I use the computer. And it was already paid for, so a pretty good bargain. But your point is well-taken. A $350 Windows laptop can serve the same musical purpose.
Tim
Sometimes You Do Get What You Pay For -- A Celebration of High Value Audio Products
- Thread starter jazdoc
- Start date
I use the computer. And it was already paid for, so a pretty good bargain. But your point is well-taken. A $350 Windows laptop can serve the same musical purpose.
Tim
I agree. But Spectral maintains thier price adavntage because they picked up the price tag themselves. I read an article that they invested wisely outside of audio. That funded thier research.Ack
While in a debate we would discuss long and hard what is SOTA. Spectral gear are that in measurements and in sound: SOTA. There are brands with mystique and they make sure of selling their gear with the appropriate "mystical" price tag. in this context not only that Spectral gear are fully the equal of superior of many of those brands but their prices are (again in the context) sane... to remain in the spirit of the thread, a celebration of high value in High End
I know you own Spectral and you know they take a back seat to no other... In term of measurements (OK I know they mean nothing to many, still ) are always spectacular and often unsurpassed in all aspects one cares to point to ... Your post could qualify for the understatement of the decade
close to SOTA???? Spectral??? Come on Man!!
NO! Spectral is SOTA
Interesting...why do you think that was? The power capacity? I have heard having pure, simple, unadulterated raw power is in itself an amazing thing. Obviously other elements need to be right as well...but the sheer power apparently manifests itself in many ways even at low volumes...effortless, detail, decay, endless control, etc...
thanks for any thoughts on this in your comparisons!
Ack
While in a debate we would discuss long and hard what is SOTA. Spectral gear are that in measurements and in sound: SOTA. There are brands with mystique and they make sure of selling their gear with the appropriate "mystical" price tag. in this context not only that Spectral gear are fully the equal of superior of many of those brands but their prices are (again in the context) sane... to remain in the spirit of the thread, a celebration of high value in High End
I know you own Spectral and you know they take a back seat to no other... In term of measurements (OK I know they mean nothing to many, still ) are always spectacular and often unsurpassed in all aspects one cares to point to ... Your post could qualify for the understatement of the decade
close to SOTA???? Spectral??? Come on Man!!
NO! Spectral is SOTA
I feel this way about Pass Labs
I'll leave out anything and everything I distribute. The fact that we take on the risk of stocking proves how we feel about those. In any case here's some of the current production stuff we don't have any affiliations but have spent quality time with that I think are worth every penny.
Lyngdorf DRC
ASC products
Primacoustics products
Almute
TW turntables (One, AC-3, Black Knight)
Kuzma turntables (Stabi S, Stabi Reference)
VPI turntables (Classic, HRX, Aries 3)
Pass XA series amps
VAC's 300.1 and 450 Statement amps
VTL's S400, Siegfried I and II amplifiers
Accuphase and Esoteric CD/SACD players
CEC Transports
Magnepans
Verity loudspeakers
Dynavector's DRT XV-1s and XV-1t
Lyra's Atlas
Clearaudio's Gold Finger Supreme
Kubala-Sosna Emotion and Elation cables
Acrolink Cables
Lyngdorf DRC
ASC products
Primacoustics products
Almute
TW turntables (One, AC-3, Black Knight)
Kuzma turntables (Stabi S, Stabi Reference)
VPI turntables (Classic, HRX, Aries 3)
Pass XA series amps
VAC's 300.1 and 450 Statement amps
VTL's S400, Siegfried I and II amplifiers
Accuphase and Esoteric CD/SACD players
CEC Transports
Magnepans
Verity loudspeakers
Dynavector's DRT XV-1s and XV-1t
Lyra's Atlas
Clearaudio's Gold Finger Supreme
Kubala-Sosna Emotion and Elation cables
Acrolink Cables
Guess What I was about to include Pass Labs also ... Recently got blown away by a Pass Labs based system with the multi-chassis pre-amp and some 300 wats mono amps ... Being after an audiophile I was expecting a bank account-bursting tag price only to learn that the preamp with its all its three chassis and its superb sound was about 15 K or so !!! Brutal surprise and a refreshing one.. The mono amps were in that vicinity too
Some kind of brain fog, I forgot to add this company that should NOT be so back in the mind of us audiophiles ... Worth every consideration when one is looking for the best regardless of price ...
I'll second VMPS speakers. At their prices, they embarrass so much stuff out there.
I'll third the MacBook (or likely Windows laptop which I won't touch for other reasons) -- paired with a good asynchronous DAC, I haven't heard a better transport/streamer.
I'll third the MacBook (or likely Windows laptop which I won't touch for other reasons) -- paired with a good asynchronous DAC, I haven't heard a better transport/streamer.
A couple off the top of my head that haven't been mentioned:
Magnepan 1.7 and 3.7
Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne speakers
Martin-Logan Summit-X speakers
Lyra Dorian cartridge
Also, anything made outside of the US has to be DQ'd since there's an additional markup by the importer compared to domestically made equipment.
Magnepan 1.7 and 3.7
Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne speakers
Martin-Logan Summit-X speakers
Lyra Dorian cartridge
Also, anything made outside of the US has to be DQ'd since there's an additional markup by the importer compared to domestically made equipment.
Well the forum has its share of non-US members ... that wouldn't apply to them. OTOH for them US-made products may be more expensive ...
In my experience, Monster Cable Interlink Reference 2 interconnect cables. I've used them since 1990 and they have linked my Jadis JPL preamp to CJ MV125, Jadis JA200, ARC VS110 and ARC VS115. These cables do not get in the way or gave me any reason to change them during those match-ups. I got a 30 feet pair then for about $200. Super value.
Magnepan speakers. In my case, the MG2.7QR. Strange they discontinued the 2 series but went on revising the 1 and the 3 series. And to me, this model sound most unlike the 1 and the 3 series. $2000 then. They replaced my $14,000 B&W800 Matrix and a few weeks after that, I said I didn't miss much of the huge speakers save the hefty bass and ease of power. 15 years later, they 2.7s are still with me and it's so difficult to think of what next except the 3 and the 20 series but they keep updating it. (Which is my excuse to delay any plans of changing the 2.7s)
Magnepan speakers. In my case, the MG2.7QR. Strange they discontinued the 2 series but went on revising the 1 and the 3 series. And to me, this model sound most unlike the 1 and the 3 series. $2000 then. They replaced my $14,000 B&W800 Matrix and a few weeks after that, I said I didn't miss much of the huge speakers save the hefty bass and ease of power. 15 years later, they 2.7s are still with me and it's so difficult to think of what next except the 3 and the 20 series but they keep updating it. (Which is my excuse to delay any plans of changing the 2.7s)
Absolutely! I wasn't trying to eliminate foreign products; just pointing out exactly what you said -- they aren't the biggest bargain.
FrantZ,
It would be nice to know about the speakers and cables ...
Sorry, unless I know about the full system, my audiophile curiosity is not pleased!
Hello, rblnr. While I would definitely agree with you on the VMPS subs [specifically, the VMPS Larger], I'm not so sure I would say that their speakers are of good value unless one is looking for a speaker to just get loud. The ones I have heard, I would liken to a Cerwin-Vega speaker but perhaps I haven't heard the models you have had experience with so please take this with a grain of salt. Just based upon those that I have heard, I was a little surprised that the VMPS speakers made the list.
Tom
Have you heard any of the recent RM series -- 30, 40, 60? Anything with the current ribbon mids and tweets? I've heard that about their old speakers, but I certainly don't hear that in any of their speakers of this millenium.
They do get loud (w/o strain) and they're terrifically dynamic and lively, something so many speakers seem afraid of or incapable of doing. I also find them notably clean and coherent when dialed in. They sound more alive and real than a lot of the more higher-priced stuff to my ears.
There are a fair number of respected audio reviewers who rave about the VMPS Ribbon Monitor series. In the last (6-7 yrs ago) issue of International Audio Review, Peter Moncrieff called the $4k RM-40's "the best $20,000 speaker you can buy". Clark Johnson (is he still around?) used the original VMPS ribbons (FF-1) as his reference speakers for the first few years of this century at least. Clement Perry of The Stereo Times consistently raves about them as well.
Mogami Balanced interconnect cables with Neutrik XLRs, one meter, $99. A steal for a very transparent interconnect.
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