Eliot,
Seems like we have this discussion every few months. Yes setup matters. Cables matter. Electricity matters. Demagnetizing your system matters. Even Little metal balls on the walls matter, a bit..... But what I think matters more is the sound you get used to. Let me quote Winston Churchill: " “First we shape our buildings, then they shape us.” But we shape our musical experiences and then they shape our references...
Unfortunately, I have visited Many dealers who told me they had great systems. But when I listened to them, it was just blaahh. Sure I was able to figure out the sonic signature of the gear to determine if I liked that sound, but the systems were not super. Not super to me, that is, but apparently great to them.
Not too long ago, our own fearless leader, Steve Williams along with a highly esteemed WBF member, Marty, took a flight to hear the then new Aida and Wilson XLF. Apparently, the dealer had an awful room. So although they did not find musical bliss, they got a pretty good sense of the silk dome tweeter and the "newer" sonus faber sound.
The reality is that if a system has a realism trigger that moves your emotions, the system does not need to be set up perfectly. I don’t think anyone is rich or crazy enough just to buy based on a single show or dealer audition. If something peaks the interest, people listen several times, perform multiple auditions, read up on reviews and seek opinions of others. If something is God Awful, it’s just too bad. Seeking perfection will leave us all just seeking all the time....
And I’m not talking about little nuances in sound, here. I'm talking more about the big picture, the higher “sense of life" things, a la Peggy Noonan or Maureen Dowd. Coming back to the systems under discussion here, I don't think a 160 watt per channel tube system driving Alexia's can have real sounding bass, especially without subwoofers. That’s reality, not a show setup issue. Although the dishy system sounded good, it was good in an audiophile way, but not in a real way. I guess everyone has their "creative sovereignty". What each individual does with their little voice that's talking to them and motivating them in their head is their own business. Unfortunately, there was nothing particularly unique or visionary about that system, unlike what Dr. Von schweikert is trying to do or what was attempted by the bigger Wilson system.
With the alexia and superb source material I think it could have been a lot better. Although I consider alexia a super- middleweight, I have heard it sound like a light heavyweight and occasionally like a cruiser weight, with subs. IMHO, just about any musical tube gear such as cj, vac, arc, bat, etc. (not VTL, unfortunately) could have created a similar sound. There was nothing remarkable about that room, per se. If Doshi is an up and coming designer he should strive to better the status quo. Sure he appealed to many audiophiles, and if that's his target market, it's great. But to me that's unremarkable. Changing the way people view something fundamentally is usually a primal calling, and unfortunately Doshi did not even attempt to be different. Sure his gear could replace that of the current generation of designers when they die off (unless they sell, like ARC), but right now it's just another brand of soup on the grocery store shelf.
Now I realize that Myles, Steve, MEP, and others LOVED the system. And if they were moved, that's truly wonderful. So again, let's keep the Shakespeare quote - from non other than "As you like it" - in mind: “Oh! how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes.”
!
