Upcoming evaluation

[emaidel]

I posted this on another audio site, but thought it would be of interest to members here.

I've listed all the equipment I own a number of times, and regardless of how good I think it sounds (and, I think it sounds really good), I can't deny that all of the equipment is old, and that most of it has likely been eclispsed by newer, more modern, and most likely, much more expensive equipment.. Other than recently rebuilt woofers for my DQ-10's, my newest component was my subwoofer, which is now over 6 years old. Still, people hear my system who've owned better equipment themselves, and are amazed at how good it sounds. They are particularly impressed at how effortless the DQ-10's sound, and how readily they "disappear" when playing back a well recorded disc.

In a couple of weeks, a good friend will be joining my wife and myself for dinner. Aside from being an operatic tenor, this fellow is a Grammy-winning recording engineer, for the work he's done recording symphonic music in Europe. He knows what a live orchestra sounds like, and what a well-engineered recording of that orchestra should sound like too.

Though most European studios use B&W speakers, and my friend is quite familiar with them, they're not his favorites, and has stated he prefers a more articulated sound, such as that from the DQ-10. I am anxiously awaiting his opinion of how my system sounds, and I believe he has more qualifications to provide a valid comment, good or bad, than anyone who'se heard it before, given both his musical, and his extensive recording engineering background.

When he comes here, he'll be able to judge the sound of two systems: one, a fairly decent system with my B&W 802F's (the home version of the legendary studio monitor, 801F), and my main system with better electronics and my beloved Dahlquists. I'm anxiously awaitng his evaluation and his opinions. I'll post those results here at AR for all to see. It should be very interesting, don't you think?

[meltdown]

Should be interesting. I have an overwhelming urge to pick up some Dahlquist DQ10's but they are like hens teeth. I nearly got my hands on a pair of DQ20's, I wish I would of jumped. I have one of Gases' amps squirreled away just for the job.

[bobsticks]

. It should be very interesting, don't you think?

Should be, at least insofar as that it will be an old hand, a trained ear checking things out. But what would be the repercussions of an unfavorable review? I mean these are still your babies right...you're not talking yourself into a case of "ugradeitis" are you?

[Mr Peabody]

My thought is if a 6 year old sub is your newest piece of gear what are you using for a CD player, there's definitely been improvements in the last 6+ years.

[emaidel]

My thought is if a 6 year old sub is your newest piece of gear what are you using for a CD player, there's definitely been improvements in the last 6+ years.

An Adcom GCD-600 changer and an Adcom GDA-600 D/A converter. The two are connected with a recently purchased Monster Cable Z-200D digital coax, that sounds a hellufva lot better than the far costlier "Illuminati" cable it replaced.

At one point, I thought the player was broken (turned out to be a defective disc), and I reconnected an older Denon DCD-1500II. I was absolutely astonished at how genuinely lousy the Denon sounded in comparison, so at least, even though the Adcom stuff is old, it still sounds pretty good. I know there's better to be had, but again, that comes at a price I'm not willing to pay (at least, not just yet.) When that time comes, I think a Cambridge Audio 740, or 840 is in the cards.