Good to be here. Like most, music lover who didn’t understand hi-fi until later in life. Back in the 90’s, I found myself in a high-end stereo store with my boss at the time. Noticed a set of B&W 801s being purchased. Astonished, I asked the gentleman purchasing them if a pair of speakers were really worth that price. He couldn’t have been more sure. As for me, I was proud of my Infinity SM-150s and JVC receiver - they were loud! Years later, I found myself with a wife who was not fond of these huge speakers, but liked the Bose cubes instead - they were a little more aesthetic. It wasn’t until I listened to both side-by-side, that I understood how much was missing with the Bose. Fast forward many years later and I convince my wife the Bose has to go. I’d always remembered the B&W speakers from college, and purchased a set of 684s. The salesman asked what would power these, and I informed him I was running a Yamaha. Won’t work he said, find yourself a used Rotel at the very least. While it didn’t make sense to me, and I was happy with everything, I found an amazing Rotel 2-channel receiver on CL, and my world changed forever.
I’ve been through a lot of Rotel gear with B&W 683/684/685s, until a sleepless night had me phone surfing Reverb, and looking for B&W 802 speakers - where I found a set of B&W 801 S3s, similar to the S2s that started my curiosity back in the 90s. What I didn’t understand in my excitement to find a set in excellent condition, was the power requirement I just committed to. While I wasn’t unhappy with the bi-amp setup of Rotel amps, I wasn’t satisfied either. I read many reviews of how wonderful a speaker they can be, and knew I wasn’t there. Lots of reading and considerations in selecting an amp or amps - but decided to find a set of Bryston 7B-SST2s. The closest I came was finding a set of 7B-SSTs, which I’ve been super impressed with. Still running a Rotel RC-1082 preamp with a set of Harmonic Technology interconnects. As I realize this hobby never ends, I’m super interested in hearing a Bryston preamp as the next step!
The journey has been a lot of fun, as has been the ability to share this passion with others. I love watching the wow look on guests faces when they hear music through my evolving system.
