What Did Your System Look Like 20 Years Ago???

[gfroman]

Mine 20 years ago -
Genesis 200
Pass Labs 350
Krell 20il CD/Preamp
Sony BluRay 9000es + 36" XBR tv

Talk about old, this was what I was using 40 years ago!

SAE + JBL Jubles + Denon turntable

 

[LL21]

Wow...that was a killer system! As I recall, ours was:

- NAD 5000 CD Player
- CJ PV14L + CJ MV60
- Celestion SL6Si + Velodyne F-1000
- Audioquest Emerald IC & Crystal Cable
- Samsung DVD Player

Our first system. In many respects, you can see the 'DNA' in the sound qualities then as now.

 

[Al M.]

- Wadia 8 CD transport
- Wadia 12 DAC
- Passive preamp
- Audio Innovations Second Audio push-pull triode monoblocks (15 W/ch)
- Ensemble Reference monitors
- REL Storm III subwoofer
- Monster Sigma 2000 interconnects and speaker cables
- Power: Tice Powerblock II

 

[stehno]

Sony SCD-1
Primare Pre 30 pre-pro
McCormack DNA-2 Rev A amp
Aerial Acoustic Model 10t speakers
Audience Au24 interconnects and speaker cables
Foundation Research line conditioners
My first racking system prototype

 

[BlueFox]

Other than my Polk SDA-2B speakers, I have forgotten the rest of my stereo twenty years ago. At that point in life I was getting into the HT environment. After burning out on HT ten years ago I am now back into music. At 72 I hope I am still into stereo, HT, or something new in twenty years.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

not chopped liver.....room was 12' x 18' x 10.5' with a bay window and stepped ceiling. DIY wall treatments. zoethecus racks.

Rockport Sirius III tt, Lamm LP2 Dlx phono, vdH Colibri cart, Emm Labs dac/Philips transport, Transparent Opus MM speaker cables,
Jena Labs switchbox, Placette RVC, Tenor 75 watt OTL mono blocks, Kharma Exquisite Ref 1D's.

the speakers look small; but they were massive and dense, weighed 550 pounds each.

still use the exact same relax-the-back zero gravity chair.

that system would still kick some serious ass today. the tt is now unobtainium. Tenor<->Kharma a dream combo.

 

[jeff1225]

not chopped liver.....room was 12' x 18' x 10.5' with a bay window and stepped ceiling. DIY wall treatments. zoethecus racks.

Rockport Sirius III tt, Lamm LP2 Dlx phono, vdH Colibri cart, Emm Labs dac/Philips transport, Transparent Opus MM speaker cables,
Jena Labs switchbox, Placette RVC, Tenor 75 watt OTL mono blocks, Kharma Exquisite Ref 1D's.

still use the exact same relax-the-back zero gravity chair.

that system would still kick some serious ass today. the tt is now unobtainium. Tenor<->Kharma a dream combo.

View attachment 87355

View attachment 87354

View attachment 87356

Kharma + Tenor was one of my best show experiences ever. Huge sound stage and killer tone.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Kharma + Tenor was one of my best show experiences ever. Huge sound stage and killer tone.

the first place it happened was in my room in November of 2001. the Kharma's arrived.

 

[Scott Naylor]

not chopped liver.....room was 12' x 18' x 10.5' with a bay window and stepped ceiling. DIY wall treatments. zoethecus racks.

Rockport Sirius III tt, Lamm LP2 Dlx phono, vdH Colibri cart, Emm Labs dac/Philips transport, Transparent Opus MM speaker cables,
Jena Labs switchbox, Placette RVC, Tenor 75 watt OTL mono blocks, Kharma Exquisite Ref 1D's.

still use the exact same relax-the-back zero gravity chair.

View attachment 87356

Just a seriously well-sorted kit, Mr. Lavigne! And SWEET rear wall room treatment.

 

[MTB Vince]

The same 20'3"x14'x11' sound proofed dedicated room I still use today (but with some recent HVAC and electrical improvements).

Oracle Delphi V/Turbo PS/SME V/Benz Ref
Aesthetix Io phonostage
EAD T8000 transport
Sonic Frontiers SFD2 Mk3 Dac
Aesthetix Callisto linestage
ARC Classic 150 monos
Merlin VSM-M w/ balanced battery BAM
2x Paradigm Servo 15 subwoofers crossed over at 30Hz
Cardas Golden Ref wire loom.
Foundation Research LC-1 & LC-2 line conditioner/power cords on the front end gear.
DIY Corian sandbox platforms on Target racks
DIY tubetraps and broadband absorptive panels at primary reflection points on sidewalls and ceiling.

 

[Hifi man]

View attachment 87351

Sony SCD-1
Primare Pre 30 pre-pro
McCormack DNA-2 Rev A amp
Aerial Acoustic Model 10t speakers
Audience Au24 interconnects and speaker cables
Foundation Research line conditioners
My first racking system prototype

Beautiful.i once owned the Sony scd1.a great player.

 

[marslo]

It is my system back in 2005 in our former house . The setup was the same between 2000-2005 or so.
Focal JM Lab PS 5.1 monitors, Amplifon WT 30 II amplifier and Cairn Fog 2 Soft as a CDP.
I still keep PS 5.1 and Cairn in my second system.

 

[spiritofmusic]

An interesting Q, maybe the most important one, is were we REALLY unhappy w our systems back in 1/1/02? Why did we all move on? Maybe an associated thread.
How many people happy at the time wasted no opportunities in pushing on?

 

[Sablon Audio]

20 years ago, full Audio Synthesis ensemble (Transcend / Dax Discrete / Desire Decade power amp with Black gate caps). Lovely build quality and Dave Heaton was great to deal with.

 

[Salectric]

Same room today as in 2002, but nothing else is the same. Back then:
Spendor SP 100
Cary 40M amps
ARC LS2
DIY phono preamp
VPI 19 Mk3 with JMW-10

As much as I like my system today, I really enjoyed listening to the system from 20 years ago as well. It does make you wonder.

 

[DasguteOhr]

unfortunately no more complete system photos, I still own a few devices.
Teac x1s
Thorens td 320 turntable/ortofon kontrapunkt a
Yves Cochet tube preamp and diy el34/ktt88 set amp
Fostex fe 206 horns
P.S i forget my best preamp i use it today Raphael Ortophonic IV diy kit preamp

 

[Hifi man]

unfortunately no more complete system photos, I still own a few devices.
Teac x1s
Thorens td 320 turntable/ortofon kontrapunkt a
Yves Cochet tube preamp and diy el34/ktt88 set amp
Fostex fe 206 horns View attachment 87377 View attachment 87372 View attachment 87374 View attachment 87375 View attachment 87376

These horns are great speakers.nice system you have there.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Love

These horns are great speakers.nice system you have there.

Although they don't have a deep bass below 45 Hz, they do have a resolution above that - only electrostatics are a bit better.
i don't sell them for any money in the world

 

[Hear Here]

Mine was minimalist -

Mark Levinson 390S CDP and processor
Cheap DAB tuner
AVI 2000MM mono amps
KEF Reference 107 speakers

Later I realised that the AVI amps may not have been not ideal for my speakers, though they sounded pretty good

 

[Blue58]

Should never have sold the system, circa 2000, apart from the Meridian 506 which was replaced with Audio Aero Capitole MKII. Speakers - Impulse Lali and amps - Unison Research Smart 845 and Mystery One.