Being in an apartment kind of limits how big your system can be really unless you’re a complete a-hole. Just before the pandemic I bought a bundle from Best Buy that had a basic stereo amp and a pair of excellent Klipsch speakers for like 400 CAD$, and that setup pretty much sounds the best it can for the size.

My vintage turntable that I’ve used for 20 years and that used to be my dad’s died a few weeks ago, for good. I bought a “new” vintage turntable from the 70s at an audio store that guarantees they can keep repairing it. It was expensive in terms of being vintage, like 500-600$. But it is made of metal and has a base made of literal granite/stone and weighs a ton. I figured for 500-600$ at Best Buy or any sort of brick and mortar store, a modern Rega or Pro-Ject turntable I would get would be ass compared to this one.

At some point a few years ago I also bought a simple CD player to hook up to my amp because, yeah, CD players aren’t standard on anything anymore.