HiFi Stereo Audiophile or any audio gear - room or car

[Mountain_Man_79]

You could sell the ML electrostats and buy a McIntosh power amp with the proceeds. I recommend the SS amps with autoformers, regardless of power output. My C45 pre and MC252 power amp may not be the ultimate in anything from McIntosh or anyone else but have sonic ease that lets me listen for hours with no listening fatigue.

The MLs may not be my go to, but I’d have trouble parting with them. I anticipate several of these items getting tossed in my grave with me if local laws permit ?
First on my list from McIntosh is either going to be a good pre, as I’m running everything through my integrated Marantz through entirely too many splitters, or their headphone amp. So I’m eying up a c47 or c52 and the mha150. Amp wise I was thinking the mc302/mc312, if I don’t go back to tubes with them and grab a mc275. Thankfully I work for a company that sells their gear and I get a discount.

 

[ralf-11]

The MLs are great but it makes me cry to see them within 5 ft. of the rear wall....

and speaking of gorgeous, any pics of Accuphase gear?

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

The MLs are great but it makes me cry to see them within 5 ft. of the rear wall....

Yeah, I’d need a bigger house. If they were 5’ from the rear wall, they’d practically be sitting on my lap...which I’m not opposed to, but would probably sound terrible ?

 

[phigmov]

Three bits of low-end(ish) kit (lo-fi?) -

NAD 711 AV & a Power Amp for a passive-sub (part of a Boston Dynamics THX set of speakers). The cat is a big fan as you can see by the hair & dust.

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NAD 3220PE - I've had this for 20+ years and now its in the study driving some Tannoy shelf speakers for my old iPod Touch 3rd-gen & PC audio

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Cyrus 3 - currently a shelf-queen - I'm hoping to upgrade my TV, shift the old panel into the study to use for some gaming consoles, put the old NAD on that setup and then use the Cyrus for PC/iPod audio.

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[jeffreybehr]

@jeffreybehr What do you think about that emotiva amp? Some of their equipment has passed my mind...

Chris, pls understand that while the many channels of the amp are kept plenty busy playing multichannel SACDs and movies, the only speaker of the eleven that is 'listened to' is the center-channel Martin-Logan.. That system is the best-sounding center-channel amp-and-speaker combination I've ever had and ever heard--and I've had LOTS, lemme tell ya! That 'bestness' surely is due more to the speaker than to the amp, but if either is 'bad', the music is bad.. Mine is an XPA Gen3, model Eleven: 5S-1M.. The XPA G3 amps can contain as many as seven amplifier modules, and each can be a single-channel of 200 Watts or a stereo module of 65 Watts times two. Mine has five stereo modules and one single-channel module.. If it would be your only poweramp for a multichannel system, you might configure it with three 200W. modules for the three front channels and four stereo modules for the surround, rear surround, and two pairs of height speakers...or ANY combination your heart desires, limited to no more than seven modules.. It's also dead quiet mechanically and runs very cool..Here are a few pics of it.

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Both the mono and stereo amplifiers are fully balanced/complimentary and have both balanced and RCA inputs.. Here's the link.

https://emotiva.com/collections/amps/products/build-your-own?variant=14844442542123

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

Well this thread wound up getting expensive...I now await delivery of a McIntosh c47 preamp. Found a great deal I couldn’t pass up.

 

[John King]

Sadly, I can't contribute to this forum photographically as I've recently sold all my precious HI-Fi and Vinyl LP collection due to serious deafness.
I owned a Pink Triangle Anniversary turntable, with SME Series V arm and Ortofon cartridge.
The amps were Sugden AU41 pre and power versions, feeding Heybrook Sextet speakers bi-wired via DNM solid core wire.
I don't know if that means anything to anyone on here, but there was over six grands-worth of goodies.

Fortunately, the guys who bought my stuff are all real enthusiasts and I'm just delighted it's gone to good homes.
I sold most of my vinyl to a dealer, who said that most of it would end up in the Czech Republic and Russia.
I have kept a couple of rare albums I'd like to dispose of sometime, one of which recently sold for over £1,800!

As an aside, I can't identify any performers anymore, which really bugs me and all music sounds so tinny.
I've just got some new hearing aids which cost almost £4,000 so I'm hoping to get them set up so I can at least enjoy a bit of music occasionally.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing some great gear on here.
Sorry for the ramble.

Brian, I empathize.

Two years ago, I had my hearing tested - left ear is a 75 dB 'cliff' at 1250 c/s ...

Right ear rolls off a bit more gracefully (directly behind the muzzle of my .270W, so not as damaged). It's 40+ years since I shot that rifle without ear protection, but the damage was done.

My hearing aids were paid for by the public health system here. They help with the TV particularly.

What to do with the Thorens TD-150, Pioneer SA1000 and Tannoy 15" Monitor Gold speakers (etc). The latter are just 50 Kg ornaments now ...

 

[ralf-11]

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[Panolyman]

Brian, I empathize.

Two years ago, I had my hearing tested - left ear is a 75 dB 'cliff' at 1250 c/s ...

Right ear rolls off a bit more gracefully (directly behind the muzzle of my .270W, so not as damaged). It's 40+ years since I shot that rifle without ear protection, but the damage was done.

My hearing aids were paid for by the public health system here. They help with the TV particularly.

What to do with the Thorens TD-150, Pioneer SA1000 and Tannoy 15" Monitor Gold speakers (etc). The latter are just 50 Kg ornaments now ...

Thanks for empathising John and the feeling is mutual.
My hearing loss is down to my employer, as we were using headphones listening out for bud tones that they knew were above safe audible levels.
What makes matters worse is that they replaced them with levels still above recommendations.
I've had a compensation payment, but nothing replaces your good hearing.
Sadly, my new aids don't seem to have helped music-wise; everything still sounds tinny.

Regarding your gear, I started off with a Pioneer PL12D turntable with small Sony amp and tuner and my first upgrade was to a Thorens TD160 turntable hooked up to a good Pioneer receiver. Ah... them were the days.

I have found lots of comfort from concentrating more on my photographic hobby and have to say that this forum is the best thing that's happened to me.

All the best to everyone, and as I always say nowadays "Look after your lug'oles"

 

[demiro]

View attachment 734858
Sound's Up! by Graham Moore, on Flickr

Graham, I don't mean to be a jerk, but it pains me to see those Joseph's jammed in to that space. You've got many dollars invested in beautiful gear, but an audio outcome that is surely compromised.

I've never had the luxury to set up a room just for audio, with proper treatments and plenty of space, but just doing a little to improve your set up can go a long way. I've found that modest gear set up properly will often outperform much better gear set up improperly. I think, actually, that the better the gear the more it demands a better listening arrangement.

Or maybe I'm just busting your balls 'cause I'm jealous of your mini McIntosh showroom...

 

[Carbonman]

Graham, I don't mean to be a jerk, but it pains me to see those Joseph's jammed in to that space. You've got many dollars invested in beautiful gear, but an audio outcome that is surely compromised.

I've never had the luxury to set up a room just for audio, with proper treatments and plenty of space, but just doing a little to improve your set up can go a long way. I've found that modest gear set up properly will often outperform much better gear set up improperly. I think, actually, that the better the gear the more it demands a better listening arrangement.

Or maybe I'm just busting your balls 'cause I'm jealous of your mini McIntosh showroom...

@demiro, I'm painfully aware of the poor location of the speakers. I've done what I could to mitigate the placement problems - facing the woofers inward, making sure there's no toe-in (Joseph Audio speakers perform really badly when toed in - this is my 4th model), setting up the sofa location to minimize room nodes etc. and listen in semi-nearfield mode. Our former home had a nicely rectangular living room and much less glass. If I move the speakers farther from the wall, they block passage from the rest of the suite and my wife would certainly knock the right channel speaker over.
All of the McIntosh gear is no longer made but the regional factory rep has told me that I wouldn't get any better performance by trading up.

 

[demiro]

@demiro, I'm painfully aware of the poor location of the speakers. I've done what I could to mitigate the placement problems - facing the woofers inward, making sure there's no toe-in (Joseph Audio speakers perform really badly when toed in - this is my 4th model), setting up the sofa location to minimize room nodes etc. and listen in semi-nearfield mode. Our former home had a nicely rectangular living room and much less glass. If I move the speakers farther from the wall, they block passage from the rest of the suite and my wife would certainly knock the right channel speaker over.
All of the McIntosh gear is no longer made but the regional factory rep has told me that I wouldn't get any better performance by trading up.

That's good to hear. And you probably want/have to keep your wife.

I have no doubt that is true about your McIntosh gear. Beautiful stuff. Those amps work as sculpture for me. I can imagine one on a pedestal with a little spot light shining down on it. I've mostly overcome my audiophile disease, but I'll always be a geek at heart for the gear.

 

[Carbonman]

That's good to hear. And you probably want/have to keep your wife.

I have no doubt that is true about your McIntosh gear. Beautiful stuff. Those amps work as sculpture for me. I can imagine one on a pedestal with a little spot light shining down on it. I've mostly overcome my audiophile disease, but I'll always be a geek at heart for the gear.

It has to be a seriously stable pedestal - the MC252 weighs 94 lbs. Let me tell you, it's a really tough job getting it unboxed and slid onto that bottom glass shelf, the only one rated for that much weight.

 

[Mike.K]

Can you hit the high notes on this.

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[Mountain_Man_79]

I’m a happy boy after welcoming the McIntosh to the family -

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[Carbonman]

I’m a happy boy after welcoming the McIntosh to the family -

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the sound after a few weeks. I find McIntosh perfectly balances on the knife edge between fine detail and non-fatiguing sound quality - sort of an ahhh characteristic.

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the sound after a few weeks. I find McIntosh perfectly balances on the knife edge between fine detail and non-fatiguing sound quality - sort of an ahhh characteristic.

I’m finding exactly that after a single listening session. Lush and full, yet deadly accurate. I had the accuracy before, but it was cold and clinical, also had a sheen to digital sources. Regardless of source, now it’s a warmer sound, yet without sacrificing the accuracy. Love it!

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

So my birthday present to myself a couple weeks back was this lovely Ortofon upgrade (cross posted in adapted lens showcase Oly 50mm 1.4)

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And still loving the McIntosh. What a lovely TT preamp in this thing!

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[Gillymaru]

I am just starting down the hifi rabbit hole again, just bought a pair of Focal Aria floor standing speakers. Next is a new amp but that will have to wait until the finances recover. It has been forever since I had a half decent system and after getting Tidal I am rediscovering how good it is to just listen to new music again.

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

I am just starting down the hifi rabbit hole again, just bought a pair of Focal Aria floor standing speakers. Next is a new amp but that will have to wait until the finances recover. It has been forever since I had a half decent system and after getting Tidal I am rediscovering how good it is to just listen to new music again.

Nice speakers! And also nice to be able to stream in full resolution easily.