Curious what other people have in their systems that’s a total sleeper. Mine would have to be a pair of Pioneer S-Z9. They were released circa 2008 bundled with a pioneer network integrated amp. Original MSRP was $1800 USD for the system. I ended up buying these off Canuck audio Mart new old stock (sealed in the original boxes) for $200 Canadian shipped.
They actually were a collaboration with kef, with the drivers originally starting off as 7th Gen UniQ drivers but use TAD (also owned by pioneer) carbon/Plastic/ injection molded matrix cones (3 layer) to improve cone stiffness and dampening, Instead of the molded ridges kef uses on there poly drivers. They are pioneer cast aluminum baskets as well. Crossover also appears to use high quality brands on the caps.
They are very well built, piano gloss finish, 21 pounds, and have a frequency response of 36hz-50khz!! Seriously I have never heard bookshelf speakers this size that go so low!
They are 4ohm and only rated for 50 watts RMS but I’ve been using them at my computer with a bel canto s300i (300 watts RMS into 4ohms) and they sing!
Some, yeah.
My record players are quite unusual. First one is a tuned CEC BD-2000. Relatively unknown, but good motor and very good arm by Jelco. My other one is a Denon DP47f, very underrated.
My speakers are DIY ones. Developed by a German guy, it is a large closed 2 way system. Here is a link if you are curious.
Definitely my Unison Research Triode 25 Integrated Amp (when it comes back from service).
Pioneer Tz7-ltd speakers. Picked up for 100 bucks last year and don’t think I’ll ever get rid of them.
Nice revox stack with original import paperwork
It has to be my 1974 B&O 4002 Turntable. I am the original owner. I worked all summer in Alaska to buy it for $750 back when today’s $500K suburban house sold for $22K! I have used it gently and maintained it ever since. It’s a marvel of design and engineering. It’s all discrete component filled circuit boards have not a single integrated circuit on them and its tangential arm system uses optical sensors and servo motors. And it’s a fully suspended table yet it’s under 4" tall with dust cover!
I will be temporarily replacing it with a Technics SL-1200 MK7 with a Grado Sonata 3 Cartridge while the B&O is out of service for maintenance and some significant updating and restoration.
It will be out of service while I CAREFULLY recap and replace transistors and other components on the B&O’s circuit boards as well as recap its power supply and re-infuse its bronze sleeve motor bearings in the platter’s AC motor with oil. The synthetic watch oil used for the tonearm bearings and in the adjustable and damped arm cueing mechanism cost me $40 for 2 milliliters. I’m glad that I don’t have to use that stuff everywhere! Also, all the micro-incandescent bulbs used to illuminate the speed controls and used in all its optical systems will be replaced with custom LED units that will outlive me. I expect it to take me at least a year since I have to replace and then test each component as I go.
ATI AT6002. Can’t get better for the money.
Wowser. Not bad!
Gonna make a note of that one…
I have Cerwin Vega AR-12 speakers. They need an overhaul. I have a Bob Carver 125 watt per channel amp. I used those to do a few parties. I never lacked for volume or sound quality.
Currently though. I only have room for sall 75 watt per channel powered Bluetooth speakers. I have a similar setup on my front porch.
I think my Spiral Groove turntable is pretty rare.
Nola contenders 2. Never selling
My homemade DML panel speakers. They are my end game speaker. Making them started my audiophile journey and they remain the only original component in my system.
Tell us more, please!
The design is based on the notorious YouTube video by Tech Ingredients “World’s Best Speakers”. I wasn’t expecting much, but just for the entertainment value, I made a pair. I was frankly astonished how they sounded. I dragged friends and neighbors over and forced them all to listen. They claimed to be impressed, or were just humoring me 😊.
The DML panel size I used 24x24 inches is not full range so they need a subwoofer. But with that, they are simply uncanny at producing (simulating?) a live music experience. I made a couple more versions trying to figure out how to support them and protect the XPS panel from damage. My final version has a frame similar to a picture frame, and a back panel cut into an open honeycomb. The panel mounting is steel cotter keys epoxied into the back of the panel in three places. Those attach to the frame using high tension monofilament fishing line that acts like a spring suspending the panel. The panel floats in the frame. I used two 4 ohm exciters wired in series to achieve 8 ohms. The frame then is mounted to an articulated flat-screen TV arm so that the speakers can be pushed up against the wall or pulled out into the room as much as 24”. They sound best out from the wall.
They are very efficient and can be driven to high volume with very little power. I’ve used them with a cheap Chinese class D, a SUT tube amp (1.5W), an ACA kit amp, and my current favorite amp, a Hypex Nilai 500DIY, which rocks 260W in to 8 ohms (an awesome amp BTW).
There are a couple of unique characteristics of the speakers, one is fantastic sound stage and imaging regardless of what’s driving them. Even the shittiest little class D throws a huge sound stage. The speakers are almost completely transparent, with no sense of the sound coming from them until you get within about a foot or two. The listening position is very broad, with decent imaging even way off axis. Likewise, speaker positioning is also very forgiving. They have excellent dynamics and as I mentioned earlier create a real sense of a live performance.
Those look and have an incredible frequency range!
Other than rare NOS tubes most of my stuff is pretty non-rare. I do have a custom made Will Vincent Dynaco ST-70 that is a beautiful fire engine red. It sounds pretty sweet!
Jamo reference R909’s in Red
OP those are some sweet speakers!!
I have a KingKo Audio KA-101 Pro tube amplifier. It’s the best amp I’ve had. Too bad Covid19 stopped the company behind it.
i still love my Fischer price toons for tots turntable.
Pulls string, the horse says, “neigh”