It’s only taken 22 years...

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
...3 complete systems, multiple extensive mods to current gear, a (?small?) fortune spent (enough to buy a big house where I now live), the lottery win equivalent of a (near) perfect room, time spent away from my system, regular immersion into live classical and jazz, visits recently to audiophiles w unbelievably well sorted systems, and the icing on the cake of three simple and zero cost system tweaks - that have all got me to a place in the last 4 weeks I could not have dreamed of even 3 months ago.

Finally the vinyl I used to always find excuses not to play are now the first lps I reach for each day.

Now I’m finally getting authentic timbre where I’m properly differentiating between violins and violas, cellos and bass.

Now I’m really hearing the difference between twin saxes in jazz groups.

Now I’m aware of air and imaging enabling me to take in the acoustic of well recorded classical.

Now I’m getting texture and flow as opposed to homogeneity.

And now I’m measuring my system against the best I’ve heard on classical not rock, and genuinely concluding that even though my system can’t quite reach the dynamic heights and wall of bass of well sorted Apogees based systems, or the widescreen scope, air and ease of well sorted horns based systems, or the slam and detail of the priciest multidriver box speakers, it gets so much closer while maintaining the core values I don’t hear in many (if any) other systems.

I returned recently from a system that’s as close to SOTA and purist as I’m ever likely to hear in the U.K., and despite it being overwhelmingly special and involving, I truly feel I own a piece of Heaven that is not entirely separate from that golden sound, and I can confidently say that makes me feel v good, and 100% justified that my hunches on gear leading to purchases in the last decade have all been good ones.

Sorry to sound as if I’m blowing my own trumpet (again), it’s just that I’m at a point in my life where ironically my scope for spending on gear has dried up, and it coinciding with the biggest upstick by far I’ve had in my audiophile career.

If the measure of being truly content is playing one lp or cd after another, genre agnostic, feeling no letdown when compared to live unamplified or other guys’ systems, and critically losing all compulsion to analyse and fret about one’s sound, just enjoying the music, well then I’m truly content.
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Sammy, earwax, half a brain, pride, pig headedness, need to spend, being stuck with an acoustic I had no idea was so poor, indeed blissful ignorance - yes, all to blame.

However, getting the proverbial uber neutral and expressive blank canvas/open window of the dedicated listening space, has basically changed everything about how I’ve appraised where I was/am, and what I needed to do (and not do, more accurately).

Ironically, a trip to the nurse to have my ears syringed didn’t make much difference.
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,471
11,367
4,410
Marc,

congrats on that sense of satisfaction that you have achieved. where you can enjoy and not stress and feel you have something that makes you feel good. as much as 'paralysis by analysis' has been something you have faced from time to time, getting over that hump is cause for celebration.

enjoy the music and your special spot there.

i'm happy for you.
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Mike, thanks. Your journey has been a bit of an inspiration, and if there’s anything I’ve mirrored you on, it’s the room epiphany.

You went all out to create a whole space from scratch, I’ve carved out something in the chapel, but I deep down think I’ve got at least some of the magic you formally set out to achieve. Truthfully I got lucky.

What the room equation has allowed me to do is
1- get the best from my gear
2- know what to throw out/abort as a direction
3- be forensic enough to be able to fine tune my system

And finetuning really has been the icing on the cake, now I’ve finally been able to lock down the optimal crossover settings for my subs, get the right VTA settings for lps, and critically return to hard spiking my Zus.

And the end result is a dramatic change in the relevance of timbral appreciation. In truth I think I never had timbre, not even close.
The ability to really identify the character of instruments across the spectrum in string quartets and large orchestral, and the playing style of twin horns in jazz ensembles, has brought me a massive extra level of musical enjoyment.

The jump to perceived reality is not something I expected so late in my upgrading/OCD finagling career, and is just the most massive feel good emotion.
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
I’ll freely admit that my analog may never have quite been as optimally set up as it is now.

A big thumbs up goes to the Stacore Advanced platform under my tt which has provided the foundation for my newly reinforced love for vinyl, after a few years of slight ambivalence in the face of my totally immersive digital.

Additionally I never quite cracked the Enigma Code that was the best subs crossover settings for my Zus - a function of a previously harsh acoustic that meant I always had the subs cutting in too high, creating warmth but also blurring the lower mids.

The linearity of my new room has meant that I’ve been able to cross to the subs well under 40Hz, meaning more punchy bass, and much more clarity in mids.

Finally reverting to stock spikes under my Zus, away from the RollerBlocks that were essential in my last space, has completed the effect of locking my Zus in time and space, releasing a whole lot of info that was buried in smear - timing, air, texture, heft.

The end result is a different system, all the previous positives maintained, just a banishing of all the negatives.

And to suddenly be fully aware of timbre, air, texture, is like a system upgrade in itself, and the proverbial new record collection.

And banishing all that “what if?.../that’s nice, but...” angst and navel gazing.
 

cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,324
1,314
1,730
Pleasanton, CA
Now it's time to make you unhappy and nervous, to get you back on the upgrade carousel. Such sonic bliss is not to be tolerated.
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Well CJ, I was seriously considering going down the Apogee Duettas route several months back, and had designs on the new Technics SP10R.

Hell, I’d also properly considered the SGM server and an excellent dac.

Having recently heard NAT Magmas, they seriously tickle my audiophile taste buds.

And I always remain tempted by horns. Blue58’s AG Duos/home made 45 tube amps off SGM/T&A Dac8 has been a compelling option for the 2 years I’ve been regularly listening to the combo.

Last but not least, when the new Zu flagships that will technically surplant the Definitions 4 spkrs that I own, that will give me serious pause for consideration.

Atm I’m going to resist all these, and resist them easily.

But as the saying goes “I can resist everything, except temptation”.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
Marc,

congrats on that sense of satisfaction that you have achieved. where you can enjoy and not stress and feel you have something that makes you feel good. as much as 'paralysis by analysis' has been something you have faced from time to time, getting over that hump is cause for celebration.

enjoy the music and your special spot there.

i'm happy for you.

Big +1. Very well put, Mike!
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Ron, I know you’ve been rooting for me ever since you heard about my proposed move/potential of new room, and especially since you visited and were struck by just how good cd replay sounded up here.

And your moral support was truly appreciated during my dark days of the misfiring tt reinstall nearly 6 months ago. That was truly the most miserable period as an audiophile over two decades.

I can tell you on the basis of how lp replay is sounding now, your confidence was not misplaced.

I never used to subscribe to the view that the smallest details can make the biggest differences, that each link in the chain can be disproportionately influential, that a current situation is highly dependent on all the links preceding it.

I do now.
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,391
4,988
978
Switzerland
Well CJ, I was seriously considering going down the Apogee Duettas route several months back, and had designs on the new Technics SP10R.

Hell, I’d also properly considered the SGM server and an excellent dac.

Having recently heard NAT Magmas, they seriously tickle my audiophile taste buds.

And I always remain tempted by horns. Blue58’s AG Duos/home made 45 tube amps off SGM/T&A Dac8 has been a compelling option for the 2 years I’ve been regularly listening to the combo.

Last but not least, when the new Zu flagships that will technically surplant the Definitions 4 spkrs that I own, that will give me serious pause for consideration.

Atm I’m going to resist all these, and resist them easily.

But as the saying goes “I can resist everything, except temptation”.

Well, not to make you really crazy but there is a pair of Duettas here in Switzerland for only about 1500 CHF (a bit over 1000 pounds) that according to the ad have new ribbons. :)
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Brad, nice try, but no cigar.
If you follow any of the comments I’ve made about Apogees you’ll know I’m a big fan of well-restored Duettas.

But as an unapologetic convert to the SETs cause, I’m not going to risk trying to make Duettas sing on SETs in my 5.5m X 14m x 3m dedicated room.

The purpose of this thread was pretty much to say that it’s been getting the environment right ie the room, that has enabled my gear to blossom, and to be able to be fully optimised with my last lot of simple tweaks.

Even if I was tempted, I’m not going to risk going all the way back to Square One radically changing direction to ribbons/SS amps.
 

Zero000

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2014
2,985
1,139
478
Well, not to make you really crazy but there is a pair of Duettas here in Switzerland for only about 1500 CHF (a bit over 1000 pounds) that according to the ad have new ribbons. :)

They won't sound like mine, though.

Have you got a link?

Anyway, Marc, I can send you a few albums that will make your system sound rubbish so you can start all over again if you like:)
 

cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,324
1,314
1,730
Pleasanton, CA
Well, not to make you really crazy but there is a pair of Duettas here in Switzerland for only about 1500 CHF (a bit over 1000 pounds) that according to the ad have new ribbons. :)

Wow, what a deal. If they were in California, I would go for it.
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Justin, banish all thoughts of high efficiency, full range driver speakers being polite and mids dominant.

I listen to a fair amount of Progressive Electronica, and the Zus lock things nicely.
What they’re now doing which they never did before, is the microdynamics/timbre/air/texture thing.

I’ve been rifling thru my Bartok, and the original Mercury pressing of The Miraculous Mandarin is off the scale re dynamics.

Before, it was a borderline painful listen, with strident highs and edgy dynamics.

Now it’s a total thrill ride where those negatives are converted to positives of speed married to timbral accuracy and tonal density.
 

christoph

Well-Known Member
Dec 11, 2015
4,660
4,058
825
Principality of Liechtenstein
Well, not to make you really crazy but there is a pair of Duettas here in Switzerland for only about 1500 CHF (a bit over 1000 pounds) that according to the ad have new ribbons. :)

Can you provide me with more info, please?
 

adyc

VIP/Donor
Jan 5, 2013
873
399
973
What happens to your plan of placing everything on Stacore platforms? Shelved?
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
AD, yes shelved.
I’ve hit a bit of a roadblock on continued funding of big ticket items.
Had my cash flow remained healthy, I still would have questioned myself as to whether this was a direction that absolutely justified itself.

I remain as big a fan of Stacore as I was during my trial. Indeed I’m 200% convinced it’s been the pivotal factor in taking my tt to never before heard heights of SQ.

But I’ve reconciled myself to sticking w the two Stacores, and am pretty cool about that.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
I was delighted to be supportive, and I am happy that you have achieved the sound you have always wanted! :)
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Ron, I don’t suppose I really knew the sound I wanted.

In the 80s, I guess I would have gone for the Linn Sondek/Naim/Linn Isobarik active setup.

In the early/mid 90s, I hankered after the VPI/Krell or Mark Levinson/Apogee Scintilla or Wilson Watt Puppy type sound.

Then reality (aka restricted budget) dawned, and my first serious system in 1996 was much more restricted.

It was only a decade plus later that I started to truly find the sound that most appealed to me, initially via discovering tubes in the Hovland HP200 pre, then super efficient full range Zus which in turn led to going all-tubes, and the joy of moving from belt drive/pivoted arm to direct rim drive/linear tracking arm.

Of course, the big late discovery was the power of optimal acoustics.

And now yes I guess I could say I’ve found the sound I love.
Part by design, part by accident, part serendipity.
 

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