I am not completely familiar with the technical aspects of the Alsy Vox speakers. However they were demonstrating the 1.6m model in the Marriott, Munich last year and the sound was nothing short of jaw dropping as was the price (140k Euros was the price of the speakers alone). What was really...
Hi Guys
The inescapable conclusion here is that we all have our own views (prejudices?) which are unlikely to be changed, and the circle of this discussion cannot therefore be squared. My suggested solution for each of us to go for whatever floats our individual boat. If YOU like it it must be...
You will not be dissappointed with the “Westmonsters” They do power, dynamics and space like few others. I used them for 11 years and loved them. My only caveat would be that they need a seriously big room to do them justice. My room is 4500 cubic ft and I think that it was not really big...
Hi James
Following my previous post regarding the Luxman L590AX II and the L509X amplifiers. I visited my dealer to listen to both amps and the D-06u sacd player. I have to say that I was mightily impressed with both of them. They were also paired with an SME Model 20A record deck fitted with...
Hi Marc
The reason it yields such huge benefits is because it is not small at all but actually very important. It often takes many hours of painstaking work to unlock the performance improvements which you describe. The only sense in which it is “small’ is in terms of expenditure.
All the...
Hi Caesar,
Your question implies that there is some mysterious statistical correlation between the price of a product and sound quality. I suspect that given the factors which influence the price of a product, this is very dubious concept indeed. Nowadays there are few serious volume...
I think that the term PRaT originated in the 1970’s when the Linn Sondek LP12 was emerging. In those days two of it biggest supporters were Messrs Collins and Messenger. It was, I recall one of the LP12’s great points of difference. However whichever way you cut it a PRaT’s a PRaT!
Kind...
Hi Marc
Thank you for the run down. Very interesting. My room is a little smaller, a more modest 23 x 20 x 10 (4500 cubic feet) and on the ground floor.
I was interested in your comments on what you might have to spend to better your present set up and I am sure that you are right. However if...
Hi Bonzo75
I was giving this some thought and though I do know of any specific examples apart from SME (which is completely atypical) However there is a forum called Hi Fi Wigwam which hosts vintage audio enthusiasts and I am sure that someone there will be able to help you. These guys are...
Hi Marc
Congratulations on what is clearly a beautiful and very impressive listening space and system. You are obviously a man of taste with his life priorities well sorted. I completely agree with your high efficiency loudspeaker philosophy. I enjoyed reading Ron’s piece on your set up which...
Hi Northstar
Thanks for pointing me towards the article. Very interesting if somewhat above my technical understanding. However if I am reading it correctly it supports my view that length of speaker cables in normal system applications has less impact on sound quality than interconnect cables...
Hi Tang
I needed 10 metre cables to make the necessary changes, so you are right it’s is expensive. However in te context of a system which may have cost many thousands of pounds it may be a small price to pay. Unless you use very exotic cables in which case it may be a non starter. Regarding...
Hi Tang
Remember, whilst appearance is important, the positioning of the rack can have a material impact on the performance of the system. As well as satisfying thee aesthetic requirements the kit needs to be located in a position where standing waves are at their most benign.
I thought my...
We could be rubbing shoulders at the MOC and not know it. Don’t forget to go to the Western Electric room which is always a delight. Last year some of the best sounds I heard were at the Marriott Hotel at the parallel show they host - particularly Alsy Vox with its suspended kettle drum CD...
One of my annual Christmas treats used to be attending the famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the beautiful chapel of Kings College Cambridge. In order to ensure a seat in the chapel proper I had to get to Cambridge at c.0530hrs and queue all day. About 7 years ago I had the great...
7 feet from the front wall will I think significantly reduce the effects I described. The best way to check is by setting up some simple experiments. Remember the position of the drivers is not relevant here. It is about near wall locations which harbour the damaging standing waves. However the...
This is a really important consideration which Ron has raised not simply because of the obvious need to access the rear of the equipment but also because it impacts the performance of the system. The closer to wall you place equipment the heavier are the standing waves to which it will be...
I went to hear both amps but in the event heard only the L590AX II. I was very impressed. I thought it sounded very detailed and musical with the partnering D-06u sacd player. The next stage will be to hear both amplifiers in my Music Room. The dealers system used one one the larger pairs of B&W...
Hi Ron
Isn’t this the great paradox in Hi Fi. Live sound completely unamplified is a completely different experience to hi fi regardless of the money spent
On Friday evening I had the great pleasure of going to The Stables in Milton Keynes to hear Pete Long and The Goodmen Band recreate the...
Sorry for the delay in responding. I have been out of circulation today auditioning some Luxman kit.
Yes I was very pleased to get it sorted. The Westmonsters are not easy to accommodate. I managed to do a very good deal on the Canterbury’s Thanks for the invitation. Likewise if you are passing...
Hi Lee
Thank you for your response
I have a number of Michael Murray's Telarc recordings. He did a very good one of the Marcel Dupre Symphony in G Minor in 1986 (?) on the Royal Albert Hall organ which is excellent particlarly as the piece is seldom heard. My favourite is one he did on the...
That’s a very good analogy. With low efficiency speakers much of the amplifiers power is wasted fighting the natural resistance in the speaker or more accurately in the crossover. It is much more difficult to accurately represent the dynamics present in recording using LE speakers and it...
No sadly I didn’t. I do like your ‘Jewel of the Middle Bits’ description of Luton. I have never heard that before. I also like your handle ‘infinitely baffled’., which is very apt. I have been into Hi Fi for 50yrs and far from having all the answers, I don’t think I yet know what the questions...