Lyra Titan i
SME V
SOTA Cosmos IV
Sony SCDAX5400ES
Pioneer TX9100 FM tuner
Sony Playstation 3
Spectral DMC20 preamp with phono stage
VTL 300 Deluxe amps
Perreaux 3150
Infinity RS1B speakers with electronic crossover
MIT Shotgun Speaker cable
Cardas interconnects
I want a system to be accurate to the source. Have wide dynamic range with the ability to produce deep bass and be able to fill a large room. My interest in audio began when I was 12. I am now 71. This system started in 1985 with the purchase of the Infinity RS1Bs. The dealer (Excalaber in Alexandria VA. long since gone) assured me I would eventually love the speakers and he would work with me to put together a full system to accomplish my goals. Initially they were way too bright. Tubes are needed on the mid tweeter panels and transistors on the bass columns. I was able to bring each piece of equipment into my home and try it in the system before the purchase was finalized. Difficult if not impossible to do today. I built a music room in 1990 to house the system. The room is 32' long, 18' wide and 10' high with a sky light over the speakers that raises the height to 13'. A video source (Sony rear projection KDS-R70XBR2) was added in 2008. That was the last rear projection TV Sony manufactured and it was and is an excellent product. The current amps are VTL300s on the mid tweeter panels and a Perreaux 3150 transistor amp on the bass columns. The electronic crossover kept breaking down and eventually Infinity suppled me with a new crossover which they, as far I know, never put into full production. They discontinued the RS1Bs shortly after shipping me the new crossover. It has worked flawlessly since 1987. One EMIT burned out a few years ago but I was able to get it repaired by Bill Tahlmann at Music Technologies in VA. The preamp is a Spectral DMC20 with a built in phono stage and separate power supply. Two years ago it went back to the factory for a tune up (noise in one channel). The VTL also has been back to the factory or to Mr. Thalmann for repairs a number of times but still meets specs. Speaker cables are MIT Shotguns and interconnects are Cardas (the Spectral did not blow up). Turntable is SOTA Cosmos IV with a SME V and Lyra Titan i (my third one). Video is via a Sony Playstation 3 (early unit) and SACDs and CDs via a Sony SCDXA5400ES. All of these components were purchased before audio inflation had set in except for the Titan i and the Sony SCDXA5400ES ( The RS1Bs were $5700). I have been very fortunate to have picked companies that are still in business and willing and able to still repair the products that they sold me (excluding Infinity). I have been looking for a replacement for the RS1bs for decades but nothing seems to make me want to part with them except for the larger Nola's and Genesis's which are $200,000 and up. I am 71 now with some hearing loss but not enough to not appreciate high end audio. The Nola's or Genesis's would be a financial stretch but I still may do it. The albums (4,000 plus) have been collected since I was a teenager. Pretty full collection of early RCAs, Mercuries and Decca-Londons but I enjoy all kinds of music. I listen for a few hours each day. The video system goes through the Spectral and was dumbed down to two channels. It is a wonderful system and a bargain - of coarse that may end if I buy to Nola or Genesis.
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