A lottery winner's dream Harbeth setup?

[kittykat]

What would your dream music (or AV) system and environment be, revolving around Harbeths? Money no object, (hey, its good to have dreams and goals however shallow they may be). It can be anything eg. 2 channel (or a multichannel shoehorned into it).

Ill start, …

1. a bigger fairly well damped room in a quiet location, with the closest neighbour at least 150 metres away

2. Harbeth M40.1’s, in teak veneer on simple open frame teak stands

3. Bryston BP26 preamp at almost arms length, running a long balanced XLR to

4. Bryston Powerpac 300’s ( with short speaker cables to M40’s)

5. CEC TL53Z player (also at arms length, negating the need to get up and change cd’s. )

6. another CD player, maybe an Esoteric X03SE

7. nice comfortable couch

Pretty happy with what I have but i'll know the first thing to do if I won the lottery!

[Labarum]

Over the top.

All you need is a pair of M40.1 Actives driven by a simple DAC like

TC Electronic BMC-2 DAC and Studio Monitor Controller

http://www.gear4music.com/Recording-...Controller/BAB

And a Mac of your choosing.

[kittykat]

No, don’t really feel it’s over the top. Over the top to me would be spending that very same amount for that system on a pair of fancy designer speakers installed with drivers you can buy as diy parts. And it’d be really overboard if they end up as pieces of furniture, which I think would be very likely given that so many other speaker manufacturers today don’t have a heritage. Some have a heritage grounded on making fountain pens!

If any, the Esoteric CD player is a little overboard (over-engineering would be more accurate), but all those items on the list would last for a very long time. They are all items with a high ownership pride factor, designed and built with pragmatic sensible engineering. More importantly given the experience with Harbeths, think the M40’s would probably be used a lot, if not left playing every minute im home. Given this, if I had a pair, id just move it into the living area and NOT have a dedicated listening room but add an FM Tuner instead, perhaps an Accuphase.

[Will]

M40.1 on Skylan stands
Esoteric universal disc player
VPI Classic Turntable with Ortofon A90 cartridge
McIntosh C46 preamp
Rives Parc Parametric EQ
Bryston 28B-SST2 power amp
a pair of REL subs (these would be off most of the time... but for the times when I feel like some Mahler...)

But in the real world, I'll probably end up with the Harbeth integrated amp and M40.1 on Skylan stands....

[kittykat]

Very nice Will! Notice 2 pieces of equipment on your list have BIG digital readouts on them.

[honmanm]

Given unlimited financial resource, my priorities would be

1. a really good listening room
2. a classic Ferrari Dino

at which point further expenditure on audio gear becomes irrelevant due to permanently ringing ears.

However if compelled to spend the money on audio gear, I'd prefer to build up a collection of "interesting" classic components. "pro" Quad gear, James Bongiorno battleship amps (and one of his trinaural processors go with them), Audio Research valve gear, etc. Alphason turntable and arm, Decca London cartridge... and I'd hire an engineer to eliminate the sonic compromises from the Quad 44.

[Pluto]

... and I'd hire an engineer to eliminate the sonic compromises from the Quad 44.

I wonder what compromises you refer to. I've had mine refurbished by this chap and I'm fairly sure that the unit is sonically transparent. What more could one desire of a preamp?

[Labarum]

I run a 405-2 refurbish by 405man who sells on eBay. He will also refurbish Quad preamps - new capacitors where needed and better op-amps.

[honmanm]

Without having delved into the gubbins of the 44, the two items that immediately come to mind are the op-amps (TL071 IIRC) and the digital switches. Back in 1993-ish I moved from a 44 to a kit-built Hafler DH-101 which was much more transparent. However your chap may be one of those (like the Net Audio and Dada guys) who have gone over the component list with a magnifying glass and obtained the kind of improvement I'm dreaming of.

Like so many of the classic Quads, the 44 is a wonderful piece of design - especially when it comes to the ergonomics and filter controls.

[denjo]

Even if I won a lottery or sweepstake, I would still have made the SAME choice with speakers and electronics! I don't think the sudden financial fortuity would make a jot of difference with my present setup! I am satisfied and content with my system as-is.

The tendency to climb higher up the ladder when finances permit is fraught with danger and is often based on the fallacy that bigger is better, more expensive is better! There is a certain peace that comes with contentment and the acceptance that there may be many other systems out there that may sound better than mine but notwithstanding, I am happy with my system. I would certainly buy more CDs and vinyl but my speakers stay, so too my electronics!

[Pencey]

My current audio gear is just fine thank you. I would travel to places I've dreamed about seeing and stay in decent accommodations, and I would donate handsomely to my favorite charities.

[keithwwk]

Get a house with a good dedicated rooms for stereo and HT.

-For stereo, a pair of M40.1 is good enough to match with my current LFD Zero Int LE mkIII or LFD Mistral LE, CD players or any CD player and my vinly setup (will buy a better Cart...) mainly for my Classical musics and opera.

-For another stereo room I like to have my current C7 and SHL5, add a pair of C7es3, a pair of P3esR and a pair of M30. Listen to either pair depend on my mood. Amplification still either LFD Zero Int LE mkIII or LFD Mistral LE go if any CD player. Mainly for Jazz, vocal and some other muiscs like new age and fushion...

-For HT, Surround system consist of SHL5 plus a REL sub driven by a Marantz AVR in 5.1 congif is more than enough.

Cheers

[tein3]

Hmm... my wish would be some how... same as keithwwk...

1) Listening room 1 - SHL5, with 2A3 prepower, Accuphase DP57, Rega P5 TT with a Dynavector xx-2 cart with a Accuphase tuner...
2) Listening room 2 - C7es3, with McIntosh prepower, Accuphase DP500, with Rega P5 TT with a Dynavector xx-2 cart still and still an Accuphase tuner

No major HT for me though... will just head to the cinema for the best possible deal.. , maybe I buy all the tickets available ))

Attend all concerts possible... even best!! Set up a room for a good mid size band to perform right in front.. :p

Will go and dream now ..... LOL

[aawcy]

i will travel all the way to UK and visit Harbeth factory... btw, i am from M'sia..

[GregD]

Just as I am in the process of becoming more sensible about my hi-fi purchases - ie. less expensive more 'sufficient', I discover this thread! I'm not aiming for such high cost gear anymore but here is my lottery-win package (maybe!)

Large listening room specifically built to suit Monitor 40.1 (in a 5 channel surround configuration) with design/listening consultation from AS.

Nagra VPA monoblocks on each channel (that's 5 in total)

Custom designed by Tim DiParavicini multi-channel valve preamp (with meters, naturally!)

EMM Labs XDS-1 SACD player with EMM Labs multichannel DAC

EMT 950 turntable (BBC version) with EMT 929 arm and EMT cartridge

Thorens TD 124 mk.1 with EMT 997 arm and Ortofon SPU 90th Anniversary cartridge plus mono SPU

Magnum Dynalab MD-108T FM tuner with professionally set-up roof top ariel

Nagra VPS valve phonostage with 2 inputs for EMT/Thorens decks

Meridian Sooloos touch screen for CD playback

Nordost Odin cables all round (why not? just for a laugh...)

So that's probably what I'd do. Just thinking about it is giving me the high-enditis again! But to be honest, I'm quite happy listening with much cheaper electronics now and I realise it's the speakers (Harbeth's) that are the most important thing. If only I had room for M40.1...

PS. Does anyone know how I put a heading for my posts, it would help with searching threads etc. I'm not sure how to do it...

[STHLS5]

I would build a small Carnegie like hall and hire good musicians and singers to perform live whenever I want.

ST

[Sebastien]

...PS. Does anyone know how I put a heading for my posts, it would help with searching threads etc. I'm not sure how to do it...

First, you hit the reply to the thread button and the next page allows you to choose "Go advanced". Do it. Then, you are able to place a title to your post.

Sebastien

[BAS-H]

I'd blow it all chucking out my semi-detached neighbours and buying their house. Then I could crank up Carmina Burana to my heart's content! But seriously though, remaining nice to my neighbours and given unlimited funds, I'd replace my P3ES2s with P3ESRs, replace my ageing Rogers amp—which is mechanically falling apart—with a Creek Destiny 2, then get seriously into internet music streaming.