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Your best Hifi/Audio purchases ever…

Del monaco

Del monaco

Del Monaco
I’ve got a load of gear that I’m really happy with but I think my best and most surprising purchase was the Raspberry Pi 3b. Not only did it give me a load of new and interesting learning but with some great free software it became a very good streaming device that improved with upgrades and add ins. I love my Squeezebox Touch as well.
 
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After years and years with Naim (52/Scap/250) I bought a NAD Masters series M3 amp because I needed something to drive some Obelisk speakers with and none of the Naim amps I could afford were powerful enough. The Obs sale fell through but the M3 stayed. Only now, 5 years later it’s developing faults that so far I’ve had fixed. If anyones got one boxed in the loft for 15 years drop me a note.
 
PS Audio Sprout 100 - Used for the last two years without feeling the urge to swap back to my Exposure pre/power or Nait 5i-2

I remain surprised at its clarity (this does not mean bright). It makes my transistor-based amps sound a touch grey in comparison.

Now considering Lyngdorf !
 
Afraid it would also have to be the first RPi I bought...
It opened the way to a whole load of hifi fun, experimentation and box building that I haven't really being doing since buying a radio kit when I was a teenager :)
Fills my retirement days admirably.

In terms of ordinary boxes that you plug in and forget about ... the RME ADI-2fs (not the model with a screen and equaliser)
Solved a range of problems in one go and has lots of pretty lights and buttons.
 
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For me... the Naim Nait 2. (had 4(!) of 'em, sold all 4 of 'em, and sooner or later I felt regret 4 times. :oops::( (same with a Nait 1 once btw)

Luckily I didn't loose that much money on it, as these little shoeboxes always retain their value. (nowadays even much more than several years ago)

My second best HiFi purchase must 've been the Sonneteer Campion. Insanely good amp and VFM. (if they were still being made I'd buy one again)
 
Salas VPI Phono Stage - DIY valve phonostage and PSU bought from Alan Firebottle.

wonderful bit of kit and has made me want to explore valves further. Once I can afford it I’m going to look into buying a valve integrated.

An honourable mention for my Lyngdorf 1120 - best amp I’ve ever owned and the DSP is invaluable in my man cave/listening room.
 
In terms of pleasure for the money it has to be my Frugalhorns. They were discounted ex-demo to start with (thanks, Stefan) and later on I had the chance to upgrade to MarkAudio MAOP drivers. Visually by far the least attractive of the umpteen pairs of speakers I've accumulated*, particularly when driven by an ultra-simple VFET class-A amp, they remain a favorite. Most definitely a case of 'less is more'.

*To be fair, I did 'finish' them myself.
 
6 x Sylvania Gold Brand valves ...Triple Mica...Black Plates...JHS...5814A... NOS...3 x pairs.
Spent around a year, judiciously searching. This was before they doubled/trebled in price.
They now sit in a glorious row in the front of my PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Pre-amp. Ye know what tae do with yer Dullard s and Inafunkens...:cool:
 
My Avondaled NAP 110 bought last spring. Box swapping is over.
My second best is my 1990 Classe Audio CP35 preamp. Bought with spare change, recapped it myself for $30.00 CDN and now feed my 110 but could be used with pretty much any amps.
 
Gervais Cote said:
My Avondaled NAP 110 bought last spring. Box swapping is over.
My second best is my 1990 Classe Audio CP35 preamp. Bought with spare change, recapped it myself for $30.00 CDN and now feed my 110 but could be used with pretty much any amps.
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Les does a very cost-effective job with his Avondale amps.

It cost me a fortune to comprehensively better his pre+power+Ps!

His stereo power amp build is still going strong in a friend's system 20 years on...
 
uncl_nigel said:
Les does a very cost-effective job with his Avondale amps.

It cost me a fortune to comprehensively better his pre+power+Ps!

His stereo power amp build is still going strong in a friend's system 20 years on...
Click to expand...
I spin more records through my Avondaled 110 than my NAP 250.2 I have in another kit...............go figure !? :eek:
 
Gervais Cote said:
I spin more records through my Avondaled 110 than my NAP 250.2 I have in another kit...............go figure !? :eek:
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Not surprised

But I've never understood why people run more than one system.
To illustrate, I once had three TTs connected to the phono stage but realized that I only listened to one so sold or gave the others and have now moved on to a phono stage with just one input.

For some stupid reason I have still have one excess TT in a cupboard - Sony TTS30000 with Linn 12' Ittok - anyonee in France care to make an offer ??? =-)
 
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