Is There Another AUDIOPHILE Here...?

[darin]

I used to be into audio. My preference and budget reached only to the level of Klipsch Forte IIs, Carver amplification, adcom pre-amp, and I forgot the brand of CD player and whatnot. What i've been looking at lately is vintage stuff. I hope to find some while I'm here, then have it converted to 110v so I can return with it.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I used to be into audio. My preference and budget reached only to the level of Klipsch Forte IIs, Carver amplification, adcom pre-amp, and I forgot the brand of CD player and whatnot. What i've been looking at lately is vintage stuff. I hope to find some while I'm here, then have it converted to 110v so I can return with it.

Klipsch and Carver have seen their better days. Adcom still makes some very nice stuff. I'd be very tempted to buy an Adcom processor or preamp.

My dream components are pretty much McIntosh, but my pockets aren't quite that deep, not for new stuff anyway right now. Maybe someday when I'm all done wrenching in my shop I'll have an auction and sell off some of my expensive goodies and go hog wild and buy some of that world class dream stuff... one day... maybe... but I'd definitely pop for the flagship Bowers & Wilkins Diamond series speakers. B&W have been used in the legendary Abby Roads recording studio ever sine the days when the Beatles used to record there, and I'm definitely impressed with the Bowers & Wilkins I have. I have a pair of DM604 S3's in the shop powered by a Denon AVR2809CI. These newest series 3 B&W Diamonds are drop dead gorgeous though...

[darin]

I love Macintosh stuff. It sounds wonderful. My carver and admcoms are circa 1992; my klipsch were as well.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I love Macintosh stuff. It sounds wonderful. My carver and admcoms are circa 1992; my klipsch were as well.

The Best Buy in Madison has a Magnolia Theater in it and they have three demo rooms, one is full of McIntosh... I go and DROOL over the stuff a couple times a year. I've heard other ultra high end components at trade shows, like Living Voice speakers and such, but we're talking so much money that you have to be FILTHY rich to afford that stuff. I'd have to win the lottery before I could play in that ball park. Frankly, I don't think the cost is commensurate to the sound with much ultra high end audio, but you're paying for "pretty" too. I don't think I've ever heard an amp sound any better than a McIntosh, but they're 2,000 watt mono blocks are as pricey as anything else, like $35,000 a pop. Not going to happen...

[darin]

In a couple months I'll be flea-marketing and antique-storing my way through parts of what was East Germany - hoping for 1960s-era tube-type amps and what not. I'm thinking - if I can find something cool - I'll go back to Klipsch with the horn-loaded drivers for my audio - because it's old-school tech. And I like the rawness.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

In a couple months I'll be flea-marketing and antique-storing my way through parts of what was East Germany - hoping for 1960s-era tube-type amps and what not. I'm thinking - if I can find something cool - I'll go back to Klipsch with the horn-loaded drivers for my audio - because it's old-school tech. And I like the rawness.

Tubes are analog, and they sound WONDERFUL. If you can find some old tube McIntosh... GRAB IT! I love tube amps. In fact grab anything tube. There's a huge sect that loves old school. Even vinyl is making a huge come back.