The Audio System and High-End Philosophy of Mike Lavigne

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
I get that you don’t, which is ok. But it seems to me that if you listened to a SOTA digital rig, you might change you mind? I am a digital guy but still give vinyl a spin .

But Ron listened to SOTA digital and enjoyed it a lot - as far as we read "We listened to the entire Jennifer Warnes’ Famous Blue Raincoat album. Jennifer Warnes’ voice sounded as rich and breathy and realistic as I have ever heard her. "
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,434
13,467
2,710
London
I think people want a review of every component they themselves are interested in from the system. Each reviewer has different interests and can throw light on different aspects

takeaway from this is the difference in the amplifiers, and the overall impression of the system, again consistent with various other reports that it was the best sound the visitor heard, and that preconceived notions were proven wrong. At no point was an attempt made to analyze every aspect of the system.

So a digital reviewer can go review the digital part, a tape reviewer various tapes, and so on
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pokey77

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,467
11,363
4,410
But Ron listened to SOTA digital and enjoyed it a lot - as far as we read "We listened to the entire Jennifer Warnes’ Famous Blue Raincoat album. Jennifer Warnes’ voice sounded as rich and breathy and realistic as I have ever heard her. "

and I pointed out to Ron that 'Famous Blue Raincoat' was recorded digitally and mastered to tape. he only smiled.
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,434
13,467
2,710
London
I have heard things recorded from vinyl to tape sound better than the vinyl played back.

I was at Vertere's, where he played back a LP that was recorded from digital. He also played back the digital from the same dac (benchmark) that it was recorded from. The LP sounded better.

He explained that if we go to Abbey road studios where this recording was done, we won't hear this difference and they will sound at the same level. He explained the reason happens because of quality of playback in consumer systems. The digital system in a studio has much lower loss of signal, and the same dac used at his place is compromised during playback.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pokey77

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
and I pointed out to Ron that 'Famous Blue Raincoat' was recorded digitally and mastered to tape. he only smiled.

Weren't you afraid he could have an anaphylactic reaction in your listening room? :D
 

andromedaaudio

VIP/Donor
Jan 23, 2011
8,349
2,730
1,400
Amsterdam holland
Fantastic read ron , im only half way yet .
The more you like the sound the longer the review,lol.
Anyway , makes me realize further, i should focus more on room acoustics , if possible.
And Nice to hear confirmed what i also hear , is that tape has a special way with voices (and piano afaic)
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,346
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
Hi,
I read the article on Mike's system.But to not discuss the grounding equipment,especially the Tripoint Elite and the Thor SE grounding cables is a total flaw in the review.
Unplug the Tripoint Elite from Mike's system and listen to the sound stage collapse and the air and detail it loses among other things.I am surprised a man with Mike's knowledge of this
aspect of audio would let this review get published without mentioning this indispensable ingredient.
Very disappointed in this unfinished review.
Yes,I own a Troy signature and am dying to get my Troy Elite.
I am sure Mike if you don't think enough of the Troy Elite to mention it,you have about 20 audiophiles in Asia who will take it off your hands pronto.

Regards Robert

Don't blame Mike. Mike would have been delighted to discuss the grounding tweaks with me. I don't have any personal experience with them, so I feel I can add little value to a discussion of them.

If Mike had unplugged all of the Tripoint and Entreq and then re-started the system I am extremely doubtful I would have come to any different conclusion about anything. Maybe I would have been 1% or 5% less effusively positive about the system overall?

Besides each amplifier had the benefit of the grounding components. So that likely was a level playing field.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,346
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
and I pointed out to Ron that 'Famous Blue Raincoat' was recorded digitally and mastered to tape. he only smiled.

Yep! I know Famous Blue Raincoat was digitally recorded (back when digital recording was not that great). It is a shame! I think the sound quality on the resulting album would have been vastly higher if it were recorded the way Anne Bisson is recorded (and mastered) today!

I like Famous Blue Raincoat in spite of it being digitally recorded.
 

Tango

VIP/Donor
Mar 12, 2017
4,938
6,268
950
Bangkok
Unplug the Tripoint Elite from Mike's system and listen to the sound stage collapse and the air and detail it loses among other things.

Yes, take out the Elite. And it will be fun to see what kind of trick Mike would pull to get back to the sound he currently is happy with.:D

Tang
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
(...) In Steve's room I never noticed the dynamic compression effect I heard in Mike's room. Mike has a very large room. Also, keep in mind that even on just the full range MM7 tower you have four 11" drivers and two 7" drivers (plus the ribbon tweeter) -- that is more driver surface than most full-range, stand-alone, floor-standing speakers. (...)

It is what puzzles me - the more driver surface you have the better the coupling to the room. Unless the drivers are are wired in parallel creating a low impedance - something we have been told it is not true - it should not be a problem.

Perhaps you listened louder in Mike's room than in Steve's.
 

andromedaaudio

VIP/Donor
Jan 23, 2011
8,349
2,730
1,400
Amsterdam holland
An orchestra moves a lot of air all together , a single acoustic guitar much less , so some systems can do the latter quite convincingly but fail on the first .
Overall mikes / Ron set impression is a lot like mine when i owned the zanden , which might not be in ml 3 League but still
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,515
1,773
1,850
Metro DC
SOTA is an understatement. Mike is constantly pushing the envelope. I think "Cutting Edge" is an appropriate label.(I have no affiliation with Mike or any of the product bands:).)
 

strapper211

Well-Known Member
Aug 6, 2013
98
20
313
Hi,
Mike,thank you for the clarity.
Ron,let us agree to disagree.
That is all I want to say about this.
Happy listening.

Regards Robert
 

DaveyF

Well-Known Member
Jul 31, 2010
6,129
181
458
La Jolla, Calif USA
Nice write up. I can understand that you did not have much interest in listening to the digital gear...with so much great analog gear on hand:D. What I am a little surprised at is the statement about how some 45rpm's can sound better than their tape brethren. Not sure how that is possible.:confused:

I also agree 100% that the room is the most important ( and in most people's experience, the most expensive) component, by far. Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting a ten million dollar room sited on an ocean bluff that was truly extraordinary. About 30' x50', this room was constructed over a five year period and had some of the most amazing acoustics I have ever heard...as it should for the $$. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos, but it definitely brought home the fact that the room is where the big money needs to be spent. ( Not that the rest of the gear was shabby in any way, lol).

The old saying....great room...less great gear= great sound----poor room, great gear=poor sound, is certainly always something to remember.
 

Pb Blimp

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2017
518
25
140
USA
The room is the first and most important component. If you do not get the room right -- if the room is not neutral -- then the sounds of all of the components which come later are suspect, as you cannot be sure what element or component is responsible for what sonic attribute you are hearing. You will be chasing your tail attempting to attribute a particular sound or sonic characteristic to a particular component. The conclusions you make about the sounds of components, and the theories you develop in an effort to explain those sounds, and the correlations you assume, likely will be spurious.

Ron, A very well done report. Thank you for taking the time to put it together. Very insightful. As I have mentioned before, I think the above comment reflects the single most important thing I have learned about system building. Well said.

Mike, You are as hospitable as you are committed to excellence in our great hobby. Really wonderful stuff. You are an invaluable resource to this Forum.

The only regret I have, as mentioned on another thread and by a couple of others, is that at this level it would have been really special for that last degree of perfection to have had the pre-amps from each amplifier line in the house but that's splitting the split hairs.

Thanks guys,
 

KeithR

VIP/Donor
May 7, 2010
5,144
2,812
1,898
Encino, CA
I have been reflecting on your writeup this morning and have to admit my audio outlook is a bit soured.

It would appear the lion share of the ability to transparently reproduce music with top-flight gear is based on Mike's very expensive audio-specific room. If these designers are really doing it for such rare spaces in audiophile-land, I can't help but to worry. If the gear is only optimal based on such significant criteria for ownership, where does that leave the audiophile who wants a reference speaker to share music with friends without creating a dedicated man cave. Said another way, if the only way a Clearaudio Goldfinger cartridge doesn't sound bright is a six-figure room, shouldn't we pin some blame on the designer?

I fully realize SOTA is a big investment and one where MikeL has fully achieved it in this hobby, but shouldn't great gear sound good in a variety of rooms and spaces.
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,467
11,363
4,410
Weren't you afraid he could have an anaphylactic reaction in your listening room? :D

he seemed to cope just fine.

and if I were to have insisted that we spend a couple of hours on digital I doubt he would have shriveled up and died. and the kind soul that Ron is, he would have accommodated me. but this was Ron's time and Ron's agenda......not mine. I get to choose all the time. i want my guests to indulge their own wants.

OTOH Ked wanting me to bring all this other gear in to compare, I did draw the line there.:rolleyes:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pokey77

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,434
13,467
2,710
London
Lol you did buy a new cartridge then
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing