Relatively new to Audiophilia, I have finally reached financial comfort to slowly replace vintage audio equipment that got me through college and grad school. Although I loved the sound and look of my old school JBL 4311b studio monitors and Marantz 2238B receiver, the second-hand replacements have increased my appreciation for the quality of music produced by modern audio equipment.
All pieces were picked up on Audiogon or Craigslist sans the Maven receiver that was a splurge. Occasionally, I hook up a Sophia Baby tube amp, but finances prohibit me from exploring tube gear seriously.
I like the soft sounds of tube and analog. Listening to records in this age of MP3s has made listening to music a dedicated experience, not just listening as background music while commuting, doing chores etc. I originally bought the Thorens TT to play the LPs that I was accumulating at garage sales at bargain basement prices.
Everything is held together by modest power chords, Blue Jeans analog cables, and Belkin digital cables. Maybe I should think about replacing cables as my next investment, and I am always open to advice from the community.
The vintage Thorens sounds great with a Grado Blue cartridge but I haven't really experimented with other options but have heard good things about the Denon cart. Besides, the Thorens plinth is cosmetically pleasing and prevents me from upgrading...
Thanks for stopping by and having a look. Please feel free to make suggestions or ask questions:)
Finally, hard drive size on laptops accommodate uncompressed digital uploads! Although I can hear a drop in quality even through the BurrBrown Upsample DAC in my Maven, I listen to long forgotten CDs that have made listening more diverse and convenient.
Marantz SA 8260
Audiogon pickup for SACD play
Musical Surroundings Phonomena
Audiogon purchase. Switchable gain and input loading.
Thorens TD-145
Grado Blue cartridge, grey sweden turntable mat, replaced drive belt, and deltron RCA plugs
Denon DL-110
Replaced Grado Blue. My first MC cartridge and sounds great listening to An Evening With Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea.
Music Hall Maven
100W/Ch. Tuner. Upsampling Burr Brown DAC, 1 Coaxial and 1 Optical digital inputs, 5 analog inputs, 2 pairs of speaker inputs. Handsome remote. Note: to switch upsampling for DAC press button then button on remote. For some reason, Music Hall left this important detail out of their manual.
Rega R3
Front bass port, allowing for positioning near walls.
I like the title of your system; after all, fun and musical enjoyment is the ultimate point of all this audiophile insanity :-) ! Happy listening! Please post some pics....
