Hi, so I went from London for some demos to New York/NJ over the weekend. My Analysis Audio Amphitryon with Lamm review is here http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-do-you-prefer&p=296990&viewfull=1#post296990
and the GT Audio hybrid planar review is here http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...tening-Session&p=296976&viewfull=1#post296976 - read the thread.
As for Marty's system, once when a computer audiophilia thread discussion was on, dallasjustice (Michael) had as usual harped on about room correction (RC). Most of the analog mafia had then come out against RC, claiming "only over their dead bodies". Steve Williams had then commented that in his 50 years in Audiophilia, Marty's system is one of the top 3 he has seen. And Marty uses Tact.
I therefore scheduled a visit to Marty's place. Ended up in a 8000 sq ft house with a beautifully designed acoustic room, the ceiling of which, with all the internal bass traps, looked awesome, as you can see from the pics in the links below.
I had already read about the system, the speakers were Pipedreams, with 2 JL Gotham sybs (the biggest of JL). VTL 7.5 Mk III, Spectral monos, MIT cabling - but I have never been impressed by normal cone speakers, and ok, this was a line array, so better, but then there are a lot of systems with VTL kind of equipment. So what was special? Apart from matching, the key component seemed to be a modded TacT, introduced after the preamp stage.
I sat there thorughly enjoying music for 3 hours. We played everything from plain vocals, blues, Schubert piano (and superb rendition of the piano, normally I don't like the way most cabinet speakers do the piano). Sammy Davis Jr. with Bye Bye Blackbird and Ruth Bone were amazing.
But then we moved to orchestral, and the system jumped up a few degrees. Initially we played the music streamed through a Meitner, and then we moved to an old Goldmund Studio TT on a vibraplane. Man, the difference was astounding. I am not even a vinyl guy. And the TT was going through the Tact. It was so much more organic, with better soundstage, better decay, and more involving, then the Meitner. We played Mussorgsky's Pictures, Scheherezade, and I clapped at the end of "Vienna", RCA Living Stereo, Solti conducting Covent Garden Orchestra. The brass in "Espana", Decca, Argento conducting the LSO was the best I have heard. Usually I don't expect non-horn speakers to do brass this well.
The imaging and soundstaging was astounding throughout. The key thing was, this was the first time I heard a system where the drummer or the orchestra player with abandon. In every other system, it looks like they are playing suppressed because the volume can't be turned up as it would cause a boom or harshness.
The lighting part was fun. When we played Scheherezade, Marty put on a desert theme where everything was dark and there were stars all over the room
Other Observations:
1. Marty mentioned that he has been through ARC and VTL, Valhalla, Kubala, and MIT, frequency response accounts for 99+% of what determines the correct timbre of instruments in audio playback.
2. TTs can make a difference even with Room correction
3. Systems can indeed play all genres, if done correctly
4. No point just comparing two speakers to see how low down they go, if one that doesn't go down low enough integrates well with a sub to produce a better range
Anyway, I am a believer in RC. Thanks to dallasjustice, if you keep banging on about the topic, it kicks off discussions, and some will sit up and pay attention.
You can see Marty's pics and his write up on Tact here
[http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...ull=1#post4171
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...l=1#post227662
and the GT Audio hybrid planar review is here http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...tening-Session&p=296976&viewfull=1#post296976 - read the thread.
As for Marty's system, once when a computer audiophilia thread discussion was on, dallasjustice (Michael) had as usual harped on about room correction (RC). Most of the analog mafia had then come out against RC, claiming "only over their dead bodies". Steve Williams had then commented that in his 50 years in Audiophilia, Marty's system is one of the top 3 he has seen. And Marty uses Tact.
I therefore scheduled a visit to Marty's place. Ended up in a 8000 sq ft house with a beautifully designed acoustic room, the ceiling of which, with all the internal bass traps, looked awesome, as you can see from the pics in the links below.
I had already read about the system, the speakers were Pipedreams, with 2 JL Gotham sybs (the biggest of JL). VTL 7.5 Mk III, Spectral monos, MIT cabling - but I have never been impressed by normal cone speakers, and ok, this was a line array, so better, but then there are a lot of systems with VTL kind of equipment. So what was special? Apart from matching, the key component seemed to be a modded TacT, introduced after the preamp stage.
I sat there thorughly enjoying music for 3 hours. We played everything from plain vocals, blues, Schubert piano (and superb rendition of the piano, normally I don't like the way most cabinet speakers do the piano). Sammy Davis Jr. with Bye Bye Blackbird and Ruth Bone were amazing.
But then we moved to orchestral, and the system jumped up a few degrees. Initially we played the music streamed through a Meitner, and then we moved to an old Goldmund Studio TT on a vibraplane. Man, the difference was astounding. I am not even a vinyl guy. And the TT was going through the Tact. It was so much more organic, with better soundstage, better decay, and more involving, then the Meitner. We played Mussorgsky's Pictures, Scheherezade, and I clapped at the end of "Vienna", RCA Living Stereo, Solti conducting Covent Garden Orchestra. The brass in "Espana", Decca, Argento conducting the LSO was the best I have heard. Usually I don't expect non-horn speakers to do brass this well.
The imaging and soundstaging was astounding throughout. The key thing was, this was the first time I heard a system where the drummer or the orchestra player with abandon. In every other system, it looks like they are playing suppressed because the volume can't be turned up as it would cause a boom or harshness.
The lighting part was fun. When we played Scheherezade, Marty put on a desert theme where everything was dark and there were stars all over the room
Other Observations:
1. Marty mentioned that he has been through ARC and VTL, Valhalla, Kubala, and MIT, frequency response accounts for 99+% of what determines the correct timbre of instruments in audio playback.
2. TTs can make a difference even with Room correction
3. Systems can indeed play all genres, if done correctly
4. No point just comparing two speakers to see how low down they go, if one that doesn't go down low enough integrates well with a sub to produce a better range
Anyway, I am a believer in RC. Thanks to dallasjustice, if you keep banging on about the topic, it kicks off discussions, and some will sit up and pay attention.
You can see Marty's pics and his write up on Tact here
[http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...ull=1#post4171
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...l=1#post227662
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