What is your hifi system worth ? (retail price, and NOT what you paid for)

[shokhead]

Denon 3808-$1100
Denon 2930-$515
Panasonic TH-46PZ85U Plasma $1900
SVS -PB12–Plus $1050
BDI plasma cabinet $1600

[Jim Clark]

Hey Jim.

Ok, apologies for the misunderstanding.

No worries, we're good. We all have different approaches, experiences, and opinions. I've seen some things on this thread that make me scratch my head and wonder and I've also seen more than a couple of pieces that I kinda wish I had. An automatic record cleaner would actually be near the top of that list. My little KAB EV-1 is a total PITA.

jc

[JohnMichael]

Hey Jim.

Ok, apologies for the misunderstanding.

I just visited another dealer, who has the Cambridge Audio, which I have auditioned
elsewhere a year ago. It's pretty good, but will have to get some prices.

The 840 A and C for starters. Hmmm they're not bad, would need to probably pay
much more for not too much better.

It is clear a lot of you folks have paid some serious dollars, and/or managed to get
some very nice components/systems.

I have just spent 4 hours moving furniture around, and reorganising my CD, DVD, and
video collections :P I still need to disassemble my current cabinet so I can install
the new one that's being delivered tomorrow with my new LCD screen

Grrrr, would of been nice to have a day off for that.

I believe after today, all of my visual needs will be taken care of, apart from a Blue Ray
recorder with 1 TB hard drive (that will take probably about 2 years to be released).

Cambridge Audio is coming out with the 840A v2 very soon. The new and improved model. If you buy the first 840A I would expect some good discounts. Back when I bought my 640A I was surprised that they came out soon after with an improved version. Oh well.

[Ajani]

Cambridge Audio is coming out with the 840A v2 very soon. The new and improved model. If you buy the first 840A I would ecpect some good discounts. Back when I bought my 640A I was surprised that they came out soon after with an improved version. Oh well.

Hopefully he'll get the same kind of discounts on the 840A v1 in Australia as the ones on AudioAdvisor. They've got it discounted to $1K (from $1.5K) - the same price as the 740A!

[oaqm]

Old angry dude, how do you like that McCormack?

The only way I could improve on the McCormack would be to go to the CJ MET-1, which is basically a tube version of the MAP-1.

McCormack states that the MAP needs a minimum 100 hour break in, but it was immediately more "audibly transparent" than the Rotel 1068 I was using at the time. I would liken it to removing a couple of invisible bed sheets that had been on my speakers.

The build quality is what you would expect from CJ (McC stuff is built by CJ in Fairfax). Be advised that this is a 6 channel pure analog pre-amp, and not a processor in any way, shape, or form. You need a CD/DVD spinner that has its own DACs/decoders/Dolbyfiers/DTSificationers/FruitSqueezers/etc if you want to hear Luke's light saber swinging all around the room.

If you have been bitten by the multichannel bug and want to really concentrate on music first, something along these lines is indispensable. You can use an A/V receiver, but you are squeezing the music through an extra set of ICs via the volume control on your receiver, and it is unbelievably audible.

Sorry, I have run off at the mouth. In answer to your question, I like it. I like it a whole lot.

[Ajani]

Be advised that this is a 6 channel pure analog pre-amp, and not a processor in any way, shape, or form. You need a CD/DVD spinner that has its own DACs/decoders/Dolbyfiers/DTSificationers/FruitSqueezers/etc if you want to hear Luke's light saber swinging all around the room.

I wonder why there aren't more multi-channel preamps? The only other one I can remember off-hand is the soon to be released (I think) Parasound Halo P7. A multi-channel pre seems like a great way to get high quality multi-channel sound for a decent price.

[oaqm]

Home Theater is KING. The vast majority of folks that own A/V receivers watch their movies and listen to the radio or an occasional CD and are perfectly content.

Straight-up serious audio heads are a niche group, multi-channel audio heads are a splinter group within that niche. There isn't a big enough market to justify someone with huge manufacturing capability to even bother getting their feet wet.

Other than the Pink Floyd 35th Anniversary DSOTM SACD (and maybe the Beatles LOVE DVD-A), how many folks here even own a multi-channel disk?

[filecat13]

Okay, I thought about NOT doing this, then thought it might teach me something about myself. I'll consider it therapy, and note that my collection burgeoned immediately after my wife of 28 years left and went back to Michigan, taking way more than half of everything with her.

That was a very liberating experience, and little by little the accumulation grew. Interestingly, I enjoy every one of these systems and listen to all of them in a week's time. I left out a number of smaller systems in bedrooms, other offices, etc., and didn't bother with all the spare drivers, voice coils, components, etc., that are not in current use.

This needs to be broken into several posts, I think.

Nostalgia Vinyl System

Two JBL L100 Century speakers: $546
Kenwood KA-801 integrated amp: $700
Kenwood KT-815 tuner: $400
Technics SL-QD33 turntable with Shure M91: $290
Various cables and connectors: $30

Total: $1,966

Los Angeles Office System

Two JBL L7 speakers: $2000
Two Soundcraftsmen A400 amps: $1160
Soundcraftsmen DX4200 preamp: $699
Belkin iPod dock: $79
Niles IPC-8: $350
Various cables and connectors: $40

Total: $4,328

Wilmington Office System

Two JBL 4430 studio monitors: $3198
JBL B380 sub: $899
JBL BX63A crossover/bridge: $249
Two Soundcraftsmen A200 amps: $940
Technics SLPG300 CD player: $240
Belkin iPod dock: $79
Various cables and connectors: $44

Total: $5,649

[filecat13]

Master Bedroom System

Two JBL S/2600 speakers: $3,996
Panasonic SA-XR10 digital receiver: $500
Zenith DVB318 DVD player: $229
Samsung SIR-T451 OTA HD tuner: $300
SharpVision 27” LCD HD flat panel TV: $1,499.
Harmony 880 remote: $175
Various cables and connectors: $65
Monster HTS400: $139

Total: $6,903

Main Floor MultiChannel Audio System

Five JBL PT800 speakers: $8,500
Two JBL PS1400 speakers: $3,600
One JBL HTPS400 speaker: $2,000
Fosgate Audionics FAP T1 pre/pro: $2,995
Fosgate Audionics FAA 1000.5 amp: $3,495
Panasonic DVD XP50: $500
Monster Power HTS5000MKII: $600
100’ speaker cable (12AWG): $59
Various cables and connectors: $360

Total: $22,009

[filecat13]

The Music Room

Two Hafler SR2600 amps: $3,590
Soundcraftsmen DX-4200 pre/EQ: $899
Soundcraft EPM-8 mixer: $389
Two AKG D88s microphones: $118
Six ProCo balanced cables: $360
Sanyo LD karaoke player: $749
Panasonic DVD XP50: $500
ProCo RMS-2 dual amp speaker switch: $229
Dual 1219 with Shure V15E III: $415
Two JBL XPL200a speakers: $3,398
-or-
Two JBL L7 speakers: $2,000
-or-
Two JBL L250 speakers: $3,000
-or-
Two JBL SVA2100 speakers: $2,000
-or-
Two JBL L100 Century speakers: $546
-plus-
Three Fosgate Audionics CS220 THX subs: $2100
Three Hafler SR2300 amps (bridged): $4785
150’ speaker cable (14AWG): $59
Various cables and interconnects: $215
Niles IPC-8: $350

Total: $25,692

Garage System

Two JBL 240Ti speakers: $2,198
-or-
Two JBL XPL160 speakers: $2,498
-or-
Two JBL PT800 speakers: $3,400
JBL L8400P subwoofer: $899
ProCo RMS-1 speaker switcher: $129
Samson MDR624 mixer: $110
Soundcraftsmen Pro Power Three amp: $699
Soundcraftsmen Pro Power Four preamp: $399
Soundcraftsmen T6200 tuner: $299
Soundcraftsmen AE2000 analyzer/scanner: $799
Technics RS-TR515 dual cassette deck: $300
Technics SL-PD807 CD player: $280
Pioneer DVL-700 LD/DVD player: $1,200
Seleco SVD 800 HD CRT projector: $17,695
Chief CRT convergence stand: $499
Da-Lite Model B matte white screen: $349
Niles IPC-12: $500
Belkin iPod digital dock: $129
Various cables and connectors: $145

Total: $32,527

The Two Jims Theatre:

Six JBL PT800 speakers: $10,200
One JBL PC600 speaker: $1,700
Two JBL PS1400 speakers: $3,600
Two JBL HTPS400 speakers: $4,000
200’ speaker cable (12AWG): $119
Four AR subwoofer interconnects: $200
JBL (Lexicon rebadge) Performance Series AVA7 amp: $3,000
Fosgate Audionics FAP T1+ pre/pro: $3,195
Samsung SIR-T451 OTA HD tuner: $300
Mitsubishi HC4900 1080p LCD projector: $2,995
Mitsubishi M-V7057 LD player: $1,299
Yamaha DDP-1 AC-3 RF Demodulator: $799
Panasonic S-VHS Hi-Q video recorder: $800
Panasonic DVD XP50: $500
Niles IPC-12: $500
Harmony 1000 remote: $400
Various cables and interconnects: $600
Da-Lite Model B Matte White screen: $349

Total: $34,763

[oaqm]

I bow to your vast and superior collection of JBLery..... JBLishness.... JBLosity.

Dude, that's a lot of serious speakers.

[filecat13]

I have that shirt.

I bow to your vast and superior collection of JBLery..... JBLishness.... JBLosity.

Dude, that's a lot of serious speakers.

JBLunacy might be closer.

For those who doubt, take a gander at my user gallery.

[Ajani]

I have that shirt.



JBLunacy might be closer.

For those who doubt, take a gander at my user gallery.

WOW

You clearly love one brand.

[OzzieAudiophile]

Hi folks, sorry I didn't write a part 1 of 3 per-sei.

Part 1 was yesterday when I had to rearrange my furniture to improve on my
overall listening experience. I will certainly have to spend more time listening with
my speakers further apart from each other. You would be suprised just how much
junk you can find under a couch lol.

Part 2 - I brought a new hifi cabinet. It's more horizontal than vertical, it certainly gives me
far more space for my components. There's 10 slots, my components all take up 3.
The lcd will go on top. I can't believe it took a while to put the new cabinet together.
If you want to get yourself free splinters in your fingers, and learn to get used to the smell
of wood glue :P I didn't want to put in the side panels as my components have more space
to breathe. There's next to no chance of my components overheating, it was just an
extremely higher chance before.

I have yet to open up the lcd box to put it on top of my cabinet. I just got it delivered
today. That's a job for tomorrow, plus 1 friend.

It took a while to hook up everything again to my amp. Can't wait to hook up the lcd.
I nearly done my back in carrying parts of cabinet, 1/2 during the finishing, 2/3 of
the weight of the cabinet, grrrr for the back.

I was advised to change the direction of where everything was facing. My speakers
were 5 feet from each other, and I was 6 foot away from them.

Now, they are exactly 10 feet away from each other. I'll be able to move my couch to the
correct new position, only after setting up my lcd, which will make it a little over 10.1 feet
away. Dynaudio recommend that the distance between speakers should be equal or less
than the distance between me and the speakers. It's nearly a perfect triagle.

Good speakers don't really have to live by that rule, because the imaging angle covers a
greater angle than directly in front, but close to perfect triangle, unobstructed, does help.

If only some of you guys could bring over a few of your components, I have a few slots
spare now hah.

[Feanor]

I have that shirt.



JBLunacy might be closer.

For those who doubt, take a gander at my user gallery.

I suspect an ulterior motive for so much of one thing. Personally, with some many systems, not to mention so much financial investment, I'd want a much more variety.

[Ajani]

Personally, with some many systems, not to mention so much financial investment, I'd want a much more variety.

Me too (but as long as filecat is happy, then so be it)... but with that amount of money and that many setups, I'd have a solid state beast in one room (at least 500 watts), 5 watt Tubes with horns in another... and even though my only experience with Maggies (MG12) was terrible, I'd have a maggie setup just for the fun of trying to see what music etc... would get it to really sing in another room.. and of course my favourite gear in a seperate room entirely.. each system would have entirely different brands from the other.

[filecat13]

I suspect an ulterior motive for so much of one thing.

Not sure what this means. Care to explain?

Personally, with some many systems, not to mention so much financial investment, I'd want a much more variety.

I suspect you mean "brand variety" since there's incredible variety here. This represents more than four decades of product lines from one of the world's oldest, most diverse, and most successful audio brands.

There are two-ways, three-ways, and four ways in the mix. There are paper tweeters, silk tweeters, Aluminum tweeters, Titanium tweeters, and Beryllium tweeters; waveguides, constant directivity horns, defined directivity horns, and bi-radial horns. Speaker cones range from pulp, PolyPlas®, Aquaplas®ed paper, Aluminum, Titanium, carbon-filled polypropylene, mineral impregnated cloth, and more; from 15", 14", 12", 10", 8", 6.5", 6", 5", 4" to 3"; from AlNiCo to Ferrite to Neodymium to ceramic magnets; regular "box" four-sided cabinets, irregular four-sided cabinets, three-sided curvilinear cabinets, five-sided cabinets, and eight-sided cabinets...

...well, you get the idea. As I suspect is true with most other brands that have a lineage and breadth of products like JBL, there are many different sonic signatures, dispersion characteristics, efficiencies, styles, and capabilities.

As a fresh-out-of-high school kid working for the Penn Central Transportation Company (railroad) in Ohio in 1969-70, when I could afford to buy a pair of brand new JBL L100 Century speakers I started on an amazing JBL journey that, as I wrote earlier, really took off after gaining my freedom in 2000.

[ldgibson76]

I have that shirt.



JBLunacy might be closer.

For those who doubt, take a gander at my user gallery.

"Filecat"

You are out of control!
If this is your way of experiencing nirvana, so be it! Congrats!

Regards!

[Feanor]

Not sure what this means. Care to explain?
...

I suspect you mean "brand variety" since there's incredible variety here. This represents more than four decades of product lines from one of the world's oldest, most diverse, and most successful audio brands.
...

...well, you get the idea. As I suspect is true with most other brands that have a lineage and breadth of products like JBL, there are many different sonic signatures, dispersion characteristics, efficiencies, styles, and capabilities.

As a fresh-out-of-high school kid working for the Penn Central Transportation Company (railroad) in Ohio in 1969-70, when I could afford to buy a pair of brand new JBL L100 Century speakers I started on an amazing JBL journey that, as I wrote earlier, really took off after gaining my freedom in 2000.

Well, no offense intended. I just wondered if you worked for JBL for example -- nothing wrong if you did, of course.

Despite the JBL diversity, (or some might say, lack of coherent design philosophy), my inclination would be to explore many manufactures rather than just one. But that's just me.

My own experience with JBL is limited. Back circa 1971 I heard and fell in love with a pair of Lancer 77s. They were C$700 as I recall and I didn't have that cash just then. I resolved to save up to by the 77s but before got the cash, I got a chance to A/B them with AR3a's. The latter were so much more natural and resolved that I never considered JBL again.

[E-Stat]

The Music Room

You forgot to mention how many shares of Harman International (JBL) stock you own as well.

Curious that you put the $17k projector in the garage!

rw

[filecat13]

You forgot to mention how many shares of Harman International (JBL) stock you own as well.

rw

Ha ha, none fortunately! Never have.

It's taken a beating ever since that equity buyout deal was announced a year or so ago. It's since fallen apart. Most of the larger players in audio are eating it right now. Not a good place for investment.

[filecat13]

Well, no offense intended. I just wondered if you worked for JBL for example -- nothing wrong if you did, of course.

None taken. I've been in nonprofit work most of my life. Since I moved to CA from MI, I do know a couple of guys who work there. I once bought a pair of prototype JBLs from a former engineer who listed them on craigslist.org here in Los Angeles. I won a contest a few years back that go me a nice 5.1 Performance Series set, but it wasn't sponsored by JBL. I guess that's as close as I ever got to being on the dole from JBL. I liked the Performance Series so much I bought a 7.1 set for the Two Jims Theartre.

Despite the JBL diversity, (or some might say, lack of coherent design philosophy), my inclination would be to explore many manufactures rather than just one. But that's just me.

I would simply say that JBL has several coherent design goals according to market segment. Most people only see one small sliver of the company's products. I've been lucky (obsessed?) enough to see several of its market segment products and their evolution over the years.

My own experience with JBL is limited. Back circa 1971 I heard and fell in love with a pair of Lancer 77s. They were C$700 as I recall and I didn't have that cash just then. I resolved to save up to by the 77s but before got the cash, I got a chance to A/B them with AR3a's. The latter were so much more natural and resolved that I never considered JBL again.

IMO you made the correct decision. There are no Lancers in my collection. The ARs are probably better than the L100s I bought back then and still use. However, the JBLs were way cooler looking and could definitely rock the house (or dorm as it were). We were listening to Deep Purple, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Grand Funk Railroad, so the L100s were perfect.

[OzzieAudiophile]

Hi peeps.

Today I finally finished the unpacking and setup of my LCD tv.

Several things I've learnt from now being able to watch on a 40 inch screen as opposed to
a 19 inch crt tv :P

1. Sooo much better to connect my PC directly to it, I no longer need my PC desk, so I
will gain much more free space in my lounge room.

2. Well I already knew this fact, but I have no other components which have a HDMI out.
I.e. There's no possibility of viewing anything beyond 576p I will need to get an DVD
upscaler.

3. My DVD playback image is much better than my cable tv and dvr. Best I could connect
from lcd tv to my dvr is component cable. It is capable of up to 1080p, however I have no
signal from anywhere beyond 576 anyway My lcd is capable of telling me precisely
what signal I'm picking up, which is 576 max (so far).

4. I have no digital set top box, I may consider getting one to enchance the signal. I know
for a fact that my tv antenna is way dodgy, even on my old crt tv, I receievd a snowy
grainy signal at the very best. Changing/upgrading the cable type made little improvement.

5. Can't wait to play Rome Total War on my pc, which I'm going to do now lol.

6. With the space I have gained by rearranging my furniture, the quality, imaging of sound
through the speakers has vastly improved. Really does make a difference when you give
good speakers plenty of room to breathe, and really minimising obstructions

7. Next step will need to borrow a blu-ray player to test the signal/performace on this lcd
screen. Will also need to borrow an upscaler dvd/universal disc player. The Cambridge
Audio one sounds like a good option.

EG

[SlumpBuster]

Wow! Filecat's got an impressive list there. It's looks like the audio equipment version of my pornography collection.

I think I only got about $10,000 worth of stuff not counting TV and furniture. But I don't even know how much alot of my stuff cost or what it translates to. For example, I have a quad receiver that I paid $0 for, but retailed at $700 in 1973. I ran it through an inflation calculator, but I don't think $124,000 was right.

[O'Shag]

KEF's ultimate statement Reference 109, project codename: The Maidstone Sold for $22,000usd in 2002. I was offered $35,000 for them by an Asian collector two weeks ago. Never really intended as a consumer product, just produced a few to show the world what they could do. Bespoke-built from the ground up with no off the shelf parts to be the best in the world. Definitely on a very short list of the best.

MFA MC Reference Prototype - The production version was $15,000usd new, but the prototype is much more valuable and delivers much better performance. I've been offered $20,000 for it, its worth more but it doesn't matter because I could never part with it anyway, its too good.

Monitor Audio Gold Reference 60 - $4,000 (what a bargain!) Its embarrassed some much more expensive speakers I've heard. But it cannot scale the sonic heights of the Maidstone.

Mission 767 flagship speakers - $7000usd when new LFA unit another $500

KEF Reference 107/2 - $7,500 - Great speaker which I still love. Very organic sound, superb for Jazz, Classical.

Polk Audio RT5000p (sold the RT3000 but still have the CS1000p center and FX/1000 surrounds), The CS1000p and F/X1000 come to around $3,800 when new
Audio Research Classic 150 monoblocks balanced version - $13,000usd - Awesome sound thats gets too close to the Reference300 and 600 for comfort. Thats probably why ARC discontinued the Classic 150 production.
Audio Research Classic 120 monoblocks balanced verion - $7,500usd
Mark Levinson No 27 x 2 at $3,500 each - $7,000 (good luck trying to get solid state amps of this quality new at anything close to that price, especially Levinsons. I think the Marsh A400S are best solid state bang for the buck amps available for the present)
Spectron Model 10 preamp SN# 1 (first ever made by John Ulrich) - $6000
Spectron 1KW amp SN# 2 (second made by John Ulrich, father of commercial digital amp technology) - $3,000
Audio Research SP6E - $3,700 when new
Musical Fidelity M1 turntable / SME M212 tonearm / Nordost Valhalla oem cable $7,500
Musical Fidelity Trivista DAC 21 - Level 2 mod by Chris Johnson (Sonic Frontiers) $4,200
Purist Audio Dominus digital cable - $800
Alphason HR100MCS pure titanium tonearm with pure mono crystal silver wire - $2,500 when new
Dynavector Karat 17D2 cartridge - best cartridge for the price at $895
Stanton 881s cartridge - $125.00 thought this was good until I heard the dynavector which totally blew it away.
California Audio Labs Tempest II tube Analogue CD Player - $5,000
California Audio Labs Delta transport - 1,100

Mostly Transparent MusicWave Ultra Cabling - don't know, but easily over $7k
QED Genesis Silver Spiral bi-wire cables - $800
QED Silver Anniversary (for surrounds) -$200 or so
Yamaha RX-Z9 Processor /Receiver $4,500
anchor Bay Tech/DVDO HD+ scaler - $1,300
Denon DVD-3910 - $1,600
Sony DVP-NS9000ES DVD player - very nice well made player - $1,300
Denon DVD5000 - antique thats made like a brickhouse but doesn't sound as good either standalone or as transport as its baby brother the 3910
Tice PowerBlock and Titan power conditioning and energy Storage system have four units
altogether close to $7,000 new
Cinepro power conditioner - $3,500
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70"SXRD TV - $7,000
Loewe Aconda 40" CRT Tube TV - $5,800
Racks/Stands; Bello, BDI, Custom - $3000
Hard Drives for DVR storage - $300
Accessories - quite a bit
Power cords - about $300
Carver C4000T preamp - $1,500
Carver TFM45 amp - $950
Carver CD-390T - tube reference CD player (bloody great cd player that kick the pants of a lot of modern ones, I'm not kidding)
CarverTDR100 - tape deck
Alesis ML9600 - CD-R
lots of extra bits
My Missus - priceless