[[email protected]]

I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

[[email protected]]

wrote:

I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

I don't know if it was the best sound, but I remember listening to the
Beveridge Electrostatic speaker. This device presented a very coherent
musical experience. I do not remember the associated gear. I owned a pair
of Acoustat speakers, but they were not nearly as good as the Beveridge,
however it was all I could afford at the time.

mp

[Jenn]

wrote:
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

2005, Carnegie Hall, Eastman Wind Ensemble, heard from the conductor's
podium ;-)

Seriously, on that trip to NYC, at Lyric Hi Fi I heard the huge Genesis
speaker system (like the old Infinity IRS), SME turntable, Mark
Levinson electronics, including CD player. That was by far the best
audio system that I've ever heard. On a more reasonable price level,
I've heard virturally the same system but with the Quads in place of
the Gensis speakers, and I was blown away by it.

[record hunter]

wrote:
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

It was in a store on Connecticut Ave in Maryland, in the '80s. The
speakers were by Sota, the amps by Quicksilver, the CD player by Mod
Squad [?], the music by Mahler & Tennstedt [M8].

The speakers were triangular-shaped [in profile] monitors. I'd never
heard of Sota at the time. Does anyone remember the speakers?

I don't know why I've never bought tube amps -- which I was told were
the main reason this system sounded so good -- but, well, I haven't.
I'll bet I'd really like LPs on such a system.

[Santos L Halper]

In terms of "realism", it was a Sade LP played thru a pair
of Audio Physic Virgo II speakers in a demo room at
Audio Outlet in Mt. Kisco, NY.(1996 maybe?) I don't
recall what the rest of the playback chain was.

In terms of pleasure, I'd have to say it's my own system,
built around a pair of ProAc 2.5 and a very comfortable
couch ; )

Santos

wrote in message ...
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

[Harry Lavo]

"Santos L Halper" wrote in message
...
In terms of "realism", it was a Sade LP played thru a pair
of Audio Physic Virgo II speakers in a demo room at
Audio Outlet in Mt. Kisco, NY.(1996 maybe?) I don't
recall what the rest of the playback chain was.

In terms of pleasure, I'd have to say it's my own system,
built around a pair of ProAc 2.5 and a very comfortable
couch ; )

Santos


Actually, I heard that system as well, and it was truly excellent. The
electronics were, I believe, Audio Research Reference.

I heard an almost identical system set up in a demo room at a dealer in
Queens, NY at about the same time (maybe a year or two later). It was a
dealer almost exclusively devoted to the Chinese clientele that lived in the
area. The system was top end ARC Reference all the way, and those same
Virgo's. The speakers were set out well in the room...the room was large
and the system was dedicated...although their were other pieces laying about
that could be substituted. Harry Belefonte at Carnegie Hall was on a
turntable (don't recall brand or cartridge). All I can remember is walking
in and being stunned by the absolute transparency and dimensionality of the
system....it truly sounded like Harry was singing (albeit a bit larger than
life) in that room.

I achieved that same effect on a lesser scale (and with somewhat lesser
transparency) when I replaced my ARC D90 power amp with a VTL ST-85, and my
Thiel 3.5 speakers with 2 2's while living in Port Washington on the Island.
I still had my Linn Valhalla/Syrinx PU2/Accuphase AC-2/Marcof setup at the
time, playing through my ARC SP-6Brc. I also achieved the same effect with
the "Trio Jeepy" CD featuring Brandford Marsalis, which fed in through a
Marantz 63SE/DTI Pro/Proceed PDP combo. My son was visiting when I played
that for him, and he kept walking around the speakers....just had trouble
believing what he was hearing.

But then again, through the filtering haze of 55 years, my Dad's system
circa 1952 was no slouch...a Rek-O-Cut TT. ESL arm, with a Norelco cartridge
feeding a Newcomb Classic 25 watt preamp/amp combination, in turn driving
JBL's largest corner horn. On the table: the red vinyl Audiophile series
records featuring Red Nichols and his Five Pennies. Dixieland right there
in the living room. Boy was I hooked.

[Trevor Lees]

'Best Sound' I ever heard was at Hyman Kachalsky's house at New Rochel (
about 1982)at an New York Audiophile club meeting playing a Linn with arm
i've forgotten,but i'm sure the club members will remember,Koetsu
cartridge,Trevor Lees Prepreamp dual mono and matching preamps(dual Mono)
through Hill Plasmatronic flame loudspeakers,up till 4 am ....could not
believe the top end response and midrange best tracks were by ...Carly
Simon's husband ,yes ....what's his namne..?..cheers Trevor Lees
wrote in message ...
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

[TonyP]

Harry Lavo wrote:
"Santos L Halper" wrote in message
...

In terms of "realism", it was a Sade LP played thru a pair
of Audio Physic Virgo II speakers in a demo room at
Audio Outlet in Mt. Kisco, NY.(1996 maybe?) I don't
recall what the rest of the playback chain was.

In terms of pleasure, I'd have to say it's my own system,
built around a pair of ProAc 2.5 and a very comfortable
couch ; )

Santos



Actually, I heard that system as well, and it was truly excellent. The
electronics were, I believe, Audio Research Reference.

I heard an almost identical system set up in a demo room at a dealer in
Queens, NY at about the same time (maybe a year or two later). It was a
dealer almost exclusively devoted to the Chinese clientele that lived in the
area. The system was top end ARC Reference all the way, and those same
Virgo's. The speakers were set out well in the room...the room was large
and the system was dedicated...although their were other pieces laying about
that could be substituted. Harry Belefonte at Carnegie Hall was on a
turntable (don't recall brand or cartridge). All I can remember is walking
in and being stunned by the absolute transparency and dimensionality of the
system....it truly sounded like Harry was singing (albeit a bit larger than
life) in that room.

I achieved that same effect on a lesser scale (and with somewhat lesser
transparency) when I replaced my ARC D90 power amp with a VTL ST-85, and my
Thiel 3.5 speakers with 2 2's while living in Port Washington on the Island.
I still had my Linn Valhalla/Syrinx PU2/Accuphase AC-2/Marcof setup at the
time, playing through my ARC SP-6Brc. I also achieved the same effect with
the "Trio Jeepy" CD featuring Brandford Marsalis, which fed in through a
Marantz 63SE/DTI Pro/Proceed PDP combo. My son was visiting when I played
that for him, and he kept walking around the speakers....just had trouble
believing what he was hearing.

But then again, through the filtering haze of 55 years, my Dad's system
circa 1952 was no slouch...a Rek-O-Cut TT. ESL arm, with a Norelco cartridge
feeding a Newcomb Classic 25 watt preamp/amp combination, in turn driving
JBL's largest corner horn. On the table: the red vinyl Audiophile series
records featuring Red Nichols and his Five Pennies. Dixieland right there
in the living room. Boy was I hooked.

For me, it was the Duntech Soverenign's driven by Audio Research D250,
SP11, VPI with Koetsu cartridge and MIT cabling. This was at CSA in New
Jersey. Large room with excellent acoustics. We listened to classical
jazz along with large scale orchestra. Truly stunning.

Harry, still in the area of LI, NY? Me? Grew up in Queens, got hooked on
audio in Wash DC at Myer Emco (back in the days of Bozack and McIntosh)
and then back to Queens. Now, out in Suffolk.

[Michael L. Squires]

wrote in message ...
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.


Double KLH 9's at Harvey Radio circa 1963, driven by Marantz 7/4 Marantz 9's;
in the same room was a JBL Paragon, JBL Sovereign I, and AR3a's. I don't know
what tonearm/cart was used. I preferred the Sovereigns with jazz, the KLH 9's
with classical/opera.

Dave Berning's house, ca 1977: Magneplanar Tympani IV(?) driven by custom
electronics, including quite a bit of equalization.

My system ca 1977: double KLH 9's driven by 4 modified Dyna MK III's;
Hartley 24" subwoofer driven by Tigersaurus 250wpc solid-state amp
through dB systems crossover; dB systems preamp and MC preamp; KMAL arm on
a Rek-o-kut K34H (very low rumble, by measurement), Denon DL103c cart.
Material a mix of opera, big-band jazz, and test records.

Mike Squires, who doesn't have as much HF response as he used to.

[Harry Lavo]

"TonyP" wrote in message
...
Harry Lavo wrote:
"Santos L Halper" wrote in message
...

In terms of "realism", it was a Sade LP played thru a pair
of Audio Physic Virgo II speakers in a demo room at
Audio Outlet in Mt. Kisco, NY.(1996 maybe?) I don't
recall what the rest of the playback chain was.

In terms of pleasure, I'd have to say it's my own system,
built around a pair of ProAc 2.5 and a very comfortable
couch ; )

Santos



Actually, I heard that system as well, and it was truly excellent. The
electronics were, I believe, Audio Research Reference.

I heard an almost identical system set up in a demo room at a dealer in
Queens, NY at about the same time (maybe a year or two later). It was a
dealer almost exclusively devoted to the Chinese clientele that lived in
the area. The system was top end ARC Reference all the way, and those
same Virgo's. The speakers were set out well in the room...the room was
large and the system was dedicated...although their were other pieces
laying about that could be substituted. Harry Belefonte at Carnegie Hall
was on a turntable (don't recall brand or cartridge). All I can remember
is walking in and being stunned by the absolute transparency and
dimensionality of the system....it truly sounded like Harry was singing
(albeit a bit larger than life) in that room.

I achieved that same effect on a lesser scale (and with somewhat lesser
transparency) when I replaced my ARC D90 power amp with a VTL ST-85, and
my Thiel 3.5 speakers with 2 2's while living in Port Washington on the
Island. I still had my Linn Valhalla/Syrinx PU2/Accuphase AC-2/Marcof
setup at the time, playing through my ARC SP-6Brc. I also achieved the
same effect with the "Trio Jeepy" CD featuring Brandford Marsalis, which
fed in through a Marantz 63SE/DTI Pro/Proceed PDP combo. My son was
visiting when I played that for him, and he kept walking around the
speakers....just had trouble believing what he was hearing.

But then again, through the filtering haze of 55 years, my Dad's system
circa 1952 was no slouch...a Rek-O-Cut TT. ESL arm, with a Norelco
cartridge feeding a Newcomb Classic 25 watt preamp/amp combination, in
turn driving JBL's largest corner horn. On the table: the red vinyl
Audiophile series records featuring Red Nichols and his Five Pennies.
Dixieland right there in the living room. Boy was I hooked.

For me, it was the Duntech Soverenign's driven by Audio Research D250,
SP11, VPI with Koetsu cartridge and MIT cabling. This was at CSA in New
Jersey. Large room with excellent acoustics. We listened to classical jazz
along with large scale orchestra. Truly stunning.

Harry, still in the area of LI, NY? Me? Grew up in Queens, got hooked on
audio in Wash DC at Myer Emco (back in the days of Bozack and McIntosh)
and then back to Queens. Now, out in Suffolk.

Not in the area any longer, although I do get back from time to time to see
friends. I basically started semi-retirement in 1990 whereupon I moved to
the five-college area of Western Mass to be closer to my kids and sister and
her family....and to be closer to the New England countryside, which I have
always loved. It was a good trade-off for me, but I do sometimes miss the
area...particularly the now-defunct Tower Records store in Carle Place.

[[email protected]]

Jenn wrote:

2005, Carnegie Hall, Eastman Wind Ensemble, heard from the conductor's
podium ;-)

Seriously, on that trip to NYC, at Lyric Hi Fi I heard the huge Genesis
speaker system (like the old Infinity IRS), SME turntable, Mark
Levinson electronics, including CD player. That was by far the best
audio system that I've ever heard. On a more reasonable price level,
I've heard virturally the same system but with the Quads in place of
the Gensis speakers, and I was blown away by it.

It's really interesting that most responders to this thread describe
equipment. I liked Jenn's response, which didn't suprise me, because I
know she's a performing musician as well as audiophile.

As an orchestra manager for over 40 years, who attended about 3,500
concerts, choosing the best sound I've ever heard is difficult.
Musically, it's probably the Chicago Symphony & Sir Georg Solti at
Carnegie Hall in 1974, performing Bartok's "Bluebeard's Castle,"
sitting in the manager's box. Nothing can match the opening of the
fifth door.

As a father, the best sound I've ever heard has nothing to do with
music or audio.

As an audiophile, I'm listening to the best sound I've ever heard:

Music Hall MMF-5 turntable
Dynavector 17D3 Cartridge
Sansui TU-717 tuner
Van Alstine AVA Ultra SL Preamp
ATI 6012 Power Amp
Linkwitz Orion Dipole Speakers, which I built myself. Jenn, you have to
hear them!

[RobertLang]

wrote:

"It's really interesting that most responders to this thread describe
equipment."

"Musically, it's probably the Chicago Symphony & Sir Georg Solti at
Carnegie Hall in 1974, performing Bartok's "Bluebeard's Castle,"
sitting in the manager's box. Nothing can match the opening of the
fifth door."

It's also interesting that most responders to similar threads like this
invariably describe equipment from their youth or young adulthood.

Regarding "Bluebeard Castle" I recently discovered this Bartok work. I
agree, the opening of the 5th door is accompanied by an orchestral slam
dunk for the ages; a real rim shaker!

Robert C. Lang

[William Eckle]

On 7 Dec 2006 04:24:29 GMT, wrote:

As an audiophile, I'm listening to the best sound I've ever heard:

Music Hall MMF-5 turntable
Dynavector 17D3 Cartridge
Sansui TU-717 tuner
Van Alstine AVA Ultra SL Preamp
ATI 6012 Power Amp
Linkwitz Orion Dipole Speakers, which I built myself. Jenn, you have to
hear them!

Hi Peter:
Are you aware that Hugh Dean:
http://www.aksaonline.com/
Makes an upgraded power supply for the Linkwitz Orion's active
crossover/equalizer ?
It is not listed on his Web site, you'll have to contact him
personally of more info. Several Orion owners say the power supply
upgrade makes a noticeable improvement.

-=Bill Eckle=-

Vanity Web Page at:
http://www.wmeckle.com

[Ed Seedhouse]

On 7 Dec 2006 23:21:19 GMT, "RobertLang" wrote:

wrote:

It's also interesting that most responders to similar threads like this
invariably describe equipment from their youth or young adulthood.

I don't know about "best" sound, but the most impressive sound I ever
heard was the system owned by the father of a school friend when I was
around 13. It had dynaco amp and preamp and a 9 cubic foot brick corner
enclosure with a 15" woofer and a 3" tweeter firing upwards, drivers and
design by Gilbert Briggs of Wharfedale. Mono. At 13, amazing, and
hooked me on wanting sound I could never afford forever.

After that there were various highlights but nothing that impressed me
like that and I never could afford a high end system. Lately I got some
B&W DM603S3 speakers and was and still am absolutely amazed by the
quality of their imaging, even with quite cheap and cheerful
anciliaries.

I no longer need my center speaker for the TV. Images go all around the
place with the right sound and a little processing. Sports on TV often
seem to be using some variant on "Q" sound so the crowd sounds surround
me with no surround speakers. The dog on Roger Water's "Amused to
Death" actually does sound as if it's in the back yard. And as the
stereotype has it, I'm listening to more music and all my CD's over
again.

I'm sure all of you have better equipment, but this is such a step up
from any speakers I could afford before that it is extremely impressive
to me indeed.

[[email protected]]

The best sound I ever heard?

That's easy.

10th row Centre Place Des Arts Montreal. Oscar Peterson playing a
Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Piano. Solo. No microphone.

Same place a couple of years later. 10th row center., This time Itzhak
Perlman playing a Stradavarious. Solo recital.

No stereo will ever beat what I heard those 2 nights.

Best speakers I ever heard? (and I must admit it was the speakers that
blew me away although I am sure the electronics were also good).

The first stereo show I ever went to. In a big convention hall.
Accoustics and set up horrible. Just as I am leaving I hear this
trumpet music playing. LOUD, but CLEAN. I think "hey a live band!" I
walk over and there is this speaker. It is horn loaded and made by of
all companies Cerwin Vega! It was the top of the line at the time, a 15
T I believe it was called. Looking back I am sure the frequency
response was horrible but it was the dynamics that floored me.

The other best speaker I ever heard was 10 years later when my tastes
had refined somewhat. Quad ESL-63s. Again the set up was sub-optimal.
I popped in a jazz CD and suddenly it was all there. Not just good
sound, but a sense of space, dynamics and placement. Even with the poor
speaker set up I could tell what size room the recording was made in
and where the instruments were in that room. Ths started a love affair
with panel and ribbon speakers that continues to this day.

Dean Hummel

[BEAR]

Trevor Lees wrote:
'Best Sound' I ever heard was at Hyman Kachalsky's house at New Rochel (
about 1982)at an New York Audiophile club meeting playing a Linn with arm
i've forgotten,but i'm sure the club members will remember,Koetsu
cartridge,Trevor Lees Prepreamp dual mono and matching preamps(dual Mono)
through Hill Plasmatronic flame loudspeakers,up till 4 am ....could not
believe the top end response and midrange best tracks were by ...Carly
Simon's husband ,yes ....what's his namne..?..cheers Trevor Lees
wrote in message ...

I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.



Never got to Hy's place until many years later.

But the Listening Room in Westchester had the Hill Plasmatronics. Al
(who now does Virtual Image) and I drove up there and had a listen. Back
then we were friendly with Marcel who was the owner... Think we played a
Pink Floyd album, the one with the helicopter sound. Absolutely the
*best* imaging I have ever, ever heard from where ever those plasma
drivers cut in up... (rotten bass).

Sometime about the same time (probably ~1974-77) again with Al, we went
to some guys house in Queens who had Acoustat IIIs, a Bedini 25 (iirc)
and a Spectral DMC 5 (?). That sound was quite warm and sweet...
probably one of the best auditions for quite a few years to come. Don't
recall the TT set up anymore.

I build a very large line source in ~1976, you can see the pix on my
website, in the Archives section, it was extremely impressive. Turning
the volume knob gave the impresson that you were merely moving closer or
further away from the stage - not changing the volume. Nothing before or
since has done that.

Live performances, I can hardly begin... just too too many... but the
best large scale sound system I ever heard was the Grateful Dead's huge
system in 1974 at Roosevelt Stadium - all McIntosh and JBL, hard to miss.

Not to diminish the experiences of folks on here like Jenn who are
constantly immersed in wonderful live sound all the time, it's really
tough for me to be impressed at all given all the live performances I've
seen - starting with my childhood in NYC (Bernstein's NY Philharmonic,
the old Met, the new Met, Stokowski at Carnegie hall (what a vision...)
and then the jazz and rock-n-roll in my late teens and early 20s (now
ancient history, of course) and hi-fi systems to match... stretching up
till now. I get impressed when the performance is outstanding, and then
all the more if the sound is simply the performance and not bearing some
artifacts that detracts from the transcendent moment... be it a live
performance or a hi-fi system.

_-_-bear

[[email protected]]

Trevor Lees wrote:
'Best Sound' I ever heard was at Hyman Kachalsky's house at New Rochel (
about 1982)at an New York Audiophile club meeting playing a Linn with arm
i've forgotten,but i'm sure the club members will remember,Koetsu
cartridge,Trevor Lees Prepreamp dual mono and matching preamps(dual Mono)
through Hill Plasmatronic flame loudspeakers,up till 4 am ....could not
believe the top end response and midrange best tracks were by ...Carly
Simon's husband ,yes ....what's his namne..?..cheers Trevor Lees
wrote in message ...
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

I remember hearing those Plasmatronics at a couple Consumer Electronics
convention. Massless drivers producing stunning dynamics. Heard a
silly drum only demo LP through them, 'bout wet myself. Carly Simon's
husband? "Damn, this traffic jam, how I hates to be late.."

[Bill Riel]

Like Jenn, my first reaction to this question was the sound at a live
event. For me the most impressive sound I ever heard was Jesse Cook
playing in a small venue. He was relatively unknown then (and completely
unknown to me) but it was a night of pure magic.

Ed Seedhouse writes:

After that there were various highlights but nothing that impressed me
like that and I never could afford a high end system. Lately I got some
B&W DM603S3 speakers and was and still am absolutely amazed by the
quality of their imaging, even with quite cheap and cheerful
anciliaries.

Ed, I'll concur with that - I've owned a pair of 603s for about a year
now and I think they are an amazing value. There are better speakers out
there, but to my ears these are a fantastic sounding speaker for the
price.

--
Bill

[Jenn]

wrote:
Trevor Lees wrote:
'Best Sound' I ever heard was at Hyman Kachalsky's house at New Rochel (
about 1982)at an New York Audiophile club meeting playing a Linn with arm
i've forgotten,but i'm sure the club members will remember,Koetsu
cartridge,Trevor Lees Prepreamp dual mono and matching preamps(dual Mono)
through Hill Plasmatronic flame loudspeakers,up till 4 am ....could not
believe the top end response and midrange best tracks were by ...Carly
Simon's husband ,yes ....what's his namne..?..cheers Trevor Lees
wrote in message ...
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

I remember hearing those Plasmatronics at a couple Consumer Electronics
convention. Massless drivers producing stunning dynamics. Heard a
silly drum only demo LP through them, 'bout wet myself. Carly Simon's
husband? "Damn, this traffic jam, how I hates to be late.."

That's a great show! It should be heard more often, IMHO. Did you
hear Springsteen do "Millwork" from the same show on the recent PBS
tribute to Taylor? REALLY good!

[[email protected]]

wrote:
Trevor Lees wrote:
through Hill Plasmatronic flame loudspeakers,up till 4 am ....could not
believe the top end response and midrange best tracks were by ...Carly
Simon's husband ,yes ....what's his namne..?..cheers Trevor Lees

I remember hearing those Plasmatronics at a couple Consumer Electronics
convention. Massless drivers producing stunning dynamics.

While only slightly off-topic, the Plasmatronics, despite both
the claims and the legends were NOT "massless" drivers and,
indeed, their transient response was quite poor compared to
contemporary drivers. Those making these claims ignored the
fact that the ONLY way to get any efficiency out of them was to
horn-load them, and witha pretty poor horn at that. If nothing
else, the horn set some pretty severe limits on the transient
response.

[BEAR]

wrote:

wrote:

Trevor Lees wrote:

through Hill Plasmatronic flame loudspeakers,up till 4 am ....could not
believe the top end response and midrange best tracks were by ...Carly
Simon's husband ,yes ....what's his namne..?..cheers Trevor Lees

I remember hearing those Plasmatronics at a couple Consumer Electronics
convention. Massless drivers producing stunning dynamics.


While only slightly off-topic, the Plasmatronics, despite both
the claims and the legends were NOT "massless" drivers and,
indeed, their transient response was quite poor compared to
contemporary drivers. Those making these claims ignored the
fact that the ONLY way to get any efficiency out of them was to
horn-load them, and witha pretty poor horn at that. If nothing
else, the horn set some pretty severe limits on the transient
response.

Dick,

There is a site on the web with some modern FFT screen shots of the
impulse response of the Hill Plasmatronics that look absolutely
outstanding. I know of precious few drivers today that come anywhere
nearly close to looking that good. Perhaps a few ribbons get close, but
then they don't cover the frequency range that the Hill Plasma driver
did, afaik.

If you can suggest some drivers that equal or exceed the performance
of the Hill, I'd be interested in seeing their names, the data and FFT
info on them.

_-_-bear

[John O]

I got to hear a 30 i.p.s. master tape played on a Mark Levinson modified
Studer deck with ML electronics and Apogee speakers...utterly breathtaking.
This was in the early 80s when ML was making recordings, and a rep was "on
tour" with the tape deck at various ML dealers. A few of these recordings
have been re-issued on SACD--seek them out--they are wonderful.

[dd]

On 4 Dec 2006 02:50:08 GMT, wrote:

I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

not best sound ever, but most amazing. Dahlquist DQ-10 speakers
meticulously placed according to the instructions of the Carver
holographic generator processing the signal. Probably Carver amp as
well, but don't really know, it was being demonstrated for me by a
customer of mine in his own home, somewhere around 1978-9.

Tried a variety of LPs, some classical, some rock. The unbelieveable
part was the precise three dimensional placement of instruments and
voices all around me, some very distinctly BEHIND me, as if I was IN
the band or orchestra. I could point and say the trombone was four
feet past the end of my finger or that a drum was six feet behind my
left shoulder. These were solid sonic images, not at all diffuse or
vague. It was uncanny. Audiophile types have told me I could not
have heard what I described, but they are wrong.

I've heard much better reproduction overall since, and my current
system creates a very pleasing, expansive soundstage but the three
dimensionality of that setup was downright haunting and I have not
been able to even nearly reproduce it..

[Tom A.]

I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

- as a teenager 25 years ago, in a recording studio, they used biiig
JBL 4435 monitors. Amazing, I was in the musician room when they
recorded a saxophone and when they played it back (it was all analogue
then, recorded on tape recorders) it sounded exactly the same, without
any compression. Since then I always had a soft spot for JBL.
- between then and now: various quad systems with ESL 57, 53 and 989
electrostatic speakers. Still the most neutral sound I know. Meanwhile
I use Quad electronics myself, but linked to DIY speakers using a pro
Beyma coaxial driver.
- a year ago at a show most sounds disappointed me but the combination
of a powerful Jadis tube amp and magneplanar mg1.6 was very musical
- 2 months ago I was in hong kong and there I heard the amazing
combination of a cheap Melody SP3 tube amp and the awesome Zu
Definition speakers. Effortless.

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Tom A. wrote:

- as a teenager 25 years ago, in a recording studio, they used biiig
JBL 4435 monitors. Amazing, I was in the musician room when they
recorded a saxophone and when they played it back (it was all analogue
then, recorded on tape recorders) it sounded exactly the same, without
any compression. Since then I always had a soft spot for JBL.

Long ago, I compared a set of AR3 and L100. The AR sounded very "closed in"
while the L100 sound seemed to be coming from "outside and in front" of the
speaker. Two very different approaches. Back in those days there were no
really exceptional speakers one could buy off the shelf. Quads were very
nice, but limited in SPL and bass...plus they were rare and hard to find in
the US; the DQ-10 was receiving much press, although it never sounded
"right" to me; I never thought Magneplaners sounded "right", either. The
tall Acoustats seemed, to me, a good trade off, but they needed a lot of
amplification, and had their own problems.

JBL is a funny company. They have a reduced presence now, mostly going the
"home theater" route. For the Japanese market they make many speakers
similar (in looks and probably in sound) to their older line-up. I was in
a pro store the other day and saw a set of JBL powered speakers. I like
the idea of a powered speaker, and these were relatively compact. They
seemed to be built sturdily, but were very industrial looking. It was
impossible to tell how they sounded, since they were set up willy-nilly. I
was somewhat interested in how they might sound in a living room, and the
dealer offered to loan me a set, but I declined as I am not really in the
market for anything new and I didn't want to waste his time.

What interested me was that the speaker had active equalization and came
with a microphone. I don't know if response tuning is done digitally like
in the B$O 5, which, by the way, is a very good sounding speaker. It may
be the best speaker I have heard in a long time.

m

[Harry Lavo]

wrote in message
...
Tom A. wrote:

- as a teenager 25 years ago, in a recording studio, they used biiig
JBL 4435 monitors. Amazing, I was in the musician room when they
recorded a saxophone and when they played it back (it was all analogue
then, recorded on tape recorders) it sounded exactly the same, without
any compression. Since then I always had a soft spot for JBL.

Long ago, I compared a set of AR3 and L100. The AR sounded very "closed
in"
while the L100 sound seemed to be coming from "outside and in front" of
the
speaker. Two very different approaches. Back in those days there were no
really exceptional speakers one could buy off the shelf. Quads were very
nice, but limited in SPL and bass...plus they were rare and hard to find
in
the US; the DQ-10 was receiving much press, although it never sounded
"right" to me; I never thought Magneplaners sounded "right", either. The
tall Acoustats seemed, to me, a good trade off, but they needed a lot of
amplification, and had their own problems.

JBL is a funny company. They have a reduced presence now, mostly going
the
"home theater" route. For the Japanese market they make many speakers
similar (in looks and probably in sound) to their older line-up. I was in
a pro store the other day and saw a set of JBL powered speakers. I like
the idea of a powered speaker, and these were relatively compact. They
seemed to be built sturdily, but were very industrial looking. It was
impossible to tell how they sounded, since they were set up willy-nilly.
I
was somewhat interested in how they might sound in a living room, and the
dealer offered to loan me a set, but I declined as I am not really in the
market for anything new and I didn't want to waste his time.

What interested me was that the speaker had active equalization and came
with a microphone. I don't know if response tuning is done digitally like
in the B$O 5, which, by the way, is a very good sounding speaker. It may
be the best speaker I have heard in a long time.

Those were JBL Pro Monitors. Self-powered monitors have been big for some
time in that market; now, equalization of same is the big trend.

[[email protected]]

Harry Lavo wrote:

Those were JBL Pro Monitors. Self-powered monitors have been big for some
time in that market; now, equalization of same is the big trend.

Yes. And they look like something designed by the folks at Cat...only they
are not yellow, but probably just as sturdy.

Investigating further, I discovered JBL use DSP to shape the response to the
room. Bang and Olufsen not only uses DSP, but an interesting wave guide
for the mids and highs. The sound I heard from them was both smooth and
coherent at various listening positions. Very electrostatic-like, but
without the peculiarities of large panels. I distinctly favored the B$O
sound over my colleagues Sound Labs, although in the proper room (another
story altogether) I'm sure that Dr. West could make his speakers sound
quite exceptional.

Alas, these Danish speakers sell for 16 large. Out of reach of most
listeners, I imagine; though still chump change in the realm of some
high-end designs.

Which brings me to the subject of design. Today, it seems that high-end is
as much aesthetic design as sound. Slumming through the Web I came across
a set of speakers made by NHT. Two small satelites and a bass module. The
workmanship and design were very stunning, and the system sold for "only"
6K. On the other hand, the Danish speaker is peculiar looking. If it had
some colored buttons and knobs on the front it would be more fitting in an
episode of Dr. Who.

For 16K the Danes give you amplification. Many high-enders might not like
this, but it seems to me the ideal combination. Why play willy-nilly with
amps and speakers, when the two can be one unit? Many speaker shoppers
will not get the chance to listen to the 5's as it is my understanding that
B$O sells only in their own stores? Also, why should an independent dealer
consider selling this speaker (even if he had the chance) since he cannot,
in addition to selling his customer a set of speakers, talk him into
purchasing high mark-up add-ons, like 30 or 40 feet of the latest
HoseMonster Valhalla series Wotan cables along with the optional gold
plated, Magic Fire (tm) Loge series spade lugs?

But getting back to reality, inasmuch as the listening room is the biggest
single drawback of any speaker, DSP response correction is, to my mind,
the way to go. All the same, I doubt these little JBL monitors can even
approach what the Bang and Olufsen engineers have devised. Would that we
might have 16K sound for a tenth of the price.

[As an aside, and in the interests of full disclosure, I must confess that I
did take a small bribe from B$O. After auditioning the speakers an
attractive Scandinavian blond working at the store approached me asking
about my thinking. I told her I was very impressed (with the speaker, that
is). She was appreciative and handed me this nifty little bottle opener
carved out of the B$O logo which I took home. It was, sadly, all I could
take home with me since I could neither afford the speakers, nor the girl.
However, I can now pop open a bottle of Tuborg in style.]

mp

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Schirmer late 60`s in Manhattan : Mac MC 4s and Mac tubes. The MC-4s
have four 12 inch woofers each. DEEP bell clear sound. The KLH 12s ( and
Mac receiver ) I bought lacked the definition , but were in the same
ballpark ( when the controls with the 12s are set to feed the sound into
the 10 inch woofer). This kind of robust sound obviates all the talk
about room dynamics and spealer placement. The Probe Jades I bought
about 15 years ago ( the manual control boxes of the KLH 12s decayed
after about 20 years among other problems ) have great clarity and were
far superior to anything else I heard, but they need to be positioned to
take full advantage of the backfiring tweeters and need to be perfectly
balanced to get a pleasing sound . SD

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wrote:
I'm curious as to what this group has experienced as "best sound ever".
No right or wrong answer, just wondering where you were, roughly what
year it was, what system was being used, and what music was being
played.

First of all, happy and healthy New Year to everyone. Aside from any
live performance, the best reproduced sound I've ever heard was a
couple of years ago at Audio Connection in NJ, and came from a pair of
B&W 800 Signatures in a dedicated room, driven by a Plinius SA-250 Mk
IV and probably an Audible Illusion Modulus 3A (but might have been the
Plinius M8). The source would most likely have been the Cary CD-303.
It didn't make a difference what was playing. Every recording sounded
closer to a live performance than I had ever experienced.

Bruce

[Vade Forrester]

It's hard to say which system sounded "best," but among the best I've heard
was in dealer Audio Limits' room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2005. It
consisted of the $48000 Genesis 201 speakers, with separate towers for
midrange/highs and bass, including a 1600 watt bass amplifier. A $14995
Reimyo CDP-777 served as digital source (a $16000 Redpoint turntable with a
$3900 Triplanar arm was also available), with electronics from FM Acoustics:
$12000 122 Mk 2 phono preamp, $39000 255 preamp, and most imposing, an
$87000 611X amplifier for the midrange/tweeter towers.

Their previous year's room featured the $50000 Dali Megaline speakers,
driven by a CED TL1-X CD transport driving an Audio Note 4.1x Balanced DAC,
a Tom Evans Vibe/Pulse linestage ($8,600), four Oasis Statement amplifiers
($12,500 per monoblock pair), all strung together with $65,000 of
Silversmith Palladium cables. Aural Symphonics provided the power cables.

Both systems exhibited three-dimensional soundstages that only line-source
speakers have produced in my experience.