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

The biggest change Barry, is your room.
 
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Haha, you know I know that's not the case.
Now if you said, space to breathe, to a tight squeeze, I'd agree with you Lol.
 
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Converted two car garage with no bathroom but plenty of RPG 4” absorbers and skyline diffusers
Genesis ribbons (forgot the model … “line source” wi/ built in “sub”woofers)
ARC Ref 2
VTL 750s in triode mode
Basis vacuum, Graham arm, Aesthetix with dual power supplies, Koetsu Rosewood Signature
Vibraplane for turntable
Meridian 800 series CD player
PS Audio Digital Lens
PS Audio regenerators for all but amps

Go back another 10 years
B&W 802s
Well Tempered table and arm feeding Mark Levinson preamp
Modified Denon CD player
ARC stereo solid state amplifier (200?)

Today, all-digital multichannel with active crossovers and DSP-based correction
 
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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.

So many of you all have been at it consistently for decades. I had about a 20 year hiatus, so 20 years back I didn’t have a system at all! While Mike and I lived less than a 1/2 mile of each other back then, I had no idea. Probably a good thing, my wife I’m sure is happy I wasn’t visiting Mike. Instead I was busy moving 2200 cubic yards of topsoil around and landscaping my property. No time for listening to music. I think my wife wishes I’d spend more time on the landscape now, but 20 years hasn’t made my back feel any better driving a manual earth mover.
 
20 years ago I had just moved to Seattle and had about 50 records. The combination of crap weather and awesome record stores is what really sent me on my way collecting.

-Quad 288
-McIntosh MA6900 integrated
-Ayre QBR DAC
-PC based music server
-VPI Scout

90% of my listening was digital, now I don’t have on piece of digital in the system.
 
Blast from the past my HT/Main stereo. 4 way active mains and a DIY clone Urei 811 as a center speaker.

Rob :)
 

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Perhaps a little longer than 20 years ( 25?)......
Wilson WAMM’s
Jadis Defy 7 Amp
Basis Turntable
Krell Preamp/ Dac/Transport
 

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My system, 2001-
vivas.jpgtrios_3-2.jpgtrios_2.jpgsoloroom_3.jpg
 
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It looks like many members had systems to kill for today, even if 20 years ago!

20 years ago my system was in a different room and a different continent. Probably the thing that has changed the least was my musical interests.
I had a Marantz CD4000, a Rega Mira integrated and ESB 40L speakers. I also had an old Pioneer tuner and a Lenco L78. With the exception of amp and CD player, everything was my father’s. At the time I was a med student and 100% of my listening was CD…
 
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You didn't go to the third pair of basshorns? Shame on you lol.
 
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Nice system, Bob.

Hmmm, so you went from horns to being a lover of cone speakers? Why?
Hi Al,

I would not say that at all. I loved the Trios, even the Unos and Duos. I migrated to the Diesis horns as they sound more grounded and real to me, with about 85% of the alive sound sound that I got from the AVs.

The Avantagardes sound more ALIVE to me than most things that I have heard, but not necessarily "real" . Maybe a bit too much aliveness. Although give me a pair of Trios/BHs today and I would be a happy camper.

I would never be without a pair of full range ribbons in my life. I truly love the Alsyvox, but that goes back to the 80's when I loved the Apogees. I think I owned six different pairs of Apogees in the 80's and 90's, The Alsyvox were like "living in a past that I loved", except even better with 94db efficiency.

The Bayz omni directional also replaced my infatuation that I had for MBLs in 2003 when I had the 101s. BUT so hard to drive. The Bayz again at 94 db float my boat for the omni room encompassing sound field.

Oh yeah, cone speakers. Since I got the Magico A5's I have a new appreciation for cone speakers and look forward to the incoming M9s.

I'm the same way with cars. I LOVE THEM ALL, if they are early 50's to mid 60's, (artworK) I can never pick one of them that I prefer. Love them all, just like all of the speakers that I have experienced.

I also appreciate pretty much all of the other speakers that exist around the planet and are represented here on WBF by all of the users.

Oh, yes, I'm like that with guitars too:) Very fickle I am.
 
Hi Al,

I would not say that at all. I loved the Trios, even the Unos and Duos. I migrated to the Diesis horns as they sound more grounded and real to me, with about 85% of the alive sound sound that I got from the AVs.

The Avantagardes sound more ALIVE to me than most things that I have heard, but not necessarily "real" . Maybe a bit too much aliveness. Although give me a pair of Trios/BHs today and I would be a happy camper.

I would never be without a pair of full range ribbons in my life. I truly love the Alsyvox, but that goes back to the 80's when I loved the Apogees. I think I owned six different pairs of Apogees in the 80's and 90's, The Alsyvox were like "living in a past that I loved", except even better with 94db efficiency.

The Bayz omni directional also replaced my infatuation that I had for MBLs in 2003 when I had the 101s. BUT so hard to drive. The Bayz again at 94 db float my boat for the omni room encompassing sound field.

Oh yeah, cone speakers. Since I got the Magico A5's I have a new appreciation for cone speakers and look forward to the incoming M9s.

I'm the same way with cars. I LOVE THEM ALL, if they are early 50's to mid 60's, (artworK) I can never pick one of them that I prefer. Love them all, just like all of the speakers that I have experienced.

I also appreciate pretty much all of the other speakers that exist around the planet and are represented here on WBF by all of the users.

Oh, yes, I'm like that with guitars too:) Very fickle I am.

Bob, I really love your refreshingly non-dogmatic post!
 
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Benz-Micro Ruby 2 cartridge
Graham 2.2 tonearm
VPI TNT Mk. IV turntable and VPI SDS
Musical Fidelity kW SACD player
Aesthetix Io pre-amplifier
VTL MB-750 amplifiers
MartinLogan Prodigy loudspeakers
REL Stentor III subwoofer
Transparent MM2 interconnects and XL-V speaker cables
custom steel equipment stand with shot-filled legs
 
Martin Logan Statement E2, Theta Casablanca, Theta Voyager, Theta Generations VIII, two Krell FPB 600c, Primare 928 preamp/phono, Nakamichi Dragon CT TT, Straigtwire Crescendo, custom made room treatment and 16 motorized acoustic blackout curtains.0905C8D6-152D-44DF-9FEB-94A94F521CDB.jpegE6FDC8DC-B87E-45F2-A5EA-0BEDBD52DE1A.jpeg01072782-6218-4C75-9B76-24850155514B.jpegE2D7512C-11BD-44FC-AD0F-CE2C97C91033.jpeg
 
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