Best new purchase?

[KeithR]

With the array of more theoretical threads getting a bit long in the tooth, how about a good ole "i love my new..." thread!

I will start:

McIntosh 601 monoblocks---they really sounded very forward (which is odd for Mc anything) at first, but have settled down quite a bit. Very dynamic, but very very nice tone. Not quite as dark as the 501s that I've heard in the past. I *may* try some SET monoblocks (Sophia Electric to be specific), but the longer I keep these, the more I love them. And nothing beats the retro Mc look. You don't need to spend more than 13k for great SS monos imo (which compared to anything in TAS is an absolute bargain).

I also have some Auditorium 23 speaker cables, digital cables (glass toslink Wireworlds), and WyWires (demo only) coming in....but I'll stick away from making any predictions on those. All cable purchases for me are reasonable affairs. The green cotton A23s look awesome and was a big reason why I purchased them

KeithR

 

[DaveyF]

I love my new amp.....well not that new really It's an ARC D70 Mk2. with rolled in tubes---- it's floating my boat right now

 

[naturephoto1]

That would be a hard call as to best new purchase. As to best buy for the buck for a sizable investment it would have to be all of my GIK Acoustics room treatments which have had the greatest affect on the overall sound of my system besides my new OMA New Yorker speakers.

The best purchase for the overall affect on the sound of my system without question is my OMA New Yorker speakers.

For analog playback my best purchase was my Teres Certus 450 turntable/Teres Illius tonearm/Soundsmith Strain Gauge Cartridge/Strain Gauge 410 Phono Preamp which were purchased and installed all at once so I can not say which of these by itself would be the "best".

The last item would be my demo like new First Watt M2 Power amp.

Rich

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Dropping down several hundred notches from the gear you guys have, I will say that my vintage Pioneer SA-9500II Integrated Amp has been a great addition. Also, my Nottingham Analogue Horizon SE turntable that I bought about a year and a half ago has shown me that even with a slight upgrade one can attain much better performance.

 

[KeithR]

That would be a hard call as to best new purchase. As to best buy for the buck for a sizable investment it would have to be all of my GIK Acoustics room treatments which have had the greatest affect on the overall sound of my system besides my new OMA New Yorker speakers.

The best purchase for the overall affect on the sound of my system without question is my OMA New Yorker speakers.

For analog playback my best purchase was my Teres Certus 450 turntable/Teres Illius tonearm/Soundsmith Strain Gauge Cartridge/Strain Gauge 410 Phono Preamp which were purchased and installed all at once so I can not say which of these by itself would be the "best".

The last item would be my demo like new First Watt M2 Power amp.

Rich

Rich- i would agree that room treatment is the single most important piece of the puzzle. i'd say speakers/room interaction is 80%+ of sound.

 

[Robh3606]

My last purchase was a new center channel to replace my long in tooth Urei 811C clone. I have been running newer and improved compression drivers in my mains for a couple of years and needed another horn based center to replace the Urei. I ended up getting the JBL Array 880 center channel. It uses the same compression driver as my mains in a small format not any wider than the 811C. I am very happy with it and I would encourage anyone with an HT horn set-up to give it a listen.

Rob

 

[hifidelity1]

My Oppo 95 has given me many rewards and we are growing rather fond of each other. It really has rekindled my passion for music!

 

[audioguy]

Rich- i would agree that room treatment is the single most important piece of the puzzle. i'd say speakers/room interaction is 80%+ of sound.

My guess of the importance of room/speaker interaction would be closer to (or north of) 98% !

Nothing I have ever purchased, individually or collectively, (amps, preamps, source products, etc) even comes close to having the impact of getting the speakers (and listener) in the right place, in a room with good acoustics and, if necessary (and in most cases it is), digital room correction. No contest.

And if I had to list the second most important, it would be good, clean and adequate power !!

 

[caesar]

Having new gear is a blast. But thinking about it, daydreaming about it, imagining it playing before buying it, doubles the pleasure. So I go to audiogon a few times a day, and think about gear I want and how it will sound in my system. I will get some stuff in a few months, but I am just enjoying myself anticipating it right now.