What did YOU get for Christmas?


Now that the living room floor is covered with wrapping paper and the kids are camped in front of their newest video game, it's time to take a poll of 'goners and see what audio trinkets Santa brought everyone this year.

For me, it was a Kimber cable in my stocking to connect my iPod docking station to my Linn Classik, and a Tivoli Model 3 clock radio for the bedroom.

How about all the rest of you? Were you good girls and boys this year?
rsuminsby
I bought myself a pair of Harmonic Precision's new Caravelle Monitors. Thought they would have been delivered already. Of course, I sold my Revel M20s too soon and the delivery is being help up with some factory BS so, I'm presently going through the Audio DTs: NO MUSIC! It'll happen, though, and it will be grand. After break-in I'll share with you 'goners. peace,warren
I needed to have two major surgeries in late October and had most of my spine fused (T8 to L4). I had to give up my lowest left rib, but in the trade, I gained about 2 inches in height and I can walk without pain for the first time, since I was 17 (I'm 46 now). So, I made out pretty OK .

Anticipating a long recovery, I bought myself: about 50 CDs; 20 DVDs; a Creek OBH 11 headphone amp; some Sennheiser HD 600 headphones; and a Canon LiDe 80 scanner (I plan to scan 30 years worth of photographs onto discs).

Peace and Good Health to All!

Regards, Rich
The best present of all, great new music, the following CD's from the wife...

Alison Krauss, Forget about it
Vince Guaraldi, Cast your Fate to the Wind
Old & in the Gray
Chet Baker, My Funny Valentine
Dave Matthews, Some Devil
Art Pepper, Meets the Rhythm Section

Happpy holidays to everyone!
Sennheiser HD580 headphones, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" SACD, AC/DC's "Live At Donnington" DVD....and a really nice pair of gloves!
I went to "The Sharper Image" and decided to buy the top-of-line D-EJ2000 Portable CD Player and use my Pro35 Titanium headphones with it. Now, just as long as I don't get nuts and get another "upgrade itch" with an EAR Tube Headphone Amp and Grado RS-1 or 2's, I'll have some x-tra $$$$ for my mono amp upgrades at Musical Concepts, ugh !!!
A Kora Hermes Dac .Was an Early present bought on Audiogon. Best place to buy used Audio.
Rar1, I'm happier for your pain free walking than I am for anything I got. Todays gifts are tomorrows garbage.

I'm thinking about getting a PS Audio P300 with a little extra cash from my last check.
Rar1, good for you. A painfree life is a great present in my book any day.

Nrchy, I want one of those P300s, too.
Our Christmas came about 4 weeks early. We picked up some Thiel CS2.4's and some tube gear that I am going to restore. I nice Dynaco PAS-2 and Stereo 70, both in good condition and a Conrad Johnson PV-7 that will be modded.
I bought myself a gift for Christmas.
I sent payment yesterday for a Rogue 66 Magnum,black with remote.
Time to dump the cheap Audcom.
Anyone want to buy a tube preamp w/remote for $150? How can you beat that price? NOS RCA's included!
RXman,

This CD player received great review - Probably will beat Sharper Image.

http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_read.asp?ID=1286

I got a Yamaha sound processor to hook up my computer to an amp - It sounds good for those of you wanting to improve the computer experience. It's Yamaha Cavit - you can find them on buy.com, ebay, and other web sights.

There are many ways of getting a better sound out of computer now, but this one has effects as well - Europian concert hall, church, Jazz club, etc. It's not the highest standard like a Lynx soundcard, but improves the stock soundcard for sure - will do for midfi.

Looks smart by a computer. Buy.com has good prices on them now.
Nothing that will sound too interesting here...

I biased my Jadis Orchestra Reference, mastering with ease probably the hardest of all tube amps today to bias. It's kind of funny how those dealers want to put the fear of God into you when it comes to this stuff. Two meters, and piece of cake. Especially, compared to reassembling it. Wouldn't have even been a big deal to do it with one meter.

The end result is that I have never heard finer sound emanate from the amplifier, and the fantastic sound was not lost on the Christmas Eve/Christmas guests, not one of which is an Audiophile.

While I was at it, I biased the AtmaSpheres as well, but they're a walk in the park. Have to say the sound improved with them as well.

And, for the entertainment, I bought myself The Vince Guaraldi "Charlie Brown Christmas" CD. Had to hop around to two stores, neither of which could get over why this CD is so popular this year.

Happy Holidays to all!
Joe
A Hummer. Gotta buy something besides audio once in a while. Happy Holidays and have a great New Year.
Some great posts in the holiday spirit....season's greetings and happy new year to all on Audiogon!
I though about buying my wife a new pre-amp, but I decided against it, since she doesn't really listen to much music ;-)

Atually, my wife and I passed on buying each other gifts this year, and instead each donated $500 to a no-kill animal shelter near Seattle that helped us out in finding a home for a stray dog that I found on a golf course Thanksgiving weekend. My local humane society had deemed the poor guy "un-adoptable" due to his age and general health condition, and he was scheduled to be euthanized. Because one of my dogs is aggressive around her food, we couldn't take him, and my wife searched frantically for an alternative. At the 11th hour, she found Pasado's Safe Haven in Monroe, WA, and got them to agree to take him. We fostered him for 3 days, then drove him to Pasado's. They got him the medical and dental care that he so desperately needed, and gave him a home for the rest of his days. After visiting there and seeing what they do for animals that have been abused and/or abandoned, we both felt that maybe we could sacrifice our gifts to each other for one year, and help give the gift of life to an animal that didn't have the ability to help itself.

Maybe I'll get that new pre-amp for my birthday......

Mike
Mburns92,
You are indeed a good person! That is one of the best Christmas giving stories I have heard this year. My 6 year old daughter had a Christmas/birthday party and asked her friends to NOT bring her any gifts this year, but instead bring food, toys, bedding, cleaning supplies that we could give to our local no-kill shelter. We put everything into a large box, decorated the outside with photos of the animals at the shelter from their website, put a big bow on it and took it to them. You would have thought we gave them a million dollars, they were so grateful. The best thing is, it was all my 6 year old's idea. We have a shelter dog, a shelter rabbit, a shelter cat, and a Golden Retriever pup as well. Thanks for sharing with us such a caring attitude on the part of your family.
Well, I picked up the Platinum Series Extended Edition versions of the Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. I have been really enjoying not only the extended versions of the films, but the documentaries are very well done, as well. My wife also got me a boombox, and promptly told me (before I even opened the box) that it didn't sound very good, and that I would want to return it. Well, after listening to all the boomboxes available, I ended up getting a Sony GFD-G55. While not the end all, be all, it isn't too bad, and should help to make washing cars, waxing boats, and other garage-related work much more enjoyable.

Ho ho ho!

Tom.
Along with clothes and other 'usuals', my wife and I found out that she is pregnant with our first child.

This is most definitely the best Christmas I have ever had.

Z
Congratulations, Z! That is for sure the best present you could ask for! Welcome to a brave new world!

Tom.
Damn new PC that's really good however it uses WindowsXP-aaarghhhhhhh more bugs than Starship Troopers.
Sure do wish I could download that damn sevice pack.
Hoping a superior sevice to be resumed soon.
Santa bought and brought me a Krell SACD player some more fabulous Sonoran Plateau cables and a Bravo 1 dvd player. All are excellent and of high value. That Santa guy and I always agree. Tom
Hmmm a 2002 BMW X5 4.4L off lease..only 20000km....but had to reaaalllly stretch the loose change to get it..I guess no more audio upgrades for a few years...........
A couple of you guys were looking for a PS Audio 300 from Santa. FWIW: think about the Audio Magic line of power conditioners. I have gone from the Stealths, to the Matrix and now, the Eclipse. NIRVANA I couldn't be more happy. Also, the Shunyata Hydra is also excellent as well as Sound Application. peace, warren
So last year we (my wife) got pregnant. This year, I actually got a bunch of stereo gear! WOOOOHOOOO. Life is good.

Z