Is Rhapsody audio not an advertiser with WBF ? Maybe Ron was interested in hearing the big Magicos , showing impartiality to his competing product as a audio dealer and making a nice video for a advertiser at the same time ? Many hats at once, but Ron does juggle them quite competently most of the time !
Thank you, Milan.
Please note that nowhere on this thread have I mentioned Rhapsody. I'm happy to tell you what I had in my mind.
In my mind my visit had nothing to do with Rhapsody. Given the opportunity who wouldn't take an Uber to spend even an hour with M9s and an hour with Botticellis? As a lifelong "planar person" I honestly was most excited to hear the Botticellis. I probably would've taken an Uber over there just for the opportunity to
see the M9s in person even if Chris couldn't play music for me!
I scheduled my visit with Todd weeks in advance of SWAF. Just a few days before SWAF it dawned on me that it also was a great opportunity to visit Chris and to see and hear the M9 and the Botticelli. I was free after 2:00 PM on Sunday. I would've loved to have spent the whole afternoon and evening with Chris. Due to the late request on my part for the visit Chris was available only between 3:00 PM and 5:00, very sharp. I am grateful that Chris could accommodate me at all.
Both the Magico system and the Alsyvox system sounded amazing. I think Chris' incredible rooms had a lot to do with this. If I put either of those complete systems in my listening room would each of them sound as amazing? Of course not! That's why I personally will never have a room + system that qualifies for my own personal top-tier of rooms + systems.
I think some WBF members want detailed sonic impressions of the loudspeakers in these systems. I think some WBF members want comparative impressions between the loudspeakers in these systems and the loudspeakers in other systems. Any such detailed or nuanced impressions -- by me or by anybody else -- based on 15 minutes of listening would be methodologically and intellectually dishonest.
All I could determine in 15 minutes of listening to three tracks I selected on each system is that both systems sound amazing. Anybody interested in purchasing state-of-the-art dynamic driver speakers has to audition M9s or M7s -- as well as Wilson XVX, YG Sonja XV, Goebel Divin Majestic, Estelon Forza, Rockport Lyra, Gryphon Kodos, VSA Ultra 7/11, Zellaton Reference, etc. Anybody interested in purchasing state-of-the-art planar dipole speakers has to audition Alsyvox -- as well as Clarisys, Magnepan 30.1, MartinLogan Neolith, Sound Lab, etc.
There are many world-class systems. I think each of the rooms + systems in my top-tier are world-class systems. I think virtually all audiophiles who spent 15 minutes listening to each of Chris' systems and each of the home rooms + systems in my top tier would come away thinking "amazing."
What is fascinating is that because Chris' rooms are substantially identical, somebody visiting Chris can come to his/her personal conclusion about which system he/she personally likes best.
*Robert Harley's and Michael Fremer's loudspeaker reviews are methodologically and intellectually honest because each of them brings different loudspeakers into the exact same room with the exact same, or with substantially the same, associated components. I can't do that. And traveling around the world visiting amazing rooms + systems does not allow me to do that.