Bill, I know this is an impossible question to answer, that's why I'm asking it.
You've had plenty of exposure to The General's system, including these changes to the amps.
Can you apportion out the contribution that each of his fairly (or totally) unique constituent parts makes.
His unique collection of stellar pressings.
His cutting edge analog front end.
His amazingly expressive amps.
His highly impressive full range zero crossover uber uber high efficiency horns.
His fantastic room.
Hi Marc,
This is a very challenging question that I am not equipped to answer as I have not heard all the various permutations to adequately address this but let me try:
I will start with the room since I think it is easiest to answer. The General’s barronial Hall listening room has gigantic dimensions and volume and benefits from not too much glass and has decent symmetry. That said, the sheer volume of this room is simply murderous for many speakers (majority) as they are required to shift some huge quantities of air to have even a semblance of a chance. Moreover The General hasn’t invested much time on the acoustics of this room compared to his previous residence because he is busy building the room of all rooms in a different house - this room will be the room to end all rooms lol. I don’t want to steal his thunder but suffice it to say that no stone is going to be left unturned including the mountainside that it is dug into
The amplification - well I have actually heard quite a lot over the last year in his system across many brands. Put it succinctly, the Mayer is in a different stratosphere in both build quality and sound quality. The inner resolution, space, tone, liquidity are just vastly superior to all the other amps I have heard in there. Look - put it this way, I am buying Mayer amps now albeit lower down the food chain.
The TT - well I already did put my money where my mouth is and bought one as I think it to be the best TT that I have ever heard. That one was a no brainer for me as I wanted a source that I thought could not be surpassed. The vertical AND horizontal air bearing, suspension, vacuum suck, and linear tracker were all essential features deriving my purchasing decision. Once you have heard what the Vyger can do there is no going back.
The records - I think The General might well be sat on one of the top few best collections in the world - I have heard this from some other very serious record collectors. Does the recording and pressing matter? Absolutely - his system is so hifidelity you can easily hear differences across pressings and it isn’t subtle at all. We did a Bach Chaconne shootout as a means of determining whether Mr Gregory’s conclusion on the ERC pressing had validity - the differences across the LPs was huge. I won’t say the outcome here though lol.
What General has achieved though is a system that you can hear the great performances of the greatest artists in a manner that just gets as close to what would be a time capsule and transporter to the event as I have ever heard. Enough to really halt you not just smile.
I will be eternally grateful for his guidance since we met as I had to look hard at my own system, do a mahoosive u-turn and start a new journey. That journey started with a true dedication to building a wonderful record library that I can cherish and one that brings joy when I listen.
I hope this helps a little with your question.
