[Resurrected]

[gearHed289]

I hear ya on the stereo systems. When our baby came along 10 years ago, I eventually moved my stuff down to the newly built "studio" (10' x 10' room in the basement). I still have a functional turntable, Carver preamp, Dynaco Stereo 70 tube power amp (2 EL34 per side), a Pioneer graphic EQ, cassette deck and Advent reissue speakers. Sounds glorious! The depth and dynamics of a vinyl LP played through it is unmatched.

[Hörnisse]

I have an old Denon turntable that I bought years ago for $99. (when they were not that cool)  I've got a bunch of single CD players from the 80's.  Would love to get an old Studer one day but I like the ones I have.  The one I use most is a Yamaha CDX-470 Natural Sound. (technically early 90's)  It does the job well and I bought it at Goodwill for $20.  They had 2 of them and I'm still kicking myself for not getting both! 

[gearHed289]

Nice! I had gotten a Carver cassette deck from the Salvation Army store for $35. Worked fine for years, but the door mechanism eventually broke, so I tossed it.

[Highlander]

... My stereo system is (or: was) in the 10-15k range and any 5-7k stereo system of today probably beats it.

(picking himself off the floor) ... that's half my take-home for the year...! I think I'll stick with the ipod, howsoever heinous a crime that may be...

[uwe]

I didn't buy it in one year either and I was talking $ not € or your weird little island currency!  

It developed over time, mainly over birthday gifts. It's a now 20 year old Marantz amp, B&W speakers (nicely worn in, sound lovely even at low volume), a Marantz CD player that was beyond its prime and a relatively new and expensive Sony CD player (but less expensive than the Marantz was at the time, yet better). I buy about 20-40 CDs a month, why would I want to listen to them on an I-Pod of all things? That is something to listen to music while riding a bicycle and then - promptly - having an accident with it because it blocks out traffic noises. Other uses escape me. I utterly disdain the Apple cult, find touchscreen offensive and am a boring utilitarian Blackberry user.  

[patman]

Hey, I just got a cell phone a couple of years ago.  Just a tiny Nokia phone.

Tiny steps first.

[uwe]

Nokia needs your support more than that California Cult. And they don't force their employees to applaud the customers entering the shop either.

[Highlander]

My tatty old ipod has no touch screen, but still holds several dozen CD's worth...

I still have my first CD player, which was also a Marantz, as well as some (UK built) Wharfedale gear - I'd still play LP's but SWMBO most certainly does not enjoy the clutter... Jackie still does have a few hundred pretty scarce/rare C&W LP's but has not played one of them since we've been together, nearly 25 years...

... and I was talking $ not € or your weird little island currency! 

I presumed €... Not a great fan of Apple either but if I had the capital to spare I'd definitely be running a high-end Mac...

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Hi Fi systems are out there but they're all priced out of the reach of most average folk's budget. Would be sweet to have an analog tube driven stereo system but I'm not Bill Gates. I saw Wilson speakers at one place that can cost as much as a  new porsche

My bedroom stereo is an old Technics SL-P370 CD player, which oddly enough has a cult hi-fi following. ($25, pawn shop.) It uses a different system for analog conversion than just about everything else and it makes a HUGE difference in dynamics and fidelity. For anyone looking for a good CD player for cheap, any of the Technics CD players that use the MASH conversion will blow away EVERYTHING under the $20k mark and they're dirt cheap. My turntable is a Sony direct drive PS-X40 automatic with an Audio Technica cartridge ($40, Craigslist) fed through a rebuilt Dynaco PAT 1 preamp ($40, Craigslist- $20 in parts) into a pair of Bogen M0100 tube monoblocks ($200 for the pair off eBay 6-7 years ago) feeding a pair of KRK ST-6 studio monitors ($90, NEW). The speakers are wall/pair coupled for the low end and I'll put my little booger up against ANYTHING. I've been to the snob-fi stores. Until you start spending major, major (six figures) money, you're paying for names for the most part. There are exceptions, but generally, the "superior quality" is all in the head of the self-convinced buyer. ..and luck DOES factor in occasionally. I paid $15 for a Pioneer cassette deck in mint condition that was 3 grand new!

[Highlander]

Noted (with interest)

[Dave W]

When I went looking for turntables at pawn shops about 3-4 years ago, I noticed that good quality CD players were already dirt cheap. Even saw a 5-disc Technics that had been reduced to $15. But my 1992 Onkyo is great, no complaints there, so I passed.

Eventually found an old but little-used Onkyo Integra turntable on eBay for about $70 with an Audio Technica AT140LC cartridge that's easily worth more than that by itself.

[lowend1]

A friend of mine just spent $700+ for a restored Marantz 6100 (?) turntable.
I've never been a hi-fi snob, but I have had a couple of really neat tube systems that I got at yard sales, etc. I sold off the Dynaco ST-70, PAS-3 and FM-3 a few years back, but have held on to the Scott 299-D - which I like to run my iPod through. I thought the Scott was a better-sounding package for my purposes. When I play vinyl, it's on a Panasonic component setup from the 80s. Also have a JVC rig (also 1980s) that I use for CDs. My iPod is a 3rd generation 30gb "photo" unit that still does what I need.

[Pilgrim]

I'm not a high end stereo guy.  My top end stereo system in the house has a Sony STR-DB930 in front (paid almost $500 around 2001) and Paradigm Titan speakers bought on Ebay.  (Four of them plus a Paradigm center channel speaker on a TV surround system.)

Here's the stereo tuner at the heart of my bedroom system....a Sony ST-80W (tuner only)...


I've thought these were awesome looking ever since I saw one at a friend's house in 1972 or so.  There's no amp in it, so the signal goes to a compact 15W Radio Shack amp about the size of a paperback book.  



Speakers are Boston Acoustics A40 bookshelves, which actually sound quite nice.



Every piece bought via Ebay!

[Hörnisse]

This is my music room setup.  From L-R, I have one of those Pioneer 50 CD changers that is loaded with a bunch of Time Life CD's I've collected over the years.  Then there are the Pioneer TX-6500 amp and tuner, Marantz CD-30, JVC Dual Cassette, and the Denon DP-37f table.  Not in the photo are the 2 Bose 601 speakers from the first series. 



(note the subtle message sent for Uwe on top of the turntable)   

The Fisher/Yamaha/Advent system is in the bedroom.  Our home was the model home in the then new neighborhood (1985) so it has full length mirrors on one side of the room which was formerly the office area.  Maybe I should have made it the bedroom!