House rules I

here goes. time to set some rules and parameters first.
ill add to the list as i try to practice some self control and
realize its not just about the most expensive stuff that can reproduce music that u can enjoy. heck, u can remember beatiful moments listenig to music on jeeps and cabs..
or even listening to XB102's ultra weak signal on a basic radio back in the 80s.
The most beautiful music i can remember was as a kid listening to my father's record collection of nat king cole, sinatra and perry como on a National Quadrosonic system.
Large systems in one with two large speakers with horn tweeters and large woofer that gives a grunt and punch I still miss today.wait..im getting carried away with nostalgia again. Lets set some goals/rules/parameters/principles in one list :

1. The System or systems (i already have severel systems already so i cant make a rule that say just build one..too late for tha' eh ?) should be flexible and versatile. Be able to be comfortable running rock pop jazz dance folk with ease. not too revealing to make MP3s and pirated CDs useless.

2. I would have at least one Tube based amp..or a a Tube centered rig as the main system.

3. The Main System should not cost me more than 100K.
Yes, 100 thousand pesos only. that makes me a budget-phile huh ? Really, my system before would cost about 2 or three times. still not that high end but then there are just so many ways to spend money these days that can give you a lot of satisfaction too.

4. Should have an Analog besides a Digital Source

5. I need a system that i can also use for DVD playback of Concert videos and DVDs with great soundtracks.

6. I plan to integrate my Mac based media collection with the system. that means using itunes, iphoto and Front Row with a Tube based Analog setup. Convergence in my own home :)

7. It should be enough for the small place i live in now. Not too overwhelming. I cant play too loud as i can get evicted.

8. I would like Bookshelf speakers instead of Floortanders. Use a Sub for the Bass since im gonna be using a a SET based Tube Amp. Also allows me more control on the Bass.

9. Here's a hard one.. No component should cost me more than 20K. Yes, thats right no single component more than 20 grand. So I have to be creative here and buy used, find DIYs, go for locally made and hunt for great bargains. Or a work around will be a 20k Pre amp and a 20k amp..well thats okay. maybe a 20k transport a 20 k DAC and a 20K buffer / interface or cable. Some will definitely say that 20K for speakers is very limiting. yeah Maybe, but i have to live with that. I already found a 20K speaker that basically gives me what i need. Lets talk about that later..much later.

10. oh wait. i have an exception. some of the digital sources are Macs. My IMac Intel 20 and Macbook Pro aint gonna be under 20 grands but i use it for something else really so they were just integrated to the system. I had them before so that doesnt count.

Okay 9 rules for now. Some more as i remember them. for the meantime, let me listen to Alex Chilton's Set and browse about Big Star's 2005 release called In Space.
I just found out that they had a new album after 30 years a few days ago after i stumbled upon an old podcast sitting in my drive. Crazy... Well if you dont know who Big Star is ..I pity you!

Sparks

It has been awhile. Maybe about 3-4 years ago when i abandoned serious hifi and went the ipod way.not exactly fully stopped listening to CDs and stereo. I still kept an budget stereo system, a decent home theater setup and stil play vinyl from time to time. Maybe i didnt do a lot of serious listening and tweaking with all those jazz and vocal records playing over and over again. I did stopped caring what the sound of Cables were and ...aha ..no more tubes!

Okay maybe a short history then ..a very short one. many years ago..i had an ST-70..thats a vintage Dynaco ST-70 series one ..made in the 50s or 60s from the US and was a sweet sounding chunk of metal that spits magical voices and shiny notes amidst amber glows of hot vacuum tubes. Its a Vacuum Tube AMP for short. Well that started a whole chain of upgrades and spending spree. a thirst for high quality music listening culminating with sevral sets of systems among them a Conrad Johnson pre and power amp combo, a Musical Fidelity sysmte of A series Pre and Power Amp, CD Player and Tuner..and even their own Kelly K-2 floorstanders. Whoah those were good old days. Hmmm wish i had a picture of them i can look at now.okay. enough of the nostalgia and go back to the present hehe.

Im am back and hopefully wiser this time around. I once again aim to build something I can listento for hours non stop enjoying music that spans decades of my existence.
But this time ..i should have some guiding principles to live by and some parameters to work on (like budget and space..maybe time too).

So here goes ..its a new start. (actually I started already so Im just backtracking and trying to document wat i did already.