Are SOTA systems worth the effort?
- Thread starter KeithR
- Start date
I hope to find out the answer to this question for myself.
I have to give credit to Steve Guttenberg for accumulating 197,000 subscribers! That is impressive! I don't think a channel focused on the upper end of the high-end audio market would attract that kind of viewership.
I have to give credit to Steve Guttenberg for accumulating 197,000 subscribers! That is impressive! I don't think a channel focused on the upper end of the high-end audio market would attract that kind of viewership.
Last edited:
Nice thread Keith. I agree about diminishing returns and often very expensive systems don’t sound as well as one expects they would.
Regarding speaker size: if large speakers are done well, they can bring a lot more to the table. Scale and extension for example amd natural bass. It usually comes back to bass quality, not necessarily bass quantity.
The larger Wilson and Magicos I’ve heard almost always sound better to me than the smaller ones do. But I think it also depends on what kind of music you like. When I listened primarily to small-scale acoustic music, my Magico minis were great. Then when I got the larger floorstanding Q3’s, a whole world of music suddenly opened up to me.
Well designed and set up subwoofers can also help larger and smaller speakers but sometimes they can cause problems too if not done well based on my limited exposure. They are fantastic with DDK’s horns but they were problematic with my mini monitors.
It is not the destination. It's the journey.
for some it is both.
Not to me if you define SOTA by just a price tag. Simply can't afford them. I own a couple of systems and they are by and large the best I can swing budget wise for what they are. I have to say I am generally very happy with what I have but will always be open to some DIY cause it's fun. Most of my speakers are DIY with a couple of references thrown in.
Rob
Rob
The journey has been fun, and I'm pleased with the destination too. I don't have the space for big speakers. The good news in that is that having a small space and limited budget has forced me to be creative in building my system. Taking the modification/upgrade route has allowed me to assemble a system that sounds SOTA to me for a room the size of mine, at a "reasonable" cost (<$25K). Taking a chance on the DHDI ZR Acoustics panels has also paid off big time. I plan to add cartridge/turntable/phono preamp to my system in the future but at this point there is no alternative amp, player, power conditioner, or cables that I covet, nor any other speakers that would actually fit well in my small space that I would trade my modified Bache Audio speakers for. My extensively modified Pathos TT RR in particular is a "last I'll ever buy" level component. I have heard no other amp (integrated or separates) at any price that I would trade it for.
Last edited:
Diminishing returns are not a part of SOTA. IMO YG Acoustics makes only one SOTA speaker, Sonja XV, now XVi, Wilson makes just one as well, Chronosonic XVX. They are designed to reproduce the sound of a symphony orchestra in a listening room. Wilson used the Vienna in the Musicverien, YG the Berlin as their goals. And succeeded. They play it all and it is evident in all music, not just orchestral. The lower line speakers aren't designed for that and don't get there.
The reverse is true -- each compromise for economy takes away chunks of sound. The XVs are 20 drivers in four large towers. Haileys are 6 drivers in two much smaller towers. The XVs play it all. How much do Haileys play?
You already know this. The question was rhetorical.
The reverse is true -- each compromise for economy takes away chunks of sound. The XVs are 20 drivers in four large towers. Haileys are 6 drivers in two much smaller towers. The XVs play it all. How much do Haileys play?
You already know this. The question was rhetorical.
former C-Net writer and he caters to a good price point.
Meanwhile the crazy amp, insane system guy has 6k subs.
It depends on your budget.
But if I shell out 300K$ right now, I will get vintage Western Electric system made in 1930-40's
But if I shell out 300K$ right now, I will get vintage Western Electric system made in 1930-40's
If you watched the video Steve Guttenberg never said they sound worse, just that he was uninterested. I've heard the XVs multiple times and the Chronosonics once. Neither make my wallet come out.
the trickle down argument is more interesting debate
Depends on how you define SOTA. If price is your criteria then you can easily throw money away without reaching SOTA since there is always something more expensive. For me, SOTA is a stereo with impeccable specs that I can listen to night after night for years and have zero interest in changing anything.
Are you suggesting that in your view, for example, doubling the cost of a mid-tier loudspeaker to a top-of-the-line loudspeaker results in a greater than doubling improvement in sound quality?
ok, so to be fair to Steve, before i commented, i did actually listen to the first part of the video about his viewpoint on sota systems being worth it.
i took away that his perspective is quite naïve, simplistic and dismissive. he completely ignores degrees of room and system development and simply targets system gear price ranges. and never even mentions levels of passion and work needed to really find sota performance.....regardless of price. and that the more capable the gear, the more it takes to get that higher potential delivered.
no doubt his views will appeal to plenty of people, it's the way of the media these days. mention the 1%'rs then take your shots. people say amen. yawn.
i'm sure his video title works great as clickbait.
but for me he has it wrong. not because his question is not valid, but that he just misses the essence of why people pour themselves into any hobby at high levels including hifi. sure; some only want trophy's or are collectors. but many are not that way......not that there is not a little of that for all of us at any level.
and equating expensive gear = rich people is also wrong. i think it's more life style choices and years of investing in their passion, than random rich guys throwing couch change at big dollar baubles. in my experience more well off audiophiles many times have more modest systems and simply don't want to spend big on hifi. it's passion not dollars that drive sota systems.
i took away that his perspective is quite naïve, simplistic and dismissive. he completely ignores degrees of room and system development and simply targets system gear price ranges. and never even mentions levels of passion and work needed to really find sota performance.....regardless of price. and that the more capable the gear, the more it takes to get that higher potential delivered.
no doubt his views will appeal to plenty of people, it's the way of the media these days. mention the 1%'rs then take your shots. people say amen. yawn.
i'm sure his video title works great as clickbait.
but for me he has it wrong. not because his question is not valid, but that he just misses the essence of why people pour themselves into any hobby at high levels including hifi. sure; some only want trophy's or are collectors. but many are not that way......not that there is not a little of that for all of us at any level.
and equating expensive gear = rich people is also wrong. i think it's more life style choices and years of investing in their passion, than random rich guys throwing couch change at big dollar baubles. in my experience more well off audiophiles many times have more modest systems and simply don't want to spend big on hifi. it's passion not dollars that drive sota systems.
Last edited:
Are SOTA systems worth the effort?
Sure but its the overall package that does the trick , making the right choices regarding room etc its what the owner / user makes of it
I like to pick low cost / very good value components and i never read magazines ,i just go by my own ears .
Its your hobby in the end .
If its not worth it , dont spend it .
Would mostly agree about diminishing returns...except the two best systems I have heard (not counting big WE speakers systems) were well North of $1M (one was over $2M). They blew the paradigm apart and more was really a lot more.
My really SOTA system would involve a trapezodial shaped room , same speakers i have now to start with
Cat JL7 s or the new ARC monos or Dartzeel monos ( possibly Lamm ) with a CAT legend pre ( or other high quality pre amp candidates )
Would it be better then i have now hell yeah , would it be worth it Absolutely
Cat JL7 s or the new ARC monos or Dartzeel monos ( possibly Lamm ) with a CAT legend pre ( or other high quality pre amp candidates )
Would it be better then i have now hell yeah , would it be worth it Absolutely
Last edited:
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |