Anyone here consider themselves an audiophile?
What kind of home audio system do you have?

My main/livingroom system these days:

an Intel NUC HTPC Win7 running JRiver Media Center 19.x in Kiosk mode on my TV
an old, non touchscreen, Logitech XBOX universal remote
redundant NASs (each with mirrored drives inside)
a ton of meticulously curated (mostly) lossless/FLAC music, plus some movies/etc
plus
a vintage Adcom Pre
a vintage Adcom GFA 555 amp to power a pair of Monitor Audio RS6 towers
another GFA 555 to power two Velodyne 12s with separate knob to control bass output

and I listen to most everything, from electronica, to rock, pre war blues, alt country, hip hop, jazz, metal, r&b, bluegrass, southern rock, house music and techno and such, dj / club music, tons really... from Radiohead to Portishead to Mingus to John Prine to Tool in a day.

Main System

I can't really call myself a audiophile but I do enjoy listening to music old school. 2 channel.
My audio equipment is also old school but still does a fine job, especially considering my old ears.

GAS son of Ampzila power amp

GAS Thoebe pre-amp

Sony SACD CD player

Revox linear tracking turntable / with Shure cartridge

Sony cassette deck

ESS/Concept CE1 Heil speakers

Mitsubishi analog tuner

Nothing like sitting in a dark room with no distractions and the music CRANKED!

Used to be, then age and life does funny things to a person's range of hearing. Nowadays I mostly stream my music; CDs and vinyl LPs DO create considerable clutter.

I went through a LOT of gear in those hedonistic days. Not the smartest move, definitely self-indulgent. I even went as far as to build a listening room, just for stereo audio only. Ultimately the family reclaimed the acreage when I started spending more time under the hood of cars and cared less about being bombarded by sound waves of Queen, the Berliner Philharmonic or George Strait.

I did favor certain brands. For electronics it was Mark Levinson before they were swallowed up, McIntosh tube, NAD. Sources were Rega and Linn Sondek for tables, many different phono cartridges and tonearms and phono preamps. NAIM and McIntosh for digital disc media. TEAC Tascam for reel tape; Nakamichi Dragon and CR-7A (which I still have and absolutely refuse to sell though many have tried to pry it away) for cassette. Thiel CS 3.6 speakers though I do miss my MartinLogan CLS even more. Both of those sets of loudspeakers were sold off as concessions to regaining floor space for other uses...like gun safes for one. All of these were among the favorites; I don't even want to remember all of the dogs and disliked stuff that money was wasted on.

These days not much is left. The NAIM 3-5 for CDs and occasional vinyl on the Rega, all done through a simpler (in terms of wiring and footprint) Denon multi-channel A/V receiver. For stereophonic listening a simple pair of Paradigm Mini Monitors speakers from a few generations back. I also have some leftover Denon and Akai gear with a pair of out-of-place, relatively huge a/d/s speakers cobbled up for a second setup in my workshop. Most of the old high dollar 'prestige' stuff were sold off to collectors or budding audiophiles I'd met along the way, usually at steep losses.

I won't even go through what I've spent on headphones and power for those cans. Too depressing as to what kinds of guns and alternative fun stuff I could've had instead...

Amplifier: Cary SET 805 Anniv Edition Monoblocks with NOS tubes: 1950s Brimar 6SN7GTs, AVVT 300B (SL-C37s), 1940s United 845s. All caps upgraded to Duelund Cast.
Preamplifier Cary SLP-05 with 1950s Brimar 6SN7GTs,and Tung Sol round plate black glass VT-231 6SN7s and Holland metal-base 5AR4. Cary PH302 phono stage with 1950s brown-base Mullard ECC35s and Holland metal-base 5AR4. All caps upgraded to Duelund Cast.

Speakers: Ruark Excalibur and Essex/Ruark SW3 subwoofer.
Crossovers rebuilt by Chapman Audio using Duelund Cast caps.
Sources:
CD Player/DAC: Cary 306-SACD Professional Version, with Audience AU24 balanced IC to the SLP-05
Turntable/Phono Stage: Newer Rega P9 with MC Benz Ruby 3H on Mapleshade block. Phono stage listed above
Other Accessories/Room/Misc.:
Speaker Cables/Interconnects: Audience AU24 SE balanced I-connects and AU24 SE speaker cables/jumpers
Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.): Audience AR12TSS Adept Response power conditioner and AU 24 SE power cords.
Tweaks: isolation squares and Mapleshade block for TT
HI-Fi tuning fuses
Music Preferences and Comments:
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical, Jazz, early Funk, Soul, and obscure 60s/70s Progressive and Psych.
System Goals/Comments:
System Strengths: Expansive sound stage, with dynamic, transparent SET magic.
System Weaknesses: n/a
Video/HT System: Separate

Large dedicated listening room with about 8000 LPs.

quote:

like sitting in a dark room with no distractions and the music CRANKED

Yeah, I cherish my time when I can deliberately Listen as the key activity, in a room full of music, in my room, in my chair, not crazy loud, but not quiet either...

Nothing on the TV. No distractions. Nobody yammering. No commercials.

McIntosh all the way

Proton Integrated Amp Hi Current, Belden 12G wire into BA A70's. Sometimes into AR 18's. Nakamichi Deck and Dennon CD Player. Sometimes use a set of modded Advent 1008 speakers (new caps, wire, inductor, Cardas binding posts).

Old school setup but the amp is stellar- quiet and clean power.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Main System

When will it be a suitable date for me to move in?

0-0

Damn, soggy, that's a sad story.

Two-channel rig

Amplifier: Mark Levinson No. 335

Preamplifier: PS Audio PCA-2 w/ HCPS

Speakers: Revel Ultima Salon

Digital:
Nakamichi Dragon CD & DAC
Esoteric DV-50 universal player
Schiit Gungnir DAC, Mac mini w/ Amarra & Bitperfect

Turntable:
Linn LP12 (Ittok LVII arm, Klyde cartridge, Lingo PS, Cirkus chassis)
Mark Levinson No. 25S phono stage

Speaker Cables: Straight Wire Crescendo

Interconnects:
Madrigal CZ Gel
Cardas Musician's Reference, Golden Cross, Cross
Straight Wire Crescendo & Virtuoso

Power Conditioning:
PS Audio UPC-200HB
PS Audio UPC-200
PS Audio Xstream Statement SC & XStream Plus
Pangea AC-9

Celestion SL700 SE speakers with proprietary stands

Sota Star Sapphire turntable w/ FT3 arm and Sumiko Blue Point Special cartridge (MC)

Creek 5350SE integrated amp with moving coil board

Marantz CD player

Audioquest interconnects

My Adcom separates (GFA-1A, GFT-1, GFP-1) have all moved on.

Down to a 100 WPC Yamaha receiver, 4 Klipsch Fortes and an Academy center, and a SVS PB-12 sub.

I don’t spend much time just listening anymore. That, plus tinnitus in one ear to match a pretty good high freq hearing loss - so I’m just not in the “audiophile” mode anymore...

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I can't really call myself a audiophile but I do enjoy listening to music old school. 2 channel.
My audio equipment is also old school but still does a fine job, especially considering my old ears.

GAS son of Ampzila power amp

GAS Thoebe pre-amp

Sony SACD CD player

Revox linear tracking turntable / with Shure cartridge

Sony cassette deck

ESS/Concept CE1 Heil speakers

Mitsubishi analog tuner


Nothing like sitting in a dark room with no distractions and the music CRANKED!

Also have a GAS Son of Ampzilla and the original Ampzilla amongst my bunch of currently unused 2 channel equipment.
I also have a APT Holman preamp plus a bunch of other stuff.
Planning on pulling it all out of mothballs sooner than later.

I love these threads, reminds me of reading through Hi-Fi News and Record Review, Stereophile, Audio Critic and other mags, and dreaming.
I have in storage an Adcom amp and preamp, Rogers LS3/5A speakers, a Nakamichi receiver--all decent but not high-end stuff.
Nowadays I use Audioengine HD6's with bluetooth for streaming music. No room currently for any of the old dedicated stereo equipment,.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I can't really call myself a audiophile but I do enjoy listening to music old school. 2 channel.
My audio equipment is also old school but still does a fine job, especially considering my old ears.

GAS son of Ampzila power amp

GAS Thoebe pre-amp

Sony SACD CD player

Revox linear tracking turntable / with Shure cartridge

Sony cassette deck

ESS/Concept CE1 Heil speakers

Mitsubishi analog tuner


Nothing like sitting in a dark room with no distractions and the music CRANKED!

Also have a GAS Son of Ampzilla and the original Ampzilla amongst my bunch of currently unused 2 channel equipment.
I also have a APT Holman preamp plus a bunch of other stuff.
Planning on pulling it all out of mothballs sooner than later.

I would love to here a update.
I have sent my pre-amp to a guy in Minnesota for repairs. He is one of two people the creator of GAS equipment authorized to do repairs.
I'm sure you know how PICKY he is or was ( can't remember his last name spelling or if he is still alive).
If you ever need your GAS equipment updated or repaired I can send you his name.

I have old Yamaha separates from 1985. Might as well be this:

I used to be. Over time, keeping up with the McIntoshes, Marantzes, Sansuis, stereo/quadraphonic and all the associated cables, switches, dials, meters and so on, I finally gave up and turned to utter simplicity. In the 1970s, I purchased a Bang & Olufsen component system, which lasted me nearly thirty years. I finally replaced it about 13 years ago with another B&O system. My current setup is a Beosound Ouverture with a pair of Beolab 6000 speakers. One button push and it plays radio, CDs and cassettes.

My Home A/V system is as:

Sony A1E 65" OLED TV
Oppo UDP-203 4K Player (plays any disc format including SACD and DVD-Audio)
Denon X4300 Receiver
Paradigm Reference Studio 60 towers (v. 1)
Paradigm Reference Studio CC center (v. 2)
Paradigm Reference Studio Adapted-Di-Polar Surrounds (v. 2)
Paradigm Reference Seismic 12 Subwoofer
Monoprice slim hi-speed HDMI cables
Original Monster 12 gauge to the 3 front speakers.

Sounds and looks awesome.

After using separates and eschewing any use of EQ for years, moving to 5.1 showed me that modern receivers with Audyssey XT (and higher) room correction (or Anthem ARC) make a huge difference in evening out the room response. But you still need good speakers to start with, and the P-Ref v1 and v2 (same drivers so they blend together OK) outstanding even though they are 15-20 years old. The ADP surrounds really diffuse the sound so they don't sound like point sources.

My sub is 1500 watts RMS, and all content below 80 Hz on the center and surrounds, and below 40 Hz on the two fronts is steered to the Sub. So the receiver really isn't doing much of the work.

I may experiment with Atmos, but installing the height speakers would be a big pain for my living room.