I was once a pretty serious audiophile. Really serious actually. I built a dedicated listening room, to “recording studio” standards, employing structural elements (reinforced walls for example) and acoustic elements such as diffusers and absorbers. It certainly created a wonderful environment that added to the enjoyment of music playback!

Inside this space I put, as the final specification of a system that went through many configurations, the following gear:
Krell KPS-28c CD player
Krell KRC-HR preamplifier
Krell FPB-600 stereo amplifier

B&W Nautilus 801 speakers, with custom crossovers

Purist power cables
Purist XLR interconnects
custom speaker cables (silver wire)
custom stands and acoustic suspension supports for components

While the electronics were all Krell, the speakers were really something special. I bought the Nautilus 801s and gutted them (!) removing the stock crossovers and wiring. I replaced the wires with pure silver and built entirely new and separate crossovers. Using Northcreek components, each crossover was 20″x16″x6″ and weighed 200lbs!

The entire system was valued at around $50,000 and the sound was truly amazing. Spacious, detailed, with strength, delicacy, nuance and pace. I don’t miss it so much as remember it fondly. Some things are just in your life for a time, and then they go and you move on.

Nowdays I listen to an old but well-cared-for B&W 802 IIs driven my a tiny (6W) single ended triode Minuet amplifier. The source? Pandora on my iPhone…