HiFi prices!!!

[glenwilson]

I got an email from Linn today. I used to own a top of the range LP12 record deck for about 20 years but sold it and got what I paid for it which was about £1500. That would be roughly £5000 with inflation. I had about 1000 LPs but just never played them as CDs were easier and then the move to MP3, and other lossless formats made it even more of a hassle to play LPs.

So, out of interest had a look at their stuff now. Glad I was sitting down as the top of the range LP12 now is £23,000! But to play your LPs you need speakers and amps. The best option looks like their Klimax System at £73,000. So for a stereo system you are up at £100,000.

To go with the LP12 I had a Quad pre amp and a pair of Quad valve amps and also a Quad 405 power amp. Cannot remember what speakers I had but they were decent ones. Always aspired to own Naim amps.

So, for the current living room set-up.

First would need a Statement NAC S1 pre amp. Bargain at only £63,000 and weigh 101kg

Obviously would need to use NAP 500DR power amps in bridged mode. So would need 7 of them at 25kg each (175kg). Oh, and that little lot would cost £175,000.

So we are up to £261,000 without speakers.

So back to Linn for speakers and the Linn Klimax 350 Passive Loudspeaker. Need three pairs so that is another £60,000.

So for a surround set-up and to play LPs we are looking at about £321,000.

I though speccing vars was fun and eye wateringly expensive but....

 

[General_Misery]

A different league than mine .

I have a Yamaha CD-player and receiver from the early 90s (lots of aluminium e.g. the CD tray, few plastic parts ) and then my darlings: JBL L19 from the late 70s. Had these refoamed a year ago and they sound excellent IMHO and not like the JBL prejudice view i.e. lots of bass, rough etc. The system is just fine for anything from Rammstein to Chopin

 

[glenwilson]

System now is an Onkyo receiver (could really just have a 5 channel amp with video switching) and some Tannoy floor standing speakers that must be about 20 yrs old now. They are run as bi-amped and each has about 10kg sand in them. Centre and rear speakers are Missions and are reasonable matches for the Tannoys. Have a Pioneer CD player which must also be about 20+ years old now. I am OK streaming through the Apple TV but Mrs prefers CDs.

I also have an REL subwoofer but that was becoming noisy and buzzing. Not using that at the moment and whilst it did give weight when watching films I am not really missing it.

Still enjoy listening to music but have gone away from the faff of cleaning LPs and spending more time wondering if that cable sounds better than another one. With lossless streaming and FLAC files the biggest limitation is my own hearing.

It is a bit like cars in that you can have one that does what you want or you can buy one that costs the same as a house.