Hi, I just thought I'd chip in as an outside observer...but hugely curious observer...on all things Extreme.
I was due to visit Barry in a month to take in a fourth visit to hear the Extreme in his system, but after having attended 10 live concerts in last 5 days, string quartets and solo piano recitals, the chance to visit came up today w these concerts strongly familiar.
I have to say I was hugely impressed w what I heard today. Barry has tinkered a little w his system including some additional GIKs. And critically all his King Sablons back in (last time I visited he had non descript power cords).
So now for first time I'm auditioning the Extreme w TAS, USB driver and fully optimised setup.
My overall conclusion is that the Extreme is doing something pretty phenomenal. Its ticking so many boxes of those I heard in concert including those that I don't hear digital excel at. Tonal variation, mids density and heft, instrumental texture, and ability to run multiple lines w minimal concealing. Hell, it's not just making a brilliant fist of reminding me of live, but also taking the fight to vinyl in those areas where LP excels.
Classical was a real revelation, the first time I've been able to totally immerse into this genre when not on vinyl.
We listened to Saint Saens, Handel, Navarro Quartet and Stravinsky.
The standout jazz track we listened to, Pino Palladino and Blake Mills, totally excelled at polyrhythmic organisation and supreme bass control.
Critically, having grown to accept and then prefer a slightly recessed soundstage after exemplary reproduction of this w Bill's horns, Barry's stage was much less in my chest as previously, and more invited me in, and like Bill's presentation, not a diminution of dynamics but just a more natural placement.
So I've now been extremely lucky to experience two amazing presentations recently. First Bill's other worldly horns, by far my fave spkr of all time. And now Barry's Extreme, seriously getting me to re calibrate the multi decades' long pre eminence of vinyl over digital.