birchoak
Hi-Fi Nut
For this thread, tell us about a piece of audio gear, vintage or otherwise (but preferably vintage), that gives you goosebumps when you see a JPEG thumbnail of it, let alone actually see it in person. If you actually got to touch one you would instantly have a heart attack and go straight to heaven. To qualify as a Coveted Audio Thing (CAT), it should meet the following criteria:
1) You have wanted this amp, set of speakers, turntable, cassette deck, cartridge, etc. for so long that the need literally feels like a part of you, and lurks at the back of your mind during family functions, staff meetings, camping trips, and while bathing. This is no idle fancy and may even come up in therapy sessions.
2) You can almost, but not quite, afford to buy this Coveted Audio Thing, a dynamic that has tortured you for at least one year, preferably five or more.
3) Upon beholding said stereo device, even one of the great unwashed masses using earbuds would pause to raise an eyebrow, saying something like, "What is that?" or "That looks expensive; what does it do?"
4) If you were to see this Coveted Component at a yard sale, Goodwill, at the side of the road, or on Craigslist, you would immediately break into a cold sweat and would likely hear the following from bystanders:
"Are you feeling all right? You look a little pale."
"No, I don't know where the nearest ATM is."
"Are you sure you're all right? Do need to take some medicine?"
"You seem really excited; do you need help getting up?"
"Well, you're certainly in a hurry! Do you realize you're not wearing pants?"
5) You literally cannot imagine actually owning this Coveted Device, working or not, and to see it in your living room would constitute an out-of-body experience second only to alien abduction.
6) You saw this component for sale at least once, scoffed at the price, then regretted not buying it when you had the chance, as that was apparently the very last one to be offered for sale, ever.
EXTRA POINTS If, when mentioning said component to an acquaintance, that person says, "Oh goodness, we dropped one of those off at Goodwill about a month ago," or, when checking "completed" listings on Ebay you find that a pair just sold for $102.50 with free shipping but you were out of state at a wedding, the audio component automatically qualifies as a Supremely Coveted Audio Device.
Release the hounds!
1) You have wanted this amp, set of speakers, turntable, cassette deck, cartridge, etc. for so long that the need literally feels like a part of you, and lurks at the back of your mind during family functions, staff meetings, camping trips, and while bathing. This is no idle fancy and may even come up in therapy sessions.
2) You can almost, but not quite, afford to buy this Coveted Audio Thing, a dynamic that has tortured you for at least one year, preferably five or more.
3) Upon beholding said stereo device, even one of the great unwashed masses using earbuds would pause to raise an eyebrow, saying something like, "What is that?" or "That looks expensive; what does it do?"
4) If you were to see this Coveted Component at a yard sale, Goodwill, at the side of the road, or on Craigslist, you would immediately break into a cold sweat and would likely hear the following from bystanders:
"Are you feeling all right? You look a little pale."
"No, I don't know where the nearest ATM is."
"Are you sure you're all right? Do need to take some medicine?"
"You seem really excited; do you need help getting up?"
"Well, you're certainly in a hurry! Do you realize you're not wearing pants?"
5) You literally cannot imagine actually owning this Coveted Device, working or not, and to see it in your living room would constitute an out-of-body experience second only to alien abduction.
6) You saw this component for sale at least once, scoffed at the price, then regretted not buying it when you had the chance, as that was apparently the very last one to be offered for sale, ever.
EXTRA POINTS If, when mentioning said component to an acquaintance, that person says, "Oh goodness, we dropped one of those off at Goodwill about a month ago," or, when checking "completed" listings on Ebay you find that a pair just sold for $102.50 with free shipping but you were out of state at a wedding, the audio component automatically qualifies as a Supremely Coveted Audio Device.
Release the hounds!
