Some of the most interesting high-end experiences happen outside the usual audiophile scenario. A good friend asked my help to choose an audio system with one particular requirement – the speakers should look gorgeous and have the approval of his wife, but he also had a long time desire of having a good sound. After long months of I suggested one speaker I own in my collection, the vintage B&W Silver Signature SS25. It got immediate approval, as it perfectly matched their decoration. I was able to locate a pair in excellent condition in the used market and as I had very good experience driving mine with the Krell entry system (S300i integrated amplifier and S350a CD player), today I helped them installing this system in their large living room. As the SS25 have their own silver speaker wires, the only addition was a 2 feet Nordost Frey XLR cable.
The room is irregular, as when they recently merged two large apartments, some walls were removed and three divisions were joined to built a larger living room. The system is placed in the middle section, 17 x 15 feet, against a wall with a magnificent rosewood low cupboard between the speakers. They are separated by 12 feet , and the listening sofa is 14 feet from the speakers plane.
The result was one of the most musical systems I have listened to. After the disastrous start from cold (at those painful moments the best comment was that the speakers were so nice and matched the decoration perfectly), once the warm-up time (one hour) was over, it sounded too good recording after recording, gradually improving most of the attributes hardcore audiophiles praise (although the bass did not have the extension some audiophiles feel indispensable).
It was CD, it was solid state, it was Krell, but the system played beyond my expectations – and the proud owners (non-audiophiles) were really full of enthusiasm. Buena Vista Social Club was full of emotion and overtones, but the last track of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was an experience. Another couple who also did not have experience of audio joined us, and you can imagine my surprise when the lady told us at the final “I read the news today oh boy” – that the song was giving her goose bumps… Coming from some one who never read John Gordon Holt, owns a compact rack system and is a regular concert jazz frequenter, was the best reward for my help.
I am now again home, but the rosewood cupboard is hunting me down. Was he responsible for the exceptional sound? Are the people who put strange resonators, hard wood voodoo and magic bells between the speakers correct? Please look at the attached picture of this suspicious furniture (just taken from the vendor site before is was restored).
Happily my friends borrowed my CD copy of Sgt. Pepper's. Listening to it in my system today would be stressing, even worst, the antique shop who sells the rosewood cupboards is closed for holiday until the end of next week.
The room is irregular, as when they recently merged two large apartments, some walls were removed and three divisions were joined to built a larger living room. The system is placed in the middle section, 17 x 15 feet, against a wall with a magnificent rosewood low cupboard between the speakers. They are separated by 12 feet , and the listening sofa is 14 feet from the speakers plane.
The result was one of the most musical systems I have listened to. After the disastrous start from cold (at those painful moments the best comment was that the speakers were so nice and matched the decoration perfectly), once the warm-up time (one hour) was over, it sounded too good recording after recording, gradually improving most of the attributes hardcore audiophiles praise (although the bass did not have the extension some audiophiles feel indispensable).
It was CD, it was solid state, it was Krell, but the system played beyond my expectations – and the proud owners (non-audiophiles) were really full of enthusiasm. Buena Vista Social Club was full of emotion and overtones, but the last track of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was an experience. Another couple who also did not have experience of audio joined us, and you can imagine my surprise when the lady told us at the final “I read the news today oh boy” – that the song was giving her goose bumps… Coming from some one who never read John Gordon Holt, owns a compact rack system and is a regular concert jazz frequenter, was the best reward for my help.
I am now again home, but the rosewood cupboard is hunting me down. Was he responsible for the exceptional sound? Are the people who put strange resonators, hard wood voodoo and magic bells between the speakers correct? Please look at the attached picture of this suspicious furniture (just taken from the vendor site before is was restored).
Happily my friends borrowed my CD copy of Sgt. Pepper's. Listening to it in my system today would be stressing, even worst, the antique shop who sells the rosewood cupboards is closed for holiday until the end of next week.
