how to Pay for a Dream System?

[Gregadd]

I read recently somewhere a reviwer said how happy he was that we (high end) are finally free from the constraints of price. Wilson Audio introduces yet another box speaker for $200k, Avalon is supposedly due to release a $300k speaker next month. One hundred thousand dollar turntables seem to hardly raise an ex brow. A silver cable manufacturer thinks they sound better if you sprinkle a little gold in them.
Assuming these products have merit and some due who is buying them. Credit is generally not available to the the high end customerunless you don't need it. Corporate sponsors don't seem interested. One unlikely purchaser is a priest. Someone who has taken a vow of poverty. He was able to assemble the system and music library enviable to audiophiles everywhere without divine intervention



http://give.sewanee.edu/initiatives/capital/academics/william-ralston-listening-library-and-archive

Perhaps a trend will emrge where major Universities will follow suit. Many have endowments approaching a billion dollars.

 

[JackD201]

Maybe he inherited the money. Great that he donated the system though. Problem is, If I were a student at that school, I might never go to class!

 

[A.wayne]

lighten up , it's just a hobby ...

 

[Gregadd]

Just imagine if every major city had such a library. That would be great.

 

[Gregadd]

Components
Wilson Audio XLF
Ayre/Vpi/Koetsu. etc.

 

[jadis]

Amazing system, priest or no priest. If universities have such systems and software, I'd be happy to enroll and study all over again or work as a curator there.

 

[JackD201]

Remember the story on the AVGuide blog about "The world's biggest audiophile"? He's a gentleman from China who set up a system for community use. I found that really cool.

 

[Alan Sircom]

How to pay for a dream system?

In the old days it was simple... just rob a bank.

Now, it's even easier... just own a bank.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Plus then you ll never go broke /bankrupt again , your simply too big to fail.

Best/easiest way to pay for a dreamsystem??

Short the market at beginning of sept 2008

 

[AMP]

IIRC the priest owned the music collection (which is extensive... to say the least) that was acquired over a lifetime. When it was donated to the college one of his former students led a campaign to raise funds to house the collection and purchase a SOTA system with which to enjoy and learn from it.

 

[Joe Galbraith]

Correct. As a donor who gives each year to ensure this archive and library remain state of the art, it is a sight to behold. The collection of mostly classical LPs were left to the Univ of the South by the late Rev. William Ralston, a minister and instructor at the school. He willed that the collection be kept together and be made accessible to the students. In addition to the glorious listening room you see in the photo, there is also an "ante-room" with several high end headphone listening stations as well. It is a fabulous LP collection and a well designed listening space. The university took the lead in making the space available as well as the lead in a fundraising program to equip it.

 

[Bruce B]

Marry a Sugarmomma!

 

[cjfrbw]

I think most Sugarmommas require abject servitude. That would be super-WAF, and not many would tolerate the meanderings of an audiophile.

Joan Robertson Hill? Hubbie was an audiophile doctor and music lover, croaked her because he couldn't stand her spoiledness, then Daddy took care of HIM for good.

The book was called "Blood and Money".

 

[trh8654]

Got to spend two days listening to this system with the X2 speakers, before the upgrade. Second day my wife were turned loose on our own for several hours of listening to music. System was great, but showed me what a close to perfect room can do for recreating a performance. Everyone there was very nice, and the music collection was insane.

 

[Bill Hart]

Divine.

 

[mep]

I think most Sugarmommas require abject servitude.

I know guys whose wives require abject servitude and they aren't sugar mommas (unless you count all of the sugar they consume on a daily basis) and they aren't super models either. I see no rational reason for the husbands' servitude other than the fact they like being mistreated and told what to do by a domineering woman. To each their own I guess.