Search results

  1. D

    Koetsu

    There are always intangibles that guide business decisions when surviving family must make them. Family owned and operated concerns often fail to survive the first generation due to a myriad od competing family interests. Additionally loss of control and perceived loss of honor (i.e Kondo AN/AN...
  2. D

    ARC announces price increase effective Mid-March '24

    The audiophile equivalent of electrochemical neutrality. Fanboy devotion balances hater animus.
  3. D

    ARC announces price increase effective Mid-March '24

    If you are a member it's a club. If not then it's a cult.
  4. D

    ARC announces price increase effective Mid-March '24

    I've owned ARC since 1979 (SP6A/D52B). Only with the 160S (three failed ghost meters), 6SE (failed volume control) and 3SE (delivered with non functional input 1 R channel) have I experienced such poor quality control and, in my opinion, component design flaws. Mr. Suggs cared about customer...
  5. D

    ARC announces price increase effective Mid-March '24

    If ARC has new or significantly updated models to replace the current line up and the there is no or minimal price increase the new/updated line pricing will be easier to sell. If no new/updated components emerge then then the road ahead may prove rather rugged.
  6. D

    ARC announces price increase effective Mid-March '24

    High and ultra high end audio products have characteristics of Veblen goods where demand does not decline or even increases as price increases. Some audio component manufacturers have established their requisite cachet in a highly rarefied market that does not obey normal demand curve behavior...
  7. D

    ARC announces price increase effective Mid-March '24

    Guess that's one way to try staying in the big leagues especially when coming back from a hiatus.
  8. D

    He spent his life building a $1 million stereo. The real cost was unfathomable

    The consequences of obsession are often tragic. Moby Dick comes to mind.
  9. D

    What turntables do you use? Pictures would be nice as well :-)

    Couple of photos of my Artisan Fidelity Garrard 301 Statement with Ikeda 407 and Koetsu Coralstone. Platter and chassis are stainless steel. Plinth is AF’s panzerholst ply with quilted sapele veneer.
  10. D

    Koetsu

    I decided to remount my Coralstone for the New Year. Life is too short to postpone enjoying such a pleasure.
  11. D

    $80K budget for Speakers

    Too many choices and too many opinions often arrive at the same destination as no choices and no opinions.
  12. D

    Koetsu

    I had hoped to have my boron Coralstone updated and rebuilt as a diamond, but that now seems unlikely. Lucky to have it at all. One human being does make a difference.
  13. D

    Koetsu

    The Koetsu is like the Faberge egg of phono cartridges, simply exquisite.
  14. D

    Disapointong record purchase.

    So true. Cannot judge an old LP by its cover or appearance. But it is very satisfying when that old LP turns out to be a gem. It bothers me much less when an old LP turns out to be a dud than when the same happens with a repress.
  15. D

    The point of diminishing returns for speakers is...?

    We use the concept of diminishing returns in its most prosaic sense, rapidly decreasing benefit from rapidly increasing cost. However on a less easily quantified measure there is the drive to extend limits regardless of cost. Robert Browning‘s ”that a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or...
  16. D

    Disapointong record purchase.

    Disappointment seems to pervade so many represses that I have bought. Mostly lifeless and compressed echoes of the originals. I have many LPs my father bought in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s that after decades still deliver superb sound. Perhaps you really can’t go home again.
  17. D

    The point of diminishing returns for speakers is...?

    Diminishing disposable income is frequently encountered prior to the conclusion that returns are diminishing.
  18. D

    Jay's Audio Dartzeel 18NS Review w/Free WBF Advertising/Backhanded Slap. .

    Easy answer. Love me, hate me, but above all else, do not ignore me! The internet ”influencer” credo.
  19. D

    Koetsu

    I do not possess a reviewer’s specialized vocabulary so this response may be lacking. My impression of the three Koetsu cartridges I’ve owned (Wajima, Coralstone, Leopard) is that their overall coherence, tonality, and soundstage depth are very satisfying, the stone bodies perhaps more so...
  20. D

    Koetsu

    I’ve had mine since end of June. Very smooth and detailed right out of the box. dialed in with surprising ease. I’ve had my boron Coralstone since 2020 and I don’t think it was as “right” at zero hours. I fiddled with the VTA and loading (50/100/150 ohms0. I load at 100 ohms and it seems just...
  21. D

    Why are there no female Audiophiles?

    Since I was 1was 14 listening to music was a solitary and contemplative activity. It still is when I want to listen, immerse,, and contemplate. My wife prefers to read as her solitary and contemplative time. Others will have different outlets for solitary pursuits. Casual uninvolved ”listening”...
  22. D

    Hi fi junk vs great art and musical instruments

    Your point is well taken, but sadly many great works of art are also deteriorating due to the ravages of time, neglect, even vandalism.
  23. D

    The Noob Linearity factor

    As most here know High end audio was born at the tail end of the post WWII Golden age of classical music when the last generation of old school European artists were recorded by a developing new age of audio. The music inspired the recording which inspired the gear. Those early recording...
  24. D

    The Noob Linearity factor

    Really was not like that in the mid to late 1970s. There wasn’t that much “high end”. In ‘79 I had been reading HP’s TAS in college for years. I put every cent I had together for an ARC D52B and SP6B, Speakers were MG 1s. TT went from a Phillips 312 to a Thorens with an Infinity black widow...
  25. D

    Favorite Rolex?

    The prices will go up but so will supply. As he said Rolex is now on the hook directly and they now have real money interest in the consumer end. You will get the watch of your choice at higher MSRP than current without significant wait. This will negatively affect the gray market as customers...
  26. D

    Kudos to Artisan Fidelity

    Posted system in my signature. Has been evolving over decades. My story like many here, smitten with audio early teens. It’s the music, but love the gear. Read original TAS in college, HP’s philosophy made a lasting impression. No particular biases. No one right answer. Many roads lead to Rome...
  27. D

    Kudos to Artisan Fidelity

    Many of you know Artisan Fidelity and are familiar with their custom turntables. Christopher is a consummate professional. He is committed to both meticulous attention to detail and devotion to engineering excellence. I recently took delivery of a Garrard 301 Statement SE and Ikeda 407. Artisan...

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing