Not intended to be meant as a direct comment to anybody but in principle I try not to comment on the components I have not used in my system or listened to in few other system I know well. It is very hard to pinpoint the reasons (mainly) for bad or average sound to a certain component if you don’t know the system well enough. I think many discussions would be more relevant (and shorter) if we would stick to this principle and not use second or third hand experience.
VTL TP-6.5 Signature II Phono Stage Reviewed by Michael Fremer
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
- Start date
I think writing these reviews is like standing blindfolded in front of the firing squad waiting for the bullets, with extremes of fanboys and defiants coming out of the woodwork.
Somebody wrote about the coinage of the audio critics, where they couch their language in a way that 'says everything and says nothing', a sort of criticspeak diplomacy that needs to be interpreted through subtle shades to get the main message if any, but always allows plausible deniability and defense. Much is just poetics exotica. I sometimes wonder how much of it is appended to hearing or is just made up as filler.
It reminds me of pathology or radiology reports, where doctors fearful of liability have very strange, elaborate language in their reports, trying to sound non committal while giving clues that won't bind them up later, kind of wink wink nod nod stuff.
Somebody wrote about the coinage of the audio critics, where they couch their language in a way that 'says everything and says nothing', a sort of criticspeak diplomacy that needs to be interpreted through subtle shades to get the main message if any, but always allows plausible deniability and defense. Much is just poetics exotica. I sometimes wonder how much of it is appended to hearing or is just made up as filler.
It reminds me of pathology or radiology reports, where doctors fearful of liability have very strange, elaborate language in their reports, trying to sound non committal while giving clues that won't bind them up later, kind of wink wink nod nod stuff.
also funny that the 160 series is the most popular amps I believe that ARC has ever produced. It is also a fact the there is a MK 2 version of the amplifiers now available and a new Reference320 coming down the pipeline soon. My company will be exhibiting using 4 of the new 160M MK2 at Axpona and I am very sure it wont sound awful.
It was the first time I ever heard a dealer putting down his own product...
it was your word choice - using pejoratives is going to get a response on an Internet forum. You don’t like ARC, that’s fine.
and Mr Jazz was being facetious…
I was......being facetious..... Apparently a few thought otherwise.... Although I have never heard the 160 Mono's, I can't envision them sounding "HORRIBLE",..... under any conditions unless there was some obvious system setup issue, etc.
I have however read a few posts on various forums that thought the 160 Mono's didn't sound quite as good as anticipated.... but definitely NOT HORRIBLE..... ONE individual mentioned that they thought the 160S Stereo version sounded considerably better, which seems paradoxical when Mono's of the same brand are compared to their Stereo equivalents.....
Anyway different strokes for different folks as the saying goes.
Cheers....
For some comparative thoughts between the VTL and CH Precision, see Roy Gregory's excellent work here:
VTL TP-6.5 Series II Signature Phono Stage - The Audio Beat - www.TheAudioBeat.com
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