Am I the only one who seeks matching components?

Yep, I'm there. All of a sudden, I find my self with a stack of Parasound gear; PP/H 100,P/LD 1500, 2200II(2).
 
By coincidence or design? I have an H.H.Scott 350 tuner and 222c, though not the speakers to go with...soon maybe?
 
Old thread, great topic! If I chance upon one component AND I like it, I will try to complete the set. Sometimes it takes forever to find the right piece. It took two years to find the matching Kenwood KT-917 tuner for my KA-907 integrated. The problem was finding an example with handles. I have been trying to complete a Sony ES stack for years. I have the TA-E90ES preamp and CDP-XA7ES but no TA-N90ES amp.
 
I've had mixed results. (That is , I've like a pre but not the amp. Or I liked an integrated but not the tuner. Also nobody seemed to make worthy speakers) Ive somewhat given up on it.
 
Can't imagine playing the mix and match game with components anymore but fear I may wind up having to compromise. A friend up and gave me a practically pristine Luxman L-210 a while back that's perfect in just about every way except it's a lovely shade of champagne. I know there's several tuners that match up with it but so far all I've come across are silver faces. I'm sure there's a champagne hued T-230 or 40 out there collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. Probably.
 
My idea of "matching" is just so they are black and I can plug them into the wall outlet. Closest I can get from GW.
 
I do it...

NAD monitor series stack 1300 preamp + 2600 power amp and a 4300 tuner (still looking for the 5300 CDP & 6300 tape deck).
Also have 2x NAD 106 preamps and I may eventually pair one of those up with the "matching" 208 power amp.
NAD 3140 integrated & 2140 power amp (so I can bridge both amps for more wpc if I need/want to).
Kenwood KA-7300 integrated & KT-7300 tuner,have those paired with a Kenwood GE-100 EQ & SA-90 spectrum analyzer.
Sansui AU-217 integrated & TU-217 tuner,have this paired with a SE-80 EQ and would love to find a nice Sansui CDP to add to this rack.
TEAC A-1D integrated & T-1D tuner (still looking for the matching C-1D CD player).
Adcom GTP-450 ~ GTP 500 ~ GTP-502 pretuners with Adcom GFA-535 ~ GFA-545 ~ GFA-555 power amps (all Mk1 versions).
Also have one ea. of their GFS-3 ~ GFS-600 speaker switches and multiple ACE-515 conditioner/sequencer units too.
As well as having 1 ea. of Adcom GFA-5200 ~ GFA-5300 ~ GFA-5400 mosfet power amps.
Would also love to pick up a nice Adcom GDA-600 and a GCD-575 to add to the mix of Adcom gear I have.
Onkyo P-301 preamp ~ M-5100 power amp ~ T-4010 tuner ~ DX-1400 CDP.

Also working on putting together a Kenwood Basic series system too,so far have a C1 preamp and a DP-5020 CDP.
Would absolutely love to find some nice Rotel 2000 series pieces to go w/my RE-2000 EQ...
And have considered doing a Parasound rig as well (have a like new P/FET-900 preamp and 2x D/AC-1000).

Might even be a few other odds/ends around here that could lead to a matching set if the right companion pieces crossed my path.

FWIW

Bret P.
 
I currently have McIntosh amp and preamp, but I honestly have no desire to match.

My last preamp was a Hafler that Musical Concepts modified -- I am not sure it was properly a Hafler after that. I used it for a few years with a Kenwood Basic M1A. I then changed the amplifier for a B&K EX-140 (there was no serial number with so few made).

I then changed my amp to a McIntosh MC2100. I really liked the sound, but I found the blue meters of comperable preamps a bit garish. The McIntosh sound really drew me in. I purchased a McIntosh C712, and that does agree with the idea of pairing like with like.

With the pieces I have enjoyed, I feel that 25% of folks like the match for aesthetics. There might be more, but I don't know.
 
All it took was for me to look at a few pics of matching Mcintosh set-ups here on ak and I was off on a quest for my main rig. Now I swear looking at matching gear somehow makes it sound better to:)
 
I used to have everything different, going for the "best" preamp, power amps, tuner, CDP, etc. Only SQ mattered, "matching" was irrelevant. A "system" from one company didn't figure in my thinking — it was "my" system, unique and eclectic.

I'm currently I'm using a Tandberg pre + power. They were designed, not only to look similar, but to look like one. Both are beautiful, the spare but elegant Scandanavian look, but together they blend into one, the contours, controls, graphics etc flow into each other, the two units together don't look like separates, they look like the most powerful and gorgeous integrated amp ever. I've used each separately with other components, they sound fantastic — but not better, and the unity of aesthetics is so seductive.

I suppose there are electronic benefits too, matching impedances et al, but I've no knowledge in those areas.
 
I tend to do that as far as going with gear that visually is similar. Ala SA-8500 II with the TX-9500 II tuner. There's slight differences in the switches but it's barely noticeable. I think the only point where I'd likely make an exception is with power amps it's something that doesn't really need to match.
 
I think the only point where I'd likely make an exception is with power amps it's something that doesn't really need to match.
And the power amp is often placed separately, for any number of good reasons, so even if it does match, it doesn't matter.
 
I would not mind doing that with Phase Linear stuff but some of that stuff is near unobtanium and costs far more then I can afford. I have the best amp down though, would not mind getting a D-500 at some point but the Phase Linear Clair Brothers 700 series II has just as much power and then some
 
And the power amp is often placed separately, for any number of good reasons, so even if it does match, it doesn't matter.

Yeah it's generally how I view it. A lot of them are kind of plain anyway or werenever intended to match ala a chunk of the Dynaco amps.
 
I never really worried about brand or series matching until I got my L-09Ms. After that I pretty much had to have an L-07C to feed them with. I'm not worried abouth the tuner, but if a nice L07T happens along for a good price I pretty much have to jump on it. I mean it's a law isn't it?
 
I'm down to four matching systems amongst my stash. OCD and matching looks plays into it.
 
A semi-famous case of matching pre + power — Hitachi released a pair, I think 7500-something. The power amp was great, with lots of power and huge sexy VU meters. The preamp only so-so. Where I was living at the time, you had to buy both. As a result, there were dozens of the preamps for sale by owners, barely used, at giveaway prices. They only wanted the power amp. I bought one of those preamps, hooked it into my system — and instantly understand why the previous owner sold it. I followed suit.
 
A semi-famous case of matching pre + power — Hitachi released a pair, I think 7500-something. The power amp was great, with lots of power and huge sexy VU meters. The preamp only so-so. Where I was living at the time, you had to buy both. As a result, there were dozens of the preamps for sale by owners, barely used, at giveaway prices. They only wanted the power amp. I bought one of those preamps, hooked it into my system — and instantly understand why the previous owner sold it. I followed suit.
One matching Marantz system I have was like that. The model 140 amp is nice, but the matching model 3200 preamp is just so so. Using a Marantz 1060 integrated with pre-outs as a preamp made for a very nice setup. I have a Sony TA-3200F power amplifier, but the matching preamp goes for stupid high prices. Ive been on the lookout for a Sony Receiver or integrated amp from that line with preamp outs to use with it. Its that matching look thing. :D
 
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