Climbing the ladder, again!

Audiofreak71

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In this hobby we all know about climbing the ladder, a lot of us started out with a modest setup and have been tweaking here and there adding to it to try and find that synergy. Some of us have experimented with many different pieces of gear just for the sake of trying new gear and some to find that piece of the puzzle that fits to make all the components come together as one . Well I have been on that road for many years and I can truly say that I got hooked at 9yrs old when my uncle sent my dad a Marantz receiver from Germany when he was stationed over there in the Army . I’ll never forget helping unbox it and seeing that unusual gyro dial , it was the coolest thing I’ve seen. Well fast forward through all the years and gear has come and gone , I was able to put together quit a nice setup when I was in the Army consisting of Krell amp/preamp and Revel Studio speakers, took over 8yrs to get that setup and I lost it all in my divorce .

Well ever since the divorce I have been trying to climb that ladder and I have slowly but surely. I recently adopted a new piece of gear that has dramatically improved my setup and to my ears are on par with my Krell Revel setup although that setup cost much more . I adopted the Musical Fidelity Nu Vista M3 Integrated amp and I have it paired with my Vandersteen 2ce Signature ii’s. I still have a little bit of work to do with fine tuning it but I will say that the synergy is there and this is the best I have heard the Vandersteens in any setting , even better than when I sat for an audition with Richard Vandersteen at advanced audio in Tacoma wa, yes to my ears the synergy of the New Vista paired with the vandys is that good . Now the Nu Vista has had an upgrade from Musical Fidelity and puts out a modest 300wpc and a host of other upgrades that added an additional $1700 to the cost of the amp so it’s not stock , but my setup is far from high end compared to many, however that’s not a concern of mine , I have been climbing the ladder to find that synergy I had with my Krell Revel setup that was so good it melted like butter with its smooth sound yet crisp and detailed , I have found it again with the Nu Vista Vandersteen setup . Anyway I just wanted to share part of my journey in this hobby that I have enjoyed for so many years through the ups and downs. I have many to thank through all this for allowing me to continue pushing forward and helping me tremendously, mainly my wife and @Mister Pig . I now feel that I am back on track and climbing that ladder again.


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Audiofreak71
 
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I hate hearing about people losing their systems in a divorce. That was the first thing I got out of the house when I moved out before my ex changed the locks. I knew she would sell or pawn it out of spite, and I didn't want to lose the Onkyo A5 my dad had given to me. Congratulations on rebuilding your life and your system(s)! It looks like you've done very well.
 
I hate hearing about people losing their systems in a divorce. That was the first thing I got out of the house when I moved out before my ex changed the locks. I knew she would sell or pawn it out of spite, and I didn't want to lose the Onkyo A5 my dad had given to me. Congratulations on rebuilding your life and your system(s)! It looks like you've done very well.
Yeah it was a nasty divorce and a very hard time in my life, but I can tell you that Karma is real and man did she get it bad , I just sat back and watched the show lol . I’m glad you were able to save your gear , I wish I could have done the same , but like they say one door closes and another one opens . Thank you , I’m loving the synergy from this setup , I think I’ll be happy for quite some time at least until I take another step up that ladder lol .

Audiofreak71
 
Yeah it was a nasty divorce and a very hard time in my life, but I can tell you that Karma is real and man did she get it bad , I just sat back and watched the show lol . I’m glad you were able to save your gear , I wish I could have done the same , but like they say one door closes and another one opens . Thank you , I’m loving the synergy from this setup , I think I’ll be happy for quite some time at least until I take another step up that ladder lol .

Audiofreak71
My divorce was like an episode of the Jerry Springer Show, absolutely brutal. I made it out with my clothes, my tool box, my motorcycle, and my modest stereo system. The sweetest revenge for me was not being ruined, and coming out of it better off than I was before, and marrying a truly wonderful woman. I guess my ex got her dose of Karma too, her house burnt to the ground about 6 months ago. I didn't derive any enjoyment from it but I sure didn't have any sympathy for her. I felt bad for her husband though, he's a good dude and has been a great stepdad to my kids. I'm happy to know that you are also a successful and happy survivor. Happy trails sir.
 
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My divorce was like an episode of the Jerry Springer Show, absolutely brutal. I made it out with my clothes, my tool box, my motorcycle, and my modest stereo system. The sweetest revenge for me was not being ruined, and coming out of it better off than I was before, and marrying a truly wonderful woman. I guess my ex got her dose of Karma too, her house burnt to the ground about 6 months ago. I didn't derive any enjoyment from it but I sure didn't have any sympathy for her. I felt bad for her husband though, he's a good dude and has been a great stepdad to my kids. I'm happy to know that you are also a successful and happy survivor. Happy trails sir.
Same to you, Happy trails and here’s to many more years of good listening.

Audiofreak71
 
He also influenced me, through his posts, to acquire the Levinson. So what amplification is he using now, do you know? Maybe he's posted and I missed it...
I do know what he’s using but I think I’ll leave it up to him to let everyone know when he’s ready . What I can say is it is absolutely stunning and incredibly sweet sounding. Those that know mister pig knows that he has very good taste and chooses wisely with his gear and his new acquisition is Mind blowing.

Audiofreak71
 
Musical Fidelity gear seems to fly under the radar, for whatever reason, even though it gets consistently raves reviews via Stereophile. Really odd? But, maybe that keeps cost of ownership in control?

Glad to hear that the current system has achieved synergy. Hard to do, and hard to ignore, once experienced. I'm lucky, my wife of 29 years is very understanding and supportive of my audio hobby (obsession). I achieved synergy with her. So, I'm happy! :)
 
Other than some FS stuff, our porcine audiophile hasn't said much here in months. Looking forward to hearing what he replaced this with.

Enjoy it - looks like a very nice piece of gear!

jblnut
 
Musical Fidelity gear seems to fly under the radar, for whatever reason, even though it gets consistently raves reviews via Stereophile. Really odd? But, maybe that keeps cost of ownership in control?

Glad to hear that the current system has achieved synergy. Hard to do, and hard to ignore, once experienced. I'm lucky, my wife of 29 years is very understanding and supportive of my audio hobby (obsession). I achieved synergy with her. So, I'm happy! :)
It does fly under the radar and there gear is made really good especially there limited production NuVista and TriVista gear. I think they strive to not go ultra mainstream and possibly loose there way from there high standards , I’m just speculating here but I like to believe I’m in the ballpark. Congratulations on the 29yrs! That’s a great accomplishment. I’m lucky now with my new wife , she’s very supportive of me and my hobby so I’m happy . You are correct it’s very hard to find proper synergy between equipment and although I still have a little work to do with this current setup , the synergy is there. Tube and Solid State together is a beautiful thing, power and finesse all in one .

Audiofreak71
 
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