What's Your Dream System?

[AudiophilePhil]

As both music lovers and audiophiles, we always dream of owning the very best-sounding audio gears if we can only afford to have them:
Mine is :

Turntable: Avid Acutus
Tonearm: SME V
Cartridge: Van Den Hull (top of the line)
Phono Stage: Aesthetix Saturn Rhea
CD Player: Meridian 808i
Universal Player: Ayre A-5Xe
Tuner: Magnum Dynalab MD-108T
Power Amplifier: Pass Lab (200 watts/channel @8 ohms)
Preamplifier: Pass Lab (2-piece preamp)
Speakers: B&W 800D
Cables: Townshend DCT300 Isolda
Interconnects: Townshend DCT300 Isolda
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650

What's yours?

[JohnG]

If I had the big bucks the it would be Krell electronics with Wilson Watt Puppy's.

[Ron Stone]

I think it would Naim electronics and a restored set of classic Quads, whichever model number that was. The Spartan simplicity of Naim gear appeals to me, although I realize that's choosing based on looks!

Barring that, I'd want our host's home system, since he actually knows what's on the master tapes and can adjudge the accuracy of components better than almost anyone else could ever hope to.

[vconsumer]

Ooh, this is a fun game.

Amps: 45 single-ended triode monoblocks with top-of-the-line Magnequest iron
Preamp: deHavilland Mercury 2
Digital Source: Ayre universal player
Analog Source: Origin Live Sovereign TT and Enterprise tone arm, w/Shelter 901 cartridge
Speakers: Klipschorns w/custom crossovers

[Steve Hoffman]

Surround system:

5 mint Marantz 9 amplifiers

5 mint Marantz 1 preamplifiers

5 RCA "Ubangi" Theater speakers

Giant theater to dig it all.

Oh, and two 35mm projectors with mag sound.

[Gary]

Turntable:
Thorens TD-160, Thorens TD-124 with ESL arm, Acoustic: Columbia Grafanola, Victor Orthophonic, Edison Standard, Edison Gem, Brunswick 117
Cartridge:
Signet TK10ML Moving Magnet, Shure M95ED, Shure M44 for 78's, steel needles for acoustic machines.. :^)
Tuner:
Marantz 10B, McIntosh MR-71, Sherwood S-3000
Digital Front End:
Sony SACD-777ES two channel player, YBA Audio Refinement Complete Alpha CD Player, Fostex DA-10 DAT
CD Recorder:
HHB Professional
Analog Front End:
Ampex 351-2 tape deck, Ampex 440-4 tape deck, modified Tascam BR-20 tape deck, Teac A-4300SX tape deck, Viking 88 tape deck
Pre Amplifier:
Emotive Audio Epifania, Concert Fidelity CF-040 (in two rooms), Emotive Audio Circa phono, Joule Electra LA-150, Sutherland Ph.D. Phono, deHavilland Mercury 2, Marantz 7C, McIntosh MX-110, Danish LA Audio MM phono
Amplification:
Concert Fidelity 6B4G monoblocks (in two rooms), Wavac EC-300B SET amp, PrimaLuna ProLogue Seven monoblocks, Marantz 8B, McIntosh MC-30 monoblocks, Dynakit ST-70, Sherwood S-5000 II, Pioneer QX-949 Quad receiver
Headphone System:
Really old Koss cans, Sennheiser HD-600, JVC 4 CHANNEL 5944 (QUAD)
Speaker System:
ESP Bodhrand SE, Venture CR-8 Signature, Penaudio Serenade, Rogers BBC LS3/5a, 1967 Tannoy Gold 15" Lancaster, Definitive Technology 5:1 system, Whatmough Leadlined monitors
Speaker Cables:
Kubala-Sosna Research Emotion bi-wired and single wired
Interconnects:
Kubala-Sosna Research Emotion interconnects and power cables
System Rack:
Symposium Acoustics Isis Custom
Other Accessories:
Universal Audio EQ, GML parametric EQ, Klark-Teknik EQ, AC conditioners: Running Springs & Sound Application, Teletronix LA-2A leveling amplifiers, Ampex MX-35 mixer, RCA tube testers, Symposium Acoustics vibration devices, Shakti Stones

:D

[Tony Plachy]

Well as long as we are going to be crazy about it here it goes:

Turntable: VPI TNT-HRX
Tonearm: VPI JMW -12.6i
Cartridge: Benz-Micro Ruby H3
Phono Stage: conrad-johnson P-15 (in current system)
CD Player: dCS top of the line SACD/CD player (I would still keep my SCD-1)
Universal Player: Esoteric UX-1
Tuner: Magnum Dynalab MD-108T (have my present MD-108 upgraded to MD-108T)
Power Amplifier: c-j LP140M
Preamplifier: c-j ACT2
Speakers: Von Schweikert VR9 SE Loudspeaker System
Cables: Kimber Kable Select (silver)
Interconnects: Kimber Kable Select (silver)
Headphones: Sennheisser Orpheus (discontinued see link http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/ces200211.htm)

[Mike F]

Simple, not astronomical but still beyond my reach: :p
Brinkman Balance turntable (http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/brinkmann/hero.jpg)

ATC active 150 litre speakers (http://www.atc.gb.net/scm150/scm150.jpg)
Preamp?
Wytech, Lamm, EAR, etc? At home auditions required.
Wytech Opal (http://www.wyetechlabs.com/images/opal/opal_shelf.jpg) may be most dynamic preamp in existence, a good match for the ATC's.

Old school, not pretty but.... :thumbsup:

[Pinknik]

Based on shear expensivosity:

Those big horn speakers from Magico which can be seen hear at www.magico.net, powered by all silver single ended Ongaku amps, wired entirely with Valhalla cable and running that $90,000 turntable Fremer bought through that $28,000 Boulder phono stage with some kinda ungodly expensive cart. My $3 copy of Kind of Blue would sound freakin' sweet. :)

[Pinknik]

These? I assume the EV on top is an add on? I'd be curious to check that system out. A HARD DAY'S NIGHT b/w HELP! double feature! Ah, I feel better now that this is a Beatles thread. :D

[Steve Hoffman]

No, that's just part of it. Looks cobbled together from a bunch of stuff.

[Pinknik]

No, that's just part of it. Looks cobbled together from a bunch of stuff.

Cool. I seem to remember you mention hearing the Marantz - Ubangi combo before. Based on your enthusiasm, I take it these have nice tonality and not a lot of horn honk?

[Steve Hoffman]

Yeah, Steve Hall's mastering setup at Future Disc Systems (although he uses Manley electronics.)

[Dusty Chalk]

I'd have a bunch of different systems. I'd have JBL K2 S9800's in one room; Nearfield Pipedreams in another; Shahinian Diapasons in a third (my current Dynaudio Special 25's would be relegated to my "bedroom" system...no wait, they already are [my bedroom is my main room]). I'd probably run at least one of them off of high-end Musical Fidelity (the kW series) equipment (I've previously owned the A300^CR, and was happy with it -- at some point, I'll want to go either back to it, or another high-end MF model). Source would be perhaps a dCS stack, or an EMMeitner-based rig. Possibly something else.

The Ayre universal player (C-X5e?) looks to be the perfect headphone source, so I'd use it for that. I already have the ultimate headphone amp (Singlepower Supra), though I might tweak it, or get a full-option-loaded version. Headphones would be Audio-Technica "leatherhead" ones (they're the best dynamic headphones I've heard yet); I'd probably get a second rig based around electrostatics (either a KGSS or a "blue Hawaii") -- will try to get a 4070 at some point in the near future.

[sungshinla]

Ouch! I feel like a kid in a candy store with no money. I guess "hell" is knowing that there is "heaven" and you cannot afford to get in.

[Tony Plachy]

I would love to compare one of the legendary great McIntosh tube tuners to the new MD-108T. :righton:

[AudiophilePhil]

I would love to compare one of the legendary great McIntosh tube tuners to the new MD-108T. :righton:

Or the Day Sequerra and the Audiolab tuners of yesteryears.

[AudiophilePhil]

Turntable: Avid Acutus

[AudiophilePhil]

Aesthetix Saturn Rhea tube phono stage

[AudiophilePhil]

Meridian 808i CD Player

[AudiophilePhil]

Ayre C-5xe universal player

[AudiophilePhil]

Pass Lab X1000.5 monoblock amplifier 1,000 Watts @ 8-ohm load

[AudiophilePhil]

Pass Lab X0.2 preamplifier

[AudiophilePhil]

B&W 800D speakers

[AudiophilePhil]

Magnum Dynalab MD-108T triode tube tuner