Your audio equipment?

[JSngry]

I've been getting by fine with one of these babies:

[Jazzmoose]

So is that turtle belt driven, or direct?

[Brandon Burke]

Turntable: Thorens TD 160 (here's another one )

Yep, I have one of those too but I took it up to the lab so we could digitize LPs. Now I've got two Technics 1200s, a Vestax PCV-275 mixer, Pinoeer SX-780 amp/reciever, Phillips CDR-775 disc player and a couple of Danish speakers a friend of mine retooled.

Works for me.....

[Daniel A]

I've been using a Technics SL-1210 for ten years, but I'm just about to get a - guess what - Thorens TD 160!!! I've been thinking of getting a Thorens for some time now; they can sometimes even be found very cheap here. Just yeasterday I spotted an incredible ad in my morning newspaper: someone was offering a complete stereo (including amp, tuner, cassette deck, speakers AND a Thorens turntable) for 50 Euros! An elderly woman told me on the phone that it was all gone of course; the ad had been in the paper the day before too, Sunday...

I was initially set to find a TD 125, mainly because of the nice design. However they appear to be rare over here so now I'm getting a TD 160 instead. I'm actually trading a wrecked drum kit I used up to my early teens for the Thorens, which a friend of mine found on a dump! Incredibly, it's working fine, but I think I will let some HiFi look at it before I'm playing any rarities.

The rest of the setup is:

Receiver: Harman Kardon 930 (from 1973)

CD player: Harman Kardon HD 7325 (1994)

MD deck: Sony MDS-JE 530 (2000)

Speakers: Jamo CL 25 (1992)

Headphones: Grado SR 60 (2000)

I stored away my cassette deck a year ago (a 70s Akai) because I never used it. Actually I very rarely use the MD deck; mainly for recordings from radio. When I feel I can afford it, I will probably invest in a new CD player with burning capabilities.

The next thing to upgrade should probably be the speakers. I tried a few years ago, but found myself dissatisfied with the sound of all speakers I could afford (in the price range 500-600 Euro). Jamo does not have such a good reputation from what I've heard, but I still thought they sounded better than the Dynaudios people were recommending me. Someone suggested that it was because I had gotten so used to the sound of my inferior speakers... Anyway I'm happy with them for the time being.

I happened to get into a HiFi store as someone was testing a tube amp once (incidentally by playing the Duke Ellington Columbia LP 'Jazz Party in Stereo'), so I know how a really good setup can sound, but I don't let the shortcomings of my system distract from the music.

[JohnS]

My Marantz Amp I'm really satisfied with, but I remember that when I bought it 2 or 3 years ago, the reviews stated that the phono input sucked. So, does the purchase of a phono preamp remedy that situation? Any decent ones at a decent price? Does anyone actually have the PM 78 and has attached a preamp?

That was my problem. The phono stage of my amp sucked too. The pre-amp solved the problem. It's connected up to one of the aux. inputs. The Musical Fidelity X-LP is a nice little unit, small enough be tucked out the way and forgotten.

[catesta]

Hey Catesta, what's with the cannolis?  That's a great  pic for your avatar.  It makes me a hungry.  I was just up in NYC and went on a cannoli crawl through Little Italy.  Delicious! 

I picked the avatar just after some family from NY came to visit. They brought cannoli from Lu Lu's in Queens and all that was left is the memory.

Edited November 19, 2003 by catesta

[jazzypaul]

I feel like such a hack now...

Sony MD/CD Combo

Sony DVD/VHS Combo

H/K 3100 series receiver

technics Mk 12 Turntable

Yamaha Speakers

I had to save a lot of room in the new place, and my parents were begging me for my old components (all H/K -- best stuff that I can afford). So, I went out and bought the two Sony combos, which sound okay, I guess. I need a new Subwoofer. I was using a 400 watt Fender bass cabinet for a while, but I had to get rid of that too...sigh...

So, how is that Thorens? How much does one run?

[Z-Man]

Due to the lucky acquisition of the McIntosh amps pictured in my avatar, I have a strange mix right now:

System 1 (living room) - Sony SACD fed directly to two McIntosh MC75's, driving Magnepan MMG's. Linn interconnects and homemade speaker cables.

System 2 (bedroom) - Rega P3 tt w/Elys cartridge & Cal Audio Labs CD into Marantz amp with early 80's-era JBL's (I'm too lazy to walk in there right now and check the model number.

As soon as I find an affordable (?!) tube phono preamp good enough for the MC-75's, the Rega will go into system #1 and the rest of System #2 will be sold or given away.

[wolff]

Due to the lucky acquisition of the McIntosh amps pictured in my avatar

How did you luck into them?? Not many left in the USA.

[Daniel A]

Just yeasterday I spotted an incredible ad in my morning newspaper: someone was offering a complete stereo (including amp, tuner, cassette deck, speakers AND a Thorens turntable) for 50 Euros! An elderly woman told me on the phone that it was all gone of course; the ad had been in the paper the day before too, Sunday...

Just so this kind of deal wouldn't pass me by again, I was determined to read all the ads very closely. Yesterday again I spotted something I couldn't believe. A Luxman LV-105 tube amp and T-105 tuner - for 55 Euros!!! I've now realized that ads are free if the price is up to 500 Swedish Kronor, which is about 55 Euros, and that people who don't know how much the stuff they're offering is worth is asking for that price just so that they won't have to pay for the ad.

When I finally got in touch with the seller I learned that the equipment was sold early yesterday morning. Now, I really don't need a new amp, so perhaps I should stop reading those ads...

[vibes]

My system:

It's connected to a Sharp MD-X7 minidisc shelf system. I'd much rather spend what little money I have on music than expensive components. The closest thing in my system to "audiophile" is my Sony MDRV700DJ headphones, and I got those for free from my Sony rep.

Edited November 20, 2003 by vibes

[marcoliv]

for the home theater here is the configuration:

a/v receiver - marantz 7300 SE

cd burner - philips cdr 765

minidisc - sony mds-jb920

laserdisc - pioneer cld-s104

dvd r.1 - pioneer dv-434

dvd r.4 - pioneer dv-505

cassette deck - pioneer ct-w103

speakers - definitive technology pro cinema 200 series (front,rear,center & subwoofer)

on the living room:

amplifier - quad 306

pre-amp - yamaha c-65

tuner - yamaha tx 500

cd player - philips cdi 720

minidisc - sony mds-je510

speakers - definitive technology bp-10

all cables are Monster Cable

i´m planning to aggregate an universal player for dvd-audio & sacd capability real soon

i´m very pleased with the current configurations but i still miss my QUAD electrostatic loudspeakers and the Nakamichis robbed when i came back to Brazil

Marcus Oliveira

Edited November 22, 2003 by marcoliv

[Z-Man]

Due to the lucky acquisition of the McIntosh amps pictured in my avatar

How did you luck into them?? Not many left in the USA.

Wolff, it was like winning the lottery. A friend of mine runs a cable access station in Westchester County, and one day while I was there doing some work for the station my friend introduced me to his boss. We hit it off, and we talked for a long time about audio engineereing, jazz music, audio gear, etc. It turns out the guy had been an audio engineer for CBS, had done work for Lincoln Center, and has a garage full of audio treasures of yesteryear (Telefunken mics, old tape machines, etc.). About 3 months later my friend called, and told me that his boss had found two old MC-75's in his garage and he was wondering if I wanted them. I don't need to tell you what my answer was. I drove up the next day, met the guy outside the garage, and he put the (rather dirty) amps in my car. I asked him if I could pay him, and he said no. I thanked him profusely and drove home. When I got back I called McIntosh to ask them where I could have them checked out, and they recommended Audio Classics in Vestal. I drove them up there, the bench tech opened them up, and told me they were all original, with consecutive serial numbers, and were indeed a rare find. For $900 they cleaned them up and brought them both back to life (better than factory spec). Let me tell you, they sound incredible.

[neveronfriday]

Wolff, it was like winning the lottery. A friend of mine runs a cable access station in Westchester County, and one day while I was there doing some work for the station my friend introduced me to his boss. We hit it off, and we talked for a long time about audio engineereing, jazz music, audio gear, etc. It turns out the guy had been an audio engineer for CBS, had done work for Lincoln Center, and has a garage full of audio treasures of yesteryear (Telefunken mics, old tape machines, etc.). About 3 months later my friend called, and told me that his boss had found two old MC-75's in his garage and he was wondering if I wanted them. I don't need to tell you what my answer was. I drove up the next day, met the guy outside the garage, and he put the (rather dirty) amps in my car. I asked him if I could pay him, and he said no. I thanked him profusely and drove home. When I got back I called McIntosh to ask them where I could have them checked out, and they recommended Audio Classics in Vestal. I drove them up there, the bench tech opened them up, and told me they were all original, with consecutive serial numbers, and were indeed a rare find. For $900 they cleaned them up and brought them both back to life (better than factory spec). Let me tell you, they sound incredible.

Man, what a find! I think it would be difficult to top that one.

I'm insanely jealous.

Cheers.

[Brownian Motion]

Especially the Cardas cables were a huge (!) improvement in terms of sound.

I got a cheapo system compared to most folks responding--Sherwood CD changer and receiver; Sennheiser headphones; a really old Technics tape deck; Cerwin-Vega! speakers; and an old Onkyo turntable with a Shure cartridge. I'm intrigued by the above statement about the importance of cables. Can anyone verify the importance of the cable choice to the overall quality of the sound? My cables are probably 20 years old, but they seem to be working fine.

[marcoliv]

cables are very very important. if you replace yours i believe you will notice some improvement if they are the same for the last 20 years.

i would love to upgrade mine to Cardas too

Marcus Oliveira

[SEK]

I like it:

NAD C541i CD player

NAD C370 integrated amp.

Vandersteen 1C speakers

ACI Titan II LE subwoofer

Carver TX-2 tuner

Pioneer PDR-609 CD recorder

Panasonic DVD-S35 DVD player

Sony TC-KA1ESA cassette deck

cables-shmables:

DH Labs T-14 speaker cables

various DH Labs, Acoustic Research, and OEM ICs

I rarely play my Bang and Olufsen RX2 turntable anymore (through a NAD integrated amp of similar late-'80s vintage)... I've copied my LPs and cassettes onto CDRs.

Edited November 24, 2003 by SEK

[Soulstation1]

my set-up is old and dusty............

[Peter A]

Denon PMA-520 amp.; Pioneer PD-5603 CD-player; Quadral Tribun speakers; and an old and dusty...Thorens TD-160 turntable with Shure N97xE cartridge.

I mainly play records and rarely play CD's anymore.

[Dave James]

In my back room - what we call the computer room - I have an old (and I do mean old) Marantz 2270 integrated amp, two of the Bose cubes w/ a subwoofer and, can you guess, a Thorens TD 160 turntable. I've had the amp and turntable for at least 30 years. I don't listen to a lot of vinyl although I do own the Hodges 51-56 and the Maynard Ferguson Mosaics on LP. Not to mention maybe 1,200 LP's out in the garage. The Thorens is running a very old ADC XLM Mark II cartridge / stylus. I had the stylus looked at about a year ago and the guy said it was fine, but I'm not convinced. I'd like to replace the catridge and stylus, but frankly with the amount of vinyl listening I do, I really don't want to spend $500 for a new setup unless I absolutely have no choice. I've taken note of the equipment others are using with their Thorens tables, but what would you recommend I do if I replace the ADC? Also, where would on go online to get the best deal?

By the way, my mom is sitting on a complete Macintosh set-up...amp, pre-amp and tuner... that she's had since the late '50's. Two JBL 14" speakers also from the late '50's round out the system. At some point, but hopefully not too soon, these will be mine. Whoa doctor!

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Up over and out.

[DrJ]

I agree with what Chuck says, to a point...for over 15 years I had a couple hundred dollar cheapie Kenwood "all-in-one" stereo and never felt I was missing anything.

Still, having gradually accumulated a system that brings out the subtleties in the music without going all ridiculous sure is nice. Problem is "ridiculous" is in the eye of the beholder. Seeing what some folks will spend on a turntable ($10,000!!!) blows my mind, particularly when my Technics sounds just fine to me (just call me 'ol tin ears!). But hey, I don't doubt for those people, it's worth it.

Denon AVR-3300 receiver

Technics MK-2 turntable

Esoteric Sound RA-6 turntable (for 78's)

Infinity Crescendo front L/R speakers (2 mid cones, biwired) and center speaker

Cambridge Soundworks Newton S300 rear L/R speakers

Energy XL-S8 subwoofer

Onkyo DXC380 6 CD changer

Pioneer DV45A SACD/DVD/CD universal player

Sony RCD-W1 component CD burner

Monster Cable/Connectors throughout

About the only remotely over-the-top items in terms of price could have been the Cambridge Newton rear surround speakers, but I got refurbished ones from half.com for a great price. These are truly cool if you have to make due with a "does it all" system...the only place for a setup in our house is our living room and it's small so I don't get to have a dedicated audio-only setup, mine doubles for home theater, PLUS the only place I could unobtrusively mount the surrounds was less than ideal. The Newtons have a switch to go between dipole, bipole, and monopole. Each setting disperses the sound differently and so is good for different things (monopole for example gives more accurate representation with surround mix SACDs, dipole is great for Dolby Surround or non-Dolby Digital stuff, etc).

So I'm a big fan of reasonably priced stuff that sounds good...and this setup sounds real nice to me...WHEN I'm actually home AND the baby's not sleeping (READ: 5 or 10 minutes between 7:00 and 7:30 nightly!).

SOOO with that in mind...I also just ordered some Sony MDRCD3000 headphones this week, can't wait for them to arrive so I'll be able to listen to more than one song at a time, after 7:30 in the evening!

Edited November 27, 2003 by DrJ

[vibes]

Tony, were the MDRCD3000's $700? I just ordered some for bestbuy.com...I don't plan on selling many of them. Pretty steep price for the typical Best Buy customer. We'll see...

[DrJ]

Vibes - not even close to $700! Including shipping, mine were $400 almost to the dollar, ordered from Etronics yesterday and they've already been shipped.

http://etronics.resultspage.com/display.ph...=dynamic&Store=

I note they are now listed as "not available" at this link but you might check back sometime soon, probably they only carry a couple pairs at any one time but I'm sure they'll restock. Do a search on My Simon or C-Net and you will find other places selling them for almost as low a price. Not to be a wiseacre or overly critical, but $700 seems like WAY too much.

I did a lot of comparison between Grado RS-1's (which I initially really had the hots for) and the Sonys. From a comfort standpoint the Sonys win, sound is not necessarily better but just different, and most importantly I felt that there was just no way I could justify spending $600-$700 on a pair of headphones (I never could find the Grados for anything less than about $600)...hell, I feel guilty enough about $400, but it's my Christmas present and as I mention above, while fatherhood is the best it has put a serious crimp into my ability to listen to music. Cheap headphones give me a headache in about 15 minutes, so I splurged.

Edited November 27, 2003 by DrJ

[Jim Alfredson]

Speakers: B&W CDM SE1

Preamp: Adcom GFP-750

Amp: Adcom GFA-5400

CD: Arcam CD-72

Tuner: old 70s Pioneer

Turntable: VPI HW-19 Jr. w/ McCormick phono stage and Grado Red catridge

Nordost Red Dawn interconnects

I like my system, but I had a nutty idea the other day. I have two Leslie tube amps sitting on the shelf. If I modified them slightly they would be basically Class A monoblocks with four 6L6s each. I bet they would sound SWEET too.

One of these days I'll get around to it.

A buddy of mine just got some B&W 802s like ol' GregM's pic up there. He also has the Musical Fidelity NuVista CD player... most amazing CD player I've ever heard.

[CJ Shearn]

a modest system compare to most here but it sounds good to me:

amp: Technics SU-G95

EQ: Technics SH 8017

Speakers: Technics SB A-36

radio tuner Technics ST-K55

CD/DVD player (currently at my dorm) Coby DVD 505. yeah it's cheap but it replaces my Technics SL-PD665 5 disc changer here at home which quit. I'll be bringing the Coby player home for the X-mas break. currently I'm listening to CD's on the computer.

Technics RS TR 270 dual casette tape deck

additional CD/DVD gear: Playstation 2

speaker cables: Monster cable

Edited November 27, 2003 by CJ Shearn