I can't think of any object that represents the Cave more than my stereo. I purchased the stereo way back in 1998 when I was in junior high. It featured a 200 Disc CD changer by Sony, a Nakamichi amplifier, and two Cerwin-Vega! loud speakers with 12 inch sub woofers. That stereo was really the center piece of everything that happened in the Cave. It rocked hard throughout junior high and high school, but ever since graduating high school in 2002, it has had a less than exciting life. I didn't take it with me to college, so it sat in my parent's basement, mostly unused. Since graduating from DePauw in 2006, it has made the trip with us to three different apartments. Of course, it is difficult to really rock out with such a big stereo in an apartment. So while it was set up and technically used, it really wasn't used the way it was supposed to be. With our newest apartment, we bought a bigger entertainment center and this time around there literally was no room for the big stereo speakers. Today, only 25% of the original stereo is being used - the Nakamichi receiver. The stereo speakers have been replaced by much, much smaller speakers. The CD player isn't even hooked up anymore as it wouldn't fit in the entertainment center and it wasn't being used much anyway. It will probably survive as a relic to 1990s pre MP3 music. The old stereo speakers are currently sitting in a closet, collecting dust. To make matters worse, one of them has a busted tweeter that rattles and vibrates with certain frequencies that needs to be replaced.
In some ways, the newest version of the Cave is better. I have a larger, high definition TV now. And I am still rocking 3 video game systems. But the lack of my large Cerwin-Vega! speakers is really a sad situation. When I came to the conclusion that I was going to have to bench the speakers, I made a vow that someday, they would return. They would make a comeback. And they would be rocked like they've never been rocked before. The question now is when? Only time will tell I guess.
Set-up at old apartment:
Set-up at new apartment:
Old speakers behind new speakers:
I had been looking to upgrade my audio system ever since college was over, and this past fall, the time was right when a sale + rebate on some CV loudspeakers amounted to a buy one get one free arrangement. Way too good of a deal to pass up, so I pulled the trigger.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't be more happy. I love all types of music, and quite frankly when I am enjoying it, I like to enjoy it at fairly substantial volumes...the in-home concert feel if you will. I know you can relate. LOL. I don't care what anybody says about these snazzy little BOSE speakers, and the rich, full sound they create. If you want to rock, you still need some big boys, and that's what the CV loudspeakers offer. The three separate entities dedicated to producing the low bass, mid-range, and high range frequencies offer unparalleled quality at that price.
My speakers are essentially the exact same as yours, just a decade or so newer. That technology changes very little with time. If anything, the difference is with our audio receivers. New and improved innovations like digital optical ports and things of that nature.
You're right though. It's hard, if not totally unfeasible to utilize a setup like that in an apartment dwelling. You really need your own house to make something like that worth the effort.
I'm glad you've made the commitment to the CVs making a glorious return someday in the future, but just as a fair warning, you're already fighting a losing battle, just by virtue of the fact they've been put into some dark corner of a closet. That sort of thing makes it much easier in the future for a wife to say something along the lines of "you know, we've gotten along just find without those for the past (X) years, you don't need to hook them up now, just because we've moved."
And that's nothing against S.E.B. specifically, it's just girls across the board for the most part. L.C.B. thinks I'm over the top with my speakers, so I think in general it's just something the female sex doesn't fully appreciate. Rocking out most definitely rests on the y-chromosome, if we analyzed it from a genetic standpoint. LOL
Truthfully, the next time I spend big cash on a stereo, it might be on a car stereo. I spend about 50-60 mins/day in a car right now, and it is an excellent time to rock out. Just pretty reluctant right now to spend big cash on a car stereo when I don't know how long I am going to be keeping the Grand Prize. Would like to wait until I get a car I am going to be keeping for a good while.
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