Hi there!

[Sfinge]

Hello from the sunny Italy.
Said that, I hope you will forgive my language errors.

I grew up in the 70's, when HiFi - thanks to the Japanese production - started to become an accessible status.
As a student with no money, my friends and I could only dream looking at the shop windows.

Over the time I saw the others placing the HiFi system in their room, and I remained still dreaming, using a very old tube-radio-turntable.
One day a wealthy and generous family friend replaced his system, and decided to offer us (I had a brother) the old one as a gift. And what a gift! Thorens TD-160, Pioneer SA-9100 and Bozak B-211.

We became the ones with the most powerful and probably best sounding system among our friends.
When I left family home, I left all there (no room for the Thorens) and our vinyl collection. My brother brought it with him when he set up his home.

Coming to the present day, I can say to be now an owner of Electromotion ESL.
When we renewed the furniture in the living room, the old cherry finished speakers were an eyesore, and I have to thank my wife who appreciated my proposal to get the EM ESL's.

We live in a flat in the city, our home is not huge and it seems they are the perfect speakers for our livingroom. Honestly I'd like a little more space but I can already get a quite realistic soundstage, less easy to reach but certainly deeper than before.

I will probably ask you for help in choosing an amp that squeezes the best out of them. But one step at a time, for now I enjoy them with my current electronics.

PS. I still own the tube radio. It needs to be repaired, but I keep it as a fond memory from my father.

 

[Robert D]

Hello from the sunny Italy.
Said that, I hope you will forgive my language errors.

I grew up in the 70's, when HiFi - thanks to the Japanese production - started to become an accessible status.
As a student with no money, my friends and I could only dream looking at the shop windows.

Over the time I saw the others placing the HiFi system in their room, and I remained still dreaming, using a very old tube-radio-turntable.
One day a wealthy and generous family friend replaced his system, and decided to offer us (I had a brother) the old one as a gift. And what a gift! Thorens TD-160, Pioneer SA-9100 and Bozak B-211.

We became the ones with the most powerful and probably best sounding system among our friends.
When I left family home, I left all there (no room for the Thorens) and our vinyl collection. My brother brought it with him when he set up his home.

Coming to the present day, I can say to be now an owner of Electromotion ESL.
When we renewed the furniture in the living room, the old cherry finished speakers were an eyesore, and I have to thank my wife who appreciated my proposal to get the EM ESL's.

We live in a flat in the city, our home is not huge and it seems they are the perfect speakers for our livingroom. Honestly I'd like a little more space but I can already get a quite realistic soundstage, less easy to reach but certainly deeper than before.

I will probably ask you for help in choosing an amp that squeezes the best out of them. But one step at a time, for now I enjoy them with my current electronics.

PS. I still own the tube radio. It needs to be repaired, but I keep it as a fond memory from my father.

What city do you live in? We had a great family vacation in Italy back in the summer of 2019. I would love it if we could move there after retirement!

 

[Sfinge]

I live in Milano. Not the best place of Italy, but a nice city, not too far from the seaside, the lakes and the Alps. And the most active place where to be if you want to work. Where were you looking at for your retirement?

 

[Robert D]

I live in Milano. Not the best place of Italy, but a nice city, not too far from the seaside, the lakes and the Alps. And the most active place where to be if you want to work. Where were you looking at for your retirement?

Well, if we were to do it, I think we would look to be in the Florence area or Sorrento! Being retired we wouldn't have to worry about jobs.

Awhile back I saw where Italy was selling homes on a beautiful island for $1! There was an agreement where you had to spend around $25,000 fixing up the home using local workers and artisans. That sounded really cool. Rebuilding a town that is run down.

Here is another! A 'COVID-free' village in Italy is selling homes for $1

Wondering how it would work for us becoming a citizen in Italy. Would we be allowed to just immigrate there by our choice?

 

[Sfinge]

Not cheap to buy a house, but very nice region Toscana, the one where Florence is. Another region to look is the Marche, the regione where Franco Fontana - the photographer - took great part of his beautiful pictures. If you don't know him, I suggest a Google search, it's worth it.

It happens that the mayors of some villages, often in the south, offer these possibilities. The aim is to keep the local community alive. If the inhabitants leave their homes, it is because they do not see a future job there. Maybe they are villages perched on the mountain, uncomfortable to reach or lacking in services, but it is not said that you live badly.

You as non EU can become an Italian citizen, on request, after having resided ten consecutive years.
Are you really thinking to do this one day, Robert?

 

[Robert D]

Not cheap to buy a house, but very nice region Toscana, the one where Florence is. Another region to look is the Marche, the regione where Franco Fontana - the photographer - took great part of his beautiful pictures. If you don't know him, I suggest a Google search, it's worth it.

It happens that the mayors of some villages, often in the south, offer these possibilities. The aim is to keep the local community alive. If the inhabitants leave their homes, it is because they do not see a future job there. Maybe they are villages perched on the mountain, uncomfortable to reach or lacking in services, but it is not said that you live badly.

You as non EU can become an Italian citizen, on request, after having resided ten consecutive years.
Are you really thinking to do this one day, Robert?

Just a dream at this point. We are only 50 years old and can't retire yet. Maybe someday. Probably just have it so we own a second home there for vacationing. It would be hard to leave and have our whole family back here in the US. I would like to have a small home there where we could live part of the year.

I cant speak Italian, but maybe I could learn. I learned Latin in high school and college and was good at it. Don't know how much carries over.

 

[Sfinge]

Language can't be a problem, as you know we speak with the hands too

 

[Lightloopy]

I am always impressed with the global following of this speaker. I always feel if I were visiting one of the countries I could always reach out for suggestions and tips. Thank you all.