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System
Synergy... a Message
At this level of two channel audio,
system differences are almost like flavors. Taste and aesthetics
come into play
here even more. At some point, decisions have to be made,
practicality must enter, variables must be lessened. With
as many choices as there are out there for everything, trying
to decide which digital cable will really do the job is a
major search all its own. At some point, pick your favorite
recordings, listen to them every which way, and decide what
makes them your favorite recordings and listen for those
attributes. Sometimes throwing more money at the source brings
no return. Past a certain point, differences are exceedingly
subtle, and not necessarily representative of "better".
On the other hand, change speakers and bigger differences
are noticeable. Thus the Archive Audio "Speaker-centric" orientation.
In comparing choices for sources though, two front end performers
are the references to which all others are compared. The
Moon Eclipse LE is the reigning champion
for digital sources at Archive. Compared to the Avid Acutus table with SME V
arm with Lyra Helicon cartridge and Sutherland PhD battery powered phono section,
the analogue reference, it is in some ways better, some ways, not as good. Never
has digital been all that close. The real treat and "proof" that these
two sources are the best I've experienced has come from playing old recordings,
not new. When I pull out an "old" favorite, one that I haven't played
in a long time, if it sounds exceedingly good, better than I remember it, involves
me more, that's important.
A story-Shows are hard work. Four days of moving through 250 hotel rooms filled
with sound and gear. Some rooms have enormously expensive systems, including
sound treatment costing in the tens of thousands. This past CES, I was inadvertently
trapped, and to protect the innocent let's just call it, the Pipecleans room.
I was looking for a friend of mine, but the showman jumped up, nearly grabbed
a hold of me, and did a forced-choice demo, pre-planned of three songs. The whole
electronics system was Budweister. The system's out the door price was about
$150,000. This is a true story.
I sat right in the sweet spot, eyes closed, the whole audiophile modality. The
guy played Eva Cassidy's "Songbird", Patricia Barber's "A Taste
of Honey" and Roger Water's "Amused to Death". Well, seems these
three particular songs have been receiving a generous amount of play time in
my system, lately, so I knew them so by heart on my system. I completely loved
the experience. I almost laughed out loud I was so happy-my system gave up nothing
to the big-dog system. Not in realism, resolution, dynamics, soundstage, bass
depth and realism, 3-D ness. Truly. Now I have to think the big Pipecleans system
could play LARGER than my system, but, for that demo, I knew my system could
render the music as well.
So, that said, I offer the above treatise regarding sources. That $54,000 front
end I heard in that room ought to represent something pretty close to the "state
of the art" for sources. 'Course they coulda' used a different digital cable
and it would have made a huuuuuuuuge difference. Yeah.....throw some money at
it.
Maybe come and talk to me. I might be able to help you get more value for your
investment. That’s my goal anyway…have you heard that new Cambridge
Audio 840 stuff? Hah! Ho ho ho, ha, ha, haaaa…Oh boy…here we go…
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