Today I had a wonderful third visit to Steve's listening room. This visit was my first visit after Steve acquired and set-up his vinyl front-end. (The first two visits were fun, but I really cannot tell anything listening to digital, and I really cannot relax while listening to digital.)
This time I brought my standard high-end audio system audition LPs with which I am extremely familiar.
Steve also made some other changes to his system (in addition to getting the new LP front end). On LP Steve's system now sounds, to me, perfectly smooth and natural. I cannot stand brightness of any kind, and not even Sherlock Holmes himself could find brightness in Steve's system now. If Steve had told me he switched to XLFs (which I wanted him to do after the first two visits) I completely would have believed him, and such a switch would have explained to me the difference I heard.
It is difficult to attribute certain sonic characteristics to particular components, so the next two observations are purely guesses. 1) I suspect the Air Force One is contributing mightily to incredible bottom-end heft and weightiness. The piano on "You've Lost That Lov'in Feel'in" on Growing Up in Hollywood Town (Sheffield Lab 13) and the drums on "Bird On a Wire" on Famous Blue Raincoat (yes, I know it is a digital recording) had heft and weightiness and impact I have never heard before. 2) The Ortofon Anna has to be one of the top cartridges available today. I do not know know what it sounds like because it drew no attention to itself. I did not hear any rising-end brightness. I heard the natural midrange I am used to hearing and which I like to hear. I have no choice but to put the Anna on my very short list of contenders for my own cartridge purchase. (Another cartridge option to evaluate I did not need.)
I am someone who has always felt that, prior to the XLF and the Alexia, Wilson speakers sounded bright and a bit edgy because of the metal dome tweeter. I did not know it was possible but, to my ears, vinyl plus all Lamm electronics in Steve's nicely-damped room collectively tame the metal dome tweeter in the big Wilsons, and obviates the desire to switch to XLFs. (I am almost certain that if I ever had high-efficiency speakers I would drive them with Lamm amplifiers.)
For the type of sound I personally like (natural, smooth and warmish; nothing bright or edgy or "analytical"). I really think Steve system sounds perfect. Steve asked me if I would make any changes to his system. I said I literally would not change a thing. (And don't Shun Mook me! : ) I am no longer sure in what ways XLFs would sound better. Every single component Steve has is, in my opinion, among the very best of its type available today. I will seek to achieve with my future system exactly the same tonal balance, dynamics and low-end weightiness I heard today.
As someone who is dogmatically and ideologically anti-digital I could not be happier that Steve is finding vinyl playback musically engaging and emotionally involving!
Thank you, Steve, for another great day!
This time I brought my standard high-end audio system audition LPs with which I am extremely familiar.
Steve also made some other changes to his system (in addition to getting the new LP front end). On LP Steve's system now sounds, to me, perfectly smooth and natural. I cannot stand brightness of any kind, and not even Sherlock Holmes himself could find brightness in Steve's system now. If Steve had told me he switched to XLFs (which I wanted him to do after the first two visits) I completely would have believed him, and such a switch would have explained to me the difference I heard.
It is difficult to attribute certain sonic characteristics to particular components, so the next two observations are purely guesses. 1) I suspect the Air Force One is contributing mightily to incredible bottom-end heft and weightiness. The piano on "You've Lost That Lov'in Feel'in" on Growing Up in Hollywood Town (Sheffield Lab 13) and the drums on "Bird On a Wire" on Famous Blue Raincoat (yes, I know it is a digital recording) had heft and weightiness and impact I have never heard before. 2) The Ortofon Anna has to be one of the top cartridges available today. I do not know know what it sounds like because it drew no attention to itself. I did not hear any rising-end brightness. I heard the natural midrange I am used to hearing and which I like to hear. I have no choice but to put the Anna on my very short list of contenders for my own cartridge purchase. (Another cartridge option to evaluate I did not need.)
I am someone who has always felt that, prior to the XLF and the Alexia, Wilson speakers sounded bright and a bit edgy because of the metal dome tweeter. I did not know it was possible but, to my ears, vinyl plus all Lamm electronics in Steve's nicely-damped room collectively tame the metal dome tweeter in the big Wilsons, and obviates the desire to switch to XLFs. (I am almost certain that if I ever had high-efficiency speakers I would drive them with Lamm amplifiers.)
For the type of sound I personally like (natural, smooth and warmish; nothing bright or edgy or "analytical"). I really think Steve system sounds perfect. Steve asked me if I would make any changes to his system. I said I literally would not change a thing. (And don't Shun Mook me! : ) I am no longer sure in what ways XLFs would sound better. Every single component Steve has is, in my opinion, among the very best of its type available today. I will seek to achieve with my future system exactly the same tonal balance, dynamics and low-end weightiness I heard today.
As someone who is dogmatically and ideologically anti-digital I could not be happier that Steve is finding vinyl playback musically engaging and emotionally involving!
Thank you, Steve, for another great day!
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