What is the most MUSICALLY SATISFYING component(s) you own?

[Marantzaholic]

Out of all the components you own (or have listened to), what is the most MUSICAL sounding?

Forget price, power, brand, prestige factor, cosmetics, etc... what is the component or system that always makes you close your eyes and say, "Ahhhh..." when you begin to listen?

There is no right or wrong answer here. This is about what YOU like. It could be a megabuck McIntosh/Sota/JBL rig or a BOTL thrift store special. Doesn't matter. What sounds the most like music to your ears?

My personal preference is my Marantz 2265B receiver with my Paradigm Studio Reference 60V3 speakers. I know I am far from the first to say this, but there is just something about the Marantz sound.

I never, ever get tired of it. As much as I like my Yamaha gear, I always feel like I should be "analyzing" the sound, like a lab experiment. Nothing wrong with that, Yamaha makes great gear for really listening into a recording. You definitely hear EVERYTHING, good or bad.

When I turn on the Marantz, however, and the first notes come out of the speakers, I can't help myself. I just smile. It just sounds right. :music: The word "musical" keeps coming to my mind. It may not be the ultimate in accuracy, imaging, transparency, or a dozen other audiophile buzzwords, but I don't care. It sounds so BIG, so lifelike, so real. It's like the music just rolls out of the speakers and invites you into the performance. I realize that might sound funny, but I don't know how else to describe it. Not other component brand has ever reached me like that. I find this to be the case with every Marantz I've ever owned. My dad's little 2220B has that same "magic," but with a little less power. I use it with my MacBook and a pair of Baby Advents, and I swear, I could listen to it for hours. Again, musical comes to mind.

So what are your favorite components? Remember, no right or wrong, just what sounds good to your ears.

[stuwee]

I have to say my TT set-up, It was my first purchase and has been the heart of every main rig(IMHO) I've ever had, I have no idea who to bequeth it to:D I know it will still be spinning while I'm spinnin' in my grave:D
Craig

[motorstereo]

I'd have to say my kegerator. I know with the first whoosh into the glass it means I can kick back and spend the evening listening. As far as the components go most of em make me say "ahhh" or they get rotated for something different. Not necessarily better; but different. I honestly couldn't pick one component above all the rest as it's all about having the synergy and time to enjoy it. At least that's my take on it.

[jocko_nc]

I would have to say Vandersteen 2Ce's. After 20 years, they still manage to impress.

[hifi_nut]

Like Stuwee it´s also my main TT that does it for me. Probably pshycological, but that TD-124 really turns me on.

[catch 22]

To my old ears, it's a Marantz 2220 that sounds better than the other 10 or so recievers and amps I have, everything that comes out of it is so beautiful.

[greenmark59]

Yamaha CR-620, Dual 510 TT and my rockin' Kenwood 777 speakers.

[Rybeam]

Bozak Symphony's.

[barrynsue]

Quad ESL 57 speakers w/ a McIntosh 225 amp powering them. Not the most powerful, but musically speaking, they define the music the way it was meant to be broadcast by the musicians and engineers who produced it.

I have other great gear but can place almost any source (TT, CDP, Preamp) and they bring the music alive!

Barry

[Endspec]

my sansui 500 A and my sansui sp3500 speakers with my sony px-s5 TT.
At the moment the sansui 500A is being serviced but the Bell labs 2418 is doing a good job with big shoes to fill.

[BroonsBane]

It's a toss-up between my B-2 and DP-62L...or maybe that combo. It's sweet boys :thmbsp:

[BajaGringo]

The Pioneer HPM-1100 speakers working with my HPM-150 set in sweet combination in my living room setup. The SAE A201 amp and Sansui AU717 integrated running in parallel make them sound sooooo good in my ears.

My neighbors have mentioned on a few occasions something about rattling dishes in their kitchens though...

:music:

[JohnVF]

I have maybe four systems hooked up at any given time but one of them always revolves around my Sansui 9090db. I have speakers I love and separates that I love and tuners that I love but the Sansui just sounds exactly like I want it to, every time. And, well, it's kind of a nice looker, too. It's hard to pick your favorite child but I have to go by what never gets unplugged.

[bolly]

Electrohome PA-100 mk-1's and Tannoy Golds! :cool:

[jcmjrt]

I've got several pieces that I love but my favorite source that always grabs my attention and keep it- Garrard 401!

[iLUVanalog]

Absolutely hands-down winner is/are my turntable(s). I continue to be amazed at how a machine takes a piece of flattened vinyl with a spiralling groove stamped onto it and "played" by a tiny chip of a diamond and creates MUSIC!!

Be it my VPI HW-19, Technics SL-1200 Mk5, Audio-Technica PL-120, AR ES-1, or my older Technics tables, they all make my LP's sound great!

Definitely a wow factor as well as an ahhhh factor!

[gearhound]

My 1988 Magnavox CDB460 CD player.
This is basically a bare-bones Magnavox CDB560.
Very dynamic CD player that hasn't skipped on anything in 20 years!?

Steve

[Nikko75]

Bowers & Wilkins 803S. Some older classical music was recorded with B&W series speakers. The usual remark when playing my old music on other speakers is "OMG that sounds like shat! It's so bland!". But it all comes to life and is hard to tell from real instruments on those 803S'. .

[similost]

I can easily say my 511s with the 902s hanging on the back of them. .however, in a couple days, I'm gonna bet on my Quicksilvers..

[justw]

Marantz 2235ß & two pair of stacked Large Advents. Whether it's my Thorens/Grado Green blastin' out Eric Clapton or Pioneer PD-TM3 cd player spinning Led Zeppelin Box Set. I can close my eyes and disappear into the music. :music:
I love my main setup in the family room but my vintage stuff in my office is more musical.

[Whitehall]

My daughter's flute. She's 12 and does practice - first chair in the middle school band!!!

Really, I tell her over and over that her playing sounds better than all the stereo gear I own.

As to electronics, I'd say my Sony STR-6200 and 6060FW receivers are the best although the Sony ST-5000F gives better FM. The McIntosh MR71 is right up there.

I'm eager to hear how the 6200 sounds through my new-to-me EPI 150s.

[similost]

OH WAIT... I ain't thinking here... does a wife qualify as a component?

The sweetest thing I heard.. "Honey, if you wnat those amps that bad, you can get them. Do what you want" :D

[WhiteSE]

My Pilot SA-232 EL84 amp....its simply Thuuuper!!!

[MisterFishey]

Nothing creates piano music more realistically than a piano. Wait, does that count? :scratch2:

My Marantz 2250 makes darn near everything sound musical. Very satisfying. Sounds like velvet... :music:

[cmb3366]

Believe it or not, the single item that made the biggest difference so far is my pre-amp, a Crown SL-2.

Before I got it I was using an Onkyo reciever, and I dont know why, but with vinyl it was just plain unforgiving; audible hum with the tt on (even at low volume), and it seemed to make every pop or click stand out obnoxiously.

With the new pre, TT operation produces no hum, the internal TTamp does a much better job of bringing things up to line level, and the rumble filter and indicator take care of any of the extraneous noise my DD TT brings to the table. In short, it makes vinyl sound more natural, and absolutly fantastic.


You couldent pay me a thousand dollars to go back to a stand alone reciever, not even for a day.

[Spectrum77]

NS-1000s.

[Chris Brown]

I really like my JBL L150’s. They helped bring me into the hobby and there are a lot of characteristics about them that keep me coming back to them as my favorite speakers. My L100T’s which are on the same amp in the same room have a more advanced tweeter, mid-range, and a more-powerful woofer, but the L150’s passive radiator gives the bass a unique smoothness to it, and the 033 tweeters being slightly rolled off compared to the 035Ti’s in the L100T’s don’t really detract as much as they just make things less fatiguing. Really a great speaker overall.

[BroonsBane]

My Pilot SA-232 EL84 amp....its simply Thuuuper!!!

Shouldn't that be thimply thuuper? ;)

[drillert450]

I've got a little sansui AU-4400 paired up with a few old fisher speakers between the speakers and amp I've got $35 into them, but what a combo. Much warmer sounding than my big system, just absolutly fills the room with clean, smooth, warm sound.

[WhiteSE]

Shouldn't that be thimply thuuper? ;)

LOLOL....yer right!!!:D

[jimdandy]

OH WAIT... I ain't thinking here... does a wife qualify as a component?

The sweetest thing I heard.. "Honey, if you wnat those amps that bad, you can get them. Do what you want" :D

So you go with the "wear 'em down" strategy as well. I damn near have it down to a science :smoke:


As to the OP -- my Pioneer PL-516 TT would get my vote as most "musical" in my arsenal. It's got the mojo.

[Elfasto]

I'd have to go with my speakers. My system is nothing really to sing gospels about, the wiring is alright, decent receiver, but the speakers kinda make up for that.

Wouldn't mind hooking up a McIntosh to mine just to hear the difference.....

[Rod G-6000]

After only a few days of listening to this set up I would have to say the
Sansui G-8000 & Pioneer PL-510A TT driving the DCM TF700's and BA 60's.

[Satch]

I'd say my Ipod with some bulky Philips headphones. No, it doesn't sound as good as the 'big system', no, it doesn't play lp's, no, it doesn't impress friends and neighbours, but the ability to listen to very decent quality music everywhere I want is great. It already has seen four continents and numerous airports and has helped me through hours and hours of waiting. So there you have it...

[BrassTeacher]

For me it's a tie between my home-built preamp, and my speakers: KEF 104/2.

[legal eagle]

[QUOTE=similost;1853212]OH WAIT... I ain't thinking here... does a wife qualify as a component?

The sweetest thing I heard.. "Honey, if you wnat those amps that bad, you can get them. Do what you want" :D[/QUOTE

After much inner debating between the Sansui AU-9500 which is my office setup) and the Marantz Esotec SC-6 preamp (have you noticed the overwhelming presence of Marantz in this thread?), I was about to sing the praises of the AU-9500 when drillert450 brought about his Sansui AU-4400 integrated amp. Well, the vote still goes to the AU-9500, but the AU-4400 is a very close second. The Esotec is far better sonicly, but the AU&TU 4400 set I have in the bedroom with the KEF Cresta 2 is just pure joy. It looks BEAUTIFUL (photos don't do it justice), and its sound is just...how should I put it...relaxing. Just right for the bedroom.

[fiddlefye]

Apart from my violin(s) which don't really count as components and rely on my own inspiration it's a tough call around here. As always, it's matter of the synergy of things. I'd have to say that the #1 most musically satisfying part of my main system would have to be the Vandersteen 2c's that are at the end of the chain. They just seem to put the music first all the time without adding anything of themselves to it. I'm driving them right now with a Quad 520f pro amp, fed by a Yamaha C-4 pre. I know the C-4 isn't usually at the head of people's list of Yamaha preamps, but after the mods to mine I find it really quite amazing and (most importantly for me) the phono stage is a fantastic match for the Ortofon MC cartridge in my TT. Vinyl just sounds amazing these days and my CDs are languishing!

Come Fall there's a set of Mullards going into the CJ tube set-up, so I have that to look forward to. Might get a different answer then, though it will depend on me finally getting the tube phono pre built.

[JesusChrysler]

I'd have to say my Adcom combo: GFP-565 into a GFA-555 II.

Such clean, clean, sound channelled into to power, power, power.


Oh, bliss.


:)


Matt

[wineslob]

Speakers.:music:

[kbott]

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4148/mediajukebox0001mediumge0.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7818/harddrives0002mediummm8.jpg

media jukebox combined with my hard drives to me it's about the music components are components and speakers are speakers some are better than others

having 1298 artists and 3388 albums one click away cant be beat

[ke4jhj]

I would have to say the most musically satisfying piece of equipment I have is a Garrard 82 turntable. I got it when I was in college in the early 70's and I am still using it today.

The Garrard can't hold a candle to my Technics as far as wow and flutter and rumble goes, but it's not bad. I can get a lot of satisfaction listening to it especially since it has 78 rpm speed.

Another plus is for those times I get in the mood to pull out the old 45's I had when I was a kid. I can use the tall spindle, 45 rpm auto spindle, throw on the cheap cartridge/needle, and put on a stack of 45's and listen away.

I love it when my daughter brings in her friends. Most have never seen a turntable, let alone a changer. When they see it go through a stack of records, then shut off at the end, usually all I hear is "Man, that's coooool!!"

How can you not get satisfaction from that??

[soundson]

My $50.00 TD-125MKII mint condition with removable dustcover.

[bpape]

Currently Own - My modded Korato preamp.

Ever heard - Futterman OTL-1's :music:

http://moscode.home.att.net/Resources/OTL1_t.jpg

Bryan

[hellhound94]

My Marantz 2270.

[Lady Ayeka]

my primary audio chain; (1986)DENON DCD-1500 CDP/(1990)PIONEER VSX-D1S AV Receiver/(199x)PIONEER CS-G503 four-way loudspeakers :music::music::music::music:

[superdog]

It's hard to say as each component complements the other.If I have to I would say my speakers as they give the sound I enjoy from different sources. JBL l112-JBL L100-JBL L120t

[Twenty20Man]

my 1250 to my model 6's stacked

[2chanman]

My ESS AMT10B speaker systems.

[whyaskit]

my ipod and my jolida amp, love the portability of the ipod and the beautiful sound that the el84 tubes produce.

[Trower]

Most definatly my TT, but more specifically my Grado cart.....just love the sound it makes.

[roadie1]

I'd have to say that it's my latest set-up. Not because it's new to my ears or has a different sound than what I'm used to but because everytime I change something or try to move up the ladder I have an express purpose in my mind. I can't explain it but I've always looked for that certain sound without being able to fully describe but knowing it when I hear it.

I experiment as we all do with different source's, amp's speaker's etc. so I've become accustomed to their strength's and weaknesses so that when I put something together I have an idea of what I might swap out to get closer to my thought of "nirvana". With that long winded part out of the way....:yes: right now the system that has brought close to where I want to be musically is my..

Pioneer PD65 CDP
Pioneer SPEC 4 (recapped by EW)
Dared SL2000A tube pre (Sieman ECC801's and a RCA 5V4G rectifier)
Yamaha NS1000M's
Kimber Hero IC's and 8TC speaker cables

I have to give kudo's to that little Dared. Before trying it I would have said all the above except that there was a Pioneer SPEC 1 in it's place. That was none too shabby either and I hesitated to use the "lowly Dared" with the infamous SPEC but as I said I'm alway's up for experimentation.

That little pre tied thing's up together like you wouldn't believe. With what some believe as to the Kimber's being bright, coupled with the forward sounding Yammie's, it just filled thing's in so nicely. Ultra smooth presentation and filled the Yammie's bass in like nobody's business. Not to mention the warmth of the PD65 helping to even thing's out.

To my ears and taste's and for all around musicallity this system will stay together....period. I can alway's experiment with my 2nd system....................R1:music:

[goanlisten]

I would have to say my portable APM speakers. I can listen to them continuously for days on end.

[titanstats]

My two little Macs still make me happy -- doesn't matter what I hook up to them. :)

[cp2buy]

Pioneer SA 9800 restored by echowar! This amp makes all speakers sound good, especially my KLH 17. I keep hearing that there are better speakers, but every time i think about an upgrade, my thoughts are why waste time trying anything else.

[SixCats!]

Hi all,

Well, my favorite system still remains my single (circa 1959) STEPHENS E-3 TRU-SONIC Horn Speaker using a simple little PILOT AA-903B (EL-84) Mono Integrated Amp. The STEPHENS E-3 is a rare bit of Audio History and I am proud to own such a AWESOME Speaker. The E-3 measures (approx) 36" H x 36" W x 18" D and weighs in at 175 pounds! The E-3 has a 15" Woofer (nearly 30 lbs.) a ten cell Mid-range horn and a eight cell Tweeter horn. I believe my E-3 might be an even more rare "designer" model. My Stephens E-3 does NOT have the slide in/out Mid-range horn but rather the FIXED horn. It is VERY retro and I love the unit's looks. The E-3 is also VERY efficient. I am not sure how efficient but, I suspect at least 100 db or more. My nine Watt Scott 99A Mono Integrated Amp will make the E-3 CRANK louder than I ever care to listen (while still sounding excellent). I plan to (someday) have a custom made SET (45) Mono Amp built for use with the Stephens. I mostly listen to Classic Jazz and light Classical on the E-3 which sounds very good indeed! I have little doubt that the E-3 will sound even better using a 45 SET Amp. At any rate, I consider myself EXTREAMLY fortunate to own such a rare and lovely sounding Horn Speaker, the STEPHENS E-3 TRU-SONIC.

Regards,
SixCats!

[westend]

Wow, lots of great audio gear mentioned and it's darn hard to pick the "most musical" but in my house I guess I'm giving the award to the JBL4313 studio monitor. It just does a whole lot of things right.

[pmsummer]

Scott 299-D with Klipsch Cornwalls.

[e2e4c7c5]

JBL L-166s and L-65 Jubals make for an awesome listening experience.

[samosui]

MUSICALLY SATISFYING ......hummmm.... today, forr me, it's a preamp, the Sansui C-2101. Although I like to compare the sound of integrated amps and pre/main amps with the controls in the flat position, to enjoy various sources, I am into _control_ right now. Different tracks on the same LP can have quite a different mix, for example, and I just like to tailor the s/w to my liking with h/w.

For bass and treble control, this newest addition has continuously variable center frequency point with the low at 70 Hz. If my old JVC VN900 didn't have a bad main amp section, I'd probably pick it. Has a bulit in 7 band EQ in the preamp section.

Happy listening to all :music:

[jimfet]

I would say my Decware Zbox, with either a RCA cleartop or an RCA blackplate. A truly nice buffer. I can really enjoy CD's now.

[Redboy]

My DIY Angela/ JELabs stereo 2A3 amp. Part of the satisfaction comes from knowing that I built it myself, but the RCA 2A3s don't hurt, either.

[similost]

It's now a tossup between my amps, and speakers, One doesn't sound good without the other...

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=91189&d=1210819508