What's the best system you've ever heard? (1 Viewer)

[Ken Burkstrum]

List speakers, seperates, setup and anything else that matters.

The best i've ever heard was

Pre Amp: Classe SSP-75

AMP: Classe CAV-500
250x5 8 ohms
500x5 4 ohms

Center: Meridian DSP5500
Fronts: Meridian DSP8000
Rears: Meridian DSP6000

i saw on the site the Meridians have amps in them so now im not sure if the classe amp was actually hooked up to them, i should of looked more carefully. If anybody has an answer to that let me know.

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

Linkwitzlab Phoenix Dipoles with active crossovers powered by a 12 channel AMP with one channel for each driver. The source was a PC, that was digitally equalized for a flat room response.

The best sound I've ever heard...

 

[JamesCB]

The absolute best system I have ever heard? That's easy. Grateful Dead shows back in the day. The cleanest, most musical systems I have ever experienced. No live show ever came close to their fidelity.

Oh, home audio? I would have to say the McIntosh setup at my local dealer. I'm not sure about model #'s, but the speakers are XRT-26, two 12" woofs, one 5" mid, and twenty-four 1" tweets. Driven by Mcintosh 1,000 watt monoblocks, using McIntosh sources and pre-amplification. VERY musical sound.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

The best system I have ever heard I can go listen to right now if I want.

Fronts: Kef Reference 207's

Center: Kef Reference 202C

Rears: Kef Reference 205's

Preamp: Krell Showcase 5.1 Preamp

Amp: Krell Showcase 5.1 Amp

Source: Denon DVD-2600

Power: Monster AVS-2000 and HTPS-7000

Cables: All Z-series Monster.

Sub: Krell PSW-2000 ... I think this thing sucks.


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This thing would be much better with better cables, and the showcase dvd. Plus a couple of 300-400 watt Krell MonoBlocks.

 

[Scott_N]

The best multi-channel setup i've heard was this.
Speakers
Mains: JMLab Alto Utopia, CC: JMLab Utopia Center,
Rears: JMLab Micro Utopia, Sub: two JMLab Utopia subs.
Pre/pro: Sim Audio Attraction, Amp: Sim Audio Titan
DVD: Meridian 800. Video was a huge Sony CRT front projector of which model number I can't remember.

Best 2-channel was this.
Speakers:Kharma Ceramique Reference 3.2 Preamp: Lamm L2 Amp: Lamm ML1's CDP: Audio Aero Capitole 24/192 Turntable: Amazon Model 1 with a Lyra Helikon cartridge a Morch DP6 arm and a Lamm LP2 phono preamp. Cables were all Nordost Valhalla.

 

[ChrisHeflen]

The best I have heard although I really wasn't blown away.

Wilson Grand Slam X-1's (I think thats right)
driven by Classe Omega electronics.

But then I heard Areial 10t's driven by Krell, (who cares), stuff and I really liked them.

 

[Mike Poindexter]

The best 2 channel system I heard was Genesis 1.1 driven by Spectral amps and a spectral pre-pro. It inspired me enough to buy the Infnity IRS V.

The best home theater system I have heard is mine - Infinity IRS series speakers on every channel. No sub, but an Odyssee motion simulator makes it for one hell of an experience.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

Holy crap mike! Thats insane. How much do those weigh?

 

[Mike Poindexter]

2,580 pounds for the entire system.

 

[Jon Lane]

-Altec VOT's converted to 3-ways with 604 coaxes.
-Six WE 205 tube amp channels w/WE output trafos, about a watt each.
-Custom zero-NFB octal tube preamp.
-Custom made 'table with ET linear ABT arm and Grado Sig cart.
-Passive line-level crossovers.
-No room treatments. No digital.

Sounded so real it shocked me, as in, HOW can this possibly be happening...

 

[Joe Mihok]

Mine.


All of my friends own Nuance setups (all I've ever heard before). I'm the only one to stray away and do their own thing.

I own a Denon 1803 and Paradigm Monitors. It's a cheap entry level system sure, but it sure as hell sounds alot better than any $6000 Nuance/HK setup I've heard (especially for music).

 

[Victor Chan]

The best setup I've ever experienced was at SF Stereo in Mountain View.

Never one to be in the more expensive = better sound camp, I must admit that a pair of Dynaudio Evidence Temptations ($30,000/pr) in an acoustically treated room powered with a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista kWP preamp ($12,000) and Tri-Vista kW 1000W monoblocks ($24,000/pr) setup and an SACD signal coming from a dcs Verdi SACD transport, Purcell upconverter, and Elgar Plus D/A converter ($34,000) sounded unbelievable! Soundstage, clarity, and most importantly, the reality of the sound is unmatched by anything I have heard before or since. Then again, a $100K stereo setup better sound pretty damn good!

However, it gives me great pleasure to know that my setup gives me 90% of the satisfaction as that setup for 2.5% of the price.

Victor

 

[WayneO]

I've never really given expensive speakers a listen, but when I listened to the new Paradigm S8's powered by some Lexicon amps, while in the store demoing some Studio's, I was in awe. I swore they had a sub hidden in the room somewhere.

 

[Allen Marshall]

omg mike those things are friggin hugeeeee, how much did they cost?

 

[RickLe]

A friend of mine was purchasing some hi-end digital whatch-a-ma-call-its from some multi-millionaire. He listened to this guy's system, a system built on the use of hot air running through tubes causing static electricity. The soundwaves would take a ride on the static around the room and bounce off leaving the listener encased in musical bliss. My friend, who owns a recording studio, and plays with a local group said it was the most unreal, and pleasing experience he's ever had listening to music. He said he sat in this small room with only a leather chair. He passed by this wall of white which seperated this guys studio from this smaller room and felt heat eminating from the walls. He took and seat and the fun began. He said there was no strain whatsoever. It wasn't until he went to speak that he realized the sound level was so high the gentleman couldn't hear him speak, but there was no strain on the ear. He did a little research and found out this technology was invented in the 50's and some high end systems were manufactured and sold in the 70's but that was it. He inquired as to the cost, and the gentleman, who records jazz cd's, said only, "It's the most expensive system you'll ever hear."

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

Rick do you have a name for this technology? That seems a little unreal.

 

[Robert Cowan]

rick, that almost sounds like that german physiks does on their speakers with their DDD device... its a "wave-bending" machine. maybe?

 

[RickLe]

I can ask my friend, he's out of town this week but I'll get ahold of him this weekend. Believe me, when I heard the story I couldn't believe it. Then I met a guy at my work who had installed a large generator for this man who also saw the system but didn't listen to it.

 

[Merimac Hamwich]

I came across a pair of $30,000 speakers this week. Didn't get to ehar them, although if I did I bet that would be the best system I have heard.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Victor, the evidence masters are even better