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alt766
05-14-2007, 04:24 PM
Hey All-

I am currently a student of Theatre, I am taking a sound class, and my final project is having to do with some research on some home audio equitment.

I guess I pose the question of this,

Your dream system would consist of? and Why?

What makes these products better than others?

Feanor
05-14-2007, 04:44 PM
Hey All-

I am currently a student of Theatre, I am taking a sound class, and my final project is having to do with some research on some home audio equitment.

I guess I pose the question of this,

Your dream system would consist of? and Why?

What makes these products better than others?

What is the connection between theatre sound and home audio? To my awareness, they are rather different.

Perhaps you should realize that around here there are a majority of people called "audiophiles", (literally "sound lovers"). Most of these people, such as me, are considered crackpots by the general population, and not unreasonably so. If you ask us what makes one product better than another, we will most often say something like, "I prefer its sound".

jrhymeammo
05-14-2007, 06:04 PM
Is it just me or Feanor just called himself an audiophile? That's pretty hign 'n mighty of you, BIll.



Your dream system would consist of?
Something I do not have.



Why? Cuz this is a hobby and not a marriage. I just wanna listen to music in different setups, cuz believe it or not every gears sound different.



What makes these products better than others?
I dont know. I'm just another idiot who thinks Michael Fremer is God.:idea:


JRA

emorphien
05-14-2007, 08:02 PM
just posting to admire jrh's avatar again.

Also I think you're barking up the wrong tree asking a bunch of self professing audiophile snobs about equipment if theater gear is your interest. Be better off finding a pro sound group.

Mr Peabody
05-14-2007, 08:10 PM
I suppose a dream system would, or should, be some of the flagship ultra dollar equipment but I dream of things I've actually heard. It's difficult for me to dream of things hard to imagine. I have always been torn between two types of sound so in my dream can I have two rooms as well?

In room one would be a Krell kps-25 preamp,cd player into a couple Krell monster monoblocks driving an appropriate sized Dynaudio for the room. The reason is a similar set up was one of the best systems I have ever heard. It was the closest reproduction of live music I've ever heard.

Room two would be the top of the line Audio Note transport/DAC into a Conrad Johnson ACT-2 preamp into a pair of their LP140m's driving a pair of appropriate Martin Logan speakers. Tubes with Martin Logan recreated a presence that is nothing short of haunting.

These systems are very different and to say which is more accurate depends on the type of reality you are going for. The Krell gives that physical sense and impact of being at a live show. Krell's speed and snap is the closest I've heard to delivering the realism of live musical transcients. On the other hand a system I heard with vintage ARC driving Martin Logan speakers came the closest to fooling my mind into believing the singer was right in front of me in the flesh. I call it presence but I don't know how to describe what I felt. If you have ever had your eyes closed and have some one walk into the room and without opening your eyes you could just sense them their, it's like that.

For me, my Dynaudio's do double duty in my systems because I don't have two rooms. My modest Conrad Johnson is able to reproduce more micro and macro dynamics than I ever thought possible in this price range. Sometimes when the tubes are nice and warmed up, with the right recording I can come close to that same presence. I'd love to hear my CJ gear on ML's to see what a part they played in the magic I felt.

I started out going for what I thought was the most accurate, the Krell. Once I had the best I thought I could afford, it sounded good but yet I still wasn't satisfied. I had that "presence" still haunting me and I wasn't "drawn into the music" as I've heard some describe. I started experimenting with tube gear to find myself becoming more and more seduced by what I heard. I found that I preferred the micro/macro dynamics and intimacy of tubes. It also helped to find that many of the tube sound stereotypes have been overcome by those manufacturers who chose to do so. Don't get me wrong, It's not as fast as the best solid state but if not side by side, you won't miss much.

Rock789
05-18-2007, 06:54 PM
I have to stick with Focal JM Labs and go with a Utopia Be setup...
although I am not sure which series...
I would probably go with the Nova's and build a room around them...

heck... I'll go all out and do 7 channel surround with utopia be's

now for electronics... ya... something a lot more expensive than I can afford ... (as if I can afford the speakers :rofl: )

StevenSurprenant
06-09-2007, 04:03 AM
Hey All-

I am currently a student of Theatre, I am taking a sound class, and my final project is having to do with some research on some home audio equipment.

I guess I pose the question of this,

Your dream system would consist of? and Why?

What makes these products better than others?

It's not about the equipment per say, it's more about equipment matching. It's also about preference.

For instance, Magnapans have always sounded rather uneventful to me. I've listened to many of these in many stores and walked away unimpressed. However, I visited one store and they blew me away. I believe that they were using an EAD CD player with a Levinson preamp and I have no idea what amp they were using. All I know for sure was that it had a great soundstage and clarity in spades. Of course, how they were set up in the room they were in had much to do with their sound. A month later, I heard the same speakers with different equipment in a different room and they sounded less than note worthy. Still, I am a fan of dipole speakers and believe that Maggies have great potential.

The same thing happened with Wilson Watt Puppies. I listened to a pair of these hooked to Levinson gear and walked away thinking it was a waste of money (pure wall paper, flat image with no depth.). Later, I heard the same speakers with a Pass Labs amp and the soundstage was unbelievable. In fact, the space between the instruments/singers was as tangible as the images of the instruments/singers themselves. It was too much in the right direction. Everything was so separated that even though they were playing the same song, all the performers seemed disconnected from each other. Still, it was amazing that this was possible. I still remember the drummer sitting about 20 feet to the right rear of the soundstage. He seemed all alone back there, just playing away.

Someone once said that a great system in the wrong room will sound worse than a good system in a great room. I totally agree with this assessment. The room and speaker setup can be just as important as the gear.

Also, you have to consider what your tastes are. For some people, it's all about party time. Turn it up so that the bass is pounding your chest. For others it's about clarity and soundstaging (like myself). These two types will never agree on the ultimate system.

But to answer your question and still remain vague, It's not about the equipment. It's about the sound. Great equipment does not mean great sound. It has to be the right combination of gear to get you where you want to go.

I used to tell people who were looking to buy a system to go and listen to the very best they could find, even if it was well beyond their price range. After they found the type of sound they really liked, then find equipment in their price range that brought them as close to this ideal as possible.

One last thing...

Some people think Bose speakers are high end. That is partially due to marketing and partially due to the fact it is the best they have heard. They have no idea of what a high resolution system can sound like. So, if they heard, let's say, a low end B&W speaker, they might think that the this would be the new standard for high end sound. However, people who have progressed to the best B&W speaker might think that the the lowest price B&W speaker sounds terrible.

The point is, opinion is based on reference and preference. In other words, what kind of sound do you like and how does it compare to what you've already heard.

Another one last thing, I've heard many very good systems and there was always something I liked about each one. No system was ever the ultimate. Each had it's strengths and weaknesses.

I know this doesn't directly answer you question, but perhaps it is food for thought?