Electronics You Would Buy Just for the Looks

[Ken Newton]

I've never seen a piece of audio equipment that has compelled me enough to buy based on looks. If one did, an amp that looks like an inline 6 or flat 6 engine would be pretty cool. In my single days I would have liked at least a coffee table of the former.

I have, if only I could have afforded them at the time I would have bought them. One is, the the four tower Infinity IRS speaker system, still probably the most awesome looking speaker system I've even seen. Another is, most any of the B&O gear from the 70's and 80's. I still drool over the look of their Beolab 9000 CD changer, as antiquated as it now is.

Of course, I learned long ago that looks tell you little to nothing about the sound. Never buy audio gear based on looks, reviews or brand name alone. But, oh, the audio dreams back then!

 

[watchnerd]

One is, the the four tower Infinity IRS speaker system, still probably the most awesome looking speaker system I've even seen.

You cheated! You put speakers...

 

[Deleted member 65]

I've almost bought one of these more than once...

Nice, I've got this in our summerhouse. Bought it for looks and excellent reception of weak signals.

 

[Sal1950]

I have, if only I could have afforded them at the time I would have bought them. One is, the the four tower Infinity IRS speaker system, still probably the most awesome looking speaker system I've even seen.

Paul McGowan recently restored a set and rebuilt the whole PS Audio listening room for them.
http://www.psaudio.com/forum/latest-ps-audio-news/the-infinity-irs-journey/

 

[watchnerd]

Nice, I've got this in our summerhouse. Bought it for looks and excellent reception of weak signals.

Isn't Sweden going all DAB soon?

I thought an old tuner would be obsolete in the very near future.

 

[watchnerd]

Paul McGowan recently restored a set and rebuilt the whole PS Audio listening room for them.
http://www.psaudio.com/forum/latest-ps-audio-news/the-infinity-irs-journey/

Impressive!

But I have no desire to own such colossi in my own home.

I'd rather spend that much money on travel + music; I still haven't been to the Bayreuth Ring Cycle.

 

[Deleted member 65]

Isn't Sweden going all DAB soon?

I thought an old tuner would be obsolete in the very near future.

No, latest government proposal presented a few months ago is that we'll keep FM, we do have some DAB2.

 

[Deleted member 65]

This combination I bought solely for the looks mid 70's. Miss it sometimes.

 

[Ken Newton]

Impressive!

But I have no desire to own such colossi in my own home.

I'd rather spend that much money on travel + music; I still haven't been to the Bayreuth Ring Cycle.

Watchnerd,

I suspect that you may have missed the point of the original question. I don't think that it was about what was a good purchase value. I think it was about what components were so visually appealing or arresting that their looks seriously competed with obtaining an informed consideration of their actual sound (kind of like not giving much thought to what sort of personality a beautiful woman might have when you first meet simply because you're entranced. ) To me, we're talking industrial design works of art here. Of course, beauty being in the eye of the beholder. I think that those admittedly colossal IRS speakers are beautiful in their imposing stature. I used to think; they look so badass that they simply must sound badass too.

 

[watchnerd]

Watchnerd,

I suspect that you may have missed the point of the original question.

Gosh, I hope I didn't miss the point of the original question since I'm the original poster!

P.S. "electronics"

Love you!

 

[Intamin]

Pretty much anything from Esoteric, but to be specific, the grandioso stack.

 

[watchnerd]

This combination I bought solely for the looks mid 70's. Miss it sometimes.

I had no idea Ampzilla was purple.

 

[Sal1950]

I used to think; they look so badass that they simply must sound badass too.

That's a case where expectation bias can work in a good way.

This combination I bought solely for the looks mid 70's. Miss it sometimes.

Well timed flashback along with the recent coverage of Bob Carver . James Bongiorno was on the same path and attracting the same customer base as Bob.

 

[Deleted member 65]

That's a case where expectation bias can work in a good way.

Well timed flashback along with the recent coverage of Bob Carver . James Bongiorno was on the same path and attracting the same customer base as Bob.

Bongiorno seemed to be a really nice & colorful man, had his pickup at the time, bought just for the name - GAS Sleeping Beauty

 

[Sal1950]

GAS Sleeping Beauty

GAS = Great American Sound, for those too young to remember.

 

[Ken Newton]

Gosh, I hope I didn't miss the point of the original question since I'm the original poster!

P.S. "electronics"

Love you!

I didn't recall that it was you - LOL!

 

[Ken Newton]

Paul McGowan recently restored a set and rebuilt the whole PS Audio listening room for them.
http://www.psaudio.com/forum/latest-ps-audio-news/the-infinity-irs-journey

I've always wanted to hear the IRS-V, which was advertised to cost $20,000 back around the late 70's to early 80's, as I recall. A King's ransom for an HiFi component at the time - today, there are multiple speaker systems priced at more than ten times that amount. I've only heard the IRS in my imagination.

In the real world, I've long been curious about the sound of the, so-called, 'poor man's IRS'. Where, mirror image pairs of the Eminent Technology LFT-8b ribbon hybrid towers are arranged side-by-side for each channel (photos of single pair, for scale, and then the quad tower poor man's IRS arrangement are above). While the LFT's aren't anywhere near as imposing as the IRS, they also are only a small fraction of the cost. Four LFT-8 towers presently cost only $5,000. Unfortunately, I've not had opportunity to hear this poor man's IRS either. Perhaps, someone reading this thread has heard it?

 

[iridium]

The sound of some motors are special audio to me, and this should be loaded with enough electronics:
iridium.

 

[Sal1950]

I've always wanted to hear the IRS-V

Yep, me too but never did. I did hear the little brother IRS betas a couple times at one of the downtown Chicago High End stores. We had Paul Heath and Victors basically across the street from each other an it was one of them. (I think, maybe it was Pro Musica) Both very elitist stores for back in the day, damn near asked to run a credit check to let you in the front door. LOL I used to take the L or bus downtown every few months to get a boner ogling all the goodies. But for the 70s-80s they did have all that very top shelf gear you otherwise only read about in the underground HiFi journals.

 

[Sal1950]

The sound of some motors are special audio to me, and this should be loaded with enough electronics:

Me too,