Best-Sounding, Most Expensive And You

musichal

poet emeritus
What components comprised the best-sounding system you ever heard?

What were those in the most expensive you heard?

Were they the same system?

Do, or did, you own it?

Many of you, I expect may find these questions difficult to answer, regardless of the brands and expense involved, at any level. Sme have had more access to more gear than others.

For me, I have some difficulty myself. Although I had the opportunity to hear some fine systems, my access was not nearly as wide-ranging brand-wise as many of you. And my access to premium gear was mostly twenty-plus years ago.

That makes my answer a bit easier. The best I heard included a brand-new Audio Research SP-11 preamp with dual ARC M-300 power amps and a Well-Tempered Turntable with a Denon DL-301 cartridge. However, the speaker choice is murky for me because I heard the very same components - the very same specimens - via two different pair of speakers in two different rooms. The Duntech Sovereigns should have sounded best, but weren't placed well in their room. In a different room, with better placement, a new pair of Klipschorns sounded better to me (and to some others present also).

Khorns were about four grand a pair at the time, while the Duntechs were $30,000/pair. Wish I'd been able to hear them properly placed, but I must go with what I heard. In this case, the most expensive was not the best-sounding to me. The Duntechs, weighing in at almost 300 lbs each, IIRC, well, we were not allowed to move them, and were set upon a small stage near one corner of a large room. Nor was I allowed to make any music selections. So it was not a level playing field, at all. Whether or not the M-300 was a good choice for the Sovereigns is a factor unknown to me, as well, but bad placement made that a moot point, anyway.

I never owned any of this, except finally a pair of (older) Khorns, which did not work well for me, as some of you may recall from other posts.

What about you?
 
I've heard Levinson driven IRS-V's and Krell driven Apogee Grand's. I've also heard VTL tube driven stacked Quads with Decca ribbons and Hartley subwoofer. On a lower level I've heard Magnepan 20.3's driven by ARC tubes. I have no idea which cost the most and don't care. All four systems sounded very close to reality. That's what matters to me.

BTW: I've also heard other high end systems. However, the four mentioned stand out.
 
living in NYC ,I've heard too many great systems at Hi-Fi shows,High end showrooms ,my best buds $60000 Boulder Octave Focal Argento cables equi-tech power conditioner setup,high end dealers that once had shops but now have home appoiniments...but the one that stands out was a old pals setup of Stacked (4) Quad ESLs with A/D/S SS pre amp & amp...blew me away...so lifelike & musical...My buds Fpcal Aria 948s also has great tone...LINN Tri amp Activ system was also amazing...i used to use Fisher & Scott tube amp...but now I'm spoiled with remote control & my simple LINN Wakonda pre & my LINN LK140 amp with Dynaco A25 speakers...this system does it for me now...im going to the NY Hi-Fi show NOV 9-11 this year ,so ill check out the goodies ,hope to hear JADIS with the big horns again...like that JADIS sound.
 
My oldest friend, in fact my original partner in "audio crime", has bought/sold/traded high-end equipment for 30 years.
In the last 10 years he's moved firmly into what I can only refer to as the "luxury market".

If you google "most expensive speakers ever" there's a good chance you'll find his current models.
They come in three very large pieces [per side], and when two are stacked [as they're supposed to be], they're 13ft high.
They're meant for small theaters. He had to hire a crane to get them lifted over the the 8 ft wall around his place.

His current amps cost more than I've spent on houses....and require enough expensive tubes to bankrupt many folks.
Something like 100 in total. They're OTL mono-blocks.

Anyway, I've heard quite a lot of nice equipment at his place over the years.
But you know what?
His listening room sucks, and even he'll admit it....but he basically does nothing about it except to buy ever more expensive equipment, presumably in an attempt to gloss over the problem.
And, I'm being very generous in saying that. Truth is, it's clearly all about the "flash" for him.
His systems universally sound bombastic to me. There is no such thing as intimacy.

In short, we're complete opposites at this point....which is fine.
He acts like everything I do or have is a complete yawn, and I get the supreme pleasure of routinely skewing his overbearing pomposity.
After 50 years, what can you expect of a friendship except to vaguely tolerate each other once in awhile?
 
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update...just got off the phone with my pal who is a building super & had to do work in a very & i mean very hi end dealer who has heard & sold all the great brands & he says "the best he has ever heard & sold is the Swiss brand Nagra "...i have heard a VIVA system he had set up & that was beyond great but he claims this NAGRA stuff is better yet...if i was still working id get to hear it...my pal is going to finish the job soon & he will take pictures ...big money systems & set up right...he has an expert setup man...but his stuff sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars.& its the real deal. too rich for us regular guys.
 
update...just got off the phone with my pal who is a building super & had to do work in a very & i mean very hi end dealer who has heard & sold all the great brands & he says "the best he has ever heard & sold is the Swiss brand Nagra "...i have heard a VIVA system he had set up & that was beyond great but he claims this NAGRA stuff is better yet...if i was still working id get to hear it...my pal is going to finish the job soon & he will take pictures ...big money systems & set up right...he has an expert setup man...but his stuff sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars.& its the real deal. too rich for us regular guys.

The real challenge for us regular guys is to get that kind of sound for money we can afford to spend . I have been working on this for a couple of years and feel I am just about there . Thanks to having a good reference to work from . Jim Smith is one of them . I went to his home for a room play reference session .
 
Clearly the many systems of reviewer Harry Pearson at Sea Cliff I heard from 1981 through about 2010.

Simply unbelievable in their transparency and ability to make the walls disappear. His space was not so much about being a "designer" as it was about fidelity. I really enjoyed the Scaena 1.4s fed by a Clearaudio Statement turntable or EMM Labs SACD player.

scaena14.jpg
 
Best I ever heard was equipment in high end stereo shops, mostly in 70’s and 80’s. I’ve heard a few system here in St Louis that are impressive.

I’m definitely not a high end aficionado here. I like my system most of the time; 60 years old and still climbing the ladder.
 
I've heard quite a few high end systems over the years. Some impressive, some really impressive. One thing that stands out as a constant is that I really like Audio Research amplification. I've heard many different models played through various speaker designs and none has left me anything but impressed.
I don't currently own any but will get around to it once I have a space worth putting some in.
 
I have known some crazy fellow who have had cool audio gear. And I was lucky to listen to it. Components I remember that really struck a chord

Avante Garde Duo speakers
VTL Ichiban
Duntech Sovereign
Wavelength amps
Atmasphere
Mastersound Cesar amplifier
Art Audio Diavolo
VTL monoblocks

As far as my personal gear goes, I am fortunate to own a few nice pieces, and appreciate the gear I have.

What really stands out to me are

JB 4365 speakers
Plinius Tautoro pre amp
Esoteric E03 phono stage
Ortofon A90 cartridge
Technics SP 10 MK II and Riggle 12" String Theory arm.

I know this stuff is pretty mild compared to the great stuff out there. But it makes nice music for me, and I enjoy listening to it. The other pieces of the system are good, but these are special.

Cheers
Mister pig
 
Although the simplest explanation may be that my ears are only silver, or that I have not heard as much variety as other listeners, I am convinced that, other than slight improvements in the bottom and top octaves, most of the difference between the most expensive systems I heard at the RMAF 2016 and my own is the ability to play louder, or play to bigger spaces. I thought the Sanders 'stats and amps had a bit more air on top. Other rooms that stuck in my memory were Harbeth Super HL5+ driven by an unusually-configured Vinnie Rossi integrated (the giant-tube preamp section with magnetic attenuation), the Voxativ room with their single-driver speakers and house tube amp, and the Boulder room with Rockport speakers - definitely upscale. And very pleasant-sounding (like mine!). A Technics(?) room with Elvis on RtR tape also impressed. Some other rooms with very expensive setups sounded flawed to me, but I know that while great sound is proof of the entire chain, not-so-great sound could be due to any number of weak points, including the room or the program material.

There were many rooms I didn't hear, however.
 
What components comprised the best-sounding system you ever heard?

What were those in the most expensive you heard?

Were they the same system?

Do, or did, you own it?

@musichal

In order:

1. 1962 Gibson SG Special; 1967 Marshall 100w Plexi w/ 4-12 bottom; circa '68 Echoplex; '74 Ross "Gray Box" compressor.

2. While nothing I've ever heard sounded/sounds better than this combination, I have certainly heard "more expensive" rigs, e.g., Garcia + The Wall Of Sound circa 1974.

3. No.

4. Still have the geetar (ie, SG), Echoplex, and Ross Compressor. The '68 Marshall Plexi Head & bottom are LONG GONE.

@musichal - this is not a "thread crap", rather an expanded interpretation of the primary question, i.e., "components comprising the best-sounding system you have heard?" But if you decide to delete my post as unbefitting (the thread), I'll not take offense.

- M
 
P.S. I can always come back w/ a response re: Audio Reproduction (read: Stereo) System as well and just might, though I usually avoid audio reproduction "gear" discussions. But I might, in this instance, make an exception because I find your original query intriguing.

- M
 
@musichal

In order:

1. 1962 Gibson SG Special; 1967 Marshall 100w Plexi w/ 4-12 bottom; circa '68 Echoplex; '74 Ross "Gray Box" compressor.

2. While nothing I've ever heard sounded/sounds better than this combination, I have certainly heard "more expensive" rigs, e.g., Garcia + The Wall Of Sound circa 1974.

3. No.

4. Still have the geetar (ie, SG), Echoplex, and Ross Compressor. The '68 Marshall Plexi Head & bottom are LONG GONE.

@musichal - this is not a "thread crap", rather an expanded interpretation of the primary question, i.e., "components comprising the best-sounding system you have heard?" But if you decide to delete my post as unbefitting (the thread), I'll not take offense.

- M

No offense taken here, either, Mystic. I never mind a side-trip, keeps life interesting. Thanks for posting. :thumbsup:


P.S. I can always come back w/ a response re: Audio Reproduction (read: Stereo) System as well and just might, though I usually avoid audio reproduction "gear" discussions. But I might, in this instance, make an exception because I find your original query intriguing.

- M

Now, I'm intrigued. Please do.
 
What components comprised the best-sounding system you ever heard?

What were those in the most expensive you heard?

Were they the same system?

Do, or did, you own it?

Ok, let's try this again, this time 'round re: Audio Reproduction Gear.

1. McIntosh MC-275 amp; Mac Preamp (A C-11, IIRC); AR XA TT (modified by George Merrill); Mac MR-78 tuner; KEF 104 A/B speakers.

2. While I don't recall ALL of the components precisely, I do recall the system included a Bryston Power Amp and a pair of Thiel speakers were involced. This was in the mid 1990s, high-end gear for the period. Maybe a Linn TT?

3. No.

4. I owned the system described @ #1 above. I still own some, but not all of it. I sold/traded off the 275 amp & C11 preamp years ago, replaced BOTH w/ a single, simple (SS) integrated amp, a MacIntosh MA-6200. Still have the AR XA TT (plus an additional Merrill-modified AR "The Turntable"), the MR-78 tuner, and even the KEF 104 A/B speakers, though I swapped out those for a pair of KEF model 104.2 speakers years ago, circa 1998.

P.S. Have since added a DAC (for playing out of laptop into Mac system + KEFs) and a Rega (Planet) "simple" CD transport device. Sounds good to me but then I am a male approaching 60 who has lost ~25% of hearing in left ear and ~50% of hearing in right ear between circa 1978 and the present.

- M
 
Best sounding system (expensive anyway) I ever heard in person was at an Audiophile music store (by my definition anyway) in Pittsburgh PA. Just an hour listening session and I only heard the example CD's that the shop had available.

Did it sound better than my living room rig? Modest by some AK'ers (Audiophile) standards but tweaked to how I want it to sound in my room.

Not really … about the same (as my rig configuration of the last two years). Not sure if that's an insult to the audio stores set-up, physical venue, product line etc … or a complement to my living room rig. :dunno:

Note: Two years ago .. I would have been really impressed with the audio store demo'ed system.
 
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