Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    436

    Question for RGA

    RGA,

    What did Soundhounds have in stock the last time you were there? I think I'm gonna head over there on thursday to try out some of their things. I have never been to an audition for a long period of time before. How much time do you recommend me spend on each speaker and how much music to bring?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    RGA
    RGA is offline
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    5,539
    Well time of course should not be a problem since you just go to a room they set-it up and leave you to it. So really you're not in the way unless it's extremely busy - on a Thursday? I doubt it would be packed.

    I would listen for an hour to each speaker at least. Some of course you won't want to and others maybe longer. If you want to listen to the Es phone ahead - they have the E's set-up in their big room and freestanding and no corners or near any side walls for that matter. Then again you may want to hear them in that position just to hear them in a less than ideal spot. Considering they dropped the N801 - you see the confidence they have with the E in a less than ideal position is still better. You won't get the bottom end bass from this spot though.

    As for music they have a ton of LP's and cds - You could try the comparision by contrast method - but that is time consuming - do bring a mix of albums and don't be concerned with supposedly lesser recordings. You might be surprised that the lesser recordings are just fine and merely ruined by a lot of speakers.

    They had two kits built - may be a chance to hear one of them. They have four rooms. A H/T room which is maybe the best. The room I auditioned in is maybe the worst with a celiing that is maybe 15-20 high relatively narrow and very long(extends to the H/T room). But the important thing is not the room but how the speakers compare in the room. Just so long as everything is on the same playing field. I make sure to try and listen to everything in the same room and same gear. The room by the used gear is very good but is SS gear. If you had time listening in both rooms with different set-ups could be interesting as well.

    They have K's J's and E's in stock. The E/XL was in - the store owner brought the E/SEC home. They had AN monoblocks not set-up. They had a good used section with Bryston etc. They don't have the J stands though - still waiting for a delayed shipment when Audio Note was moving. I did a pink noise test at home and I understand why Q is adamant about 15 inches. So I will probably trade mine in when the time comes.

    Unfortunately you won't get to hear Peter's system there he has the Sogon's no doubt. I believe Paul owns the E/XL though.

    They have the Paradigm Studio 100V3's the B&W 700 series and N805 - maybe the N804, Linn/Wharfedale Boston Acoustics. They carry more Audio Note gear - the AX models and the AZ 3 which I didn't get a chance to hear. The owner was working on a juke box last I was there which was taking up considerable space.

    You may be able to hear the Maggies - and if you can get the number for me because I can't remember it and want to be fair - it was an older model. Bring some bass discs.

    Listen to something like the B&W or Paradigm stuff first - then listen to the Audio Note's but be warned - at least to me - there is no going back.

  3. #3
    RGA
    RGA is offline
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    5,539
    Also - try and e-mail ahead so they know you're coming and generally what you want to listen to. This way they might be able to set stuff up the night before. For standmounts it's no big deal but to lug the Studio 100 or other big floorstanders around is more difficult.

    And also if you can find out how much the one box cd player is going for.

  4. #4
    RGA
    RGA is offline
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    5,539
    Also get a map - the place is a nightmare to get to. It's at the opposite end of a oneway street so you have to go ~four blocks to be able to take a left turn then it's on the corner of a street you can't make a left turn on - bugger. Plus it'sthe corner where Pandora avenue changes names to some other street. The first time I went there I was driving around in circles - especially since I didn't know the street name changed so I was trying to find what happened to Pandora avenue?? Double Bugger.

  5. #5
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    436
    thanks for the advice RGA
    I'll send them a mail tomorrow to set up some stuff for me to try out.
    Although I'm not too sure whats happening to the ferries - supposed to be a incoming strike or something.

  6. #6
    RGA
    RGA is offline
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    5,539
    Not ANOTHER strike Do these people ever actually work?

  7. #7
    RGA
    RGA is offline
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    5,539
    I do have another suggestion - try and bring busy albums - something with fast tracks - I like Gloria Estefan's Conga - or other busy dance music perhaps something from Madonna - "Vogue" or "Die Another Day"I often use. The latter is a good wall rattler.

    Classical works but it is generally slower and smoother than fast and up-tempo.

    Leahy "Lakefield" is a Canadian fiddle group which has a tremendous amount going on.

    On the J with the Conga track I can rattle the walls the bass is deeper than I ever thought it was but everything is extremely tight and never does it sound compressed or smeared in the vocal band. Push the volume a bit at the dealer on such music (Sarah McLachlan's "Silence" from here Re-mix album is an excellent trance track with very deep bass). Synthesizers are after all full-range. Even Avril Levigne's Let Go has one track that actually scared me - an intermittant pulse bass line surprised me.

    While you you may not be into this kind of stuff the point is it is nice to be able to put it up - and where ALL other standmounts I have heard Suck donkey balls is at playing any sort of convincing deep bass at high levels and not mulching the midrange.
    It is important to find tracks with REAL bass content because it is not going to hump up the midbass like all these others to hide the fact they have zippo real bass ability.

    Conversely also listen at very low volume levels. You should still get ample bass and top to bottom sound. I am using a SS 70 watt amp and at the 7 o'clock position basically as low as it goes - the room is still presurized with very deep bass and still highly dynamic. You will likely find that with the other standmounts you always want to turn it up in order to get them to sound good. High sensitivity is always an advantage in this regard but the J and presumably the E even more so will be a treat at low volume levels on par with panels in this regard (One reason Panels are popular is late night listening at low volumes). This will be harder to hear at the store however. I always find it sounds better in my home than at a store - because of less visceral competition for my senses. But the store is still a level playing field.

    Something like Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood album "Kickstart My Heart" would be fun as well. It's rather interesting to hear the Vocals so clearly and the bass less bloaty for a change. If you're used to most standmount speakers idea of bass the AN's will take you a back. Some recordings will seem like there is less bass than you've heard before and others will knock you on your butt - rather than many which just hump everything up. They don't have that annoying thumpy piston bass.

    The Santana disc Shaman "The Game of Love" was a good clincher for me as well.

    Have fun.

  8. #8
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    436
    The greatest problem is this.
    I grew up in the age of napster and free music. Never bought real stuff. Always burnt stuff that wasnt legit. When I got my ipod I threw away all my burnt stuff before I moved to a new place I'm living at now. Only recently did I start buying legit stuff and borrowing some stuff from the library to experience new material and seeing if it was any good, then maybe consider buying it. I dont even think I have enough music of different genres I listen to usually, but just dont have it on disk, just my trusty ipod. I have tried to burn some stuff, but it never works out. Ends up sounding duller than the original for some reason. The digital compression I guess. Hopefully soundhounds has some stuff I am familiar with that I can use.

  9. #9
    RGA
    RGA is offline
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    5,539
    Quote Originally Posted by 92135011
    The greatest problem is this.
    I grew up in the age of napster and free music. Never bought real stuff. Always burnt stuff that wasnt legit. When I got my ipod I threw away all my burnt stuff before I moved to a new place I'm living at now. Only recently did I start buying legit stuff and borrowing some stuff from the library to experience new material and seeing if it was any good, then maybe consider buying it. I dont even think I have enough music of different genres I listen to usually, but just dont have it on disk, just my trusty ipod. I have tried to burn some stuff, but it never works out. Ends up sounding duller than the original for some reason. The digital compression I guess. Hopefully soundhounds has some stuff I am familiar with that I can use.
    They hve an extensive collection across a wide range of genres - Probably have over 1000 Lp's and a tone of Compact discs in this machine that electronically rotates cd's (in their jewel case quickly for removal - maybe 200+ in there and whatever other stock - I know they have a lot of Jazz material and some smaller Canadian Artists I have never heard of. There should be enough variety.

  10. #10
    Forum Regular
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    36

    audio hell

    Quote Originally Posted by 92135011
    The greatest problem is this.
    I grew up in the age of napster and free music. Never bought real stuff. Always burnt stuff that wasnt legit. When I got my ipod I threw away all my burnt stuff before I moved to a new place I'm living at now. Only recently did I start buying legit stuff and borrowing some stuff from the library to experience new material and seeing if it was any good, then maybe consider buying it. I dont even think I have enough music of different genres I listen to usually, but just dont have it on disk, just my trusty ipod. I have tried to burn some stuff, but it never works out. Ends up sounding duller than the original for some reason. The digital compression I guess. Hopefully soundhounds has some stuff I am familiar with that I can use.
    hi 92135011,

    it may actually be an advantage to start from a 'clean slate'. Peter Q's exposition on 'comparison-by-contrast' in his "Are You On the Road To Audio Hell" piece with Norwitz says that it may actually be good to audition gear with relatively unfamiliar titles. You may want to review it before you go out and do A/B comparisons of various gear.

    here's a link:

    http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin.../audiohell.htm

    cheers!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 12
    Last Post: 07-05-2004, 03:14 PM
  2. Impedance question
    By lumiere in forum Speakers
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 06-10-2004, 12:57 PM
  3. A real newbie question....Please help
    By mjnoles1 in forum Home Theater/Video
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 06-06-2004, 08:27 PM
  4. A question about low freq responses...
    By karl k in forum The Audio Lab, Tweaks, Mods, DIY
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 01-16-2004, 03:19 PM
  5. Question about picture clarity on Samsung plasma?
    By acqui in forum Home Theater/Video
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-10-2004, 07:01 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •