Audiophile Equipment

I learned the value of audiophile equipment early in my pursuit of the high end. I had accumulated enough gear for a system and was looking for the best possible tape deck… with Dolby C. From the popular magazines… Stereo Review, Stereo Times… the Harman Kardon T392 seemed to represent the pinnacle. So I bought one. It was OK… but such a huge step down from vinyl that I was genuinely bummed, especially since it cost something like $650… a lot of money at the time.

A few months later I was browsing a high-end audio shop and, somewhat morosely, told my story to a salesman. He just started laughing. “Those things are junk… you need a real tape deck.” He led me over to the window, where there was a seven-year-old used Nakamichi 1000… huge, with wood paneling all around it… looking more like a reel-to-reel than a cassette deck. He wanted $1,200 for it. That was an astronomical amount of money… and it was old. Then he said, “Take it home… try it.”

My first real jaw-drop moment.

It had the full depth and bass of vinyl… it was simply astonishing. It made the so-called “flagship” Harman Kardon sound like a cheap plastic transistor radio and without Dolby C. All that glossy magazine talk about bandwidth and specs… page after page of marketing… well, that’s all it was. This old, purpose-built audiophile machine performed leagues above the consumer-level product.

I was hooked.

It wasn’t my last audiophile purchase… but it was my last consumer-level purchase for decades.

ghdprentice04-25-2026 4:20pm

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curiousjim Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 5,940 posts 04-26-2026 at 03:15am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I remember getting a TEAC V510 because it had Dolby C and HX Pro. I bet I made at least 100 tapes with it. One day a sound guy friend asked to borrow a tape with current music on it. The next day I brought him a tape with the new YES album on it. He was working as convention and had this huge stage with all the huge pro speakers hanging from the rafters. Everything was tri-amped and EQ’d. He popped the tape in and hit play. The song, Owner of a lonely heart came on and it sounded like it was being sung by Alvin and the chipmunks! I was horrified! Turns out the speed was set wrong at the factory. I had to send it in to get the speed corrected. When I got it back, my 100+ cassettes were junque. I was able to re-record most of them, but what a pain!
audphile1 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,852 posts 04-26-2026 at 11:40am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete My first really audiophile component was a Hafler IRIS preamp I bought used from my buddy. It replaced a rotel preamp I was using at the time. First of all the IRIS sounded great. But the coolest thing was the remote control that had the actual volume and balance knobs you could turn. That preamp started it all for me.
audphile1 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,852 posts 04-26-2026 at 11:45am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @lalitk reel to reel is cool! I got this Teac that still plays but is in need of an overhaul…
elliottbnewcombjr Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,710 posts 04-26-2026 at 11:53am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete My Moment was when I inherited this, got it home, rested my back, then turned it on! https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11420 Here's the speaker's drivers, just replaced the 15" woofers with spares I had ready. They are only 68 years old.
greenngoldcheesehead Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 102 posts 04-26-2026 at 12:20pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Great memories ! The original Playlist. It is crazy how many dominant companies like Nakamichi have dwindled away.