You can keep only one component from your system - what would it be?

[xanalog]

That all sounds wonderful!
The older I get the more I appreciate enthusiasm, and the less time I have for cynicism.
I like hearing about other people’s hobbies and whatever they are passionate about in life.

ummmm... that sounds like something from a date site!

The hard drive with the music on. Everything else can be replaced.

I was going to say that and I've probably spent more BS&T amassing a great digital library in the TBs (NAS and portable)!
Maybe my digital music player would be even more usable by itself than any other single audio hardware...

 

[Doodski]

Isn't antique Harley Davidson an oxymoron?

I never even thought about that but now that you mention that I think it is.

 

[RexrothPigeon]

You obviously weren't on the committee that judged this year's Nobel award for literature.

No, I'm sure they would agree that as great as they are, krasznahorkai's books are very hard to read

 

[Chrispy]

I never even thought about that but now that you mention that I think it is.

Don't even understand the Harley riders for the most part, seems it would be more like riding the worst functioning bikes possible unless loud and poorly performing were key.

 

[MattHooper]

ummmm... that sounds like something from a date site!

Ha, yeah, it does! Cheesy but sincere.

 

[dlaloum]

I am excluding my server/NAS with all the media on it.... ( as it also stores decades of emails, photos, and other sundry files... both work and home related)
For the rest of the setup, my #1 would definitely be the speakers (Gallo Nucleus Reference 3.2 / AV).... amps, AVR/AVP, all can be replaced (and periodically, have been).... I would have a hard time losing the Revox Linatrack TT... but I very seldom use it any more.

 

[Doodski]

Don't even understand the Harley riders for the most part, seems it would be more like riding the worst functioning bikes possible unless loud and poorly performing were key.

Yes, I think the same thing. They really get off on that very old technology though.

 

[Curvature]

Arendal 1723 1S. So discreet, no one's ever recognized it as a sub. Sounds good, too.

 

[MAB]

Isn't antique Harley Davidson an oxymoron?

I think modern Harley is oxymoron, antique Harley is redundant.
Sorry, had to pull your leg... I have nothing against Harley Davidson, antique or otherwise!

 

[MAB]

The One component is active speakers.

 

[GD Fan]

Speaking of achieving their goals, getting happiness and pride from finalizing a system. I had customers that went so far out of their financial comfort zone without me recommending that they do that because they realllly wanted a super nice system. They constantly regularly returned to the store for years after just to talk shop with me and explain how wonderous the gear really is, how they achieved their life long dream and filled their need for a home theatre system so they did not have to go to the theatre anymore. One guy a "Dave" was in and out every week or two for some time and was so overjoyed he could not help himself and could not stop talking about what the system could do and how his family had been turned around to appreciate what he bought when before they all thought he was obsessed. He was a barista, a low wage job everywhere and he saved every penny for years. He came to the store to often chat me for years to learn and get knowledgeable and get gear demos to keep his spirits up while he had no gear and saved money to get gear. He was so enthusiastic and joyful about everything and I mean everything that I gave him all the time that he wanted/needed while after my work mates said to me he was retarded and a wanker with no money. I knew he was a good customer, would buy in time and I was happy to spend time with him and give him all the insider information that he needed. I did that with all the people that had a interest. After ~1.5 years of me doing that and me working my butt off with all the customers while most of the other sales people leaned against stereo racks all day, complained about all the customers and gave the customers shorted time I was so busy writing up deals that I had no time to even go to the bathroom or take lunch breaks. One day Dave arrived out of the blue, he was so excited his eyes where wet, he was shaking/trembling, he was gasping with joy and he said he finally got enough money and he dropped large coin on a big system of high end Yamaha surround gear, nice speakers and left the store hours later so tired and worn from excitement that he almost tripped when walking away from me but he turned and announced it was all so worth it and was just a bundle of joy. People get major happiness from gear and they get very very excited.

That's a great story.

Definitely far better than reading repeated comments from posters who seem to turn up just to defecate on the thread.

 

[MattHooper]

The One component is active speakers.

That’s cheating!

 

[Joe Smith]

Interesting but hard question as most of the gear I have, I still like a lot, and most of it didn’t go for high prices. I think for me, I’d still save out my ADS L520 speakers as I love their sound so much. But if all my other equipment was gone, I’d probably buy a Benchmark amp and preamp and then I’d probably want to get some better speakers to go with those…and so it goes…

 

[Tatr76]

The hard drive with the music on. Everything else can be replaced.

Good point did not think of this. I change my mind, all the hours of burning cd's and money spent on digital downloads. Some albulms might be hard to find again.

 

[OCA]

My Oppo 205!

 

[Axo1989]

The One component is active speakers.

I've liked this for the thematically on-point Genelec pun.

 

[LTig]

My One component would be my active speakers (K&H O300D).

 

[mags65]

RME ADI-2 DAC. I think.

 

[Leporello]

Sennheiser HD600 headphones.

 

[Curvature]

As I’m contemplating retirement, and the possible shedding of gear at some point, I started to wonder what I could live with in terms of my system and what I could sell.

It brought to mind the question that is sort of an offshoot of this:

If your system was going to be taken away, but you got to keep one single component, from which you can move on and rebuild your system with different components, which component would you keep?

I guess it might be a version of “ what is your most cherished component in your system that you feel you could not do without?”

For me what sprung to mind is that I would choose to keep my Conrad Johnson Premier 12 tube mono amps.

They’ve been the most consistent factor in my system, as I’ve had them for something like 25 years now, powering all sorts of floor standing speakers, through periods where those were sold and I only had more modest stand mounts, and then back up to more expensive floor standers again when I could afford them.

It didn’t matter which speakers I had hooked up, every system truly sang to me with the CJs.

At this point, I don’t care whether it’s how they actually sound, or whether it’s a partial bias effect or entirely a bias effect. It does the job for me and I would want those on the end of any speaker I would use next.

How about you folks?

(I suspect I would get some slightly different answers here versus other audiophile forums, which is partially why I am curious).

I'll say that keeping the CJs is a very specific choice. A separate analog amp means a lot of other components are necessary for the system to work. Almost like not downsizing at all.

Would you ever consider being a modern technophile and getting all-in-one actives? No need even for a separate interface.

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