Hi,

I have had an interest for music since I was a child and in hifi since I was about 20 years. The balance between music interest and hifi interest has somewhat shifted over the years towards hifi. Now roughly 15 years later I have collected more hifi than I can use and many machines have passed by. I like the odd stuff, especially vintage, and cannot say no to a good deal.

My main speakers which I will hold on to for as long as possible is a pair of Beveridge Model 2-SW. The amps have been overhauled with new components and circuit boards in the high power section. The amps are for Model 2 so it needs an active crossover, the subwoofers haven't any crossover either. Now I have an Infinity IRS crossover but have also used a John Curl designed Symmetry ACS-1. Lately I have found interest in digital crossovers and room correction and picked up a TacT TCS mk1 for a fraction of it's price when new, I haven't started using it though. For preamps I have an Audible Illusions M3A and a Conrad Johnson Premier Two. As I'm a software developer most of my music is consumed digitally from computers, I have several USB-to-SPDIF converters (StahlTech, AR-T, Audiophilleo) and DACs (Metrum Pavane/Hex/Octave, AMR DP-777, EAD TheaterMaster Classic Signature). For small discs I use an Audionet VIP (can also do multichannel into the TacT) and for bigger I have a Technics SP-10 mk2 in a Vinlyista plinth with room for 2 (soon 3) tonearms. Future project is multichannel with a pair of prototype speakers using German Physiks DDD elements as back channels.

A few years back I stumbled over my dream turntable from an aesthetic point of view, as it happened it was even a very rare mk2 version: Marantz TT-1000 Music Link. I ended up buying it along with a full Music Link stack incl phono stage and CD, all in mint condition and with original boxes. Having always felt that the half-size music link series never really did the TT-1000 justice I started to glance at the ones that replaced the music link series, the SC-5/BB-5 preamp and SM-5 stereo amp with more copper and aluminium than anyone would ever need. To make a long story short I now own the SC-5/BB-5 and one SM-5, wanting to add another SM-5 as these can be used as mono blocks and a CD-7 as this matches the amplification perfectly aesthetically and can be used as a DAC as well. They do make the TT-1000 justice!

For now though I'm mostly listening through a pair of Stax Omega mk2 as I have a soon to be 2 year old son being everywhere, all the other stuff is more or less in storage but will soon be playing again.

My musical taste is very mixed but mainly based in Jazz I would say, but a lot of singer/songwriter, classical, folk, pop, rock and blues. New discoveries for me are Luke-Sital Singh and Roo Panes. Old time favorites are Ane Brun and Ani DiFranco. I'm also very fond of the Swedish bass player Lars Danielsson and finnish pianist Iiro Rantala. Of course the late Esbjörn Svensson will be forever missed, I'm so happy I got to see him live!

That's a lot more than I intended to write!
/Erik