Thanks. For some reason it was in the General section. For some reason there is hardly any coverage in the Axpona section.
Many big names missing from Axpona in Chicago. Worth attending the show?
- Thread starter caesar
- Start date
Thanks. For some reason it was in the General section. For some reason there is hardly any coverage in the Axpona section.
I don't think it was intended as a Scaena thread. But if it has turned out to be, that's great. Other than Harry Pearson, the media has pretty much ignored this brand. When Stereophile sent their junior reviewer to a dealer, he didn't even bother listening to them.
http://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-doctor-searching-best-everything
However, I did mention brands other than Scaena above, as the "real thing" above. I'm really interested in human excellence, in every endeavor in life. I really worship the human mind and what the best minds can accomplish. In the case of high end audio, for me it's about how extremely bright and creative engineers can get their systems to sound as close as possible the real thing. Yes, I realize it is not exactly the same. Yet some gear designers get closer than others.
But although not the same in the technical sense, it can be the same in a psychological sense. Just as happens with a live show by a performer that you love, when your favorite recordings are played through systems of the best designers, one enters the State of Flow. Psychologists call this highest form of human happiness. We become so fully immersed in the performance, we forget about everything. And for better or for worse, because I go to so many live shows, I am familiar with what real music sounds like and I'm not fooled by pretenders.
So the systems I mentioned, other than Scaena, von Schweikert, MBL, and TAD, are all capable of that. Other systems may also be capable, but they did not sound like that to me.
The speaker that turned my world upside down. TAD is the best box speaker on Earth.
Ok, I admit: I'm too tired right now to fiddle around in the technical realm and figure out how to flip this picture. But this speaker has truly turned my world upside down.
I have never really loved box speakers. I have heard most of the big (and some small) brands that have gone for the all out assault. Many are very, very good. Yet, I have always preferred planars, stats, and other open designs such as Nola, Scaena, and MBL to boxes. Until I heard TAD.
This was the first time I was completely mesmerized by a box speaker. I did not hear the box at all; I just heard music and I was completely absorbed. It was so natural. It was dynamic. It's so transparent, it excelled on the best recordings. But it also polished the turds, bringing out the emotion of the performance like I have rarely experienced.
But when I would snap out of the State of Flow, usually by someone getting up in front of me, or bumping my chair or leg, I would realize that the audiophile vocabulary was there too. It's kind of like have your cake and eat it too.
Andrew Jones is God.
Ok, I admit: I'm too tired right now to fiddle around in the technical realm and figure out how to flip this picture. But this speaker has truly turned my world upside down.
I have never really loved box speakers. I have heard most of the big (and some small) brands that have gone for the all out assault. Many are very, very good. Yet, I have always preferred planars, stats, and other open designs such as Nola, Scaena, and MBL to boxes. Until I heard TAD.
This was the first time I was completely mesmerized by a box speaker. I did not hear the box at all; I just heard music and I was completely absorbed. It was so natural. It was dynamic. It's so transparent, it excelled on the best recordings. But it also polished the turds, bringing out the emotion of the performance like I have rarely experienced.
But when I would snap out of the State of Flow, usually by someone getting up in front of me, or bumping my chair or leg, I would realize that the audiophile vocabulary was there too. It's kind of like have your cake and eat it too.
Andrew Jones is God.
Hearing the Greg Beron's master tapes on these speakers will take you to a new plateau in this hobby. So if you see Greg Beron of United Home Audio presenting at a show, buy a ticket whether you are in China, Portugal, Russia, Australia, or where ever.
Also the home of Black Gospel music (Chicago)
which grew up right along side blues. The founder of Black Gospel was a blues man by the name of Thomas Dorsey. I understand wanting that "live sound" it's what I grew up with (originally from Detroit, Florance Ballard went to my Grandmother's church). Not to derail the thread, but I believe that much of our appreciation of music comes from the types of music we listen to, and the enviorments inwhich thoses types of music are traditionally heard.
Last edited:
If you are in Seattle area, you can visit me and hear the same MBL 101E MkIIs, 9008A monos, and the real man's master tape recorder, Studer A820 (or few others to choose from).
thanks again for your report. I should have been there but day job got in the way.
I don't know why it is... but selection of music I heard in last couple of MBL rooms in different shows had been nothing to write home about. Jeremy, the head of MBL NA, is a young man (relatively speaking) and may explains why he always plays god awful metal rock music (not that all metal rock music's bad...) so loud that I can't tell any of the fine sonic characteristics of the Radialstrahler design. I can only say the RMAF about three or four years ago done by then US distributor MBL America playing normal commercial CDs (of Billy Joel's 52nd Street) was the best demo of MBLs (117F I believe) I've heard.
Hi Peter:
I've tried the big Brystons and now the 9008A monoblocks. Two other forum members had the 9008A in their MBL setup but didn't like them. But, I get the most airy and relaxed sound from them.
My most memorable entries from my 101 E MKI and MkII amp portfolio:
AVM MA-8s, outstanding top to bottom dynamics, unreal bass
MBL 9011s, wonderfully big and ballsy
Ypsilon Aelius, just magical
Ayon Orthos IIs, simply holographic
Threshold SA-1s, warm and inviting
Marantz Esotec SM-1000, clear and fast
Rowland Mono 8,9s, warm and inviting
CJ Premier One (recapped), huge soundstager
Luxman 6000, did nothing wrong, gobs of power, Tim dePav designed
Luxman M-05s bridged in mono, very organic and right sounding
Onkyo M510 (the big daddy-o-), warm and magical midrange, a little misty, gobs of power
The big Kronzillas, outstanding midrange
These are all great amp matching experiences with the 101Es. I'm listening to the AVMs with the RR Recordings Rutter Requiem as I type and the sound is some of the best I've ever heard from any system over my entire career.
AVM MA-8s, outstanding top to bottom dynamics, unreal bass
MBL 9011s, wonderfully big and ballsy
Ypsilon Aelius, just magical
Ayon Orthos IIs, simply holographic
Threshold SA-1s, warm and inviting
Marantz Esotec SM-1000, clear and fast
Rowland Mono 8,9s, warm and inviting
CJ Premier One (recapped), huge soundstager
Luxman 6000, did nothing wrong, gobs of power, Tim dePav designed
Luxman M-05s bridged in mono, very organic and right sounding
Onkyo M510 (the big daddy-o-), warm and magical midrange, a little misty, gobs of power
The big Kronzillas, outstanding midrange
These are all great amp matching experiences with the 101Es. I'm listening to the AVMs with the RR Recordings Rutter Requiem as I type and the sound is some of the best I've ever heard from any system over my entire career.
Peter,
I feel guilty. A great amplifier from Europe made by an old German company and I had never cared about it!
Would love to know how it compares with the Constellation Audio Centaur.
Have you heard the Constellations, Micro? I will be hearing them this summer and looking forward to it...along with MSB digital and Rockport Altair2s.
Just the Centaur stereo with the Alexia's and latter with the Magico S5. With both speakers I was impressed with the bass articulation and fullness - two factors that usually play against each other. Would love to listen to them in my system. As far as I know the matching preamplifier was upgraded since my hearing.
Purity Audio Design 1
Well-Known Member
Wanted to say thank you to al those who stopped by the Purity Audio Design room and the other rooms we were part of.....Von Schweikert with the debut of their new speaker system and King Sound. It was nice putting faces with names.
Similar threads
