really only have possible upgrading in mind in two areas: I fancy a matching Murasakino Sumile Mono (which I hope to pick up on my next trip to Japan), and I'm on the auditioning list for the new monoblocs Radford Revival are working on - these are STA100-based at the back-end, but with a solid state input stage. If these better the STA100 into the Tannoys then I might just nab myself a set.

Actually my focus has shifted since I retired back in March - I wanted to be 'done' pretty much with hifi by the time I stopped earning, and I've managed that.

Latterly my focus has been on music: over the course of this year I've picked up a better harpsichord, my long-ordered 8 course Renaissance lute arrived (replacing my previous mass-produced one), I picked up a nice but slightly down at heel older 10 course lute which really had too long a scale for Renaissance tuning and had it converted to an 11 course Baroque lute, and I've been busy working on that. And I've been doing a ton of reading with the aim of going back to uni to do a PhD in music. (I have a specific topic in mind which I'm currently evaluating for suitability).

In fact while I thought my listening would increase after retirement, it's actually slightly decreased as I've become far more focused on playing music myself - improving my harpsichord and lute technique, expanding my repertoire, doing more ensemble playing. In part for fun but also in part driven by not wanting to make an arse of myself swanning back into a university music department 40 years on and not able to join in at the appropriate level.

First pic shows my old Audio Note CDT2/II rather than the Jays but is otherwise reasonably up to date:

 

[It Cost How Much!?!]

I've got some decent gear. What I don't have is a nice room to put it in.

What you need are some nice local wam boys and girls to help you over a couple of days.

 

[It Cost How Much!?!]

Cabasse Atlantis
Constellation top amps
Cabasse Le Sphere
Pioneer P3a, just to see if it is as good as my Sony.

Lots of others, but those are the main ones.

Maybe one day, but probably never.

Meanwhile, I would really like an Aston Martin V8 Vantage convertible in red.

 

[garn63]

Some Klipsch Forte & a Passlabs XA25...but the increasing prices mean they are out of reach.
My system sounds nice to me though so...

 

[tkimages]

Meanwhile, I would really like an Aston Martin V8 Vantage convertible in red.

Beautiful car, beautiful colour, but for me, only with a grey leather/alcantara interior.

 

[tkimages]

I've only lusted after a Michel Gyro SE, so bought one when I sold my LP12, which was effectively the end of me and serious vinyl!

Still got it, gets a play every now and then, but I really enjoy just looking at it, playing or not!

Bucket list would be to hear a pair of Meridian DSP 8kSE in my room, just so I could hear how awful they would sound so I wouldn’t have to lust after them

 

[Klassik]

@Klassik @DomT , I am curious as to what you find alluring in K7s when one can easily put a massive load of music files into an SD card or memory stick.

There are certainly better formats for convenience and preserving sound quality these days than cassette, but Klassik enjoys the recording process. Selecting and calibrating a cassette for maximum accuracy or for artistic taste, depending on the end goal, is a bit of a fun challenge for Klassik. Admittedly, Klassik does not record onto tape all that often these days, but it's still something Klassik gets to occasionally. There's also something about compiling a good mixtape. It's fun to look back at mixtapes made years ago and see where one's interests were at the time.

It's a lot easier recording to tape now than it was back in the day. It's easy to send test tones for calibration purposes and to quickly find peaks in source material in order to set levels. Some of the pains of recording in the past are easier to handle these days.

Klassik will say that Klassik finds it enjoyable to hear some music, pop music mostly, on cassette. Perhaps it's because Klassik grew up in the analog era, but a little bit of gentle background hiss doesn't bother Klassik on loud, highly compressed pop music. If anything, it can take a bit of the edge away from such music. Klassik knows this aspect of tape might not be for everyone though and certainly picking the right tape and calibration methods does help matters.

 

[Three sheds]

I'd like to try a Leema Tucana II - but that's unlikely because I suspect it probably won't be that much better than my Exposure amps.

Some Spendor Classic 200's would go nice in my listening room too

 

[technobear]

As far as my AV/speaker system is concerned, I don't have an itch (unless a pair of Zu's appear in the classifieds). I have already decided after using Hugo 2 for a while in that system that the RME will be replaced by a Qutest when one comes around at a suitable price.

It's a different matter for my headphone system. I recently attended Canjam London where I was able to come to a few conclusions. Firstly I will not be replacing my T1 with a planar magnetic headphone at any price. They just don't push my musical buttons. Secondly I didn't hear a dynamic headphone that I would consider an upgrade from the T1 (although I wasn't able to hear a ZMF Verité which is a prime candidate). What I did hear though was something that has totally reset my perceptions as far as headphones go - the RAAL|requisite SR1a ribbon earspeakers and the CA1a ribbon headphones. These are my itch!

With inflation at 13% and rising and interest rates still on the floor, this will have to remain as aspiration for the time being. Depending on how successful are my mitigating actions, I may or may not be able to afford them when this present insanity is over. Good thing I love what I have.

 

[EddieRUKidding]

There are certainly better formats for convenience and preserving sound quality these days than cassette, but Klassik enjoys the recording process. Selecting and calibrating a cassette for maximum accuracy or for artistic taste, depending on the end goal, is a bit of a fun challenge for Klassik. Admittedly, Klassik does not record onto tape all that often these days, but it's still something Klassik gets to occasionally. There's also something about compiling a good mixtape. It's fun to look back at mixtapes made years ago and see where one's interests were at the time.

It's a lot easier recording to tape now than it was back in the day. It's easy to send test tones for calibration purposes and to quickly find peaks in source material in order to set levels. Some of the pains of recording in the past are easier to handle these days.

Klassik will say that Klassik finds it enjoyable to hear some music, pop music mostly, on cassette. Perhaps it's because Klassik grew up in the analog era, but a little bit of gentle background hiss doesn't bother Klassik on loud, highly compressed pop music. If anything, it can take a bit of the edge away from such music. Klassik knows this aspect of tape might not be for everyone though and certainly picking the right tape and calibration methods does help matters.

Another vote here for analog Tape and Records, still using my Nak RX202 and find buying old tapes from 2nd hand record store quite rewarding, play back on the Nak is very good and I occasionally come across old jems both pop and classical - some recent finds Stravinsky's the Firebird Berlin Phili (currently playing) on tape for $1 and Gong Angel's Egg for $10 on Vinyl I prefer this to digital, as you never know what you might come across. My bucket list for equipment probably includes a Revox reel to reel and an old Ariston RD11.

 

[lazycat]

There are certainly better formats for convenience and preserving sound quality these days than cassette, but Klassik enjoys the recording process. Selecting and calibrating a cassette for maximum accuracy or for artistic taste, depending on the end goal, is a bit of a fun challenge for Klassik. Admittedly, Klassik does not record onto tape all that often these days, but it's still something Klassik gets to occasionally. There's also something about compiling a good mixtape. It's fun to look back at mixtapes made years ago and see where one's interests were at the time.

It's a lot easier recording to tape now than it was back in the day. It's easy to send test tones for calibration purposes and to quickly find peaks in source material in order to set levels. Some of the pains of recording in the past are easier to handle these days.

Klassik will say that Klassik finds it enjoyable to hear some music, pop music mostly, on cassette. Perhaps it's because Klassik grew up in the analog era, but a little bit of gentle background hiss doesn't bother Klassik on loud, highly compressed pop music. If anything, it can take a bit of the edge away from such music. Klassik knows this aspect of tape might not be for everyone though and certainly picking the right tape and calibration methods does help matters.

I bought a decent Aiwa walkman a few years ago. It was the same model I'd used in the late 90's. I had a JVC deck to record to.
I mainly wanted to tape some of my 12"s for the road, well train/bus.

Started recording and thought WTF are you doing?

End of memory lane trip. Sold the Aiwa for more than I paid for it. At least some result....

 

[dave]

El Klassiko has a Denon DRM-800. It's quite a nice deck and the nice, big, and bright display panel is quite lovely. Being a late 1980s deck, the build quality was starting to be cheapened out a bit, but it's still working just fine 33 years later so it's hard to protest too loudly.

I have blown up one of those, disappointingly, I have DRM 20, 22, 24, as it happens. the 22 works fine, but I converted it to tube replay, the other 2 both have faulty heads, but otherwise work fine

Tape was a great medium, all ways remember the Dragon being something of mystical product, don't think I ever seen one though.

I borrowed one for the weekend once. It is good, but ultimately was for me not life changingly, must have one good ( it was expensive, but I could have bought it for a good price). Probably very satisfying to the incurable tweakist, but the sound was not quite there for me. At the time I had a sick NEAL 302Hx. When it worked it had an incredibly satisfying and forgiving of the mediums weaknesses "analog" sound, which the Nak could not touch.

Anyway, re my preamp problem, as luck would have it, yesterday a UK spec CL-32 turned up on the auction site within the price range of the CL-32 fund, so that itch is about to be satiated, parcel force permitting. Hope it is not too much of a let down. Have looked in to the circuit, and interestingly gain circuits look very similar to some I cooked up my self so cautiously optimistic.

 

[Andy Stephenson]

Purely for budget reasons I'm there aside from a replacement cart when needed.

In the event of a lottery win or large inheritance, both equally unlikely, I would like at least to dem a Simon Yorke TT and some large Tannoys and what ever amp drove them most pleasingly.

In the event of said lottery win, I have a bit of a hankering to investigate how good a B&O system could be.

A Beosound 2500, Beogram 8002 and Beolab 8000 speakers are high on the list for a second system .

There are plenty others that I'm sure I would be happy with so it's nice to dream!

Andy

 

[Chumpchops]

Have you had squatters ..

…or a particularly rowdy Bake Off?

 

[Chumpchops]

I always hankered after some proper large speakers and hankers after a large pair of Tannoys or B&W 800s with biiiig drivers and a big sound.

Since taking the KISS route and going to actives, now AIO, the large pair of very loud speakers itch will likely not be satisfied. and I don’t really have or anticipate having the room for these to breathe in.

That’s not to say I am not delighted with my new trajectory. Listening more, tinkering less, and have the WAF bit nailed. Oh just remembered I am divorced. SWMBO a is now SWUBO.

 

[bigrod]

Cabasse Atlantis
Constellation top amps
Cabasse Le sphere

Have to agree on the La Sphere
Probably the best music I’ve ever heard in 50years
But at 200,000 it will never happen
I will have to continue enjoying the Kara’s

 

[Leeken]

I’m half of the way there,Atc scm40 ,wanted them for ages,got them now,Rme dac,wanted one since they came out,got it now,I’ve got a quad qsp which I like,but really want to try a purifi or maybe a Hypex,some nice clean power,my preamp was great in my previous system,a heavily modded dcb1,but for some reason it deteriorates the sound now with the new dac and speakers,don’t know why,don’t really need a pre anyway.