For example - for about 14 years I had a big ghetto blaster I took to all parties. Just twin tape decks. I played 1st gen copies of my vinyl and it sounded great! Absoultely fantastic sound. The quality compared to the vinyl was obviously pretty poor in terms of dynamic range, detail etc, but the particular properties of the box made for a great sound.
More recently I have replaced my home stereo with a high end amplifier, Mission speakers and my trusty empeg. The sound quality is way smoother, clearer and punchier. I had been getting fed up with the old CD player anyway and this was a breath of fresh air. It makes party compilations much easier - no need to ever change media, and extra tracks can be inserted on request. Even my wife likes the new kit, and she's generally against my predilection for gadgets:) Only downside is no home dock, and it will take me time to build one.
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Rory
MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
MkII, 240Gb in Mark Lord dock
MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock