Topic: High End Audio

[KnuckleBuckett]

So who has an audiophile grade listening system?

Definition: Costs too much, but WTF...

Whatcha got in it?

My system:

Pre:  Preowned NRG Control (little place, now gone, ultra high amps and preamps)

Amp:  New McIntosh MC252

DVD/CD:  New Pioneer not Pioneer Elite.  Too many changes in the industry to spend big cash here at this time.

TV: New Pioneer Elite 53" projection (last series they made)

Cabling:  Both New MIT and Nordost Blue Heaven

Speaks:  New Monitor Audio Silver RS6

Very listenable system.  I can listen for hours on end.

Aslo great for movies!  Throws surroud information nearly 360.  Few people beleive this until they watch a movie with us.  We have been acused of hiding surround speaks in the walls behind the paint!  That is always a nice compliment.  Goes to show that a well thought out 2 or 2.1 system can be all that is needed for a truly awesome home entertainment system.

I think in the next year or two I would like to get a McIntosh preamp and Wilson Sophia speaks.

Check out the link to the Sophias at Wilson. 
http://www.wilsonaudio.com/product/sophia/gallery.php

If the industry bozos ever sort out a universal player for CD, DVD, and their HD brethren, I wouldn't mind finding something nice here as well.

If anyone has interest in a suggestion for a real high end system, I will post something to go by in a while in a seperate thread.

Knuck

[ober]

To the rest of you, trust me.  I've been there and heard his stuff.  It's top notch quality.  If I had more cash on hand, I'd be copying the setup.

[KnuckleBuckett]

Awws thanks man!

It means a lot coming from you.

I know how keen bigfoot hearing is.

They can actually hear pudding.

Knuck

[Rob]

Used to be into the audiophile type stuff. System was (actually, I still have it, just stored away)...

Rega Planar 3
Mission Cyrus 1 amp
Heybrook HB1 speakers + stands

Not too expensive, but a great sounding system.

[hans]

I'm still a budget audiophile. I've got a small recording studio in my basement with acoustic treatment on the walls and I find that makes a huge difference (after much hanging out at http://johnlsayers.com/). I monitor on a pair of M-Audio BX8's and sometimes an old pair of passive Alesis Montior One Mk2's (with old RA100 amp).
Right now I'm more focused on the input chain, mics, preamps, cables etc. Once I actually feel like I know what I'm doing, then I'll make my decision on which monitors to upgrade to, but the Genelecs sound really nice in the store. But first I'd need a better DA converter.

My brother used to do the high car audio stuff and I'd help him out in tuning the cars. EQing and stuff like that. The problem with getting high end stuff is the bottle neck issue. If you don't have nice cables, that ruins your sound, if your amp doesn't power the speakers clean that ruins your sound, if your player isn't good, that ruins your sound. So you keep having to upgrade/replace links in the chain but ultimately your sound is only as good as the weakest link.

After reading more about recording studios and stuff, I find that most people spend far too much time and effort buying really nice audio gear and do nothing with their listening space. I have people listen to the humble system I have (in my mixing position) and they're amazed at the definition and clarity and when I tell them I spent very little on my speakers, they ask why theirs don't sound that good. And then I explain what the purpose of the treatment is for and have them move around the room and hear the difference in the sound.

Oh, and an SPL meter was one of the best small investments I've made.

[KnuckleBuckett]

Awesome reply!

Your comments about treating the room are very true.  It is very difficult to do, time consuming, expensive (what isn't?),ugly (unless you are a borg), but treating the room really really pays off big time!  However if I was ever to build a large room dedicated to a high end system be it surround/video or stereo, I would start with a non-divisible room, install a seperate sub panel for filtered and ultra clean augmented AC power and run a circuit per device, use 10 awg power cabling, and top of the line outlets.  I would then install the furniture, place my equipment (that is if I had already purchased it), install my speaks, and begin working on room treatments and speaker placement.

The bottleneck you wrote about is a pain, but decreases (usually) dramatically with every major upgrade.  Eventually one reaches a point that upgrades are can no longer be heard or are so minimal that it is no longer worth the money and hassle to do so.  When this point is reached upgrading becomes updating.  For example CDs become passe thus one might upgrade to DVD.

Again great audio is at its core listenability.  If you can listen to a system of any kind for long periods of time, you stay invloved with the content, and are a happy camper then you have already done well.  But STAY away from freaks like me because listening to a higher end system may well leave you unhappy with your current "happy" system. 

Knuck