Japanese Audio???

[Mr Peabody]

So true, it's subjective. It would be interesting to hear if Sony's $25k speaker even came close to the Dynaudio Sapphire at $16k.

Marantz might get some respect when their $2500.00 integrated performs like a Krell. I didn't say sounds like, I said performs like. If you don't know the difference then you shouldn't argue the point.

I heard it said by some that Conrad Johnson's Art series was some of the best in the world.

Japanese gear will get respect when they provide this type of performance along with the price tag they stick on it.

Those of you who are defending the Japanese, let's see your Japanese gear list. Let's say other than what you bought from mass market/department stores.

I guess I could start, I actually have a Marantz A/V preamp and I have to admit it's good for $2500.00. I don't use a lot of the features but it doesn't have much comp at the price.

[Ajani]

So true, it's subjective. It would be interesting to hear if Sony's $25k speaker even came close to the Dynaudio Sapphire at $16k.

That would totally depend on who does the listening... A non-Dynaudio Fan might think a $3K speaker smoked the Sapphire... Subjective being the key word...

Marantz might get some respect

Marantz gets lots of respect from both reviews and owners around the world... Their last 2 models of $1K SACD Players and $4.5K power Amp were all Class A Rated in Stereophile, not to mention numerous great reviews and awards in the UK...

when their $2500.00 integrated performs like a Krell. I didn't say sounds like, I said performs like. If you don't know the difference then you shouldn't argue the point.

There's no point throwing down the gauntlet, if you're then going to word it in a manner that leaves persons too confused as to what you actually mean, for them to accept the challenge...

I heard it said by some that Conrad Johnson's Art series was some of the best in the world.

I've heard it said that Audio Note is the best in the world

Japanese gear will get respect when they provide this type of performance along with the price tag they stick on it.

They already get lots of respect... Just not by a number of persons in North America (many of whom are audio snobs)...

Those of you who are defending the Japanese, let's see your Japanese gear list. Let's say other than what you bought from mass market/department stores.

My previous setup was all Rotel and Marantz Electronics... which I vastly preferred to the competing British gear from NAD, Cambridge Audio and Arcam...

I guess I could start, I actually have a Marantz A/V preamp and I have to admit it's good for $2500.00. I don't use a lot of the features but it doesn't have much comp at the price.

Maybe you should audition some of Marantz's 2 Channel gear to see if you actually like it as well....

[dvjorge]

That was my intention when I opened this thread. I like CJ and have listening it in hi-fi stores. One of the best, I have listened to is Wilson Audio with VTL pre and amps, and the source was Mark Levinson Cd player. Transparent cables, I believe. Awesome sound.

[frenchmon]

So true, it's subjective. It would be interesting to hear if Sony's $25k speaker even came close to the Dynaudio Sapphire at $16k.

Marantz might get some respect when their $2500.00 integrated performs like a Krell. I didn't say sounds like, I said performs like. If you don't know the difference then you shouldn't argue the point.

I heard it said by some that Conrad Johnson's Art series was some of the best in the world.

Japanese gear will get respect when they provide this type of performance along with the price tag they stick on it.

Those of you who are defending the Japanese, let's see your Japanese gear list. Let's say other than what you bought from mass market/department stores.

I guess I could start, I actually have a Marantz A/V preamp and I have to admit it's good for $2500.00. I don't use a lot of the features but it doesn't have much comp at the price.

Mr.Peabody...you're starting to sound like the guys at Music For Pleasure. Personally I think Marantz Reference is great, great gear. I've sat and listened to a $7000 Marantz reference amp and $7000 Marantz reference control amp with a $7 Marantz reference CDP driving some very expensive Legacy speakers and some Revel speakers when I lived in North Carolina

And the only Krell I've heard is your Krell. Now I think both the Krell and the Marantz reference both have a signature sound.....and if that is true, their is a big difference in the type of sound. Forget about the performance, its how it relates to your soul. I forget what I see on paper when listening to gear, how much passion does it interject into your soul...does it move you in a way that says I want that.

Now im not saying performance is a bad thing if that floats your boat, but how does it make you feel man. Just like that new line of Dali speakers you and I listened to last week...neither you or I understood anything about the performance of those small Dali book shelves but you and I where moved by them...and then we saw the Dali floor standers and they where just to polite for my taste. I know the sales guy tried to pass it off as not being broken in, but they did nothing for me. Now we sorta listened to those small Dynaudio 110's that where beside them and they moved me like all Dynaudio speakers do...so I could care less about performance thats on paper.

The Mantz gear is warm and has a tube sound to me. I think they would at least try and preserve a little of that sound they had back in their hay day even though its not really the same company. At one time they even thought about getting back into tubes briefly but it just did'nt work out for them. He's a little bit of the conversation about that.

http://www.hifinews.co.uk/content/interview.html

HFN: Are we likely to see any revisits of classic Marantz products?

KI: ‘Some time ago we did a replica of the Model 7 amp but the biggest problem is the tube. We started to make a product and then we got a shipment from China that wasn’t, in terms of the quality of tube, at all in line with what it was supposed to be. So, we had to give up continuation of that project. We initially accepted orders from people and we ended up with 8000 orders for the Model 7, 7000 orders for the Model 8 and 10,000 orders for the Model 9. We thought we could do that in one year but because of the fact that tube wasn’t there it took us three years to do this and we said “there’s no way we can run serious production this way”. That’s the unfortunate situation. To run it in a proper production number is very difficult. If the quality of the tube is much better then, yes. Another thing is the reliability of the tube was also not the same as what we are used to. Some of the tubes I saw (from China and Russia) it was just unbelievable how bad they were. Also, the basic manufacture, basic materials and control of materials, and control of how to manufacture everything was incredibly bad. The truth is we sent back 90% and whenever those tubes aren’t meeting the specification at all people don’t want that. The biggest problem with tubes is that used on amplifiers they have a special charm and sound characteristic so I can understand that some people want that. I understand it’.

The Krell gear on the other hand is a very different sound...its hard, fast and very powerful. And I think the Krell amps attract a very different type of listener than the Marantz listener. If I had to spend my money, I would prefer that Marantz Reference seeing that I listen to mostly accoustic Jazz and Blues. IF that where not my taste and listen to a lots of R&B and hard hitting Rock and Metal, then its maybe Krell or something with that sorta sound that moved me.

Im just tired of this my gear is better than your gear because on paper it can do this. Over at the audio shop last week, I listen to the sales guy put down gear from China and Japan like they where a bunch of audio snobbs. And because of that I will never set foot in that store again, and its not like St. Louis has a lot to chose from. They even had bad things to say about Cary Audio which is made right there in North Carolina. If it does not drive big speakers like Dynaudio's $16000 Sapphire's or does not have enough juice for their liking then to hell with it? What is that?

This is a very subjective hobby and we should respect the gear thats afforded us. Like Blackraven says...one mans junk is another mans treasure.....lets stop dumping on others junk.

frenchmon