my first new rig in 20+ years!

Sonic Frontiers Line 1 SE Tube Preamp

MFG'D: '00, last production run

PURCHASED: '02, Audiogon, barely-used dealer demo.

PROBLEMS: None, has worked perfectly for 22 years of regular use of all functions. But despite factory updates, it remains sensitive to cold-weather static electricity shutting down the digital control stage.

PAID: $1350 with dealer and 5yr factory warranty, $399 factory-installed 'Special Edition' upgrade tweaked to my spec. ($3500 MSRP 2001)

REPLACED: modified Advent 300 receiver, Adcom GFP-710

TWEAKS:
VampireWire XLR-RCA adapters;

(4) Vibrapod-Vibracone pairs between preamp and power amp;

Current mix of Tungsram Yellow 7DJ8 (V1), new-build JJ Teslas cryo'd and matched by Tube Depot (V2), and late-'60s Telefunken 7DJ8 (V3) mix of 6922 tube types have replaced previous combinations with satisfying results;

Mono switch converted to 'true mono' rather than their as-delivered 8dB 'blend';

SE upgrade (minus their Kimber Silver Streak internal wiring 'upgrade') a notable step up in clarity and air -- all resistors and caps in the signal path (and tube sockets) upgraded to the best they could find, at least in 2000;

BurrBrown PGA-2311 volume control chips, drop-in replacements to the 20-year-old Crystal CS3310;

Pearl tube coolers make my tubes immortal!;

Kimber PK10 AC Power Cord;

HiFiTuning line fuse

2022: Full factory refurbish and upgraded to an "SE+" = all the improvements they've learned in 20+ years of optimizing these units that last forever. Power supply recapped, Cree Schottky diodes, new power transformer and some power resistors and voltage regulators, modified the volume control and DC servo passive parts, highest-end V2-V3 interstage coupling caps, pure silver internal signal wiring between PCBs, cleaned and fully tested to spec and comparative listening.

+:
Incredible build and parts quality for the price, solid at any price;

The best sonic attributes of transistors (speed, detail and clean extension at the frequency extremes) and tubes (harmonic integrity, buttery smoothness and image density and dimensionality), even today (2023);

Great attention to details;

Great flexibility, nice remote and control layouts, plenty of inputs and outputs that I use all of;

thoughtful circuit design and execution;

Handsome appearance that avoids pretentious High End 'styling';

SSP input ('Surround Sound Processor') ideal for A/Bing preamps by remote control: unlike many preamps, engaging SSP routes the dedicated SSP source directly to the preamp outputs, one relay and a PCB trace is all the circuitry involved, also inputs to the headphone amp; this is useful to raise input impedance from the lowish 10.5kohm of Line 1 to the 100k of my power amp: my Nakamichi DR-1 (with its volume control) cannot drive 10k easily but comes to life into 100k.

Fair dedicated opamp-based fixed-crossfeed headphone amp follows the entire preamp tube section. It sounds decent, but lacks power and dynamics with less efficient headphones, and resolution vs today's good dedicated headphone amps, but is useful for quick monitoring off the preamp itself. It's a far better balanced line preamp than a headphone amp!

New replacement volume control ICs nearly as much a sonic improvement as the entire SE upgrade!

-:

This topology sounds substantially better with true balanced sources. Unfortunately all my sources are SE. SE doesn't sound 'bad' but once I've heard how it sounds balanced, it's difficult to unremember hearing it balanced. Luckily, the two 'weakest' components currently are my DAC and phono stage that would sound best balanced. Eventual replacements will certainly be balanced, and substantially better than the already very-good pieces. But those will cost big bucks and require more auditioning than I have time for now.

Four preamp outputs are flexibility or overkill - I could really use a 2nd buffered tape output;

The optical-encoder-type volume control is too sensitive -- it would seem easy to re-program to double or triple the number of rotations of the volume knob to cover the same min-to-max range.

Despite ECOs to address it, the unit remains very sensitive to static electricity from finger to front panel. Always ground yourself to something else before touching the preamp or prepare for a 42-second reboot cycle.

Another EPROM rev could make it functionally more flexible (user-set mute level, alter rate of volume control depending on knob speed, less balance control resolution at extremes, etc), but hey, this was SOTA preamp control for its 1997 intro date, as was the Levinson No. 38 that came out at the same time with very similar control functions.

This is the best preamp I could find in 2002 for design, flexibility and sound for my needs anywhere near this used price. BAT VK51, ML #380S, VTL 6.5 and others might fit my requirements but at a much higher price. Used Line 1&2 are a bargain. I was originally hoping to find the modern-day equivalent of the Apt Holman preamp, a full-function control preamp with solid build and innovative circuitry, full tape flexibility and tone controls. I got as far as an Adcom GFP-710 and a Tandberg 4000-series preamp before having to give up on the feature set I wanted so I could get the sonics I needed. 2023 has more options on the market that fit my needs, but Line1 has proved 100% reliable and sonically timeless.

COMPARED TO DIRECTLY:

2019: Plinius Kaitaki; Bryston BP26+MPS2; Luxman CL38u SE; Luxman C900u Ultimate. Soundly bested all of them except, surprisingly, the Plinius. And two other Line 1s.

Previously: Pass X2.5; '08 Benchmark DAC1Pre; Adcom GFP-710, GFP-750; VanAlstine Transcendence 7; Mcintosh C15; Creek OBH-12; Headroom '99 Maxed Out Home and '03 Max with '07 'Max' modules; NO preamp (ie an interconnect, and volume-controlled DACs and such direct to power amp);

McCormack DNA-0.5 SMC Audio Custom 'Rev B+ Gold' Power Amp

MFG'D: '99, last production run

PURCHASED: '02 audiogon

PROBLEMS: An internal control signal wire broke soon after receiving it back from a rev B upgrade, fixed immediately and then further modified to its current state -- 100% reliable since 2006 of near-daily use.

PAID: $750 + $450 rev C ('02) + $1060 rev B+ Gold ('04) = $2260 for a unit that exceeds many $8k power amps today. ($1795 MSRP basic amp in 1999)

REPLACED: Modified Advent 300 receiver

TWEAKS:
'04 SMC Audio rev B+:
In addition to all rev B circuit topology and component upgrades that I wouldn't expect any reader to know about, especially from 2004:
Massive Plitron custom toroidal power transformer spec'd for his bigger amps;
Soft recovery diode bridges for the audio power output stages;
Bigger better power supply caps;

WBT input jacks;

Cardas speaker jacks;

Carbon (!) wiring from inputs to circuit board;
Lots of various SMC tweaks and a variety of rev A mods specifically voiced for my system and sonic requests -- to better effect than I ever expected, even in 2023.

PS Audio Plus SC 1m AC power cord;

HiFi Tuning fuses at AC input and the four high-power L&R output stage rail fuses.

Gutwire Notepad 2 sits atop power transformer outside chassis and below line preamp circuit boards to better isolate any interference between the two components.

+:
Fine mid '90s solid state sound stock for the price, but a total sonic transformation into the best of the current amps into low-5-figures after rev B+ upgrade:
effortless creamy grain-free mids;

Ideal balance of midrange weight, presence and forwardness;
Fine soundstaging and air;
Smoother faster top end;
"Blacker blacks";
Articulate, nuanced and Center-of-the-Earth bass;
Greatly increased transparency and detail;
Much better S/N ratio;
Fabulous customer service;
Utilitarian appearance;
Compact for ~125Wpc into 8 ohms;
Power doubling = 125, 250, 500Wpc into 8-4-2 ohms;
Alleged 60A peak current delivery tames any speaker;
Absolute stability into a 1-ohm load;
Only 4dB global negative feedback and no local feedback (many good modern amps use well over 10dB, with the subtle deficits that come with it);
Carefully vetted quality parts and attention to layout throughout by the designer who intimately knows the sonic responses to all his circuit designs.

-:
none, really! Well, it's hardly audio eye candy. Pretty basic chassis, though good attempts at vibration isolation.

I could have bought a lot of good used amps for the price I've into this amp by now, but they wouldn't have the "hand-tuned performance by Steve McCormack" that provides great system synergy and near-SOTA sonics in my setup, having worked together with Steve for final dialing-in. And he continues to remain available as needed for suggestions of bias voltage, future upgrades as they are developed. Direct comparisons with all the below show it to be clearly superior across-the-board against them all -- remarkable.

The word has long been out that Steve's upgrades, especially with this smaller DNA0.5, are legendary by now. Even though these mods have been untouched since 2004, and he's two decades into more imaginative tweakage, I have no reason in the context of this system, and my lifespan, to consider a different power amp. It is likely the strongest link in my system.

COMPARED DIRECTLY TO:

2023: Ayre V-5xe; Threshold S350e.

2019: Bryston 4B cubed; Parasound JC-5; Plinius SA-103; Luxman M900u Ultimate. Clearly bettered all of them, and it wasn't my own bias or cheerleading.

2017: Pass X250;

2007: BAT VK-250SE;

2004: \McCormack DNA225; McCormack DNA-1 Rev A+ 'Gold' (ALL SMC mods); Pass Aleph 0s; VTL stereo 50.

Thiel Audio CS2.4 Speakers with Upgraded Crossovers & Coax Drivers

MFG'D: '04

PURCHASED: '06, Audiogon

PAID: $2800 incl shipping, paypal & outriggers ($7000 MSRP at end of life 2013)

REPLACED: Thiel CS2.3

TWEAKS: Replaced the two Axon crossover caps in series with the coax with Clarity Cap ESA series, with Vishay bypass caps: these are a grade above the 'ultra-fine grade boutique capacitors' Thiel advertises for their $8K 2.4 'Special Edition' models. This allows the coax to be all that it can be without any veiling caused by the lesser crossover caps, and opens up the speaker nicely.

Hand-built and matched coax drivers (mid/tweet) by the only person on Earth who can assemble them from the basket up. They DO sound better than the stamped-out production units.

+: Solid design and nice appearance;
Great build quality and finish;
Wide dispersion for a box speaker;
Not particularly placement-critical;
Fine resolution and lateral imaging;
Reasonably compact;

Good bass extension for a 6.5" cone-diameter woofer;

Time and phase coherence is for real -- after months of listening to non-coherent speakers, the Thiels sound immediately physically relaxing as the ear isn't having to interpret incoherence and translate the timing information to what it 'should' be;

To the above, a certain 'rightness' to the musical presentation;

Very good dynamics to the limits of the coax driver described below;
The hardest-working midrange driver in the hi-fi world;

Much improved frequency balance over Thiel's CS2.3;

Excellent flat frequency balance as these last-generation Thiels possess -- nothing 'bright' about these, though aided by the cables, tubes, components I chose to tone-down my previous Thiel 2.3s, which *are* 'forward.'

Surprisingly, exceeds the highly-regarded Dynaudio Confidence C1 (stand-mount large 'monitor') in every possible way, often dramatically so, and proves against my initial beliefs that the vaunted Esotar soft-domed tweeter is no better than Thiel's aluminum dome buried inside a midrange cone...
A good mix of cone speaker punch, dispersion and precise imaging with electrostatic coherence, microdynamics and speed. But, yes, short of the "best" of any type of speaker out there!

-: The midrange driver is inadequately small for this speaker, further challenged by the first-order crossover, asking a 2.5" cone to put out substantial SPLs below 250Hz (-12dB from nominal 1kHz crossover frequency, so 100dB at 1kHz still is 88dB expected from the mid at 250Hz, 82dB at 125Hz, just too much energy for such a small radiating area that then must depend on excursion to generate its SPLs, and this equals component fatigue over time);

Soundstaging a step down from 2.3 due to sharp baffle edges around the HF-coax driver to facilitate a flush grille, music remains 'in the box' moreso than the 2.3's dimensionality from its smoothly contoured baffle -- rare Thiel form over function;

Soundstaging ten steps down from my recent KEF LS50 Meta purchase;

A challenging load requires a modern SS amp with a lot of current delivery into < 4 ohms -- which my McCormack has plenty of;
The coax driver is a great idea on paper but flawed in practice as they can fail every few years with no warning when played loud but well within speaker and amp spec, apparently due to fatigue from long cone excursions and/or insufficient internal heat dissipation -- the 2.3 coax drivers seem more robust due to larger magnets better dissipating heat buildup?;
The 1" dome tweeter voice coil and motor assembly to also drive the 2.5" midrange cone to well below 1kHz is a challenge with dynamic music played <100dB even in a smallish room, even with infinite amp power;
Requiring the 2.5" cone midrange to generate expected SPLs through excursion rather than surface area adds to the difficulties the coax has in filling just a moderate-sized room with realistic SPLs even with plenty of watts;
Wide dispersion a double-edged sword to tame room reflections;
22(!!) crossover components for a 2-way (midrange-to-tweeter crossover is mechanical) 1st-order crossover to tailor impedance curve and driver response;

I still need to upgrade the crossover resistors to Mills;

Careful attention to all elements of stereo components and listening room to keep them from sounding too forward (but *much* better than the 2.3 in this respect).

There are many great speakers out there, and Thiels aren't the only answer to the sound I'm looking for, but the work I've put into all the electronics and cables to get them to sound their best is my reward by having better source-to-room sound than I would have with a less-demanding speaker. It also means I'll be keeping them indefinitely, when better speaker designs for similar money often come to mind.

AUDITIONED (vs 2.4): KEF LS50 Meta; Thiel 2.3; Magico V3; Dynaudio Confidence C1 + Stand4;

Thiel 1.6, 2.3, 3.6, 3.7; B&W CDM7NT, 9NT, 804; Audio Physic Tempo 3; Dynaudio Audience 82, Contour 1.8 MkII; Boston Acoustics VRM90, A200; Vandersteen 2ce signature; Paradigm Studio 60, 80, 100; Avalon Eidolon; Dali 400-series; Dunlavy SC 2 & 3a; but ultimately, I've compared my 2.4s with very few speakers in my long-term listening acoustic since I bought them.

Thorens TD-115 Turntable, fully rebuilt and upgraded

MFG'D: '79

PURCHASED: '79

PAID: $280, Cambridge MA Tech HiFi ($450 MSRP 1979)

REPLACED: Modified '02 Rega Planar25

TWEAKS: Cardas Golden Cross Phono cable custom connected from tonearm base;
10lbs inert clay added inside base for greater resonance control;
MusicMat Sorbothane platter mat;
record clamp;
Audioquest NRG-1 AC power cord;
Recently dialed-in exact cart position;
Picked up a donor TD-115 with 0.01% the number of hours on it as mine and transplanted all the wearable parts into mine: platter, sub-platter, bearing ass'y; motor; motor controller circuit boards; the four sub-platter isolators; electrical switches and pot; auto-lift solenoid; wearing trim strips and controls; then cleaned out, tweaked, adjusted and calibrated everything from scratch.

+: Sounds as good as the VPI Prime with a low-output Dynavector in a $100,000 high-end audio shop system -- before the complete makeover and transplant -- to the surprise and consternation of the various salespeople.
Low-mass TP30 tonearm a perfect synergistic match for Ortofon VMS20e MkII cart, though needed a few grams of effective mass for new Soundsmith cartridge;

Tonearm design was decades ahead of VPI's 3D-printed tonearm as it's all composites or plastics tuned to remove any resonances;

Underslung decoupled counterweight in-line with stylus tip;
Functionality all current turntable manufacturers have forgotten about: auto-shutoff, sprung dustcover, front-panel controls, cueing damped in both directions; electronic speed and pitch control via pretty sophisticated for its era analog servo;
Sophisticated isolation damping;
Has played a bazillion records by now, non-stop since 1979 w/o any problems;
Fine industrial design and style.

-: After hearing it up against the VPI Prime, there are no negatives to this piece. Until I pay >5K MSRP.

AUDITIONED: VPI Prime, Rega P25, VPI TNT, Music Hall MMF-7, none other worthy of mention.

Whest PS.20 MkII Phono Pre, Factory Mods

MFG'D: 2007

PURCHASED: 2008, audiogon

PAID: $1250 ($2600 MSRP 2006) (+ too much to think about for upgrades)

REPLACED: Whest PS.20 MkI, Audio Research PH3-SE, BelCanto Phono 1

TWEAKS: the PS.20 MkII was never made available in the US. Many parts were upgraded and L-R channel-matched versus the original, despite no alterations to the architecture, PCB layout, case and power supply. Back-to-back, this elevated all the Mk1s characteristics evenly and across-the-board, quite satisfying.

But wait, there's more! I had an RF interference problem and sent it back to the designer to install a custom input filter, but he also specifically upgraded my unit with elements of the then-to-be-released Whest Three Signature using an altered topology and some choice PS.30R parts.

(1) #1 Vibrapod;

the factory's latest umbilical cord between power supply and head units;

Harmonic Tech Pro AC-11 1.5m cryo-treated AC power cord;

HiFi Tuning AC line fuse.

+: All the nice things Fremer et al have said about it: immense and precise soundstaging, effortless dynamics, smooth yet resolving, a rich palette of textures, usefully compact 2-box design.
Dual mono +-37 volt rails, >20,000uF power supply storage, 12 discrete 24V regulators guarantee huge dynamics and drive capability.
The MkII version (never marketed in the US) has a cleaner PCB layout, select parts have been upgraded, matched and closer toleranced -- sounds better in every way than original PS.20: improvement is subtle but very worthwhile.
After the factory mods to my MkII topology and further parts upgrades, the improvement is anything but subtle: a very smooth presentation with further improvements to grip, speed, dynamics, soundstaging and detail. WooHoo!
Reliable, has stayed on 24/7 for years without issue.

-: cartridge loading plugs are a PITA and essentially impossible to adjust, why not DIP switches like everyone else?

The Parasound JC3+ is a distinct improvement wrt a more liquid dimensional midrange presentation and a better-organized soundstage, though all other attributes are equaled or exceeded by the Whest. But the Parasound's advantages do make for a better overall unit.

AUDITIONED: Parasound JC3+, BelCanto Phono1, Audio Research PH3-SE, Pass Ono, Phonomena, Pass Pearl, Black Cube, Simaudio LP5.3 with huge external power supply, lots of lesser stages. Hopefully more to come.

Proceed CDD CD Transport, Factory Refurbished -- Twice

MFG'D: '97

PURCHASED: '04, GTT audio

PAID: $1100, includes GTT paying $500 for a Madrigal factory complete replacement of the drive assembly and upgrade to the latest hardware and software revisions - thanks! ($2500 MSRP 1999)

REPLACED: Philips CD60 & CD80 CDPs used as CDPs, then transports

TWEAKS: brass isolation cones; brass (vs plastic) turntable spindle (that holds CD)

SignalCable Magic Power Digital ACPC;

HiFiTuning Line Fuse;

2021: received its second overhaul at Madrigal's generic service center with a bunch of new parts including the laser block, all electrolytic power caps, various drive ass'y parts (still available!), and calibration.

2023: replaced cheap plastic turntable with a machined aluminum unit custom made for these Philips transports.

+: This is one good-sounding transport compared to even modern CD players: the same designers, unique architecture, drive mechanism and circuit elements as the Mark Levinson No.37, sound is indistinguishable; 37 has massive casework, some additional programming features of limited use, further power supply regulation; the Philips CD Pro 2 series of drive mechanism may be the best consumer unit ever put into any CD player.

careful attention to creating the ideal SPDIF signal packets w/o jitter;

best available CD drive at the time, and perhaps for all time, the Philips CD Pro 2;

flawlessly plays all CDRs and CDRWs;

lightning-fast index times;

giant yellow OLED displays can be read across the room;

some neat features not on many other CD players (extended pause (like a DVD 'resume' function), direct-time access to anywhere on disc, track delete programming, index track indication);

attractive, distinctive industrial design.

-: cheap plastic remote (though very functional and ergonomic);

plastic front-panel buttons and light bleed-through from status LEDs;

display lacks useful operational information, requires interpretation of dots and dashes and flashes;

lacks some of the comprehensive feature-set and seamless operation of my old Philips CDPs;

It' s possible the modern thoroughly-designed mechanics-heavy transports from SACD players from the likes of the best Esoteric, dCS, Marantz, and so on will sound better as much due to modern approaches to SPDIF conversion from the laser stream as their rock-solid mechanical structure. But I'm not willing to find out, as this is so well sorted, and sounds it compared to the digital out of even the better CD-players I've auditioned.

AUDITIONED (as transports directly vs CDD): Levinson 37, Marantz SA11S2, Bryston BCD-1, NAD M55, Philips CD60 & 80, Yamaha CDR-S1000, Yamaha DVD-S2300 MkII, Denon DVD-2900, McCormack SST-1, Yamaha DVD-S1800, Tascam CDRW900II

Bel Canto Design DAC2 GNS-modded DAC

MFG'D: '02 (the second unit assembled off their production line!)

PURCHASED: '02, BelCanto direct (no local dealer)

PAID: $1300 MSRP

REPLACED: Adcom GDA-600

TWEAKS: Kimber PK14 Gold AC power cord;
HiFi Tuning Fuse
(2) #1 Vibrapod feet;
Great Northern Sound DAC2-specific upgrade voiced by BelCanto and Wadia engineers ($500) takes a broad multi-faceted approach that goes far beyond the usual 'modder' fare with remarkable results.

+: As neutral and non-fatiguing as the best digital out there, see below;

Very clever circuit design for 2002, lots of digital horsepower, became the template for DAC architecture for the next decade and beyond;

Highly miniaturized SMT layout;

FPGA bypasses DAC's digital filtering and does it all (along with jitter reduction) Wadia-based algorithms with the far greater processing power of the custom software written into the FPGA.;

Microprocessor control of PLLs, input buffering, housekeeping;

Nicely implemented IC + discrete output stage

high slew-rate (51V/uS) I/V TI opamps,

DC servo into driver buffer means no output capacitors;

24/192 upsampling, 24/96 pro-audio input receiver;

Lots of regulation and even more local filtering using Black Gates;

Compact and unassuming appearance;

Sounds insanely good and holds its own in direct comparisons to some of the latest and greatest DACs and CDPs (see below) (yes, the dCS does sound better; the Berkeley sounds better in some areas but a draw in many others;

Overall it sounds nearly identical to the PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC series II that I spent a month A/Bing with. The GNS mods are a big reason for this performance);

Bargain price for its technology in 2002;

Has the bass and treble sonics of good modern solid state (fast, extended, detailed) but the entire midrange of classic tube gear (bloomy, wider images, congestion on complex passages, smooooth and grain-free, though lacks the tonal saturation of tubes and the best DACs).

-: Doesn't have the depth rendition of the best DACs on the few CDs that contain that information;

The better current DACs have a more-open and coherent soundstage;

Macrodynamics aren't up to the very best fully-discrete I/V output DACs, but few CDs are challenging enough to note a difference;

The best modern DACs have a little more tonal color and saturation.

AUDITIONED (vs BelCanto) (more recently): '08 Benchmark DAC1Pre; Marantz SA11S2; Bryston BCD-1; Berkeley Alpha Dac V1; dCS Puccini with U-Clock ($23K, really!); Wadia 121; PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC version 2; NAD M51

(originally): Arcam CD92; Adcom GCD-750; Theta Casablanca II; MSB Gold Link; Krell KAV280; NAD C541i; Cary CD 306/200; Mark Levinson No. 360S;

Tascam CD-RW900 MkII CD Recorder

MFG'D: '17

PURCHASED: '17, Boynton Studio, Norwich, NY

PAID: $289, (MSRP $349)

REPLACED: Yamaha CDR-S1000 from 2001 that was a really nice piece but I gave up when its 2nd complex proprietary transport mechanism started flaking out again.

TWEAKS: GTT AC power cord actually does make a nice improvement on an otherwise budget piece of gear.

+: Lots of features, some very useful, others not at all;

copies and creates CD Text with or without an external keyboard;

no SCMS to limit number of copies that can be burned;

uses generic CD-Rs and CD-RWs, not the 'music-only' type my Yamaha needed;

a remarkably good A/D/A codec implemented reasonably well for the ridiculously low price;

-: tiny icons on small oversaturated display make viewing close-up essential;

no USB capabilities or inputs -- in this day and age, why?? ;

really junky-responding CD tray better suited to a $49 DVD player despite decent modern Teac transport the CD eventually lands in;

some surprisingly bone-headed counter-intuitive displays and settings;

crappy non-ergonomic square remote control no fun at all to have to use;

as a pure CD player it sounds surprisingly good -- especially for the price and functionality - except for a purely 1-dimensional soundstage: no height or depth.

Magnum Dynalab MD100 Factory-Modded FM Tuner

MFG'D: '01, started life as the last production run of the FT101a before the MD90 replaced it.

PURCHASED: '02 audiogon, 3mo old.

PAID: $750 + $300 for MD100 upgrade & PCB replacement plus flywheel tuning ass'y + $275 latest factory-installed 20-station remote control setup + $150 for factory alignment using better IF filters and some custom tweakage I requested. ($2000 MSRP for MD100 in 2010)

REPLACED: Advent 300 receiver

TWEAKS: FT101a on the outside but factory-upgraded MD100 inside.
They also installed their latest ('04) 20-preset analog remote control, which is actually a pretty trick piece of engineering and very convenient.
They optimized their bogus stereo blend circuitry to work more like a proper stereo blend - fortunately the FT101A chassis retains the blend on/off switch unlike their current models.
I replaced the power supply filter caps with 2x4700uF Nichicon Gold Tunes, and the chassis feet with EAR sorbothane feet.
GTT Absolute AC power cord.
I'm using an FM-specific yagi antenna and the Magnum-Dynalab ST-2 loaded omni whip antenna selectable by an RF switchbox.

+: Fine sound and sensitivity;
Utilitarian, almost Heathkit-like, appearance;
Incredible customer service;
RF performance exceeds and audio performance at least equals a fully-modded Kenwood KT-8300 late-'70s supertuner;
Seems MD is associated with FM today the way McIntosh was in the '70s -- minus the build quality and UX.

-: There sure doesn't seem to be $2000 worth of parts, engineering or build quality inside;

User Experience and functionality is lousy compared to a good old-school analog tuner, see below, see especially the Kenwood 8300 I too-briefly owned;

Multipath meter is useless by design, factory acknowledges it doesn't really work; Signal strength meter saturates around 50uV and is thus useless for either tuning or determining true signal strength
FM muting circuit totally amateur, doesn't mute the tuner when tuning rapidly along the band;
The stereo blend circuit is a bad joke that is useless 99% of the time as they attempt to engage it progressively over a very narrow range based purely on signal strength, not noise, so you either get noisy stereo or premature mono;
The above shortcuts make for an unsatisfying user experience with something that should be tactile and engaging;
Sloppy-looking kit-like internal layout with too much point-to-point wiring;
I could have bought a lot of good-performing '80s Japanese analog tuners with mods and alignments for the money I have into this MD tuner -- but the Kenwood shootout shows that MD really does know how to design fully competent RF circuitry despite the board appearance, parts count, and terrible implementation of essential analog tuner tools and functionality.

AUDITIONED: Luxman T-110, fully-modded Kenwood KT-8300

Nakamichi DR-1 Tape Deck

MFG'D: '91

PURCHASED: '02, Audiogon, 150hrs use

PAID: $495 ($930 MSRP 1993)

REPLACED: Worn-out Tandberg TCD-440A, now relegated to fast FF/REW duties

TWEAKS: I've added on an aftermarket wireless remote that controls the transport functions of both Nak decks either separately or in parallel -- very convenient, as I was spoiled by the remote on my Tandberg TCD440A for the past 20 years.
Elna Cerafine output capacitors replacing generic electrolytics.
The left playback channel went dead recently, so a top Nak shop has done a full refurbishment of the deck (full cleaning, lube and alignment, internal trim of R/P frequency response; new belts; measurements to confirm it exceeds factory specs; repaired playback amp).

+: Straightforward controls with minimal bells and whistles;
Very low flutter gives stable soundstage and very good resolution of detail;
Fine analog sound, the best cassettes still as good or better than Redbook recording formats;

Nak has figured out what it takes for top sound from the cassette format and has provided only that needed to do the job well -- as such, a deceptively simple feature set but 20+ years of internal tricks and refinement that make for the best recordings without excess complexity: in fact they went too far with this series removing features and complexity :-(

-: Only adequate internal build quality (but better than DR10);
Narcotically slow wind times (C100: 190 seconds vs 58 on my Tandbergs);
Why don't all of the better cassette decks (this included) have a DC motor behind each reel as per Tandberg??
Small markings on monochromatic display hard to read at any distance;
No peak-hold on meters;
Meter segments too coarse;
Tiny same-size black-on-black controls tedious to check settings;
No microphone inputs;
Generic japanese appearance;
Not nearly the tour-de-force of the best previous-generation Naks and other top decks;
Most importantly, for their final-generation top of the line deck, they really cheaped out in the dumbest places, notably no output stage, the Dolby chip drives the outputs! hence a 2200 ohm Zout and no drive capability;
Why not use the more-robust better-spec transport of their CR7A and make the improvements of gear drive and the local head amp PCB of the DR series?

AUDITIONED: NAD 6300

Nakamichi DR-10 Tape Deck

MFG'D: '01

PURCHASED: '02, ebay, new

PAID: $460 ($899 MSRP 2001)

REPLACED: wearing-out Tandberg TCD-310 MkII, still used for its great microphone preamps and live-concert recordings I bought the DR series Naks cos they were new(er) and I wouldn't have to worry about worn out electrical and mechanical internal parts, gear instead of belt drive, the decks pared down to just the essentials that Nak has dialed-in for near-SOTA cassette deck sound

+: see DR1 +s: it sounds just as good as the DR1.

-: see DR1 -s as well as: no output level control;
mediocre build quality (worse than DR1);
$900 is overpriced for internals, which is why they were so heavily discounted;
Nak could have done more for their last-hurrah cassette deck than make a poor copy of their early-'90s DR2, as well as it works and leverages most of their design tricks over the decades.

Tandberg TCD-440A Very Fast Rewind & Fast Forward Cassette Winder

MFG'D: '81

PURCHASED: '85

PAID: $125 ($1600 MSRP 1980)

REPLACED: Harmon Kardon 1500

MODS: RC-20 remote control;
colored LEDs to better differentiate settings across the room;
many times tweaked or fixed by good Tandberg man

+: Classic design: an early '80s electromechanical engineering tour de force;
very smooth switching and solid transport mechanism with AC motor driving dual capstans;
dyneq + actilinear do make for better recordings;
elegant unique styling;
equalized peak reading meters;
compact size allows many placement options;
great microphone preamp circuitry;
superfast wind times still the best out there, with silky transport control logic;

remote control sure is useful.

-: 30 years of operation have taken its toll on the transport;
parts no longer available;
what was trick in 1980 isn't so much in 2017;
flutter not nearly as low as the best last-gen decks affecting soundstaging and detail;
dark ages metal tape technology;
dolby FM??

Retired from active duty due to transport alignment wear problems that are no longer worth trying to refurbish, but in use to quickly FF/REW cassettes (C100: 59 seconds vs 189 seconds on Nakamichi!) and index the tape counter to the written track locations on my 25-years worth of Tandberg-recorded cassettes.
I've seen less-used examples of 440As currently available cheap, but been there done that.

Phase Linear 1000 Series Two Dynamic Expander & Noise Reduction

MFG'D: '81

PURCHASED: '81, Tech HiFi Cambridge MA

PAID: $330 ($450 MSRP 1981)

TWEAKS: Full upgrade and calibration in 2017 by Audioproz who seem to be the only shop that understands and cares enough about the brilliance of this design to replace parts that affect calibration drift and effectiveness, better-sounding op-amps in the signal path, lowering noise floor, general refurbish. Nice!

REPLACED: Burwen DNF1201A dynamic noise filter

+: another clever inspired piece of work by Bob Carver -- this is an *all analog* design that likely sounds and works better than most of the digital 'plug-in' equivalents on people's PCs and is implemented with actual hardware, not lines of code...;
surprisingly high parts quality and build with no electrolytic caps beyond the power supply;
to this day works really well with essentially no sonic degradation, esp w/ good cables, even moreso after the Audioproz signal path upgrades;
remarkably transparent even with all electronics switched in, especially so when used just as a dynamic range expander;
separately switchable 1.1:1 + 1.5dB expander and 10dB 'auto-correlation' single-ended noise reduction actually performs as advertised, significantly cutting all forms of hiss and hash w/o 'breathing' or otherwise calling any attention to itself;

an effective passive infrasonic filter when just switched into the tape loop w/o engaging its electronics;
effective at improving material and FM that has been dynamically compressed through the use of its 1.5dB peak unlimiter and gentle expander capabilities, but nothing can help the too-many CDs that are unlistenably brickwalled.

Having said all that, it's engaged in the system perhaps 10% of the time over the last decade for noisy tapes and compressed CDs...

-: none really considering its age and intent, especially now with the audibly-cleaner opamps and refined calibration.

AUDITIONED: Burwen dynamic noise limiter, dbx, Dolby C and S, high filters

Headroom Max Reference Headphone Amp

MFG'D: '03, 2nd-generation Max circuit board and parts with Maxed-Out-Home F&R faceplates

PURCHASED: '07, AudiogoN

PAID: $700 + $536 for '07 'Max' electronics modules and 16 HEXFREDs in power supply. (Equivalent MAX MSRP ~$2000 in 2003)

REPLACED: Previous-generation '99 Headroom Maxed-Out Home w/ 2004 Reference electronics modules

TWEAKS: PS Audio Prelude SC AC power cord;
(2) HiFi Tuning AC line fuses
3M vibration damping sheet inside chassis;
2007 'Max' electronics modules, the company's final and best amplifiers;
Optional factory stepped attenuator, 24 steps x 3 gain settings, ~1.5dB per step;

16 HEXFREDs in power supply;

upgraded 12 x 2200uF primary supply caps with Nichicon Fine Gold in 2022;

sits on four #1 vibrapods.

+: Really short signal path;

A true dual-mono design -- until the common ground of unbalanced headphones;

Outstanding parts and build quality;
627 opamps as buffers for discrete transistor output stage, all implemented on dual mono SMT daughter boards;
Their best stepped attenuator;
Four overkill discrete 15V power supplies, one each for each channel's plus and minus rail, these after a huge dual-mono, separate L&R Avel-Lindburg transformers, 22,000uF, 16 HEXFRED primary supply;
Switchable 'headroom' crossfeed circuitry is one of the best of its type;
Makes a fine sounding, albeit limited, line-stage preamp, nearly on par with my modded Sonic Frontiers Line1 SE -- but not quite;
Plenty of current drive and low output impedance can really take charge of the most difficult (?) headphone loads;
Quite a lot of flexibility compared to many current headphone amps.

Flawless (?) sound with headphones: indistinguishable with a good source, interconnects and Audeze LCD-3 'phones from the Bryston BHA-1 dedicated headphone amp: maybe not the ultimate comparison but still a well-regarded modern solid-state dedicated headphone amp.

-: None, really, a complete piece of well-executed design before the company started losing its way a few years ago.

Stepped attenuator steps of 1.5dB way too big for tweaking volumes with headphones, especially as they have a 3-position gain switch that has some overlap between volume ranges; could easily be 0.75dB per step without losing total volume range by making the 3 gain ranges further apart;

The input selector switch is hard to get at between the RCA jack pairs on the rear...

AUDITIONED: Bryston BHA-1 (with Nordost cabling, the excellent Parasound CD-1 as source ($4500) back-to-back for two hours with about 15 different headphones, in all cases the amps were indistinguishable); Woo Audio WA-3; '08 Benchmark DAC1Pre; Wadia 121; Musical Fidelity XCANS V2; Audio Alchemy dd1.0 headphone amp; previous-generation Headroom (basic) Home and new '02 Maxed Out Home Reference;plenty of headphone jacks attached to non-dedicated headphone amps. Really not all that many compared to what is now on the market. Many more auditions vs current headphone amps to come. Then again if it's a dead-heat with the Bryston, and the accolades the HPA-1 continues to receive, there's really no need to compare it further is there? At least among transistorized amps.

Sennheiser HD600 Headphones, Equinox Cabled

MFG'D: '00

PURCHASED: '01, audiogon

PAID: $200 ($400 MSRP 2017)

REPLACED: Sennheiser HD580, AKG K240, Koss Pro4AA

TWEAKS: 15' Stefan AudioArt Equinox phone plug to earcups cable ($369!) makes a huge improvement over the stock cable;
DiMarzio Silver and Grado headphone extension cables;
New earpads and headband cushion.

+: all-day comfort;
satisfying headphone sound in most respects to this headphone geek;

unambiguously better than HD650s in my system with my tastes -- more neutral, transients 'pop', better vocals and tighter bass;
still regarded as of 2017 as one of the better headphones on the market for anywhere near the price after twenty years of production.

-: give me a smidge more bass below 100Hz;

more transparency wouldn't hurt;

there are better-sounding headphones on the market 20 years later - duh.
muzzled by stock headphone cable, at least with this 2000 model year - why can't they use the HD650 cord on the 600s too? (maybe they do by now?)

AUDITIONED: Audeze LCD-X, XC, 3; Audioquest Nighthawk; NAD HP50; PSB M4U; Sony MDRZ7; AKG K340, K240, K601, K701; Sennheiser Orpheus, HD280, HD650, HD580; Grado SR325e, GS1000, RS2. I admit to falling behind on all the great headphones (and amps) that are now out there. As I spend so much time with headphones, I really should get to a head-fi meet, but if I'm happy with what I have, would that be a good way to spend my time and perhaps more money??

Yamaha DVD-S1800 Univeral Player

MFGD: 2008

PURCHASED: 2008, 2010 new

PAID: $380 (ABT), $80 (amazon) ($450 MSRP)

REPLACED: Yamaha DVD-S1700

TWEAKS: 4 vibrapods,
AQ NRG-1 ACPC,
HiFiTuning AC line fuse,
3M vibration absorbing strips

+: sounds better than it has any right to, esp SACD which is native DSD laser to output;
surprisingly good audio section parts, tons of local regulation, Elna Cerafine caps; excellent GUI and flexibility for moderately-priced DVD player;
great picture quality so far as I can tell;
sounds as good or better than any of the pre-BD105 Oppos;
quick-loading & quiet transport;
lo & hi rez PCM sounds pretty good too.

-: SACD programming flexibility limited;
cheap opamps used for post-DAC chip I/V is the bottleneck for better sound from the output stage;

not much to complain about for the price and manufacturer and original intent!

AUDITIONED: Marantz SA11S2; NAD M55; all kinds of CD players and DACs.

NuPrime mDAC

MFG'D: 2021

PAID: $85 on closeout from $139 retail

REPLACED: Audioquest Dragonfly V1.2

Used with an Audioquest Jitterbug, Thinkpad T560 (mostly), active nearfield monitors or headphones or plugged into the big rig. Huge decoding abilities beyond my needs, up to native DSD256, PCM 32/384. Plenty of headphone output, actual up/down switches on machined metal body control volume in 0.5dB steps, sounds better than Dragonfly 1.2/Black/Red/Cobalt. Excellent unit when used within its expectations, even in the big rig.

When I download a PC app that works with DSD natively from end-to-end, I can download pure-DSD files and play them into my preamp analog inputs with the mDAC doing all the native DSD decoding.

But what sets this apart from all the other dongles is its ability to use seamlessly as a USB-to-SPDIF converter. Owning a good DAC without any USB input, this shares its analog headphone output with a mini-Toslink optical jack. Using the best Wireworld glass fiber toslink gives me all the USB capability I need, albeit far short of a modern streamer, and who knows about any error correction abilities.

Interconnects Between-Components

Prices are MSRP when last available or current (2015) prices marked with * if still available. Lengths are 1m unless otherwise specified. ($8400 MSRP!)

*Cardas Clear (0.5m): preamp out to pwr amp in ($1650)

*Cardas Clear: phono stage to preamp in ($2250/1m)

Cardas Golden Cross Phono (1.25m): turntable to phono stage in ($661)

*Wireworld Silver Eclipse Series 8: DAC out to preamp in ($800)

(2) Audioquest Emerald X1: preamp tape-out to processor line in; processor line-out to preamp tape input ($300/pr * 2)

*DH Labs Silver Sonics II (0.5m): processor tape out to CDR analog input ($110)

*Kimber Silver Streak (10", 3rd party): tape1 out to tape2 record in ($40)

Audioquest Topaz X2: FM tuner out to preamp in ($80)

Audioquest Coral: processor tape-out to tape deck line-in ($120)

Harmonic Technology Pro-Silway Mk II: CD recorder analog out to preamp in ($465)

*Straightwire FlexConnect II stereo mini plug to L&R phono plugs (0.5m) ($50)

Straightwire FlexConnect II (0.5m): from adapter cable above to preamp ($50)

Audioquest Cheetah (0.5m): Preamp tape out to headphone amp input ($650)

*DiMarzio High Definition (4.5'): tape1 out to processor tape in ($109)

*Audioquest King Cobra: Nakamichi DR1 tape out to power amp in via preamp SSP input ($299)

Tara RSC Prime: Universal Player out to preamp line in ($185)

(2) Straightwire Flexconnect II (2*1m): video/aux to preamp ($50 * 2)

*(2) Straightwire Musicable II (2*1m): video to preamp ($32 * 2)

*Generic $1.79 RCA patch cords: reference interconnects to confirm the amount I paid for all the above is justified!!

*Kimber Illuminati D60 digital coax: Proceed transport to DAC ($397)

Wireworld Supernova III+ glass fiber toslink: CDR transport optical digital output to DAC ($100)

Wireworld Supernova 6 glass fiber toslink: Bluetooth receiver out to DAC in ($220)

*Canare Digiflex Gold digital coax: Proceed transport to CD recorder coax digital input ($45)

*Stefan AudioArt Equinox (15'): Upscale Sennheiser headphone cable ($369)

DiMarzio Silver (10'): headphone extension cable ($69)

Wireworld Polaris 5 (12'): power amp to speakers ($1200)

Audioquest HDMI-X: DVD out to TV in ($60)

*Audioquest YIQ-X: DVD component out to TV in ($80)

Wireworld Polaris 5 Speaker Cable

MFG'D: '07

PURCHASED: '07, The Cable Co, new

PAID: $600 for 12' pair, factory half-price closeout as they moved to their new-gen flat speaker cables

REPLACED: Audioquest Bedrock

+: Very neutral frequency balance, just a hint of warmth;
relatively small and flexible;
these are the single cables (non bi-wireable) identical to the oft-reviewed highly-regarded Wireworld Eclipse speaker cables which are two Polaris in a single wide sheath;
the closeout price was right;
bested 12+ other top-notch cables overall I rented from Cable Company for exhaustive comparisons -- years later no regrets about my final choice.

-: Other cables did something 'better': Syn Research had a wider soundstage, Analysis+ more low bass, Cardas more organic vocals, etc

AUDITIONED: Over a dozen speaker cables thoroughly auditioned to mate 2.4s with cables & equipment voiced for 2.3s. Ultimately came down to Cardas Neutral Reference vs these, REALLY tough call, but these were more 'neutral' despite Cardas' incredible midrange presentation.

Various AC Power Cords

lengths are 3' or 1m unless otherwise specified; prices are MSRP when last available, or current (2017) prices if marked with an *. ($1900 MSRP total)

*(3) Signal Cable MagicPower Cords from wall to PS Audio Duet Power Conditioner, and from two of its outlets to the PS Audio Juice Bar 6-outlet strip and Wireworld Tundra 6-outlet strip. ($69*3=$207)

Harmonic Technology Pro AC-11, cryo-treated, to Whest phono stage, 1.5m. ($330)

PS Audio Plus SC to McCormack power amp. ($280)

*Audioquest NRG-1 to (electronically controlled) Thorens turntable. ($74)

*Signal Cable MagicPower Digital to Proceed CD transport. ($79)

*Kimber PK-14 Gold to Bel Canto DAC. 4' ($358)

PS Audio Prelude SC to Headroom headphone amp, 1.5m. ($150)

GTT Absolute Power Cord Mk 2 to tuner, 8'. ($100);

GTT Absolute Power Cord Mk 1 to CD recorder, 8'. ($60)

*Kimber PK-10 to Sonic Frontiers preamplifier. ($268);

*Audioquest NRG-1 to Yamaha DVD-S1800 universal player, 6'. ($89)

Nakamichi cassette decks, Phase Linear processor have captive power cords.

PS Audio Duet, JuiceBar & Tundra outlet strips, Hubbell 8300

Finally took the plunge into AC power conditioning and cords with pleasing results.

The $295 Duet replaces their high-current Ultimate Outlet ($400, a great unit on its own) and feeds all my gear from two isolated zones of two outlets each: the Juice Bar ($200) supplies the analog gear and a Wireworld Tundra ($70) outlet strip feeds the digital. The power amp is plugged directly into the spare analog outlet of the Duet.

A quality extension cord with four outlets feeds my video gear from the second digital outlet on the Duet, and a good metal Belden outlet strip feeds everything else.

The wall to the Duet and the Duet to both outlet strips each have their own 10ga 3' Signal Cable power cords.

Replaced my existing wall outlet with a Hubbell 8300 ($23) and called it quits. Except for spending twice as much on power cords :-(

Various Accessories

Nitty Gritty Record Doctor II vacuum cleaner;

RRL Deep Cleaner;

Discwasher D4;

Audioquest carbon fiber record brush;

LAST stylus cleaners 4&5;

Shure stylus pressure gauge;

Realistic standalone amplifier power meters;

Realistic SPL meter;

Realistic AC timer for cassette decks;

Teac tape head demagnetizer;

cassette tape splicer;

AudioPrism CD Stoplight;

Auric Illuminator II CD treatment;

Caig Pro Gold liquid contact cleaner;

Archer FM-specific Yagi antenna and Magnum Dynalab ST-2 base-loaded whip antenna, A/B selectable

(2) AKG D125e professional cardioid dynamic microphones, stands, cabling

Tivoli Model One table radio to honor Henry Kloss and the Advent 300 (and New Large Advents) I listened to for so long...

CWD Woodmore Lowboy Equipment Rack

$440 MSRP in 1984

Plenty solid finished wood stand holds all of my electronics and most of my LPs.

This was specifically an audio system rack setup of the 1980s. The wood is MUCH heavier and more-inert than modern-day MDF.

It would cost me thousands to get this amount of surface area with various tweaky isolation racks, and I'm skeptical the sonic improvement would be worth it or even noticeable - I've got no audible feedback or noise issues. My turntable is fully suspended, so no benefit to a massive base.

Sony KDL26S3000 TV,JVC HR-VP780U VCR,Yamaha DVD-S1800,Tivax STB-T8

Even though I watch broadcast TV perhaps a couple hours a month, may as well list the TV, DVD player and VCR as it makes for a token HT system when its audio outputs are selected on the preamp. Roll them on their cart between the Thiels and enhance the soundtrack on anything from The Simpsons to The Matrix. Didn't want anything larger due to the size and weight of something I rarely use and don't particularly value.

>> 26-inch LCD TV with big high-gain UHF antenna bought new in '08 for $640. Don't pay for cable but get higher-def from broadcast signals for free. Not that there's much to watch though. Comprehensive feature set and remote, nice picture quality once dialed in. Paid the big bucks for a 3-hour home calibration. Now wish I had gone up one size to the 32" :-(

>> Top of their line full-function VCR bought new in '01 for $130. Plays, records, jogs, shuttles, used to receive (analog) broadcast stations, adjusts tracking, switches stereo/mono/L/R, good slow-mo, thorough remote capability, has a clock. Whatever. Does a fine job as a VCR for less than the price of a used interconnect.

The scary thing is how well it records music: I used good cables and recorded some tracks off the big rig at high tape speed and it was essentially a toss-up sonically to the same tracks recorded on my $900 Nakamichi decks! Yikes.

>> Bought a good DTV tuner-converter that feeds into the VCR so I can record over-the-air broadcasts as the VCR has only an analog tuner. The Tivax tuner has better RF performance than the Sony TV, so I use that on weak stations even if it only outputs standard def on a composite cable.

>> In 2008 bought a Yamaha DVD-S1800 'universal player', my first DVD player, $450. Plays SACD, DVD-A and everything else, and sounds disarmingly close to CD played on the big rig. Hi-rez audio sounds truly good, if not quite in the same league as dedicated 2ch audio-only rigs at 10X the price (duh). A step above the cheaper Oppos. Oh, and a good picture, too.

0.5m pair of Flexconnect II from DVD analog 2ch outs to VCR line in;

1m pair of Whest SignalShield One from VCR to TV audio in.

Monster composite video cable from DVD to VCR in and from VCR out to TV in.

(2) 1m pairs of Straightwire Flexconnect II and

(2) 1m pairs of Straightwire Musicable II from TV audio out to preamp.

Tara RSC Prime from DVD analog out to TV audio in or preamp line stage;

Audioquest HDMI-X and YIQ-X from DVD to TV HDMI and component video inputs respectively.

Supplied detachable ACPCs to a dedicated outlet on the PS Audio Duet via a long thick extension cord.

Stuff I Can't Sell Despite Not Being in the Big Rig

These items I've collected over time but cannot bring myself to sell. They either make up a bedroom system or are in storage for future use.

ADVENT 300 Receiver. Bought this new in 1979 ($300 MSRP), a couple years later modded it up with top-level film caps everywhere and a bigger power supply. Perhaps the best-sounding solid state power amp of the era (quality, not quantity!), ditto the phono stage, a remarkably good FM tuner, and a decent, flexible preamp. Has been in 25 years of 'shootouts' and was the centerpiece of my system until 2002. Has worked flawlessly for 37 years. My current electronics should serve me so well.

PHILIPS CD80 single disc CD player. 1990 MSRP $800, bought in 2004 for $75 in perfect condition. The best sounding CDP of its time, and still built like a tank, with Philips best-ever transport, plenty of high-quality parts, their best 1541 chipset. This still sounds really good in absolute terms as stock and can get to a new level with a set of specific parts upgrades I haven't bothered with yet. Still the most comprehensive and flexible feature set on a CD player and totally seamless operation.

BEL CANTO PHONO 1 phono preamp. [SOLD] Bought new from the factory ($1200 MSRP, paid $700) and used to be something of a personal reference.
Perfectly voiced, neutral frequency balance throughout;
The very best passive components to make the very best sound possible from a pair of BurrBrown 2134 and a pair of AD797 opamps;
four high quality discrete regulator stages right next to the chips;
Compact size and layout;
Dozens of MC loading values;
40, 54, 60 dB gain;
Still sounds decent, but lacks speed, dynamics and the top octave or two against the Whest and other more-modern more-expensive phono stages;
Responds well to a good ACPC and vibrapods.

AUDIOQUEST BEDROCK speaker cable [SOLD]: $700/15' pair, a distinctly warm cable, with great bass, moderated mids yet extended treble that doesn't get in your face but has decent resolution and a focused soundstage.
Just the thing for my Thiel 2.3s, but the 2.4s benefit from something a bit more neutral the way the rest of my system is voiced.

TANDBERG TCD310 MkII cassette deck: Bought this in 1979 as a closeout for $600 and the TCD440A a few years later. At this stage after a dozen transport rebuilds the 310 has problems playing, the 440 problems recording. Have made perhaps 1000 tapes on each. The 310 still gets used for remote live recordings, and sometimes I use it just for the quality of its microphone preamplifiers feeding another unit. The 440A is in the big rig for its fast winding motors, but unlike the 310, I can play back the tape reliably to index where I am...

Radio Shack Bluetooth Receiver 120-1799

MFG'D: 2017

PURCHASED: uh, Radio Shack 2017

PAID: $30 ($70 msrp)

Pure convenience to play streaming audio from laptop, phone, tablet to the big rig. Internal DAC functional, but toslink output allows connection to my 'real' DAC for an order of magnitude improvement even for the limited fidelity of BT.

Use of high-end Wireworld Supernova glass-fiber toslink cables transform the sound from the plastic toslinks I thought had adequate resolution for Bluetooth. Now streaming from my PC over BT to this unit into the DAC makes for excellent non-critical listening and even enjoyable sonics when focused on the music.

Note this doesn't use the better-sounding APT-X protocol. But it links quickly and reliably, and sounds better than its price, manufacturer and format would suggest. Offers up all kinds of flexibility previously untapped for 'background' music.

Soundsmith Aida MkII Phono Cartridge

Ortofon finally ran out of styli for my 44yo VMS20 cartridge, so this is what I wound up with:

MFG'D: 2023

PURCHASED: Music Direct

PAID: $1800

REPLACED: Ortofon VMS20e MkII that I had used happily with dozens of new styli from 1979 to 2023. The Aida builds on all the strengths of the Ortofon, sounds better in every way, some barely, some remarkably.

+: All the advantages of a Moving Iron design; handbuilt-quality; utterly impervious to resistive or capacitive loading; neat fulcrum for adjusting azimuth; fits perfectly in Thorens TP30 headshell; low effective tip mass equals fast clean transients; sounds just fine: very neutral throughout mids; well-populated and focused sound stage; tight bass; somewhat reticent top octave.

-: I would bet for the same $2K an Ortofon Quintet Blue would sound (much) better when correctly loaded, as they make more cartridges in an hour than Soundsmith does in a year, and has an R&D dept bigger than all Soundsmith employees present and past; doesn't track particularly well given its low moving mass, though I've only encountered one non-test record where it clips.

AUDITIONED: None directly mounted in my own tonearm since the 2001 $1200 Grado Reference Reference and 1979 Ortofon VMS20eMkII.

KEF LS50 Meta

Purchased: Dec 2020, Audio Video Authority, Nashua NH

Paid: $1499 MSRP, blue cabinet

Accessories: Amazingly good for the price and overall Kanto SP-26 speaker stands, $129 from Audio Advisor

Replaced: nothing, used to supplement my Thiel CS2.4 with a recent PITA mentally-ill neighbor who insists on her non-existent 'right to silence' in adjacent condos; never had any problems with neighbors for the past 25 years. 2 octaves less bass and far less potential volume output makes things slightly better.

+: Remarkable 'in-the-room' soundstaging;

+: fine low-level detail;

+: their sweet spot is anywhere in the hemisphere in front of the speakers from any position up/down, left/right, on/off axis;

+: satisfying bass for a 4" woofer with a 1.75" hole in its middle;

totally flat response with a major almost-deal-killing exception below;

+: looks cool and very solid build.

-: Intentional broad 2-3dB dip between 2k-3.5kHz sucks the life out of music -- this is different from the higher 4k presence boost too many use to hype 'detail' at the expense of listening fatigue -- Thiel 2.4 entirely flat in this region and one can easily hear the deficits of this suckout -- why KEF why?? ;

-: these speakers are not particularly quick or fast with transients, in some part due to suckout frequencies above, but highs and lows too aren't as dynamic as I'm used to within their volume and bass capabilities -- surprising given their small drivers and years of optimization;

-: no grille cloths or driver protection whatsoever for when speakers are off, with potential damage to coax -- I use XS woman's tee-shirts that fit over speaker snugly;

-: a punishing load for any amp, worse than my Thiels and they're 3dB less-sensitive too -- fortunately I'm one of the few with an 'ample' amp that controls the speakers well;

-: any attempt at phase or time coherency that a single coax begs for is entirely disregarded, and comparisons to fully coherent Thiels is telling.

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