On a number of occasions on this forum, I have have spoken about a spare audio/video system I was assembling, and my intent to keep it in "Museum Grade" condition. One of my motives was to buy all this stuff before my state (Florida) can enact an internet tax. Well, the people of Florida dodged the bullet again this year. Though Governor Ron DeSantis expressed a willingness to sign internet tax legislation, but the bill never made it out of committee in the state house. The bill can't be discussed even at the committee level again until Mid-January 2022. If there is a 4th economic stimulus (not likely), I'll spend it on connecting cables or perhaps a high resolution portable audio player.
But basically, My audio/video buying days are basically over. I've got an entire spare home theater system. My "Museum Grade" spare system has been refered to as "a Pile of Junk" on this forum, but how bad is it?
Obviously, there are people on this forum wealthier than I am who can afford more expensive gear, and there are people who think that if a manufacturer is obscure and little known, that their products must be great. And on some levels, I don't meet the criteria of a true audiophile. I like transistorized equipment, surround sound, CD's, SACD's, Blu-Ray Audio & DVD-Audio (though I also have a turntable. I've never not had a turntable since I got my first one in 1966.)
Anyhow, here's my "Pile of Junk":
4 x Klipsch RF-7III
1 x Klipsch RC-64III
2 x Klipsch RP-502S "satellite" speakers
1 x Klipsch R-115SW subwoofer
1 x Klipsch SPL-150 subwoofer
(The Klipsch speakers are all ":Black Ash" color) I bought a spare subwoofer in the event of amplifier failure. as I did on my existing system, which has JBL Studio Series speakers circa 2002)
I prefer full-sized speakers in the rear. I guess I'm showing my age. I was a teenager in the early 1970's heyday of quadraphonic sound. I recently turned 65.
Integra DRC R-1.1 A/V Processor
Emotiva XPA-7,Gen.3, power amplifier. (I would have prefered an Outlaw Audio power amplifier, but when I got within 3 weeks of being able to afford it, the manufacturer increased the price by $800. They cited the "Trade War" with China, so buying the Emotiva was a regrettable compromise)
Oppo UDP-205 UHD Blu-Ray player (Modified, region-free, Auto region recognition for DVD, manual region selection for BLU-Ray & UHD Blu-ray)
Sony A90J 55" OLED Television
Technics SL1210GAE turntable with Ortofon 2M Black Phono Cartridge
Also, I bought a spare Apple iMAC 27" computer (Mid-2020 model), plus a CD/DVD burner, a Western digital "My Book" 4TB hard drive plus Audioengine 2+ powered speakers (Cherry Red gloss finish).
Now, is all of my audio & video equipment really junk? The Technics turntable, Sony OLED T.V. and Oppo UHD disc player are highly regarded pieces of equipment. The Emotiva power amplifier may indeed be "Junk". 1 out of 3 users of Emotiva power amplifiers encounter problems with buzz or hum. The manufacturer tells people that such buzz or hum is "acceptable"
Subsequent to buying the Integra A/V processor and the Sony T.V., I realized that the set-up is so complex that I may need a home theater installer (if I ever use that equipment). But that doesn't mean that the equipment is "Junk". My existing Integra A/V processor DHC 9.9 came with a big, substantial remote control, and an extensive instruction book. The newer DRC R-1.1 has a small, cheap looking remote control and a skimpy instruction book (though I downloaded a PDF instruction book which has several hundred pages). Now, i understand why, though "Best Buy" has an Integra franchise for my state, that they opted not to carry the model. Only little known, obscure home theater installers carried the model. I bought from an internet dealer (Abt Electronics). The older Integra A/V processor was well within my comprehension, but the newer model is clearly over my head.
As for the Sony A90J television, while the set was in route to me, I watched an unboxing and set-up video on YouTube. Clearly, the primary purposes of a television have changed since the days of my Panasonix 54" 2009 Plasma T.V. / At the time of that older T.V., the main purposes of a television were to watch cable, broadcast & satellite T.V., to watch DVD & Blu-Ray discs and to play 2nd generation Playstation videogame consoles. Today's televisions can still perform those functions, but today, the main purpose of a T.V. is for streaming and internet movie rental, and 5th generation video games. The Sony T.V. requires a smartphone for set-up, and even though I got a smartphone (iPhone 11SE) in February, I'm still having problems downloading and using apps. That problem may thwart me from setting up the Sony A90J.
I've never tested most of my museum grade products, though i did try the MQA-CD capability of my Oppo Blu-Ray player. I wasn't impressed by MQA (I compared "The Doors' "Waiting for The Sun" album, comparing the MQA-CD versus a 192Khz/24-bit download, burnt to disc as DVD-Audio. The MQA version sounded processed, and the lossless 192Khz version sounded more natural.
I can sort of identify with the people that Steve Guttenburg spoke about in his YouTube video "Who are The Strangest Audiophiles?" where he talks about people who own enough super-expensive equipment for four working audio systems, but never use any of it. As for me, one spare system is enough. To be honest, it feels kind of empty. I guess I've become jaded. Yes, my spare system may be "better" than my previous system (which is still going strong), but I may never know how "Good" this spare system is. Maybe, the important thing is to enjoy the music.
CORRECTION: I meant to say that 1 out of 3 owners of Emotiva power amplifiers encounter hum or buzz. At first, I mistakenly typed "2 out of 3".
