I’m 68, so how much time is left in the hourglass and money in the bank account? 😅
I think I could be very happy with my Vandersteen Treo CTs for the rest of my days, unless I came into a pile of stereo bucks and then it could get interesting. If I could design a new listening room and system from scratch, then Rockports (my dream) would be on the very short list. I’d have to listen to Magicos, Stenheims, TAD, Wilsons, and a few others too. Maybe even have TWO systems, one with a low power tube front end and very efficient speakers, and then a "big rig". Now, back to reality. The Treos work for me because they are very good looking imo with a good WAF—wife acceptance factor—and can go in the living room near to the front wall, if I no longer had my own listening room. They sound great to me, but I’ve moved up from several pairs of Vandy 2s over the decades so I like their sound.
I’ve never had the time, money, or patience to change my system as frenetically as some people do. Mainly, it’s a means to an end—listening to the music. I could probably be happy with KEF LS50s (one of John Atkinson’s references) or some other excellent small bookshelf speakers, along with a good integrated amp, if I HAD to. I hope it doesn’t come to that! A pair of Dutch & Dutch powered streaming speakers would be a great truly simple system, and they are said to be excellent, though $15k.
One of my audio mentors back in the 80s (my former boss, a gear geek) had some wonderful British systems, Quads and Rogers LS3/5a with Brit amplification, etc. I remember them fondly. My first pair of good speakers were Time Windows, bought from a friend and powered by a Hafler amp/preamp and then Carver amp/preamp, and I remember them as being very good. Then I got onto Vandersteens for the last 20+ years.
