$10k golden ears AMP challenge! (1 Viewer)

[mike_decock]

educate everyone and their brother so at least when I go to friend's houses who are not audiophiles I hear better sonics!

That reason, as selfish as it may be, is one I can definitely agree with . My tongue is scarred from biting it when people with mid-fi systems ask me what I think.
-Mike...

 

[mike_decock]

Will try to get the 55 watter for a new "budget" living room setup.

Lucky dog! I've been drooling over those ads and I bet they sound great. I have a self-imposed spending limit on buying components and they're just out of my reach :frowning: .
In a few weeks I'll have the cash together for an AES Superamp. That oughta keep me happy until some VS55s come on the used market at half their current price .
-Mike...

 

[Terry St]

A BMW motorcycle is a Beamer.
A BMW car is a Bimmer.

Thanks for the tip. I'll extend my challenge to the bimmer's too then. A beamer wouldn't stand much chance, but would be more challenging to hit on a windy day.

 

[Lin Park]

I'm looking at getting the Audio Research SP16 real soon myself - it's not very pretty but it sure sounds fantastic.

Lin

 

[Patrick Sun]

I've heard people refer to BMW cars as "beamers" in my presence.

 

[mike_decock]

I've heard people refer to BMW cars as "beamers" in my presence.

The distinction between "bimmer" and "beamer" was explained to me by people in the BMW forums. They are the "BMW-philes", not just the casual, uninformed buyers.


-Mike...

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I'm looking at getting the Audio Research SP16 real soon myself - it's not very pretty but it sure sounds fantastic.

Lin,
Agree completely. Sounds wonderful - great value for the money. Would get it in black preferably for better look.

 

[Lin Park]

Would get it in black preferably for better look.

But how would you know where the buttons are?
Lin

 

[Paul Murphy]

I think that setup is just ok.
Wait until i get a digital camera and take a picture of my home theater rooooooom. It will own that one.

 

[Mike_Ch]

Hi all,
Not wanting to add fuel to the fire, but came across this review of the Krell KAV300cd recently in the Stereophile archives:
http://www.stereophile.com/printarchives.cgi?638
The line that says,

How is that possible? Shouldn't the sound be theoretically worse going through another loop? Or is it just adding the "tube sound" as it were?
Cheers,
Mike

 

[Michael R Price]

Mike,

I read this analogy somewhere.

Inaccurate speakers are like tinted glasses. Inaccurate electronics are like scratched glasses. The type of distortions created by speakers are different from the type created by electronics.

If you had great speakers and cheap electronics you might have a very dynamic sound with great bass but very fatiguing, emotionless sound. Cheap speakers with good electronics wouldn't have the clearest soundstage or the loudest bass, but I can imagine they could still be very pleasant sounding. Either setup is not optimal.

I confess to having the first setup myself, but I'm working on it.

 

[Seth_L]

Inaccurate speakers are like tinted glasses. Inaccurate electronics are like scratched glasses. The type of distortions created by speakers are different from the type created by electronics.

If you had great speakers and cheap electronics you might have a very dynamic sound with great bass but very fatiguing, emotionless sound. Cheap speakers with good electronics wouldn't have the clearest soundstage or the loudest bass, but I can imagine they could still be very pleasant sounding. Either setup is not optimal.

Hahahahaha...

If the Stereophile morons want to use $5k of electronics and $250 speaker they're welcome to. I'd much rather listen to $5k speakers and a $250 receiver. I highly doubt that even the subjectivists here would agree with Stereophile.

Seth

 

[Lee Scoggins]

If the Stereophile morons want to use $5k of electronics and $250 speaker they're welcome to. I'd much rather listen to $5k speakers and a $250 receiver. I highly doubt that even the subjectivists here would agree with Stereophile.

This is entirely plausible with the new speaker technology in mini-monitors.
In my system, I havce $20K of electronics feeding $2K Maggie 1.6QRs and most of my friends feel it is a great sounding system.
I have friends that have very expensive horns and rather cheap electronics. So it can work at both extremes.
Overall I would say spending too much on speakers when you have not enough invested in amplification can result in deadly sonics.
You don't have to spend a lot on either speakers or components, just get very accurate and well-made ones.
In addition, there are some "magical combinations" that just seem to sound right together. Audio Research and Maggies go very well together (both are from Minnesota coincidentally).

 

[Lee Scoggins]

How is that possible? Shouldn't the sound be theoretically worse going through another loop? Or is it just adding the "tube sound" as it were?

I think the answer lies in the AV processor. Many allow a pass-through output which means that little signal processing is done. Or if you use the SP16 for preamplification and attach an AV processor to one of the auxiliary outputs...

Audio Research products are accurate and not tube sounding, except in the cases where tubes produce more accuracy like the midrange (IMHO).

 

[Lee Scoggins]

But how would you know where the buttons are?

Follow the green lights!

 

[RobertR]

Thanks much to Mike_Ch for providing the quote, and putting to rest once and for all the implication that I made up such a stance from Stereophile.

 

[mike_decock]

Although I think it's important to have a well-balanced system, I'm of the speakers-first mentality. I once started a thread in Audio Asylum and many people disagreed with me quite passionately. Pretty funny .
-Mike...

 

[mike_decock]

it's not very pretty but it sure sounds fantastic.

Not pretty? I love the look of ARC components. It's a great combination of classy, industrial and swiss-watch craftsmanship. It fits in very nicely with all my Boltz LP shelves, cd shelves and component rack.

-Mike...

 

[Mike_Ch]

No problem Robert, anytime
Cheers,
Mike

 

[Chu Gai]

Inaccurate speakers are like tinted glasses. Inaccurate electronics are like scratched glasses. The type of distortions created by speakers are different from the type created by electronics.

Just curious, what kind of glass would some of these reviews be? Maybe made of the kind of mirrors that one may've seen at amusement parks? Sorry, I couldn't resist, but I'm running low on medication