Since 2019, my audio system has continued to change incrementally from single-ended triode and push-pull vacuum tubes to Class D, Class A and now back to the venerable Class A/B topology I truly enjoy...from McIntosh! In the past I've owned and borrowed classic McIntosh amplification...the MC7200, MC250 and MC2100 solid state power amps (and enjoyed my brother's MA252 and MA5300 integrated amps). When I came across a great deal on a slightly used pair of recently discontinued MC301 Quad Balanced 300 watt high-current monoblocks with the patented Autoformers, I literally couldn't pass 'em up...and I'm thrilled they're mine!
I've also been fortunate to own various loudspeakers from such renown manufacturers as Sonus faber and Q Acoustics, but since I had a pair of Magnepan MGLR-1 entry-level planars back in 1998 (driven with my MC7200), I fell in love with their open dynamics, high resolution and holographic transparency! I regretted the day I had to sell them (when I was laid off), and I've always wanted another pair...fast forward to 2022 when I finally purchased the MG 1.7i Magneplanars...they're here to stay!
I was awestruck when I first saw the all-acrylic Audio-Technica 60th Anniversary limited edition AT-LP2022 belt drive manual turntable...mated with my AT-OC9XSL MC cartridge, the sonics were impressive being driven by a Sutherland KC Vibe MK2 phono preamp connected to a massive Kinki Studio EX-P7 preamp. But I wasn't impressed by the 'table's lightweight tonearm (it performed flawlessly...it just felt rather flimsy to me), so I bought my brother's used Music Hall mmf-7.3 dual-plinth turntable with its massive-but-lightweight carbon-fiber Pro-Ject tonearm, using my new McIntosh C8 tube preamp's excellent, highly adjustable MM/MC phone stage.
The PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream Junior DAC was a fine component for my Wiim Ultra streamer and NuPrime CDT-8 Pro upsampling CD transport, but I had bought it used...as it was discontinued, there were no more firmware updates for it. So I purchased a much more affordable, yet outstanding sounding Topping D70 Pro OCTO DAC (with eight Cirrus Logic flagship CS43198 chips), and to my ears this new OCTO DAC sounds fuller, more livelier and a bit deeper in low frequency energy with digital recordings!
And I cannot have mediocre sound through my computer...with my micro Windows 11 PC, I listen to online music with a new AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt DAC, my fully serviced 1979 Sansui G-7000 85Wpc stereo receiver (my late father owned a G-6000 back in '78 I absolutely loved), driving a pair of classic Monitor Audio Silver 4i bookshelf speakers and an inexpensive Yamaha YST-SW215 subwoofer.
Cabling is with Nordost, AudioQuest, Straight Wire, Maze Audio, Mojo Audio and Pangea.
I couldn't be happier with my latest audio setup!
