Ron's Favorite Private Rooms + Systems of All Time

[PeterA]

Of course not. Why are you and Tim so often digging for some nefarious angle?

Dealership and particular brands have absolutely nothing to do with my thinking about the top hobbyist rooms + systems. In fact, rightly or wrongly, I think of dealership systems in stores or otherwise outside of a hobbyist audiophile's home as being disqualified from my list. Todd is not qualified because he loved the Trio G3 loudspeaker so much after a lifelong search for his ultimate loudspeaker that he decided to be a missionary for horn loudspeakers in general and for Avantgarde in particular, and to try to expose more people to the joy he is experiencing with this particular topology of loudspeaker and this particular brand of loudspeaker.

I planned my trip to visit Todd months ago -- long before he ever got involved in representing Avantgarde.

And who is the other dealer to whom you are referring? Jack? Jack was a hobbyist long before (decades, perhaps, before) he was a dealer. His room + system is in his home.

Ron, you were a hobbyist also long before you decided to become a dealer. Home dealers are becoming quite common now. You, Todd and Jack are still dealers, as are many other members here. The three of your just happen to be operating out of your homes. I do not see a need to qualify it. This site is a meeting place for dealers and hobbyists alike. I simply asked if this was your way of endorsing certain brands and dealers because I am trying to understand the purpose of your list. You answered me that it is not. Thank you.

I like the description of Todd being a missionary for horn speakers.

 

[PeterA]

Your question -- which I agree is an interesting one -- is problematic according to my thinking about this list because you are focusing only on a type of speaker. My thinking with this list is very much an indivisible synergy of room + system. I very much am not thinking of loudspeakers by themselves or components by themselves in a vacuum separate and apart from the typically amazing rooms in the top tier of this list.

To answer your question I would need to hear Don's system or my Pendragon system in Jack's room or in Todd's room or in Mike's room. Even if my Pendragon system were in one of those three amazing and very large rooms the Pendragons would not make the cut without an additional elaborate subwoofer system, such as two Goebel Divin Sovereigns or Wilson Master Subsonics.

But I certainly think these are fascinating theoretical speculations!

Ron, I think you might have misunderstood my question. I simply asked if you have heard any panel based systems (and the rooms in which they sit) anywhere in the world that you like as much as any of these system/room combinations. I am not asking you to transport systems into rooms. That is not necessary to answer my question. Just a seventh room with panel speakers anywhere in the world as favorite to you and most audiophiles adhering to the same criteria that you used for these six rooms. If not, why do you think that is, considering that panels are your personal favorites for your girl with guitar primary genre.

 

[PeterA]

A DIY system constructed by a hobbyist is totally eligible for this list and tiering system. My only hesitation in traveling long distance to hear a DIY system is that I think it would be of relatively less interest than a system composed either of commercially available new components or of available used or vintage components because a DIY system has less general interest and less informational transferability.

I don't really care what a system looks like. I think David's Bionors are not in high-end furniture grade condition. He has a huge rat's nest of cables. It never occurred to me to care about those aspects.

Ron, " of relatively less interest" to whom? Are you reporting on these systems for "general interest" and "informational transferability" for your readership, or are you doing so for your own personal interest?

Perhaps it is some combination of the two. Kedar is traveling to learn and narrow the choices for when or if he ever settles on his own system. He also reports on his travels to his readers. You also seem to be traveling to learn, but you already have your system, and you too seem to enjoy being our humble reporter.

 

[Al M.]

Ron, I think you might have misunderstood my question. I simply asked if you have heard any panel based systems (and the rooms in which they sit) anywhere in the world that you like as much as any of these system/room combinations. I am not asking you to transport systems into rooms. That is not necessary to answer my question. Just a seventh room with panel speakers anywhere in the world as favorite to you and most audiophiles adhering to the same criteria that you used for these six rooms. If not, why do you think that is, considering that panels are your personal favorites for your girl with guitar primary genre.

Peter, I don't think Ron misunderstood your question at all. His answer was clear about why it was problematic: You cannot separate systems or speakers from the room, which needs to have large dimensions for best sound. He mentioned examples.

 

[Argonaut]

LOL! To add the keelhauling, I doubt that Ron would ever visit a DIY guy's basement irregular montage or 'ugly' system even if it sounded great. Favorites will be

I rather preferred the Parrot , God bless him.

 

[cjfrbw]

I rather preferred the Parrot , God bless him.

The parrot got a lot of votes, RIP the blessed beast. Or, maybe the still living bird, Petey the Girl Parrot.

 

[PeterA]

Peter, I don't think Ron misunderstood your question at all. His answer was clear about why it was problematic: You cannot separate systems or speakers from the room, which needs to have large dimensions for best sound. He mentioned examples.

These six system room combinations exist on their own. Each one is individual. I’m simply curious if there’s a seventh system room combination with panels out there that Ron likes as much as any of the six.

 

[Al M.]

These six system room combinations exist on the Rowan. Each one is individual. I’m simply curious if there’s a seventh system room combination with panels out there that Ron likes as much as any of the six.

Ron explained himself unequivocally. Please re-read his post.

 

[PeterA]

Ron, have you heard any systems anywhere with planer speakers that you think are as good as any of these six systems you list?

Ron explained himself unequivocally. Please re-read his post.

Al, above is my quote that Ron chose to answer. This is a question about any system/(room) anywhere other than the six he’s already listed. It could include his own system or any other system and room combination with planer speakers.

I have reread his answer two times respecting your suggestion. His response does not answer the question I asked. I agree his response is clear and that he explained himself unequivocally. But I am entitled to think that it does not answer the question I asked. That is why I asked a follow up.

We simply disagree on this one and can move on.

 

[Al M.]

His response does not answer the question I asked.

Yes it does, completely.

 

[PeterA]

Yes it does, completely.

OK Al. This is what Ron wrote.

Your question -- which I agree is an interesting one -- is problematic according to my thinking about this list because you are focusing only on a type of speaker. My thinking with this list is very much an indivisible synergy of room + system. I very much am not thinking of loudspeakers by themselves or components by themselves in a vacuum separate and apart from the typically amazing rooms in the top tier of this list.

To answer your question I would need to hear Don's system or my Pendragon system in Jack's room or in Todd's room or in Mike's room. Even if my Pendragon system were in one of those three amazing and very large rooms the Pendragons would not make the cut without an additional elaborate subwoofer system, such as two Goebel Divin Sovereigns or Wilson Master Subsonics.

But I certainly think these are fascinating theoretical speculations!

could you please explain how Ron answered my question about whether or not he’s heard a system with planer speakers that is as good as any of the six systems on his list? You might want to focus on the second paragraph where he explains he can’t answer the question without A bunch of speculations.

He responded, but he did not answer the question which could be a simple yes or no.

By not answering, I assume he means no he has not heard any systems with planer speakers that he likes as much as the six on his list. If he had, he would’ve described it and included it on the list.

 

[cjfrbw]

I'll settle this dispute. Ron both did, and did not, answer the posited question.

 

[PeterA]

I'll settle this dispute. Ron both did, and did not, answer the posited question.

I agree. It was a classic Resnickian response.

 

[adyc]

OK Al. This is what Ron wrote.




could you please explain how Ron answered my question about whether or not he’s heard a system with planer speakers that is as good as any of the six systems on his list? You might want to focus on the second paragraph where he explains he can’t answer the question without A bunch of speculations.

He responded, but he did not answer the question which could be a simple yes or no.

By not answering, I assume he means no he has not heard any systems with planer speakers that he likes as much as the six on his list. If he had, he would’ve described it and included it on the list.

His answer is in post 13. His room is the next top 5.

 

[bonzo75]

His answer is in post 13. His room is the next top 5.

ok, like one visited Mike to rate his A+ and his own A, or how Marc visits to hear systems he loves but is very happy when he comes back to his Zus.

so, a custom room can be in the top 10 (11) even though the speaker in the room had an attribute (brightness) that the owner does not desire or requires EQ. I guess it is possible since for some people it will not be bright and this is a rating for other people too

 

[morricab]

LOL! To add the keelhauling, I doubt that Ron would ever visit a DIY guy's basement irregular montage or 'ugly' system even if it sounded great. Favorites will be 1. Clean and orderly as a showroom and visually neat or pretty 2. Bigga Badda 3. Expensivo 4. Consisting mostly if not all of currently commercially available brand name top end merchandise 5. Antiseptically correct to the extent it is possible to be so 6. Polite and diplomatic to said systems 7. Tilted toward the mutual admiration society buddy systems of high end audio 8. Geared toward 'accepted' mainstream audio commercial mythologies

So, to the extent of the obvious filters, I am sure that the opinions are otherwise sincere. That doesn't mean they aren't useful or interesting, that kind of audio tourism IS fun. I wouldn't mind doing it for a while as a luxury ride.

It is like Kedar. It is probably a lot of fun to BE Kedar. However, trying to extract meaningful advice is like untangling a whirling dervish in a cotton candy factory. Still, I would love to BE Kedar for a couple of weeks/months with all the plane tickets and cushy audiophile systems to audition. After all, the reports are fun and consist mainly of ENTERTAINMENT not brain surgery, as Nelson Pass likes to say.

Just go to Munich show every year...may not be as good sounding as private systems but more bling than you possibly stand.