Well, it might only do two of those things…
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Found a Used Esoteric for less than I’ll have into the Jay’s Audio piece. No big deal.
Eventually I’ll have multiple DCS stacks.
Hi Ron,
If I had the money, I’d buy the Esoteric and Magico equipment.
Others buy boats, sports cars or other stuff you might consider useless. But that is the whole point of hobbies. To one person it’s worth the money to the other it’s a waste.
I had similar reactions, even on my Stellar Gain Cell DAC (for which I saved up) from somebody who drives a motor cycle. So what? I care more for my stereo than for a motor cycle and my friend acknowledged it.
Why a Stellar and not T+A or Esoteric? We care even more for our home interior than for the stereo. I love carved solid wood, even if veneer May look the same, I go for solid wood. Granite counter tops rather than composite material etc.
Equally I like rugged metal parts (of the Stellar, T+A, Esoteric and many more) over cast Aluminum (Aluminium) affixed corner parts and MDF top plates of the Direct Stream enclosures.
6 mm solid Walnut or Ash or Oak seem more appropriate to EUR 7000 units and please no cast aluminum corners. The Stellar series proofs it, it’s not a cost issue but taste. So I fully understand that others really like the looks of the direct stream enclosures. Just not my cup of tea.
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If I might make a comment on looks. When I was cruising the HiFi shop windows in Singapore, full of all sorts of gear at all sorts of price points, the thing that jumped out at me over and above everything else was the Esoteric Grandioso stack. To me it’s a work of art. Just like a Breitling Navitimer is a work of art, but I don’t need a watch to know the time.
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Yes. Their message was supposed to be a little less emphatic since at the time we didn’t know for sure, but back then chances were not looking good. We did find a drive and now the transport will handle SACD.
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I love the T+A aesthetic. So very Braun-like in its soul. I adore the Rams aesthetics wherever I can find them. Too expensive here in the USA though. Maybe someday
That being said, I totally agree with you. The Stellar industrial design is GORGEOUS. Timeless and something I’m proud to have visible in my home.
Many nose prints of little Rudolf on the outside of the shopping windows displaying the Braun stack. I see your point.
If only Braun still existed in its old way. Once Gillette bought them, it was over. Now they’re just licensing badly made copies of the old design aesthetic. What a pity.
Add to it RIP:
- Telefunken
- Grundig
- Blaupunkt (car stereo)
- Infinity
- …
Good news, some are coming back in full glory:
- Technics
- Thorens
- Perpetuum Ebner
- DUAL, (note that there are 2, one cheap trick Azian Brand License deal and the other the German restarted “real” DUAL deal
Then there are the new stars:
- PS Audio is certainly pushing out for growth and performing not bad
- Emotiva
- AURALiC
- Meze
So plenty of choices, I’ve come to realize.
But none offering that optical synergy slim line design with all those options in high quality. T+A old R series comes very close.
But they top Braun on quality level. The “small” models of the R-series start at approx EUR 6000 to 7000 and when I saw some T+A prices in the US, neither T+A nor their rep in the US seem to bother what the mark up for US import is. Unfortunately.
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I have been very curious about Meze and whether they are worth the price of admission. I have far too many sets of headphones but those Classics speak to me.
I suppose I should take some satisfaction in payback on the T+A stuff given the import duties y’all pay on the PS Audio gear, but it is really beautiful stuff. Too bad I’m not still active duty-I could have used a Germany assignment.
I have a Pioneer turntable now but may go for a real Technics in the coming years. Their new stuff is just beautiful.
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My first pair of high-end loudspeakers were the Braun/ADS stand mount CM7’s… They sounded awesome in the day. Wish I never sold them come to think about it… 
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Those are BEAUTIFUL.
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Mike, they sounded beautiful too. They were well built and very heavy for their size. I believe they were made from some form of composite material that was fairly heavy and very inert…which probably helped in the great sound they produced.
Ah, the glory days of Braun. I hate Gillette and for that matter P&G even though they are a local company. They buy these companies and just destroy what made them desirable in the first place. Braun now is all made-in-China junk. Either licensed, or in the grooming realm, just not made to last. At least Philips and Panasonic seem to respect their brand ethos and still make good stuff.
Sorry, Elk, if I’m going off-topic. I’ll stop ranting here.
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I’d opt for the players to play in my space at those prices.
Actually I do that to some extent as it is.
I had the ADS L810’s as my first serious audiophile speakers. I always enjoyed them and at time hated to see them go. Drove them with a GAS Son of Ampzilla amp and AGI 511a preamp.
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I do as well. Throwing a home concert with top musicians is a great deal of fun and a wonderful experience for everyone.
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I currently listen to a pair of ADS/Braun L810s I bought in 1976. I later added a pair of ADS L810s in the mid 90s. I will let them go when they bag me and tag me.
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Emotiva? Really? Basic stuff, that doesn’t sound great. Good for the money, but, definitely not a star
You certainly know more about it than I do as I have not heard anything of them playing, but their AV Processors seem to get top notch reviews, their specs are good and apart from the Yamaha RX-A 5200 one of the best looking processors.
But as you see I mentioned them just based on my observations from their WEB-Site and reviews.