@feeling_zen I haven’t read all the posts but I am sorry you Are boxing up.
I lost my listening room to make way for a play room. My children are 4 and 1.
My system migrated into the main living room where I now prefer it in all honesty.
I have to admit I actually do far more listening now that I have children then I did before however. Once the kids go to bed it’s our time and I find it the best stress reliever and I couldn’t be without it.
Having the luxury of a play room also means that although toys and playtime does make it into the living room, it doesn’t concern me and I just move it back out come 7pm. I totally see where you are coming from tho and if everything had to be in the one room, I’d be doing the same as you.
Can you imagine that the valvular performance will hook you and you find it difficult to return to the Naim sound…? Interesting and uncertain moments are coming…
hmmm dunno. none of the speakers I’ve ever loved have really lent themselves to valve compatibility. And I’m not into the stereotypical classical or jazz genres that for whatever reason seem to generate the mostly true cliche of the valve lover.
But never say never. I’m really looking at this as a fun diversion while I get our ducks in a row with better living arrangements. It’s as much of a Luxman itch (which are sort of the closest thing in Japan to a spiritual twin of Naim) as a valve itch.
At 10wpc, I could easily put on Tool, Leftfield, or Montrose, crank the volume and realise the folly of the whole thing.
Or, perhaps, with a good choice of speakers, something with good horns and high sensitivity, like the Klipsch Heresy III (contents of size and price, very good sound and 99dB @ 2.83V / 1m in 8 ohms), you realise the folly of the whole previuos thing. That integrated amp looks like a Luxman’s little wonder, which must need some other little wonder connected to the speaker terminals, .
That Luxman Amp has had a rave review from Ken Kessler so if it is as good as he says I think that you will be very happy. Failing that I think it’s time for a serious audio player with some headphones
Commiserations, and best wishes for a tolerable in between time. Hoeofully your search for somewhere to build will be fruitful - and maybe even alliw a touch of acoustic consuderation to one room…
I know how land is at a premium in Japan - is it realistic to find somewhere suitable? I assume so, given your active plans.
I had dealy wanted to find a plot of land in UK, having a house to my design having been a dream fir decades, but everything remotely suitable in an area we’d choose to live is snapped up by developers aiming to put 6 or 8 homes where I’d put one, pricing land out of reach.
It is. All depends on where. For houses, building new is still the norm here. To the extent that if there is a house on the land you buy, tear it down and build what you want usually. Land prices in my current neighborhood are crazy and since we moved in got priced out of the area. You could spend $3 million and not get 100m2 and still have to pay for a house. But we’re restarting an old life back in Hokkaido. While the city centres are cost prohibitive, further out a good plot with some green space is very affordable. We’ve saved well. Transitioned to work from home careers so can keep our Tokyo salaries. And want to build the ideal home in our early 40s rather than when we’re too old to appreciate it.
Everything good comes at a price. In this case, it’s stepping off the property ladder for a couple years (kids need more space yesterday, not in 2 years) and putting up with a natty rental until we get back on the ladder where we want to be. Music is really important to me and part of these future plans is based on a having room for a great system to be used. But no pain no gain.
A new house will happen. I’m determined. And since we’re designing it from new, I can make sure everyone has their own space and get away from open plan hell. I still want the system in the living room for all to use. But it’ll no longer also be the kitchen/dining/living/creche/storage room. And when that happens, out comes the Naim, the AV processor, a few long planned upgrades and maybe even the kids will be old enough to sit through Star Wars without getting bored or crying.
Sounds excellent - very best wishes for a successful and not too traumatic transition.
We loved Japan when we visited early in 2019, and are determined to go back some time to see more of some places where we only had a day or two. The most respectful people I have ever met, at least in our experience as visitors - something I could get used to!
Once my daughter started crawling about I loaned my system to a friend as I was concerned about her getting crushed pulling my standmound speakers on to her. I think I could have lived with the speakers getting damaged, but not with any harm coming to my daughter. After almost 4 years and a move to bigger house the time came to re-claim them. However the new house layout didn’t really leave room to have speakers in the living room. Also we now have a large clumsy greyhound that would probably knock them over. I made the tough decsision to sell the lot and got a Muso QB2 as replacement. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to live with the compromise however I’m so glad I did. Having a system I couldn’t/didn’t use was just not worth keeping. I now play music all the time and have bought loads of new music since buying it. I think in the 4 years of having nothing I bought about 2 albums and rarely played music, but then I didn’t really have much to play it on.
At least there is an end goal of having it again in sight. Box it up with that in mind, but in the mean time get a Muso. Yes, it’s sonically a compromise over your main system, but a Muso that you use regularly sounds way better than even a statement system you can’t use.
.