I wanted separate left and right speakers that would produce a convincing image at the primary listening position, and I wanted genuine hi-fi performance on a par with my previous system. Even if my infinitely better half had consented, I wouldn’t have wanted that. A component system would dominate the room, spatially and visually, and turn a stylish multipurpose space into a main-floor man cave. There was no way my Moon-Totem combo would work in our living room. If I wanted a hi-fi system, it would have to go downstairs, in the living room. In our new place, my second-floor home office is great for headphone hi-fi but too small for listening out loud. That system brought me endless hours of joy, and served as a reference point for product reviews.
Most of my listening was digital, from a modified mid-2011 Mac Mini running Audirvana Plus 3 music software. For analog playback, I had a Pro-Ject 2Xperience SB turntable and Ortofon Quintet Bronze cartridge. My system consisted of a fully loaded Simaudio Moon 340i 100Wpc integrated amplifier and Totem Signature One (and, previously, KEF LS50) speakers. In our old house, a loft on the third floor served as my listening room.
Spoiler Alert: This story has a happy ending, plus lots of lessons for applications where conventional components won’t work.
Downsizing would free up money for our retirements (we are now both, officially, geezers) and simplify our lives.ĭownsizing also meant simplifying my hi-fi - and therein hangs this particular tale. Our kids had long since left the nest (lucky us!), and that big five-bedroom house was way more real estate than we needed. We would sell the Toronto home where she had lived for 26 years, and move to a smaller house in the same neighborhood. A year ago this month, my missus and I made a life-changing decision.