My Current HiFi System 2025
Audio has been in my life since I was a kid. I bought my first “system” at 15-16 and every week I would buy a new album. I would listen to that album all week until it was time for the next purchase. These days I am 100% into streaming as this brings millions of tracks right to our fingertips and the sound is unreal.
I get emails from time to time asking me what the state of my system is. It has changed often, usually every few months in the past as I get new pieces in that I fall for. I am a HiFi addict after all, lol. Just because I change a piece doesn’t mean what I had before is bad or no longer loved, I just like to keep things fresh for the videos and to experience as much as I can. I do this to learn, to compare and to understand what makes some gear cost as much as it does.
When and if anything changes here, I will update the page. This is the current state of my system as well as other pieces I may own but am not using right now.
Lucky for me my wife is into this as well. While I listen daily, she sits with me on the weekends and we both enjoy it. Here we are on our weekend “date” at a local brewery. After this we went home to listen to some music. Fun Fact, my wife and I met in kindergarten and went to grade school together. Now in our mid 50’s we enjoy the simple things in life above all else.
This is my current system:
Speakers
Icon 12 Speakers from O Audio.
IN SYSTEM NOW
From the moment I heard the Icon 12 and saw them in the flesh I knew that they would be right up my alley. These are majestic. End game for those who love a bit of warmth, big body, big bass and a sweet wide open treble that is airy and holographic. No sub needed or desired in my 13X18 space. These are amazing with any music and can do rock like I never heard. They do Jazz as if you are sitting in a club listening live. Ambient stuff is insanely room filling and the soundstage has an ethereal vibe going on. Compared to previous faves, there is no comparison as these offer the whole package.
These are without question some of my favorite speakers of all time as they deliver superb bass, full bodied mids and such a sweet open treble. They are on the warmer side with my Nagra setup but also have thunderous impact and a larger than life sound with stunning details being brought out from the depths of the recordings. They also sound super with a Modwright LS99 and KWA 99 amps as well as the Luxman 509Z I tested recently. I do not own those but have listened to them extensively with the Icon.
What I love most is that they sound great with just about all kinds of music and magical with well done recordings. Not bright, not dark, just right. Bass down into the upper 20’s. These are also easy to drive so no big power needed. When I listen to the Icon 12’s I never feel as if anything is missing and that, for me, is as good as it gets. These have a heart touching soulful vibe about them as well.
Pure Audio Project Duet 15
Also one of my faves of all time. I love these speakers for their looks and sound. I now have the Horn version set up which is a stunner of speaker. It’s a looker as well and brings the open baffle wide open sound. The bass doesn’t reach the heights of my Icon 12’s but the bass here is exceptional, plentiful and natural. In reality the bass here is pretty special as it sounds so real and unrestrained. These also now sound smooth as silk without any edge or brightness whatsoever. Careful amp matching is important and these sound fantastic with GaN amps as well, smooth as silk with the new LAIV GaNM amps but my Class A Nagra classic adds some magic and ethereal dimensions to the Horns.
I never feel the need for more. They have a unique ability to bring artists to your room with realism. The way these project voices into the room that may just induce goosebumps with Jazz, Vocals, and even acoustic instruments. I like rock and metal more with my Icon 12’s but even this kind of music sounds awesome here and I rock out on occasion with the Duets. For those times I want a wide open big vibe or even low volume sweetness with extra clarity and pizazz, I place these in.
Jazz has the clarity, snap and energy all intact and presented. Horns sound unreal. The Voxactiv version is just a bit more dense in the mids and may have the edge on all out clarity but the Horn, after extensive back and forth, is the one for me.
Amplification
Nagra HD Preamp, HV Version. The most refined, quiet, sweet sounding tubed preamp I have ever had the pleasure to hear. This was a dream piece for me, and it is worthy of being just that. Expensive? Yes, absurdly so but Nagra is known for this. This is not something I recommend for most due to cost but if you are in your later years in life and this hobby has fulfilled you throughout life (like me), this could be your ultimate component but this one will hurt the wallet. Maybe you just love audio and have the income to do this, if so, go for it. Life is short after all. I also love the Nagra classic preamp, which is really just as good but the HD just has a little more magic within it.
I have to say that the HD HV Preamp hasn’t mated perfectly with all amps (low gain) I have tried but is an absolute knockout with my Nagra Classic amp, a perfect synergy. This is a lower gain pre, so take care as to not pair it with a low gain amp. I recommend the Nagra Classic or HD line of amps for a perfect mate as Nagra seems to mate well with, well, Nagra.
I almost had to let this go due to $$ but in the end I just couldn’t do it but not sure if this will change in the future. Regrets are a S.O.B. Nagra is like the Leica of Audio in my eyes and once you experience what it does, it’s hard to forget. At the end of the day this offers a refinement that is as good as it gets. Also brings with it a high pride of ownership. Again though, I have to say that the retail pricing is a but ridiculous for a preamp. But hey, I own one ; )
It’s noise free and brings music out in a natural way, with a little glow from the tubes and an insanely beautiful midrange and top end. Bass, well, it’s about perfect but it’s not of the explosive variety. Nagra has now released the $100k+ Reference model which is insane and ridiculous IMO. I have no interest in that as this one, to me, is perfection in a preamp and I just can’t imagine a version of this that costs more, but welcome to 2025 high end audio.
Nagra Classic AMP. This is one of my fave amplifiers ever and may just be my #1 fave ever as I can’t stop listening and have compared it to several others under and above its price, and it always stays on top for these ears. Such a sweet sound with an airy treble, warm-ish midrange and just right big but controlled and rich bass. This is an organic beautiful amp that just brings such a revealing and open sound and at times even a haunting sound. Holographic imaging and yet never bright or hard. While it’s a pricey amp, it’s made to the highest standards and is built to last a lifetime using parts made by Nagra in house. I am using it with the VFS plate. It’s expensive, but we do sometimes get what we pay for and this is one of those times. These are also made in Switzerland.
These Nagra pieces sound amazing with whatever speaker I have paired it with. Big, open and a little warmth with the Duet 15 Horn. They are just about perfect with the Icon 12’s and offer a rich, deep and immersive experience. Other speakers I have tried also have sounded remarkable with this setup. As good as it gets for me.
I purchased the Nagra gear from Unveiled Audio.
Streamer
Nagra Streamer. This is the lowest cost item Nagra makes and while at $5k it is not “cheap” for just a streamer but again you are getting what you pay for in performance. There are streamers out there in the five figures yet I couldn’t care less. This streamer has beaten everything I have tested it against for my preferences (maybe not yours) and I love it for its simplicity.
There is no app needed, it is ROON ready, does Spotify connect very well along with Tidal connect. Only two outputs which is an N Link and COAX. I use the COAX and the sound is again, full bodied with amazing details and depth. Layers, texture, and yes streamers make a difference. Source is king and the Nagra streamer is excellent. This will bring streaming with the finest quality to whatever DAC you hook up to it.
I bought mine from Unveiled Audio.
DAC
LAIV Micro Harmony DAC. Yea, one would think that this DAC doesn’t fit in with the Nagra gear I have but this HiFi thing is more about synergy that what a piece cost. The Micro DAC is and will be in my products of the year for 2025 because of the insane value it offers. This DAC sounds better to me than a $5k+ DAC I recently heard and sound wise sits in that ballpark, it’s more real and well “live”. At $994 this is a bargain of the highest order. It is rich, somewhat warm, big body and with just the right amount of sparkle and details. I hate lean, harsh, bright and overdone transparency. This is not that. Instead it will get you moving to the music vs analyzing it. A STEAL! This is not a super transparent DAC as it leans more to the musical side, which I enjoy quite a bit.
Power Conditioning
VINSHINE/KINKI Tai Hang. This has been a tough one to crack as I have not been a fan of some of the power conditioners out there today, many that seem to be cash grabs. I found the Audioquest models to brighten up the sound and didn’t keep them long as they didn’t do a thing for the DC on my line as amps still buzzed. I lived with the Puritan PSM 156 for a couple of years as it effectively fixed my DC issue but even it brightened things up a tad in the sound. How these do that I am not sure but they do.
I now use the Tai Hang and it has been a miracle maker for my bad power. It not only fixed the DC issue on my line, it doesn’t limit current so amps can and should be plugged in as well. It eliminated EMI as well but who knows if that really affects audio. My amps sound better plugged in to the Tai Hang. Also, it eliminates noise and acts as a surge protector as well. It’s like a 3 in one that does everything well.
This launched at around $1k but due to Tarrifs it is now $1700, Yes Tarrifs are a tax on you and me my friends and many have already been raising prices in the audio world due to them. Even at $1700 it is well worth it and I prefer it to the Puritan and Audioquest models and even the PS Audio P20 I once owned, and enjoyed. I even tested it against another brands $6k model and prefer the Tai Hang, at least within my system and room. Fit and finish is awesome as well. Another bargain. Oh, and this one does not brighten the sound but did expand the stage and add a layer of refinement and it seemed to add some body to the sound vs taking it away like some do. Again, in my room with my gear so your results may vary. I love this thing.
Cables
For speaker and interconnect cables I use over a decade old Nordost Valhalla V1 for speaker and Interconnects.
Yes, cables matter. Period.
If you have invested thousands in an audio system and have skimped on cables you should reconsider as you now have a bottleneck in your system, holding it back so to speak. I see cables these days (40 years into this hobby) as a component but I also know that they will not usually dramatically alter the sound. I see cables as the “finishing touch” and go for synergy above cost or flash. Even so, I have found one cable I just keep going back to, three times now since 2003.
I have tested nearly 100 cables over the last 40 years and always go back to the Nordost Valhalla. These are in no way “bright” as some have said. Again, synergy is key here. Do not place them in a system that has lean or bright speakers or a lean and bright amp. These allow the truth to be told. In my system as shown above these offer an amazing level of bass definition, treble sweetness and midrange awesomeness, meaning these never bring a lean sound to the mids, rather they help flesh it out some while still digging deep for details. These are neutral when paired with the right amp and speakers. They allow all info to transmit and I have never found another cable I like better, even the V2 Valhalla. I did go for a while with my fave $39 specials but when going back to the Valhalla I heard what I was missing.
In any case, the Valhalla is a cable you keep for life. I have no desire to change it up. These retailed for $13k back in the day just for the speakers cables alone. I bought mine used, but mint, for $3k (9 ft pair) but used prices seem to have shot up lately on these. I also use Valhalla XLR Interconnects, which can be found used on average for between $1100-$1700 for a 1M set. If you want a “NEW” Valhalla V1, the closest you can get is the Nordost Tyr 2 which is almost the same cable.
See my Video on the Nordost Cables.
Other Gear I own and sometimes swap out for a change.
EPO SOUND Red Millennium Deimos Speakers from Poland. Unique with a big bold sound.
ELAC DB63 Bookshelf Speakers, Budget but very good sound.
PURE AUDIO Project Duet 15 with Voxactiv 1.6. These bring a different flavor vs the horn but both are awesome.
Black Ice Audio FX10 H tube amp. This $800 amp is so good for the money. Small and Sweet.
Wiim Ultra Streamer and Vibelink Amp (as a low budget reference)