Being over here in Australia, this is and can only remain a dream....hmm, unless I make it a pilgrimage one day?
Back in the 1800s they used to have the grand tour across europe, any would be gentleman was expected to take it I think.
So, say within the confines of this forum, what would the grand tour consist of in terms of hearing SOTA systems??
I guess due to locale, it would be centred in NA??
Hazarding a guess, one thing that we would take away from that fantastic experience would be a greater understanding that there are many ways to skin a cat!!
Many equally valid paths to audio nirvana.
Or not haha.
Coming from another angle, would it be wise thing to do I wonder..especially if we are currently happy with what we own! If we heard a system that was truly and objectively better than we are accustomed to (our own), is it possible to come back home, relax and throw on a few toons and still be happy with what we hear? (for sure, it may take a little while or longer to get over our experience, but can we ever again listen and enjoy as we previously did?)
Ok, the question just widened a bit as I typed, but what would be a grand tour for discerning audio enthusiasts? (still can't bring myself to use the word audiophile haha)
Oh, one stop that should be mandatory on the tour (remember this is theoretical) would be a visit to Sean Olive and his premises, I'd imagine that would be an eye opener to any honest interested audio guy.
Hmm, now there is something that would be interesting to set up! Unfortunately I could not be part of it. Take ten or however many interested guys here and split the cost of a trip to Seans lab and experience for 'ourselves' the very things that split and divide the audio community, the old and never ending debates in audio.
All done under blind test conditions..properly conducted ones that is. That would be a first for many I'd expect. I wonder what the various reactions would be, would any personal epiphanies occur.
Ok Sean, how much would that cost so we know how much we have to chip in??
I really should decide what my thread is BEFORE I type eh?, instead of just wandering around willy nilly.
So, here it is. I am in North America, for enough time to experience ten (is that enough? too many??) SOTA systems here, and have somehow magically not pissed any of them off so much that I am still welcome haha, which ones should be on my tour??
And...WHY?
Back in the 1800s they used to have the grand tour across europe, any would be gentleman was expected to take it I think.
So, say within the confines of this forum, what would the grand tour consist of in terms of hearing SOTA systems??
I guess due to locale, it would be centred in NA??
Hazarding a guess, one thing that we would take away from that fantastic experience would be a greater understanding that there are many ways to skin a cat!!
Many equally valid paths to audio nirvana.Or not haha.
Coming from another angle, would it be wise thing to do I wonder..especially if we are currently happy with what we own! If we heard a system that was truly and objectively better than we are accustomed to (our own), is it possible to come back home, relax and throw on a few toons and still be happy with what we hear? (for sure, it may take a little while or longer to get over our experience, but can we ever again listen and enjoy as we previously did?)
Ok, the question just widened a bit as I typed, but what would be a grand tour for discerning audio enthusiasts? (still can't bring myself to use the word audiophile haha)
Oh, one stop that should be mandatory on the tour (remember this is theoretical) would be a visit to Sean Olive and his premises, I'd imagine that would be an eye opener to any honest interested audio guy.
Hmm, now there is something that would be interesting to set up! Unfortunately I could not be part of it. Take ten or however many interested guys here and split the cost of a trip to Seans lab and experience for 'ourselves' the very things that split and divide the audio community, the old and never ending debates in audio.
All done under blind test conditions..properly conducted ones that is. That would be a first for many I'd expect. I wonder what the various reactions would be, would any personal epiphanies occur.
Ok Sean, how much would that cost so we know how much we have to chip in??
I really should decide what my thread is BEFORE I type eh?, instead of just wandering around willy nilly.
So, here it is. I am in North America, for enough time to experience ten (is that enough? too many??) SOTA systems here, and have somehow magically not pissed any of them off so much that I am still welcome haha, which ones should be on my tour??
And...WHY?
