Hi,

I had been talking to a mate about what car/cars we would have if money was 'no object'!

I wanted an E-TYPE JAG, OLD MECEDES SPORTS, JENSEN INTERCEPTOR & ASTON MARTIN DB7 & 9, PORSCHE etc

My mate just wanted a ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE!!

After several more pints of 'TETLEY BITTER' (a truly great Yorkshire beer) we expanded the idea of 'money no object' to all sorts of things & had a great time telling each other what we would have.

Then it was over, we were back on planet earth & quite merry (it's what Tetleys does to you!!).

Anyway we mumbled our good byes & parted, but I got to thinking 'WHAT HIFI COULD I BUY, IF MONEY WAS NO OBJECT'

Being me I'd still try to 'BUY USED' equipment, sad but true!!

I would be interested in what you would assemble if 'MONEY WAS NO OBJECT'!!

willie

PS Excuse this post but I am writing it with a sore head (courtesy of Tetley bitter)

Acapella Spharon Excalibur loudspeakers complete with plasma tweeters. US$380,700 per pair. http://www.acapella.de/en/hornspeakers/sph...n_excalibur.php

Probably a stack of Krell Master Reference monoblocks to drive them (US$150,000 each) or maybe McIntosh with matching top shelf McIntosh pre, tuner, cd player... not sure about cabling or turntable.

PS I like Tetley's too although at this very moment it's a pint of Old Speckled Hen that I'm savoring

Hmmm... I thought about this for a while, and realized that even if money is no object, I probably wouldn't go for the most expensive equipment. Rather I would take the opportunity to pickup a few peices that I have long lusted after as well as a few components from vendors whose equipment I have long admired.

Let's start with speakers. This was the easiest selection for me as I have long lusted after the Infinity IRS Beta (honorable mention goes to the IRS V). I admire speakers from a number of brands, but it is the older Infinities that hold a special place in my heart.



To power the IRS Betas I would look to two different manufacturers. I have read that Infinity invisioned that the upper frequency panels would be powered by tubes. So I would power them with a pair of the very rare and very powerful Carver Silver Seven tube monoblocks.



The woofers would need to be powered with an amp that can keep up with the power of the Silver Sevens, and do so with absolute control and authority. I would pick a pair of Krell MDA-500 monoblocks for this task.



It took me a while to select a preamp. Part of the problem is that I don't have as much knowledge and experience with the various preamp offerings. I have always been a "big amp & big speakers" kind of guy. It wasn't until I got my Adcom GFP-750 that I realized the impact that a great preamp can have on the quality of a system. In fact, I even considered selecting the Adcom GFP-750 as the preamp for my dream system, but eventually settled on the Krell KCT.



As the the primary source component I would go digital, and select a recently released product. Although I have yet to hear them in action, my choice would go to the PS Audio PerfectWave transport and DAC. I have long admired PS Audio gear, and have liked what I have read about this latest PS Audio offering. (Honorable mention goes to the Nakamichi Dragon Transport and DAC)



Although I don't have any LPs. I would eventually like to add a turntable to my system. So while I am dreaming why not round out the system with something really nice like the Acoustic Solid Royal.



A few other items...

PS Audio Phonolink or Krell KPA phono preamp
Teac X-2000R reel-to-reel
MIT Oracle (or maybe just Shotgun) interconnect and speaker cable
PS Audio power conditioners and power cables

I think that does it for me. So guys, let's hear your thoughts... which system do YOU dream about?

Rob

i would have to do a lot of auditioning before i could settle on anything.

without listening to anything, i would go for Luxman's 80th anniversary gear;

B-1000f amps


and the C-1000f pre amp



for the front end i'd go for Esoteric's P-03 universal transport and D-03 dac



speakers would be Vivid GIYA G1

look at the gear they are running, i made my picks before i found this picture.

dont know about ic's and speaker wires, i'd start with the most expensive and work my way down until i found the right synergy.

I think I want "MarkB's" system, the centennial editions, but i would need some of vandersteen's best speakers. but the real reason mark left the northwest, is because I was casing his place, and i was going to take his stuff, my problem was that I would have needed to rent a flatbed semi,

elroy

I try not to look here to often:

http://www.higherfi.com/

To covet AND not have the budget is a terrible thing!

I'd have my Sansui stuff (AU719, TU717, SE7, SC1330) freshened up by a pro, then snag a pair of Khorns.

I'd spend the rest on beer.

Hmmm...

Speakers: KEF Maidstones or the biggest that MartinLogan sell.
CD player: Meridian 808.2 Signature. Just $16k!
Tape: ReVox B710 or B215 cassette deck.

Believe it or not, I'd keep my present amp and Grade Z turntable. Sentimental value!
I'd also keep the tuner... not much sense getting a better one.

If i had a lot of money i'd go all the way with vinyl and tubes.

Turntable _ Da Vinci Audio Labs




Phono - Pre Amp _ Manley Steelhead




Power Amp _ Atma-Sphere Ma-3

http://www.atma-sphere.com/products/ma3.html

Speakers _ I find quite appealing the choice from Oktyabr.

http://www.acapella.de/en/hornspeakers/sph...n_excalibur.php

Oh Oh them's fightin' words right there!!! Hello... MarkB has Infinty IRS Gammas!!!

OK OK... I admit I am a bit obsessed with the older Infinities. I thought about getting therapy for it, but I really don't want to.

OK... scratch my choice of turntable and double the order for these two pieces.

Don't know enough to make an educated decision other than that I would go with a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing.

I'm going humble here.

Perhaps a pair of Carver Amazings (actually had the opportunity to pick some up local for $550 recently but didn't). I'd like to audition some Wilson Watt Puppies, Shahanian Obelisks, and PipeDreams though.

Krell, Threshold, accuphase, maybe even McIntosh amplification/pre. Though if I did cave in for tubes, the Manley Stingray looks nice.

A Sansui analogue tuner- maybe the 919, maybe the 9900.

A Transcriptor turntable, modded to sound as good as it looks, and some esoteric cartridge. Add a Sony PS-x9 TT as well as a JVC QL-8 and a quartz-lock modified Technics SL-1100 and EPA arm.

Fully rebuilt EAD transport- the model with the Pioneer Elite stable platter system.

Some fancy-pants hi-fi cables and wiring.



I have a colllection of nice gear though, and am pleased as punch to be as fortunate as I am to own such nice gear, as humble as it may be.

I think you mean the EAD T-1000. Nice transport that I have always liked as well.

pretty much what you see, up there, as well as in my signature, with perhaps the addition of these:



PIONEER C-90/91 STEREO PRE-AMPLIFIER (1986/1990)











PIONEER M-90/91 STEREO POWER-AMPLIFIER (1986/1990)