Long term keepers

matthewpiano

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2007
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We spend loads of time on here talking about upgrading and changing our equipment but how many of us have components within our hi-fi that we can't imagine changing, either for a very long time (many years) or ever? For me, it would have to be my Michell turntable (can't imagine ever changing this) and my Wharfedale floorstanders. I would have to be VERY VERY sure about changing my NAD amp as well because its the first one thats ever been consistently good at low and high volumes.
 
Nothing yet. Love my kit but open to upgrades. I'm seriously considering the Quad 909/99 combo as my next (and hopefully) last amp upgrade. My mum has had the Quad 405/33 for 30 years and it's still a strong contender. I can see why too. Only in the hifi world can one describe a box of capacitors and transistors as charming 🙂
 
Only two I think; my late dad bought me a NAD 3020A way back in 1986 and I'll be hanging on to that for good. For different reasons (we now have twins!) I will be hanging on to the rest of my gear for some time. That said, a sterling buy has been - on a WHF recommendation a decade ago - Mission's 733i floorstanders. Extremely capable with all types of music, a good misdrange and treble. The bass can get unruly on occasion, but that's easily managed by bungs in the bass ports. A solid 5 star buy at £330 then and they'll last another ten years hopefully. Great speakers.
 
I love my PM17, it sounds amazing and it's built to last. I'm sure it will outlast me.
 
Serial upgrader, so will always want something special Mind you I'm listening to pure joy atm, so it will cost a bucket load to improve
 
[quote user="JoelSim"]Serial upgrader, so will always want something special Mind you I'm listening to pure joy atm, so it will cost a bucket load to improve[/quote]

Same here, it seems the better the quality of my system, the more I want to fiddle with it. I keep trying to stick to an idea What Hi-Fi mentioned in the 90's - the best upgrade for a system is more music.

With some 600CDs and 100+ Vinyl Albuums I'm not sure I have the room for any more music, and my DVD collection barely gets viewed- I have some from 2006 I haven't opened yet.

I think my Linn Ikemi, Kolektor, LK140 and LK85 set up, and my Sudgen headmaster will stay with me till either they die or I do.
 
Well my 1990 vintage KEF C75 floorstanders are still in use today. i try other speakers but keep coming back to theses they play anything well..Though ive managed to find a shop down here that has dali ikon 6. bw683 and kef iq9 pity ma rs6 isnt there too (and they have nad too which is great)
Hard to find all that in one shop in the land down under..
 
I'll keep my Dali speakers for some time to come, even if that means moving this to the bedroom. They sound so freaking good. They are just what the doc ordered at this moment in my life. But I see an amp upgrade in the pipeline.
 
I truly believe you can safely go for Quad 99/909 combo, just set 99 pre-amp input sensitivity to 100mv for the best sound. What are your speakers?
 
in september 07 I had 4 pieces of Quad 900 series electrics die on me ,1 power amp and 3 cd players(these wouldn't read discs) .

upped my budget by a few grand and am delighted with the result.Primare pre and power,CD31.will bi-amp next xmas then that's it.I have always wanted a decent way to play my music(1500 cd's and growing by 200 a year)
 
My my lovely new Naim Supernait amp, has all the power and connections that will last me for a very long time..................
 
Andy, are you now editor of what hifi? (again), you see back in the day you were the editor of my fav hifi mag, if i can remember what hi-fi was a bit different back then, none of this sound and vision nonsense, just two channel love. if my memorie is correct there was articles from the what hi-fi team about hi-fi, your magazine feels like a catalouge with different models and prices changeing with each year, thats cool its just you seem to of lost your idendity, the mag wants to be a ps3 (can do it all), a bit of everything for joe public will sell, I would love whathifi to rekindle its roots and be for hifi, Andy clough, im tired of seeing tv's on the front cover of what hifi, force the issuse, love hifi,
 
I agree totally. Far too much TV nonsense in the mag these days. There is another WHAT title that does TV already and some differentiation needs to be made. More hifi please - look at the number of posts on the TV and the hifi sections of this forum, pretty similar yet the mag seems to be far more biased towards TV these days (and I know home cinema is the growth area), but we want hifi, it's 100 times more interesting.
 
[quote user="matthewpiano"]We spend loads of time on here talking about upgrading and changing our
equipment but how many of us have components within our hi-fi that we can't
imagine changing[/quote]

None! there always be another one out there that out preform the current set up....nirvana is impossible.
 
Hello- HI FI Lungo ( mdunjic)- have question concerning your set up.....what were the sonic advancements of pairing the 909s

with the Krell KCR3 as compared to the Quad 99 preamp ..???...I have a Quad 909, 99 pre, cdp 2 and wharfedale opus speakers.

I have been considering bi amping and upgrading the preamp. After a lot of research came up with the Cary slp 03 or 05,

the vtl tl5.5 or 6.5 and the Krell KCR3.....as possible replacements for the 99 preamp. Then I luckily spotted your set up

and thought to question you on your kit---Thanks in advance for your response.....

davotosun
 
Hughes123:JVC will be with me forever...hi-fi maybe not...but fun-fi yes!
oh, so not arcam then...
 
jimm:Andy, are you now editor of what hifi? (again),

No, he's editor of all that is webbed - ie whathifi.com.

Richard Melville is the editor of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision.
 
JoelSim:There is another WHAT title that does TV already and some differentiation needs to be made.

Nowt to do wiv us, guv. And you want differentiation? Shall we start with circulation...?
 
matthewpiano:We spend loads of time on here talking about upgrading and changing our equipment but how many of us have components within our hi-fi that we can't imagine changing, either for a very long time (many years) or ever?
For me, it would have to be my Michell turntable (can't imagine ever changing this) and my Wharfedale floorstanders. I would have to be VERY VERY sure about changing my NAD amp as well because its the first one thats ever been consistently good at low and high volumes.

Funny that. A year later my whole system has changed. I sold the Michell (which I fell out of love with) to fund my new Denon kit and grew out of the Wharfedales (although they are still sitting in my spare room).

Maybe the 'bug' is just too strong to hold on to things as 'long term keepers'. Speakers are my weakness. I'm always swapping them about.
 
matthewpiano:We spend loads of time on here talking about upgrading and changing our equipment but how many of us have components within our hi-fi that we can't imagine changing, either for a very long time (many years) or ever?

For me, it would have to be my Michell turntable (can't imagine ever changing this) and my Wharfedale floorstanders. I would have to be VERY VERY sure about changing my NAD amp as well because its the first one thats ever been consistently good at low and high volumes.

Well, I now have the Sennheisers for about 2 years (or 3- I can't remember, will have to check) and still love them to bits. They have just the sound I'm after. Revealing, warm and slightly laid back. They're well-made too.

On a couple of occasions I dropped them on the floor (accidentally), 2 times had the cords ripped out violantly because I forgot I had the Senns on and wanted to answer a doorbell. Not a scratch, no difference to the sound.

To put the icing on the cake, they're comfortable too. The best audio bargain I ever bought.

EDIT: bought them august 2006. Jeez, I'm getting old.
 

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