Gratuitous build

[TankTop5]

Just for fun as many of us are sitting around bored. If money was no option, what would your setup be and why?


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[TankTop5]

Let me add that if you’re of the opinion of diminishing returns and you don’t see any point of spending money just to spend money, what is your ultimate system and why?


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[sizzam]

Ive been eying the Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus, those 2 in a proper vinyl setup would be my dream build.

 

[slipperybidness]

KEF Blades all day long

 

[John Parks]

The best system I ever heard were anchored by the GamuT RS7i speakers:

Source was a VPI Classic Direct turntable,

VPI phono preamp and amplification was by PS Audio. Estimated system MSRP was just shy of $100K, so it's a start!

Funny thing is the GamuT national rep later told me he has never heard the system sound worse! Apparently, he did not like the SP Audio stuff...

 

[John Parks]

KEF Blades all day long

I got to demo the Blade IIs during a Johann Coorg presentation and they were stupendously good! The were driven by a Hegel H190 and the synergy was fantastic.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I could be in minority here, but Salk SoundScape all-day long. Never heard better speakers. SS12 would be my choice

 

[slipperybidness]

I could be in minority here, but Salk SoundScape all-day long. Never heard better speakers. SS12 would be my choice

Well, I never heard a Salk so can't comment on it.

 

[ryanosaur]

I could be in minority here, but Salk SoundScape all-day long. Never heard better speakers. SS12 would be my choice

Too bad they can’t get those woofers anymore.
I’d be right there with you!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Too bad they can’t get those woofers anymore.
I’d be right there with you!

the 12", what about 8"?

 

[ryanosaur]

the 12", what about 8"?

I know nothing about an 8" version... But the 12" and 10" custom woofers are no more. (I think Dennis mentioned that even the HT3 is unavailable now for the same reason.) Likewise, the SS8 is supposed to be done too. I think all were custom woofers. Would love to be wrong about some of that...

The SS9.5 was the replacement to the SS8.

I'll take 5, please. Those bad boys sounded amazing,

 

[TankTop5]

I think I would definitely lean towards Salks, I’ve never heard them but from others reviews and opinions I don’t know that I could realize real world improvements from buying a significantly more expensive speaker. I’m also of the opinion that aesthetics play an important role, music affects the soul in such profound ways ignoring the beauty of an ultimate system would just be silly. To me Kef Blades, Focal Utopias, Wilson (just about any of them) and many others are hideous. I would really like it if Salks had brass accents or inlays to draw more on styling cues from actual instruments.


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[John Parks]

I think I would definitely lean towards Salks, I’ve never heard them but from others reviews and opinions I don’t know that I could realize real world improvements from buying a significantly more expensive speaker. I’m also of the opinion that aesthetics play an important role, music affects the soul in such profound ways ignoring the beauty of an ultimate system would just be silly. To me Kef Blades, Focal Utopias, Wilson (just about any of them) and many others are hideous. I would really like it if Salks had brass accents or inlays to draw more on styling cues from actual instruments.


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I got you fam!

 

[TankTop5]

I got you fam!
View attachment 35037

Hahahahahahaha


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[JerryLove]

Anything other than the home theater would be Salks. Which ones would actually depend on the space involved. I love my SCSTs, but would go larger if the space supported.

Though I have to admit, the bass units from the McIntosh XRT2ks sounded amazing (I was less fond of the mid/treble as the array didn't sound point-source enough).

The HT? I'd go with what I have been buying...klipsch 650THXs. Mind you, I might do some auditioning that would move me elsewhere, and "no object" I'd be terribly curious about getting a literal theater setup, but based on my current experience, the only thing a larger budget would change is adding more/better subs.

If I don't care about money, then my AV rack is almost entirely McIntosh. They don't necessarily sound any better; but they also don't sound any worse, are robust, and I love the look.

 

[lovinthehd]

I couldn't say particularly....but if throwing around a lot of OPM I'd first spend some time on a trip to go listen to things I haven't had a chance to....speakers primarily, electronics don't get me excited. Lots out there....

 

[slipperybidness]

I think I would definitely lean towards Salks, I’ve never heard them but from others reviews and opinions I don’t know that I could realize real world improvements from buying a significantly more expensive speaker. I’m also of the opinion that aesthetics play an important role, music affects the soul in such profound ways ignoring the beauty of an ultimate system would just be silly. To me Kef Blades, Focal Utopias, Wilson (just about any of them) and many others are hideous. I would really like it if Salks had brass accents or inlays to draw more on styling cues from actual instruments.


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I personally like the looks of the Blades and the Utopias.

It's not quite the same, but have you seen this set of Salks?

Or, how about these Gibson monitors

 

[ryanosaur]

It's not quite the same, but have you seen this set of Salks?

I was hoping somebody would post that photo! Jim's team does a lot of nice work. Those Clef Inlays are cool. (Not my style, even as a trained musician, though.) But' he's done plenty of other cool stuff too... it just costs more.

 

[TankTop5]

I personally like the looks of the Blades and the Utopias.

It's not quite the same, but have you seen this set of Salks?
View attachment 35039

Or, how about these Gibson monitors
View attachment 35040

I’d do something more like a border in brass but the wood stain is sexy


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[AVUser001]

If money was no objection, I'd try the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo . Yeah, its $250K/pair, but cost no issue, right.. I havent heard them, but I love Focal Be tweeters. Will I buy them, if I have a spare $250K? Probably not..very likely that'd go into some stocks..

More realistically, I'd go for other Focal mid-range (lower priced Utopias, for eg) .
Other realistic options , based on the opinions/reviews - havent heard - would be the Revel Salon2, high end Salks.

I'm sure, between the 2 channel setup in office, Living room and HT , I can find a place for 3 different setups and enjoy them all, Why stop at one ;-)