The one that got away......(AUDIO)

Hello all and good evening to you. This thread is inspired by a new member here, jbreezy5. He currently has only 10 posts but in my When have you heard "The Magic"? thread, he replied about a speaker that....well, please allow me to just link the post so you can read for yourself....

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/comment/2567444/#Comment_2567444

So, thanks to jbreezy5 for the inspiration. We have probably all had an experience in life where you had a chance to get your "End Game" whatever, or that special dream speaker, amplifier, TT or even R2R but...

For whatever reason, you never did get it. My question to you is this. What was the one purchase that you had a hookup on or just that chance to get and for whatever reason, that acquisition never did materialize?

Tom
~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~

Comments

  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    edited January 2020
    I dated a Coppertone swimsuit model once. She was dumber than a bag of hammers though.

    Edit: Oh "audio" My bad.
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/acoustic-research/ar-9.shtml
    I owned a pair of these when living in Germany unfortunately had to sell them back in 1994 when I moved back to the States, A few years ago I had a chance to buy another pair that were in immaculate condition, about an hour away and didnt jump on them fast enough they were sold by the time I decided to call the guy back, it's not often a pair of Acoustic Research AR9's in good condition come up for sale. I regret not buying them to this day.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,969
    I had the pleasure of listening to a pair of ar9 at @ohskigod place at Polk fest. Very cool set of speakers that seemed to be way ahead of its time
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    I have two... The Carver Silver 6 tube amps that I was bidding for on eBay, from the collection of Bob Carver himself. They were one of only five or six pairs ever made. I lost them by less than 10 dollars, but that opened the door for the creation of the amps I still have to this very day, my one of a kind Carver Statements.

    The other is a set of Carver Silver Seven tube amps. They were priced at about $5000.00 US coming out of Italy, sadly, we were unable to make the logistics work.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,521
    I had a pair of Acoustic Research AR9Lsi's in the early 80's and would love to have them on the equipment I have now.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,043
    My most recent one would be the VPI 16.5 record vac in the classifieds that just got sold.
  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,640
    For me, it would be the 3 pieces of gear I sold and regret selling.

    Cary Audio SLP-03
    Musical Fidelity A5CR
    Esoteric DV-50S

    All 3 of those pieces were instantly missed.
    But I was on a mission to downsize and consolidate.
    In the end, I ended up in a better place for me, but I still miss what those pieces brought to my system.

    To a lesser extent, the 2.3TLs that I refurbed/upgraded.
    I know I don't have the proper space for them so it makes their sale a bit easier to swallow but I would have liked to have seen what they were truly capable of.
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    A couple come to mind.
    I had right of refusal on a pristine and fully functional pair of EPI 1000s -- and refused them.

    One beautiful Saturday mornin' years back, I was chattin' with a friend at the town dump and another dump diver swooped in and grabbed one of those original (first generation), silver Marantz-branded (Philips, IIRC) CDPs, in its original box and packaging before I could sidle over to it. That's what I get for bein' conversational ;)


  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    Not much got away from me... ;)
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,421
    Had an appointment to take a look at an Audible Illusions preamplifier several winters ago--slipped on my driveway and broke my leg, and never got over there.

    On the bright side, I bought the MF A5cr amp that Ryan's pining about a couple posts above. Thanks Ryan!
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0
  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,305
    Do the NHT 2.9 speakers @geppy1 is selling count...? Because it sure feels like I’m missing out on a great opportunity:-)

    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/189760/nice-nht-2-9-floor-standing-speakers#latest
    "Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow


    “Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
    ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    edited February 2020
    I haven't heard those NHTs, so I can't comment. ;)

    But the ones I have heard elsewhere and the ones I own are pretty special. B)
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,786
    Theil CS 3.6's.
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,623
    I feel like I’m about to have a lot of these moments...

    I was all ready to make 2020 all about audio upgrades, instead my wife fell in love with a new house and we just went under contract today.

    So now My audio funds are officially gone!
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,739
    edited February 2020
    The good part is.....the speakers went to someone here.

    The story is, was browsing CL and came across some "Polk speakers"

    The listing included:

    Yamaha MX-1000
    Yamaha CX-1000
    Yamaha CD-X- 1000

    A few other components, and a pair of stock SDA SRS 1.2TL

    All for $1000.

    Someone grabbed the speakers, I passed on the other gear as I had other plans in mind...but would have been a great score.

    Missed it all by 30 min.