@Sweetsound : I - then 'we' - had the old gear, which consisted of a large flat board with all kinds of (sliding) controls, glass lid over the top, largest area reserved for record-playing - (and hubby had connected a 5-unit CD player to it, which stood on a shelf above it) - one could even record our own voices etc., had an inbuilt tape player/recorder - It was a huge luxury even then ($2800 if I remember correctly), bought it, because we thought, S. had just snagged a scholarship with the Royal Northern College of Music Manchester ..... but it came to nought and a bill for $6000 arrived - (S. managed to win various scholarships afterwards though, she had an amazing male teacher (Jewish man), wish I remembered his name - was a performer himself at one stage and couldn't cope with the pressure, so went into teaching . . . he encouraged her to go into performing) All in all the equipment lasted for over 20 years and the speakers are still working even now, but by then hubby was dead and I could no longer afford the latest prices for Bang & Olufsen, so have 'winged' it ever since. And with so much music available via computers, there is really no need for expensive in-house equipment, even though I have a large collection of CDs as well as disks, which I play on a cheap 3-in-1 set (cost: $250 something) which also has radio and even tape equipment. My former home was great too, living room was large and it had wooden floors, empty space underneath, tall ceilings and any music sounded like it was being played in a cathedral - remember one young chap playing his guitar there and it felt like we were in the Alhambra . . . My kids' former piano teacher gave a little performance at Christmas in that house, in the year before my husband died - that was something, also - she was a 'name' here in W.A. and still played well, aged 90, despite arthritic fingers.
I am surprised that one does not get better 3-in-one units - mine is o.k. as I mostly use it now for radio and CDs, but miss my 5-unit CD-player - that was really handy for parties, you just slid the CDs in, put it on 'random' - and could forget about it. Also in these cheap units the CD-player invariably breaks down, so I have attached a 'cheapy' single player by wiring it to its owns speakers, which looks untidy.
I listen mostly to Radio (ABC) in that room - the classical music programs and play the odd CD. Records slumber underneath. Go well Taurisk
