Ron's Favorite Private Rooms + Systems of All Time

[cjfrbw]

sony ta n7b vfets love that sound.phantastic build quality

I never heard this one, but owned the Yamaha B2 for many years. The TA N7B used bipolar transistors cascoded with the VFETs, as opposed to pure PP VFET operation. Some think the N7B is one of the best amps ever.

My B2 was all original. It had a quality that I liked, in that everything was sonically fascinating that I played through it, and I never got tired of listening to it. I always wanted to hear what was coming next.

 

[tima]

.... This post overlapped with the one just posted by Tima. That post is a perfect example of what I am talking about.

"Defensive whining." "Out of fear of being judged harshly in public." How pathetic.

Well, if you saw yourself in it then my aim is true.

And your notion about criticizing a video is fair game is another distraction from your ussual complaining about the video qua video. Doesn't matter what it sounds like, it's a darn video.

 

[Al M.]

Well, if you saw yourself in it then my aim is true.

Huh?

 

[adyc]

Five (5) Favorite private rooms + systems of all time as of January 19, 2024, in no particular order:

Jack Duavit, dedicated, custom-built room, Von Schweikert VR-11/Lamm

Mike Lavigne, dedicated, custom-built room, Evolution Acoustics MM7/darTZeel/VAC

Ali Lehman, dedicated room (not custom-built), Avantgarde Trio G3, bass-horns, REL, Berning 211 SET/VAC

Marty, dedicated, custom-built room, Wilson Audio Alexx V/Zanden/Soulution/Gryphon

Jeroen (audioquattr), dedicated room (not custom built), Cessaro Zeta, custom subwoofers/Trafomatic Elysium/Alieno

Just making the observation. We have 3 cones vs 2 horns. So it is cone speaker winning. Rejoice to cone speaker.

 

[bonzo75]

Just making the observation. We have 3 cones vs 2 horns. So it is cone speaker winning. Rejoice to cone speaker.

trend is your friend. 6 years back his list would have zero horns

 

[Ron Resnick]

6 years back his list would have zero horns

Not true. Audioquattr would've been on the list six years ago.

Even though I am a "planar person," I recognize greatness in other systems when I hear it.

 

[bonzo75]

Not true. Audioquattr would've been on the list six years ago.

Even though I am a "planar person," I recognize greatness in other systems when I hear it.

he didn’t have it 6 years ago, he had the Magico. Or maybe 7 then

 

[bonzo75]

I recognize greatness in other systems when I hear it.

Don’t disagree with that nor was that my point, the problem for all is “hear it”. It is easier to hear the regular cone than horns.

 

[DasguteOhr]

I never heard this one, but owned the Yamaha B2 for many years. The TA N7B used bipolar transistors cascoded with the VFETs, as opposed to pure PP VFET operation. Some think the N7B is one of the best amps ever.

My B2 was all original. It had a quality that I liked, in that everything was sonically fascinating that I played through it, and I never got tired of listening to it. I always wanted to hear what was coming next.

Don't forget that these devices are over 45 years old. They must be checked to see whether the individual components are still running according to their specifications. Completely restored, these are amazing amps. bias and dc offset check, maybe new speaker terminals that are usually the achilles verses of older devices from that time.
Check out prime hifi youtube chanel, this guy does the best restorations I've seen on the internet.

 

[bonzo75]

That said, I remembered this from Ron's report and looked up what he has written:

“The closest to live music I have ever heard” is my considered conclusion about jazz, solo instruments and ensembles and, in some ways, classical symphony orchestra, reproduced on the unique vinyl/horn/single-ended triode system of zerostargeneral."

Visit to Zerostargeneral’s Pnoe/Thomas Mayer/VYGER System

“The closest to live music I have ever heard” is my considered conclusion about jazz, solo instruments and ensembles and, in some ways, classical symphony orchestra, reproduced on the unique vinyl/horn/single-ended triode system of zerostargeneral. En route to rendezvous in London with Tinka to...

www.whatsbestforum.com

===

By Ron from another post on the thread -

"I have believed strongly for a couple of years now that musical preference drives loudspeaker selection. If my primary musical genre interests were jazz or jazz plus + classical I would replicate zerostargeneral’s system.

This system is now my top choice for jazz, solo instruments and ensembles, for sure.

I have come to love and to become emotionally connected with the jazz pieces and the classical pieces I like. But my personal musical genre preferences remain primarily vocals and rock/pop. “Girl with guitar” music does not require the incredible speed and instantaneous rise time of this system. I still love what electrostatic speakers and ribbon speakers achieve on vocals."

===

Back to the first post on that thread:

"This system allows instruments to sound detailed and fast in the ways real musical instruments sound when you hear them played live. The apparent speed is astounding, and the dynamics reflect the seemingly instantaneous rise time of extremely sensitive horn loudspeakers. This is the best “jump factor” I have ever experienced.

This natural speed I heard was not the speed that I described previously of certain dynamic driver systems as being “hyper-fast,” which I found to be an unnatural artifact of some kind. Here the speed simply replicates the actual, natural speed of live instruments.

The speed and dynamics and jump-factor of this system sadly cause me to view all conventional lower sensitivity/higher power loudspeaker/amplifier combinations in a dimmer light. No such conventional system I have ever heard — whether dynamic driver, electrostatic or ribbon — can match the lightness on its feet and utterly explosive sound-recreating effect of this system. This speed got me a full level closer to “live” from the reproduction of the sound of recorded musical instruments.

Zerostargeneral’s system manifests natural-sounding high frequencies, and detail which is delicate in an electrostatic-like way, but which was not once harsh or fatiguing or bright or artificial-sounding.

The texture of instruments came through more vividly than I recall ever having heard before on any system. I could close my eyes and suspend disbelief to find a jazz club transported to me.

I did not hear an absence of low frequencies, nor did I hear any shaving off of high frequencies — two failings for which I was on the look-out. I found this system to sound completely full-range. Whether it is or not I do not know, but to my ears the system is not wanting for frequency extension at either extreme.

Without any cones pushing air this system produced weightier drum wacks on “I’ve Got the Music in Me” than I have heard from large, multi-way dynamic driver systems. I don’t really understand how this is possible, but this is what I heard.

I believe the purity of the signal path allow details and textural information to be heard, while more complicated systems — multi-way speakers with energy-absorbing cross-overs, high-power amplifiers, lots of discrete components in the signal path — literally obscure this delicate and elusive atomic sonic information. The uncorrupted signal, the lack of adulteration inflicted by the electronic components, allowed me to experience reproduced jazz music, solo instruments and ensembles more realistically and believably than I have ever before heard in a stereo system."

 

[bonzo75]

The above system was not in a custom built nor treated room - if anything, it was being held back by the room. Where the genius was, was set up - and I do consider it the only genius set up outside DIYing set ups (where they think through the signal path and adjust it to custom requirement), and that set up happened because of component matching and the signal path.

The set up did not come from absorbers or diffusers - it came from thinking about combining a crossoverless speaker with the best lowest watt tube amp, and a signal chain without caps and resistors, with the best linear tracker available and a coreless cartridge which 6 years on continues to be the reference of those who heard it in analog (look at how many Vyger red sparrows we have today).

And most importantly, the sound came from the recordings - bad records sounded crap. The soundstage and purity and realism was the record through a pure path.

There were a lot of takeways from that - that analog sounds better if the signal path is adjusted accordingly, and recordings are good, rather than if you have a 450k table and a 15k cartridge putting the cow through the meat grinder. Which is why the Dual turntable with a Shure cartridge competes with this system. Pietro's Yamamura yes, had the top Zyx ultimate on the top Graham arm on a Monaco 1.0, and was a bigger version of the Pnoe.

 

[andromedaaudio]

" I have a dream " .

Bonzo installs a system in his place , Ron does a visit and then changes the ranking to 3 horns / 2 cones.

Just making the observation. We have 3 cones vs 2 horns. So it is cone speaker winning. Rejoice to cone speaker.

 

[adyc]

The above system was not in a custom built nor treated room - if anything, it was being held back by the room. Where the genius was, was set up - and I do consider it the only genius set up outside DIYing set ups (where they think through the signal path and adjust it to custom requirement), and that set up happened because of component matching and the signal path.

The set up did not come from absorbers or diffusers - it came from thinking about combining a crossoverless speaker with the best lowest watt tube amp, and a signal chain without caps and resistors, with the best linear tracker available and a coreless cartridge which 6 years on continues to be the reference of those who heard it in analog (look at how many Vyger red sparrows we have today).

And most importantly, the sound came from the recordings - bad records sounded crap. The soundstage and purity and realism was the record through a pure path.

There were a lot of takeways from that - that analog sounds better if the signal path is adjusted accordingly, and recordings are good, rather than if you have a 450k table and a 15k cartridge putting the cow through the meat grinder. Which is why the Dual turntable with a Shure cartridge competes with this system. Pietro's Yamamura yes, had the top Zyx ultimate on the top Graham arm on a Monaco 1.0, and was a bigger version of the Pnoe.

The room is partially treated. He has Shun Mok in between his speakers.

 

[bonzo75]

The room is partially treated. He has Shun Mok in between his speakers.

a cupboard behind with LPs. Many LP diffusers

 

[bonzo75]

The room is partially treated. He has Shun Mok in between his speakers.

He had the SM rack and footers

 

[exupgh12]

Five (5) Favorite private rooms + systems of all time as of January 19, 2024, in no particular order:

Jack Duavit, dedicated, custom-built room, Von Schweikert VR-11/Lamm

Mike Lavigne, dedicated, custom-built room, Evolution Acoustics MM7/darTZeel/VAC

Ali Lehman, dedicated room (not custom-built), Avantgarde Trio G3, bass-horns, REL, Berning 211 SET/VAC

Marty, dedicated, custom-built room, Wilson Audio Alexx V/Zanden/Soulution/Gryphon

Jeroen (audioquattr), dedicated room (not custom built), Cessaro Zeta, custom subwoofers/Trafomatic Elysium/Alieno

Hi Ron,

Some curious questions that could provide insight into your selection (I understand this is a relative subjective) :

1. What were the specific qualities or characteristics you appreciate about each of these rooms and systems?

2. Did you prioritize any particular aspects, such as sound quality, aesthetics, or overall design, when selecting your favorite private rooms and systems?

3. How does each system contribute to your overall listening experience? Are there any specific elements that enhance the enjoyment of music for you?

4. Do you have a preferred type of music or genre that you primarily listen to in these rooms, and did this influence your choices?

5. Is there a common theme or philosophy that ties together your choices of private rooms and systems?

Thank you

 

[Lagonda]

It's the continual defensive whining about videos that deflects from interesting discussion.

Some of it comes from the highly competitive character of certain forum members. Some of it comes as a cover for not posting videos because they cannot be deemed competitive, or out of fear of being judged harshly in public. Those reasons are out there though maybe they are not the pretty reasons that some like to read. But until the WTF owners decide to ban videos they will be posted, and those who do not care for them may as well accept the inevitable -- continual complaining about videos will not make them go away and it clogs up the flow of ideas. Just move on to the next message.

Just ignore the videos, i just scroll right past them every time. That way i also do not inadvertently get forced to watch one more Jay video !

 

[bonzo75]

It's the continual defensive whining about videos that deflects from interesting discussion.

Some of it comes from the highly competitive character of certain forum members. Some of it comes as a cover for not posting videos because they cannot be deemed competitive, or out of fear of being judged harshly in public. Those reasons are out there though maybe they are not the pretty reasons that some like to read. But until the WTF owners decide to ban videos they will be posted, and those who do not care for them may as well accept the inevitable -- continual complaining about videos will not make them go away and it clogs up the flow of ideas. Just move on to the next message.

Well, if you saw yourself in it then my aim is true.

And your notion about criticizing a video is fair game is another distraction from your ussual complaining about the video qua video. Doesn't matter what it sounds like, it's a darn video.

Both these posts are spot on. Plus the below images show that one member does that most, he - in his own language - harasses and bullies - and actually had promised more than once to stop doing that

 

[Al M.]

Both these posts are spot on. Plus the below images show that one member does that most, he - in his own language - harasses and bullies - and actually had promised more than once to stop doing that

Criticizing videos on rational grounds is not bullying, the behavior that I describe in #240 is.

 

[bonzo75]

Criticizing videos on rational grounds is not bullying, the behavior that I describe in #240 is.

Note that you are apologizing for "disruptions" in the above pic from 2021 - that is because you have always found a way to disrupt a thread on video grounds.