Gear that you HAD to have (or may still lust after)

TroyD · January 2005

Just curious...and we've had similar discussions in the past but you know, as we get new folks and so forth....

I'd like to hear about gear that you heard and you just KNEW you had to have. I mean, I have some gear that I like but there is some gear that I have that I was just FLOORED by.

For me, it was:

The Carver Amazings. Once I heard George's, I was hooked.

Jolida JD100 CD player, again, once I heard Dave's, I knew that I would never be happy with a 'lesser' player.

SDA. Now, I will tell you that I was an SDA skeptic, however, after hearing F1's I just KNEW that SDA had to be in my immediate future.

BDT

madmax · January 2005

Most recently it was the SL-2000 replacement tweeter upgrade. I listened to them at Doro's house, went home that evening and removed about 48 SL-2000's from various models and put an add in the flea market.

Next it was the MIT S3 and S1 cables.

This is the killer one. After hearing the Musical Fidelity CD player at F1's house I must have one or something equal. I'm a little gun shy about the price right now but someday...

madmax

RuSsMaN · January 2005

Spendor 1/2's

Dodd Audio Reference Preamp

TroyD · January 2005

I hear you about F1's gear.....however, that's WAY out of my price range for the forseeable future so I don't even really count that...

BDT

Ron-P · January 2005

Nothing heard, but rather seen.

I want the new Panny PT-AE700u FP. Full HD ready projector for those up and coming HD-DVDs. Hopefully, by years end I will have upgraded.

Willow · January 2005

easy being human I want all I don't have !! except Bose that I don't want what so ever.

BlueMDPicker · January 2005

Magneplanar MG-Is - After using the Tempani panels as the drivers for our PA system in a jazz combo back in the early 70's, I had to have them for home audio. One of the best investments I ever made in SQ. I still have them today, some 30+ years later.

SDA SRS - After acquiring the 2Bs, I lusted after the flagship model. Another great investment I doubt I'll ever part with. At 92 db efficiency, I can drive them with tubes or transistors to perfection.

Eastern Electric MiniMax Tube Preamp - After hearing the musicality of the EE CDP, I lusted after the preamp based on two friend's rave reviews. The BEST investment I've ever made in audio. It's the heart of my system regardless of any sources, amps and speakers I cycle in and out.

Manley Labs Stingray Integrated - After acquiring the DCM 75+75 I really dig the sound of Manley tube gear. I've also never popped the lid on anything better engineered or built. The Stingray, with UL/triode switching is my current lust for my MBR system (now consisting of Dynaco PAS-3X and ST-70 driving SDA-2As.)

okiepolkie · January 2005

It may seem insignificant for some people, but I just had to have the RT5's when I found them open box at Circuit City. I was just getting in to home audio during my freshman year at college. Had looked at PSB a little bit, but I just had to have the RT5's when I found them. Didn't have much money, but I talked my dad into loaning me a little money to get them. I ran them off a 35 year old Yamaha receiver for a couple of years and never regretted my decision.

shack · January 2005

Vienna Acoustics Beethovens - Ever since I heard these on Bryston gear I would love to have them. I just haven't been able to convince myself to drop $4,500 on a pair of speakers. Besides then I would need the Bryston gear to go along with it.

steveinaz · January 2005

1986/87, Germany, exhibition in a military audio/photo club; Infinity Reference Standards ($47,000/pr, then). I could literally listen to music all day long on those beauties, they were the holy grail as far as I was concerned. The room that they played in was absolutely silent...no one wanted to speak, they just wanted to listen. It was like church during a prayer...

Two 7 foot gorgeous cabinets pre channel, filled with woofers, tweeters and midranges.

Haven't heard anything yet that could touch them...musically or asthetically.

Pauly · January 2005

Bose Lifestyle system...think 'm gonna sell my 2chnl for one..

Pauly

tonyv1 · January 2005

My best friend had the Magnepan MG-1 in 1978, didn't have them long (WAF). Finally got Maggies (MMG) in 2001 and then upgraded to the MG12 3 months later. Polks are on the HT setup.
Still lusting after a Sonic Frontiers Line 3 Preamp.

reeltrouble1 · January 2005

Most recently

I lust for:

Troy's Carver Amazings
Dave's Jolida JD100
Doro's CTC-BBQ

A lock of Jesse's hair.

RT1

George Grand · January 2005

I don't lust after anything anymore. I got most of it by now. Some pieces took years to get ahold of. I would still like to own a pair of AR LST's, a pair of AR-11's, an Advent 300 receiver, a Harman-Kardon Citation 12 power amp, a pair of the Polk S-400 speakers with surround circuitry built-in, and a Hafler DH-120 power amp. I would LIKE to own those, but don't lust after them cause they don't represent an increase in performance that I already possess. Stuff that I lusted after was all the early AR stuff that I could never afford back then like the AR integrated amp, the receiver, AR-3a's, a Harman-Kardon Citation11/12 pre/power amp combo, Tandberg TCD-310 cassette deck, Dynaco Quadaptor.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

F1nut · January 2005

I've got what I had to have, but some stuff I think I'd like to pick up is some BAT or Cary gear.....the Cary V12 tube amp interests me, also the Manley Stringray. I would also like to hear one of the big Tannoy speakers.

Ted, you worry me!

gidrah · January 2005

For years I had wanted some McIntosh gear and Altec Lansing "Voice of the Theater" speakers. I'm happy now.

amulford · January 2005

I think I'd like to get either some CA Plat Mark IV's. As far as gear, I saw this 200 WPC tube amp, forgot the name. I bet it would rock...:D

beardog03 · January 2005

the mac 60 Tube mono`s I found on the gon....

gatemplin · January 2005

I plan on getting a Bryston amp someday. They look and sound great. That someday isn't anytime soon though. Maybe in four or five years, maybe. I like the B100 integrated.

Toxis · January 2005

Originally posted by amulford
I think I'd like to get either some CA Plat Mark IV's. As far as gear, I saw this 200 WPC tube amp, forgot the name. I bet it would rock...:D

I was at a local high end shop a few weeks ago and they had 750w mono block tube amps on display. Can't remember the maker but it was beyond friggen big.

reeltrouble1 · January 2005

Originally posted by F1nut
Ted, you worry me!

Oh, no reason too, I have been taking my meds!:D

MacLeod · January 2005

I was at Tweeter a few months ago checking out some car audio gear and took a stroll into their HT demo room. They had the Alice in Chains Unplugged DVD playing thru some Polk RTi8's (I think) and they sounded sooooo good. I had never heard anything so good. I could hear the click of the pick on the guitar strings! I sat there and listened forever. Until that point I didnt care much for HT. Those RTi's converted me!

From a car audio standpoint, I would love to have some MB Quart Q's or maybe some Focal Utoipas. For amps I really want some Xtant X sereis amps!

McLoki · January 2005

First system that brought me into home audio as more than a party tool.

Vandersteen 2c speakers run with a PS Audio amplifier.

The combination was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Just had to sit down and start listening to it - Impossible to walk by and ignore.

I would love to own the combo just to see if it is as good as I remember it being, or was I just naive?

Michael

VR3 · January 2005

Def Tech BP7000SC

That or the BP30, either will do. Not to far away.

Others that are unattainable, SRT, Avalon Sentinel...

dkg999 · January 2005

George Grand - we need a wish list forum! I wish I would of known you wanted Citation 12's! I just cleaned out my storage area at the farm and had matched pairs of Citation 12, 16, 19, and 22 amps that I sold! Because I know you're going to ask .... large HK audio dealer in Des Moines IA, and lots of audio equipment gets sold when students need money to get home at the end of the school year. I acquired these years ago, and they are some of the all-time great amps, in my ever so humble opinion. I also just sold matched pairs of Phase Linear 200b and 400b amps that had been permenantly made into mono-blocks and the annoying turn-on thump problem solved. I kept my pair of Nakamichi PA7, my pair of Bogen tube amps, and a pair of custom built GAS Ampzilla's that I acquired from the person that gave me my appreciation for audio equipment and recently passed on.

Toxis · January 2005

Originally posted by MacLeod
From a car audio standpoint, I would love to have some MB Quart Q's or maybe some Focal Utoipas. For amps I really want some Xtant X sereis amps!

the new Utopia's yes, but for amps... got say the Tru C2's. *SPOOGE*

MacLeod · January 2005

Originally posted by Toxis
the new Utopia's yes, but for amps... got say the Tru C2's. *SPOOGE*

Yeah. Cant go wrong with that one.

Tru and Braxx are in a league of their own tho. I usually dont even consider them car audio amps mainly cause I could never justify putting $1500 amps in a car! LOL

mantis · January 2005

For me it's Dynaudio speakers. I completely love them. When I first started working for Soundex , I was gung Ho for B&W 's speaker lines. My very first job with Soundex consist of a Rotel RSX1065 receiver , Dynaudio Audience 52 mains 122 center , 42W rears sub30A sub , Pioneer Elite dv38a , Pioneer ELite Pro720HD tv , Bello rack for the gear RCA HD dss receiver DTC100 I think it was , and all Transparent speaker wires and Interconnects. When we finished up Installing it , we sat down and started calibrating everything. Right out of the Effin boxes Dynaudio took by damn breath away. I was shocked how good they sounded. What I do when I calibrate a system is run some cd's to warm up the system. Run the TV with some DSS for about and hour or so while we pack up, clean up and get ready to teach the customer how to use the system. There was a Philips Pronto tsu2000 remote to be programmed so I also use that time to break in the system some before we calibrate. The remote usually takes a few hours to program so we just play with the system untill then.

I gotta tell you I was just shocked. Al Di Meola was my cd and I knew this system sounded much better then mine. I heard things in the recording I never heard before.

After that day I was hooked on Dynaudio. Today my goal is to own a full system 7.1 Dynaudio. The amps to drive I'm in the air about as Rotel and B&K are always my top 2 choices. Depending on the speakers , one sounds better then the other. For Dynaudio it's a tuff call. They both excell when conected to Dynaudio speakers. I never owned home theater Rotel seperates and I'm considering going there. B&K is really great sounding gear and running my polks I would rather it then Rotel. But for Dynaudio Audience line that is , it's so close.

Dan

polksda · January 2005

SDA SRS. Wanted the big boys, now have them. They ain't goin' anywhere. Wanted them for almost 20 years...

I do still eventually want to get a set of Vandersteen 2c's like I had in the late '80s, and if I ever move to a bigger place I want to get a pair of Von Schweikert VR4. I demoed those years back just for giggles, and they sounded wonderful.

tryrrthg · January 2005

My first "I have to have these" experience was with the Dynaudio 1.3SE. Damn fine speaker. I couldn't afford them so I got a used set of Dynaudio 1.3mkII and LOVE them. I'd have to spend a small fortune to better them and I've only heard one reasonably priced speaker I'd trade mine for (with the exception of the 1.3SE) they were the ProAc D25's and they are pretty nice. I'd love to hear the Dynaudio Special 25 also.

I rarely hear anything that I would go crazy enough for to sell my gear, but I do like trying new things. would like to try a tube preamp and either get my McCormack amp upgraded by Steve McCormack or get a BIGGER McCormack amp, they're just awesome for the money.

DAGLJAM6 · January 2005

My interest is on Vandersteen 2ce's. After Russ's find I did some research and i'm at least interested enough to do a demo at a dealership. New, not that far out of reach but a new dimension in the home system for the money.

Dave

Gear that you HAD to have (or may still lust after)

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