New York Times: Listening Clubs Tantalize Audiophiles in London

[soundArgument]

I suppose I can't see the whole picture but it looks ok to me. I think you'd bump into the limits of EQ very fast.

DJ's and the 1200, they'd follow them into hell...

Yes, they would, and the notion that the world's best audio system uses 1200s is ludicrous.

 

[Folsom]

If they were modified a lot they would probably sound fairly good. A guy (now deceased) on another forum put a lot of work into one to dampen the hell out of it, took him awhile, but eventually it was a great table. The man hours were a bit silly since he was packing in non-hardening clay my hand and with small instruments for weeks.

They could at least get some good Herbies mats to put down, or even cork, because the reflections from the standard platter and felt mat are so awful! That change alone would increase the pleasure and clarity level a lot.

 

[Jim Smith]

IMO, nothing about this setup is likely to produce a musical result.

 

[beaur]

Except of course if you get no audiocentric people to notice that the equipment is playing above the level of a standard PA system and they get interested and buy better equipment form and industry that paints itself as in distress!!

Odds are against, but even one convert is a win.

Also, Jim, while it may not be set up ideally what comes out is still music and while it can be improved upon it can also be enjoyed as is.

IMO, nothing about this setup is likely to produce a musical result.

 

[Jim Smith]

Also, Jim, while it may not be set up ideally what comes out is still music and while it can be improved upon it can also be enjoyed as is.

Again, IMO:

Not in stereo with such diverse and spaced seating. Mono, maybe.

 

[tsaett]

The biggest problem with Spiritland is that letting most DJs touch this kind of equipment is like putting a small child at the controls of an airliner. On Saturday night, the featured DJs ran the tweeters extremely "hot"; the sound was painful. They succeeded only in ensuring that the room was mostly empty (there were perhaps a dozen people in the main room at 11:30 p.m.).

So, go when they don't have a featured DJ (which is during the day, every day) or when there's some indication that the DJ will know what he's doing (e.g., the DJ will be doing a Rudy Van Gelder retrospective). I do recommend the place, and the food and drink are excellent. There's no dancing and no excessive drinking at Spiritland--it's civilized, relaxed and focused on the music.

I will go again.

It seems we were in the same location on Saturday, haha.
The DJs were really awful, two guys with a Macbook playing their tracks (or should I say sounds?) via iTunes way too loud, I left after 45 minutes.

(By the way there is already a thread about Spiritland:
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...and-for-the-Londonphiles&highlight=spiritland )

I also visited during the day which was a far more pleasant experience, they even have Tannoy mini monitors on the toilets