Recent content by Mark Austin

I would recommend the SF Concertino first. Available for around $7-8 hundred brand new via Audiogon, or the VA Haydns's. Quite a difference between those two, and the others you listed.

About a month ago I picked up a couple of sets of Aurios 1.2 isolation bearings, and they have been one of the best additions to my system. More immediately noticable than almost any component or cable change that I have tried. Clearer top end, more bass definition, and blacker background...

Are they version 2's?

What time is everyone meeting at Rudy's? edit: I just saw the email. I hope to make it.

Sounds a little troll-ish to me.

Unless you have a lot of room, I would suggest bookshelf speakers up front as well. And even if you did have a lot of room I would still recommend the bookshelfs up front at that price point. If you have listened to the Polks, and they are the sound you like I see nothing wrong with them.

Chu,

I think you're experiencing the limits of your speakers more than anything else. All speakers can't play at reference levels. They start becoming compressed and harsh.

The Vienna Acoustics Haydn for $995 has some of the most prodigious bass I have heard from such a small speaker.

Don, While I would disagree with your assessment, I don't think it's really important. We all have differing opinions on sound, and what's most important is what satisfies you.

I would think that the new room would be too small for the OM-9's. Floorstanders typically need a good amount of room to do their thing correctly, and you might find that your new room doesn't allow them to reach their full potential, as opposed to a bookshelf model.

Cables or anything cannot be judged by how much it costs to make. Value or worth can only be judged by the individual, and what he feels it does to his system.

I would choose B&W over Paradigm any day of the week. Just given Paradgm's past attempts, I can't say I would trust them to come out with a competitive offering in that price range. With that said, I would reserve final judgement until after I heard them.

I would agree that 804's in the rear would seem like such a huge waste to me. There just isn't enough meaningful information sent back there for it to be worth it, and that includes DVD, DVD-Audio, or SACD. More and more multi-channel SACD's are now starting to shift the focus of sound to the...

Paul, I'll email you later with my impressions. Lance,