the most simplistic stereo you have had

My Grado RS 2's, Grado headphone amp and a portable CD player. This is a great system!!!!!! I would recommend it to anyone. You can get a high end sound system for under $1000.00.

ten foot length of single-crystal 6-9's copper wire triple teflon-coated, stripped on both ends. one end attached via proprietary process to a .25 carat diamond, custom-ground in the vandenhull configuration and direct mounted (with a 5 gm. tungsten weight) onto a graham 2.0 arm, mounted on a kuzma xl tt. the other end split into 2 segments and each segment further split into 3 segments (this is for profesionals-DO NOT TRY AT HOME) gold soldered into neutrik balanced connectors plugged into an aesthetix phono w/pot phono/pre, driven directly to a boulder 2060 amp and thence to a pair of avalon eidolons. cost: ~ $97k. but, very simple. very satisfying. very much fiction. kinda interesting anyway, eh? (FWIW, i do own or lust after a good chunk of the described "system.")

my most simplistic is my present, which is the best i've had so far. wadia 850>analysis plus silver oval>warner imaging stereo amp>analisis plus oval nine cable> vandersteen 3a sigs. clean, simple and quite satisfying. must confess, recently added rel stadium11 sub direct in to amp speaker outs. its all there.

Marklivia, Your system 'sounds' great but not the most simplistic(meaning relatively compact). I would like to build system around B&W 302'S, CARY300LXI,CARY 301. Book shelf speaker size and integrated amp does it.

Yo Bemopti123, I brought home a modified Dynaco ST-70 ($150 used) recently and hooked it up to a pair of Radio Shack Optimus PRO LX4's ($100 pr. new + upgraded crossovers and Deflex) with zip cord. I fed it with a Rotel RC-971 pre amp ($25 used) and Yamaha CDX-930 ($25 used) using Straightwire Musicable 2. The I/C's cost ($30 new) more than the pre-amp or the CD. There's no bass below 60hz but for less than $400 Sade and Rickie Lee are just enchanting.