What's the best sounding system(s) you have ever heard that are not your own.
- Thread starter Peter Breuninger
- Start date
I heard them at a time YG was getting a lot of bad feedback (about 2 years ago?). One might say I just had low expectations but no, the Kipods with the Vitus was really, really good. Well balanced, engaging and articulate but not etch-a-sketchy in the slightest. I also liked their size and form factor. As a dealer you kind of wish your competitors products suck. LOL. This little compact system surely didn't. One of my favorite 2-way monitors. Sounded best to me from about 6ft away or a bit closer. Lost some of the immersive magic farther away.
I recall 3 systems where i found reference-level characteristics to which i refer when i consider my own system.
1. 1993 - Apogee Stages, ML pre/amp. The naturalness of delivery was quite startling after all these years. something about the way the voices came thru...no sense of sound being pushed thru a speaker; tonality seemed superb to me
2. 2006 - X1/Grand Slamms and ARC Ref electronics - Scale and effortless like i had NEVER heard before...it opened my eyes to why my personal way of great bookshelves and sub were not the same from this perspective. my CElestion SL6si and Velodyne or Guarneri and Velodyne competed with loads of floorstanders, but not these. They seemed to take any level of signal and delivery all of it in similar fashion to the Apogees but with a vastly greater sense of scale and effortlessness
3. 2011 - Tidal Sunray T1/Tower Sub, all Tidal Ref electronics (3 sets of monos), Argento SMREE, Tripoint Spartan/Troy, STahl-Tek Vekian digital; not the tonality that i felt was correct. Generally too bright. i would take system 2 above this one all day long...and effectively have for those who know my system. But such incredibly vast levels of information being passed thru without any strain, that i was amazed and remain amazed by the number of musical themes i could pick up in the same track i had been using for some time.
I have used it as a reference on that track going forward...and only now have finally managed to approach it at home, having just picked up a second hand Zanden transport to go with my Zanden DAC (finally...after 5 years!...managed to pick up 2nd hand latest specification set and trade in my older Zanden DAC...long patient search but well worth it.)
The only other system that comes to mind is D'Agostino monos, Metronome Kalista Ref/C2A, Ref 5SE, TA Opus cables and the XLF...i know what that system is capable of, and it was not at its best during the demo. That is clear to me...but its noise floor (or lack therefore!) was plainly evident and a new reference for me.
1. 1993 - Apogee Stages, ML pre/amp. The naturalness of delivery was quite startling after all these years. something about the way the voices came thru...no sense of sound being pushed thru a speaker; tonality seemed superb to me
2. 2006 - X1/Grand Slamms and ARC Ref electronics - Scale and effortless like i had NEVER heard before...it opened my eyes to why my personal way of great bookshelves and sub were not the same from this perspective. my CElestion SL6si and Velodyne or Guarneri and Velodyne competed with loads of floorstanders, but not these. They seemed to take any level of signal and delivery all of it in similar fashion to the Apogees but with a vastly greater sense of scale and effortlessness
3. 2011 - Tidal Sunray T1/Tower Sub, all Tidal Ref electronics (3 sets of monos), Argento SMREE, Tripoint Spartan/Troy, STahl-Tek Vekian digital; not the tonality that i felt was correct. Generally too bright. i would take system 2 above this one all day long...and effectively have for those who know my system. But such incredibly vast levels of information being passed thru without any strain, that i was amazed and remain amazed by the number of musical themes i could pick up in the same track i had been using for some time.
I have used it as a reference on that track going forward...and only now have finally managed to approach it at home, having just picked up a second hand Zanden transport to go with my Zanden DAC (finally...after 5 years!...managed to pick up 2nd hand latest specification set and trade in my older Zanden DAC...long patient search but well worth it.)
The only other system that comes to mind is D'Agostino monos, Metronome Kalista Ref/C2A, Ref 5SE, TA Opus cables and the XLF...i know what that system is capable of, and it was not at its best during the demo. That is clear to me...but its noise floor (or lack therefore!) was plainly evident and a new reference for me.
The original Avalon Ascent at their introduction in Italy in a shop named The absolute sound: Mr. Jeff Rowland in person was on duty with his Coherence One and the Model 7, Wadia 10000 & Micromega transport, all Ocos cables in a big room treated with tube traps by Art Noxon. Simply awesome.
The system owned by Mr. Aikman (SME): Oracle Delphi with SME V and Koetsu Red (IIRC), ARC SP 10 (or was the 11?), Krell KMA 100 (x 4) and 2 pair of Quad ESL63 per side (heavily modified). Also here a sound performance that I still remember (was 1987 or 1988).
The system owned by Mr. Aikman (SME): Oracle Delphi with SME V and Koetsu Red (IIRC), ARC SP 10 (or was the 11?), Krell KMA 100 (x 4) and 2 pair of Quad ESL63 per side (heavily modified). Also here a sound performance that I still remember (was 1987 or 1988).
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Unfortunately, this showroom is already closed but I agree with Jack that this system was absolutely stupendous. The speakers were set up by the designer Allen Sides. Digital front end was CH Precision.
Hi Gary met you at T.A.V.E.S. 2012 would like to know if you will be at Salon Son Image march 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 2013 ????? thank you.
http://www.salonsonimage.com/EN/Visitors/exhibitors.html
That's too bad
I guess I'll just have to console myself with the great food the next time I'm in Singapore.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
I remember. We kept bumping into each other in the lift, corridors, but I never got to play you any of my music!
Unfortunately, I'm not going to be in Montreal this year.
To bad because it's a much bigger show, 26th year haven't missed one, this may not please everyone but MrAcoustat will be there again ALL 4 days.