Like everyone, I’ve hugely enjoyed reading Ron’s report on Mike Lavigne’s system and room.
I can only imagine the fun Ron had, and it’s fascinating to see a few preconceptions being challenged.
Ron’s conclusion that Mike’s room is so neutral and open leading to the ability for Mike to easily find gear that is totally neutral itself, and hence the synergistic end result is a system that truly gets out of the way and allows the musical message thru unadulterated, is fascinating and positive.
But I disagree that there really is a cause and effect here.
For one, Mike hears some gear elsewhere, it’s not in his room first.
Maybe at a show, like the MSB Select, or new to a dealer, like the NVS.
Surely Mike is making an initial impression based on liking it (according to the high standards of his room) in less than ideal circumstances, and thus he must still be JUST liking the gear for how it sounds.
Now, maybe it then sounds even better in his room and he keeps it (and we get to hear about it), or it doesn’t (and we don’t).
Second, the room must absolutely boost to the maxx gear that hints at greatness, so that gear which maybe would appear less than neutral and characterful elsewhere is revealed to be both characterful AND hugely even in Mike’s room.
The Lamms are surely less neutral than the Darts, maybe a Garrard 301 is less neutral than the NVS.
But are we really saying that by definition their ultimate lack of last degree of neutrality laid bare by Mike’s room, would truly make Mike’s final sound any less compelling and less communicative than his actual choices?
If that is the case, why would Mike even contemplate the ML3, it’s never going to be as neutral than the Darts in the strict sense of the term.
No, he loves the Lamms because they have a certain ability to illuminate and communicate the music they’re best suited to, not because they’re neutral.
I fully get the room squeezes as much greatness out of the Lamms, but they’d never be bought for strict neutrality.
Mike loves them for what they are, and they love his room.
I can only imagine the fun Ron had, and it’s fascinating to see a few preconceptions being challenged.
Ron’s conclusion that Mike’s room is so neutral and open leading to the ability for Mike to easily find gear that is totally neutral itself, and hence the synergistic end result is a system that truly gets out of the way and allows the musical message thru unadulterated, is fascinating and positive.
But I disagree that there really is a cause and effect here.
For one, Mike hears some gear elsewhere, it’s not in his room first.
Maybe at a show, like the MSB Select, or new to a dealer, like the NVS.
Surely Mike is making an initial impression based on liking it (according to the high standards of his room) in less than ideal circumstances, and thus he must still be JUST liking the gear for how it sounds.
Now, maybe it then sounds even better in his room and he keeps it (and we get to hear about it), or it doesn’t (and we don’t).
Second, the room must absolutely boost to the maxx gear that hints at greatness, so that gear which maybe would appear less than neutral and characterful elsewhere is revealed to be both characterful AND hugely even in Mike’s room.
The Lamms are surely less neutral than the Darts, maybe a Garrard 301 is less neutral than the NVS.
But are we really saying that by definition their ultimate lack of last degree of neutrality laid bare by Mike’s room, would truly make Mike’s final sound any less compelling and less communicative than his actual choices?
If that is the case, why would Mike even contemplate the ML3, it’s never going to be as neutral than the Darts in the strict sense of the term.
No, he loves the Lamms because they have a certain ability to illuminate and communicate the music they’re best suited to, not because they’re neutral.
I fully get the room squeezes as much greatness out of the Lamms, but they’d never be bought for strict neutrality.
Mike loves them for what they are, and they love his room.
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