My love for music goes back to Christmas 1988 when I got my first boom box at 8 years old. Since then I’ve listened to every genre and played multiple instruments over the years. In 1995 I upgraded to a punchy little bookshelf system that set the stage for discerning a bit more sound quality. I’ve built several car stereo systems since then, but it wasn’t until recently I turned my attention back toward home hi-fi audio.

A few years ago I started collecting vinyl albums – jazz initially, like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, etc. Along the way I also picked up some classic rock albums like Boston, Styx, AC/DC. More recently, I’ve obtained some 90s alternative LPs and some indie/folk.

My vinyl gets played on a nothing-special Audio-Technica AT-LP60. It’s a solid entry-level turntable that gets the job done, but doesn’t feel substantial in the user interface department. I’ve spent months looking at potential upgrades, but haven’t settled on anything just yet.

I listen in 2-channel stereo, with no subwoofer at the moment. I accomplish an astonishing sound field with two Klipsch R-610F speakers (pictured below). These are rear-ported tower speakers with exceptionally balanced bass, mid, and treble. I’m honestly amazed at the amount of bass I get from the woofer/port combo. The performance probably also has something to do with how close these are set to the wall right now.

Over the past 4 years, my receiver has changed from an old Panasonic 5.1 channel home theater to a Sony 2-channel STR-DH190, to a newly acquired, reconditioned Sansui 6060 receiver. This latest acquisition was a few months in the making, researching and watching eBay auctions until I found just the right balance of performance over cost.

When I’m not spinning vinyl, I use a Wiim Mini fed into a Schiit Modi 3E DAC (digital to analog converter) then fed into the Aux ports on the Sansui to listen to a variety of streaming sources, with Spotify being my primary go-to. Using a media streamer on Wi-Fi gives a much better audio experience than Bluetooth connectivity.

My current setup never gets played above 50% volume out of the Sansui, with the EQ flat. The Klipsch R-610F speakers, by themselves, perform quite well with a clean-to-warm sound signature, and fill a 25 foot tall great room quite well, without overpowering it.

As mentioned above, I’m on the hunt for a turntable upgrade. One contender is the U-Turn Audio Orbit 2 Plus, while another is the Dayton Audio Belt-driven turnatable. Both have the aesthetics and many options I’m looking for.

In the next year or so we are planning on moving my stereo system into our finished basement, which is a much smaller space than our great room. Where it sits today is effectively the “dining room”, and is less than ideal. Once in the basement, I’ll be able to better position the speakers, out and aimed at the listening position instead of against the wall. I expect a much different experience, and might have to even downsize to some JBL L-52 speakers (maybe, maybe not). A subwoofer might be added later on if I feel it’s necessary with any speaker changes, but right now I don’t need it.

While I LOVE the performance of the Sansui 6060, I’d like to possibly obtain a 7070, 8080 or 9090, if for no other reason than for more headroom. This is certainly not a must have, as the 6060 doesn’t underperform in my current space – and is probably more than enough for the smaller room it will be going into soon.

Finally, I’d like to combine the media streamer and DAC functionality, but that will be further down the line, as I already have ~$200 invested in this portion of the system, and it works great!

Some will argue that this equipment is not true audiophile quality, and that may be true, but I’m looking at it as a journey. As my ears and tastes mature and my financial means grow the sky is the limit as to what sort of equipment I’ll eventually have. Are you an audiophile or music fan? Do you have a sound system you’ve built out? Are you happy with it or do you have regrets or room for improvement? Comment below!