The Evolution and Progression of Members Systems

One thing I know, as I have built my system up, I'v had a lot of dumb luck. I hardly ever ask for help, some of my best components I never knew about them prior to buying or about ready to. Some things you wouldn't want to see shipped or pay for it was local to get it, and the attitude just get it, plug it in and see what happens.
This^^
My dumb luck seems to work for me.
 
I'm not one to change systems very often. The biggest change for me in a long long time was moving house.
In the old house, I had my main rig in the living room, and awkwardly, just inside the front door as the only real workable space.
Because it ws living room area, I kept it to a minimal rig.
Soliloquy 6.3 towers - Plinius 8200 SS AB - Rega P324 (model?) - Edirol R44 high-res recorder/player.
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I had another rack, in the spare bedroom. This is where I did real time live recording direct transfers from DAT to CD-R, and high-res to cd-r and DVD+RW data discs
~ Hafler pre/amp - Thorens something-or-other
~ Tascam DVRA1000 DSD - Tascam CDRW700
~ Marantz SD63 cassette - Sony TC-D5M cassette - Sony WM-D6C - Tascam DA20mkII DAT
~ Crap basket catch-all - Portable recording rig bag-1 - Portable recording-2 the cable and crap kit bag (CACK bag)
~Hafler amp -> Closet shelf mounted ADS L10 bookshelf speakers
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then we moved. next post.
 
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In the new house, there was nowhere in the living room that made sense. This meant setting up in a small bedroom, or,... converting the garage into a music room.
Sawing and hammering commences.
The Sol.speaks are ready for the move,...
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But first, we had some things to conceal, like the in-garage HVAC mechanial area that I wanted to enclose so that if the house AC came on, it wouldn't be too overbearing.

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We also have the backside of the fireplace chimney and smokeshelf abutment on the same wall.
But, it will make a good TT storage shelf, if I can just lift that heavy sucker up there,....
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My right wall is well broken up for sound reflections - ain't a problem.

Early populating of new room:
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early evolving:
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more shift changes:
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And pretty much current:

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Computer/music editing station to left.
Sol.speak towers focused onto center of couch/center of room. Extremely revelaing clinical assessment system.
Bozak low-boy b302a pair focused on same couch, but at chaise end, for lying down and tranced-out listening.
GE corner speakers for mono listening and Audrey mono cosole to right of room.
 
DE368C46-E49E-4F86-94E5-C48F27C693BB.jpeg My journey started around 2012-13 when I thought I would take out my records..
In 2013 I bought my first “better system”
Sansui 6900 and a Technics SL1600
Speakers were PSB
Heehee
 
1EF6882F-4B74-4F2E-9DB5-DDEBD1EDCBF9.jpeg MY next change was my turntable the Sansui SR-929 that I still have and love, I also found a Sansui tuner
Then I picked up some speakers
KEF - did not like them at all.
Settled on Chartwell pmp400 and then I found a pair of Dynaco A25xl as a back up
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Some great pics in this thread! :thumbsup: I'll have to dig through my 'archives' to see if I can find any of the photos I took of my earliest stereo systems from the '90s. Pretty sure most of them are still in Polaroid form..........

First off, a little non-photo history. I started off fairly simply circa late 1993, when I became heavily interested in vinyl (ironically, around the time the format was dying out commercially). For Christmas that year, I received, an Optimus STA-300 receiver, along with a pair of Optimus XTS-23 (IIRC) full-range bookshelf speakers. They were paired with a Garrard 730m record changer and Sony TC-127 cassette deck, both of which were hand-me-downs from my father.

The STA-300 was a POS (tended to blank its presets when turned on, and lacked a true tape monitor loop), but it was a start. It was eventually replaced with a Sony STR-VX5 receiver which was a hand-me-down from a relative. That served as the heart of my stereo for a few years until I inherited the remainder of my father's stereo system, which included a Sansui AU-999 integrated amplifier, a Kenwood KT-2001 tuner, and a pair of Kenwood KL-5080 speakers.

The next step, well, was into the realm of tubes. I built a 60FX5 monoblock amplifier from a Popular Electronics article to be used as part of a science fair project. Once the science fair was over, I added the tube amp to my system, but had no real concept of a power amplifier. I didn't know I could drive the tube amp from the PRE OUTs of the AU-999, so I pressed a BSR EQ-3000 equalizer into service in order to serve as a rudimentary preamplifier (which, again, I had little real concept of at the time). Here's a picture of the 60FX5 amp as I had it set up during the science fair, with an Aiwa portable CD player (stolen during said fair) used as a source, and a single Optimus XTS-23 speaker which had to compete with a pair of giant speakers serving as another group's project:

DSC00012.jpg


From there, I continued on with tubes. After the 60FX5 amp developed some issues, I swapped it out for a Heathkit AA-151 integrated amp which was given to me by one of the teachers at school, and replaced the Garrard with a Bang & Olufsen Beogram 3000, which itself was replaced by a Beogram RX2 some time later. I also replaced the Sony cassette deck with an Akai GX-F31, and later a Nakamichi BX-100 which would be my main cassette deck for several years.

Late in 2001, an online friend of mine tipped me off to a Dynaco ST-70 which was available for sale in his area. After miraculously surviving UPS shipping with the tubes installed(!), I replaced the capacitors and bias supply parts (which led to me writing this article), put in a set of JJ E34Ls, and it worked like a charm. Here's a picture of the ST-70 once that was done, being powered by the Sansui AU-999 after I'd learned about how the PRE OUTs worked:

st70_3.jpg


I soon built a full tube system around the ST-70, starting a run with separates which continues to this day. I bought a Dynaco PAS-2 on eBay, traded a Zenith table radio for a Fisher FM-50B tube tuner, and bought a pair of KLH 17 speakers at a swapmeet for $35. Around the same time, I replaced the Beogram with my first 'real' turntable, a Pioneer PL-518 which I bought at a swapmeet for $20. Here is a picture of the resulting system, circa 2005 or so:

stereo_system.jpg


In early 2007, I ended up taking a swing back towards solid-state by way of a McIntosh MC2120 which I got a good deal on. Enjoying the sound it made, I decided to build a solid-state system around it, first buying a Dynaco PAT-4 on eBay, then a Superphon Revelation which I found at a local audio store, then a Marantz 3600 I borrowed from a friend. For a tuner, I went with a Kenwood KT-7500, which I used for several years afterwards. In terms of turntables, this was another period of change, as I swapped out the Pioneer for an AR XB, then a Technics SL-1301, then back to AR with an ES-1 (borrowed from the same friend as the 3600). For speakers, I swapped out the KLH 17s in favor of a pair of Scott 197B IIs given to me by a relative. Here's a picture of that setup:

bedroom_stereo.jpg


More later..........
-Adam
 
Some great pics in this thread! :thumbsup: I'll have to dig through my 'archives' to see if I can find any of the photos I took of my earliest stereo systems from the '90s. Pretty sure most of them are still in Polaroid form..........

First off, a little non-photo history. I started off fairly simply circa late 1993, when I became heavily interested in vinyl (ironically, around the time the format was dying out commercially). For Christmas that year, I received, an Optimus STA-300 receiver, along with a pair of Optimus XTS-23 (IIRC) full-range bookshelf speakers. They were paired with a Garrard 730m record changer and Sony TC-127 cassette deck, both of which were hand-me-downs from my father.

The STA-300 was a POS (tended to blank its presets when turned on, and lacked a true tape monitor loop), but it was a start. It was eventually replaced with a Sony STR-VX5 receiver which was a hand-me-down from a relative. That served as the heart of my stereo for a few years until I inherited the remainder of my father's stereo system, which included a Sansui AU-999 integrated amplifier, a Kenwood KT-2001 tuner, and a pair of Kenwood KL-5080 speakers.

The next step, well, was into the realm of tubes. I built a 60FX5 monoblock amplifier from a Popular Electronics article to be used as part of a science fair project. Once the science fair was over, I added the tube amp to my system, but had no real concept of a power amplifier. I didn't know I could drive the tube amp from the PRE OUTs of the AU-999, so I pressed a BSR EQ-3000 equalizer into service in order to serve as a rudimentary preamplifier (which, again, I had little real concept of at the time). Here's a picture of the 60FX5 amp as I had it set up during the science fair, with an Aiwa portable CD player (stolen during said fair) used as a source, and a single Optimus XTS-23 speaker which had to compete with a pair of giant speakers serving as another group's project:

DSC00012.jpg


From there, I continued on with tubes. After the 60FX5 amp developed some issues, I swapped it out for a Heathkit AA-151 integrated amp which was given to me by one of the teachers at school, and replaced the Garrard with a Bang & Olufsen Beogram 3000, which itself was replaced by a Beogram RX2 some time later. I also replaced the Sony cassette deck with an Akai GX-F31, and later a Nakamichi BX-100 which would be my main cassette deck for several years.

Late in 2001, an online friend of mine tipped me off to a Dynaco ST-70 which was available for sale in his area. After miraculously surviving UPS shipping with the tubes installed(!), I replaced the capacitors and bias supply parts (which led to me writing this article), put in a set of JJ E34Ls, and it worked like a charm. Here's a picture of the ST-70 once that was done, being powered by the Sansui AU-999 after I'd learned about how the PRE OUTs worked:

st70_3.jpg


I soon built a full tube system around the ST-70, starting a run with separates which continues to this day. I bought a Dynaco PAS-2 on eBay, traded a Zenith table radio for a Fisher FM-50B tube tuner, and bought a pair of KLH 17 speakers at a swapmeet for $35. Around the same time, I replaced the Beogram with my first 'real' turntable, a Pioneer PL-518 which I bought at a swapmeet for $20. Here is a picture of the resulting system, circa 2005 or so:

stereo_system.jpg


In early 2007, I ended up taking a swing back towards solid-state by way of a McIntosh MC2120 which I got a good deal on. Enjoying the sound it made, I decided to build a solid-state system around it, first buying a Dynaco PAT-4 on eBay, then a Superphon Revelation which I found at a local audio store, then a Marantz 3600 I borrowed from a friend. For a tuner, I went with a Kenwood KT-7500, which I used for several years afterwards. In terms of turntables, this was another period of change, as I swapped out the Pioneer for an AR XB, then a Technics SL-1301, then back to AR with an ES-1 (borrowed from the same friend as the 3600). For speakers, I swapped out the KLH 17s in favor of a pair of Scott 197B IIs given to me by a relative. Here's a picture of that setup:

bedroom_stereo.jpg


More later..........
-Adam
Cool story! Can’t make out your labels tho ...
 
I soon built a full tube system around the ST-70, starting a run with separates which continues to this day. I bought a Dynaco PAS-2 on eBay, traded a Zenith table radio for a Fisher FM-50B tube tuner, and bought a pair of KLH 17 speakers at a swapmeet for $35. Around the same time, I replaced the Beogram with my first 'real' turntable, a Pioneer PL-518 which I bought at a swapmeet for $20. Here is a picture of the resulting system, circa 2005 or so:

stereo_system.jpg

I like the Geiger counter. Were you running that system off of a small fission reactor?
 
Cool story! Can’t make out your labels tho ...
Yeah, I tend to go a little crazy with the Dymo labelers, of which I have a few. ;) From left to right in the last photo:

Under the power amplifier: "WARNING - HIGH VOLUME LEVELS MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH"

The left and right channel meters on the Realistic APM-200: "HI THERE" and "DEAR JOHN" (guess the reference)

On the Philips oscilloscope: "SUPER SCOPE" and the channels labeled "LEFT" and "RIGHT"

Under the turntable: "DO NOT PUT S**T ON TURNTABLE" (as seen here)

Above the preamplifier "DOOMSDAY MACHINE" (another reference) with an additional label bearing an arrow pointing at the power switch, and the word "PAIN"

Above the record stack: "CAUTION - UNAUTHORIZED OPERATION OF EQUIPMENT MAY RESULT IN CASTRATION"

Can you tell I have too much free time? :oops: :crazy: :rolleyes:

I like the Geiger counter. Were you running that system off of a small fission reactor?
Naah, that was still in the planning stages at the time. :p Also note the Timex-Sinclair 1000 sitting next to it.
-Adam
 
And now part 2 of my main stereo saga, in which we go back and forth, and then back again...

Some time after I got the MC2120, I was still trying to find a nice preamp to match with it. The PAT-4 just wasn't up-to-snuff (actually tried two of them, both had noise issues, probably needs caps), the Superphon was good but limited, and the Marantz had different noise issues than the PATs. I attempted to find a Mc preamp to match the MC2120, but they tended to go for more than I was willing to/capable of paying. Fortunately, the solution soon appeared, albeit in a different way..........

I stopped by a hole-in-the-wall record store in the area which generally had prices which were far too high (we're talking dollar bin stuff priced at $5 or more). They had shelves near the front with equipment for sale, and what should I spot there but a Pioneer SPEC-1 preamp and SPEC-4 power amp being sold on consignment! They were looking to sell them as a pair, and I didn't particularly need a power amp, so I decided to do more research. Needless to say, my research showed that I should buy them, so I went back the next day they were open, plunked down $300, and they were mine. :banana:

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I actually ran the SPEC-1 with the MC2120 for some time, until the MC2120 developed an issue with the right channel, after which I switched to using the SPEC-4. In 2008, I made another of major purchase. I stopped by the local audio store, and talked to one of the salesmen. He suggested that I upgrade my speakers, and pointed to a set of Paradigm Studio Monitors which had been traded in. I returned the next day with some CDs to test them out, spent a few hours hemming and hawing, plunked down $500, and started hauling them home one-by-one. They remain my main speakers to this day. Here is a picture of them as part of my main system, after I'd swapped out the AR ES-1 for a Dual 1219 which needed a lot of work:

mainstereo.jpg


My main system remained much the same for the next few years. However, in 2012, the paradigm shifted once again. While wandering around at an antique radio swapmeet, of all places, I managed a major score on a pair of Dynaco Mark IIIs (and a ST-35). Once I recapped the amps, they sounded great, though an attempt at passive bi-amping using the ST-35 for the highs didn't work too well. Nevertheless, I swapped them into my main system in place of the SPEC-4, and they sounded quite good. :biggrin:

mainstereo_markiii.jpg

(sorry for the lousy photo; my digital camera was having issues)
markiii_5.jpg


Again, my main stereo remained more-or-less static for the next few years. However, a year ago, luck struck again. While visiting a local electronics store, I spotted a pair of early McIntosh solid-state separates sitting on the back counter, a MC2505 and a C26. I returned a few days later (in the middle of a snowstorm, no less!) with an iPod to test them out with. I liked what I heard, handed the store owner $800, loaded them in my car, and began a slow drive home in the snow. I soon acquired a MR73 to go with them, and a MI-3 to go with the MR73. Here's a picture of the Mc setup, taken before I got the MR73 and MI-3, and after I decided to swap out the Dual 1219 for a Denon DP-33F turntable I found at another swapmeet:

mcmainstereo.jpg


That's how it stands for my main system at this point. I don't know why I keep switching between tube and solid-state, but I am toying with doing some bi-amping involving the Mark IIIs once I work out the logistics. I'm not sure if/when I'll be making any major changes to the system, but it sounds quite good as it is for the time being. :music:
-Adam
 
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