WP Article on World,s Best Audio System

cpp

cpp

Audioholic Ninja
Yeah. After looking at these blue-eye beauties, I bet they sound 100% better than those giant speakers - even when the music isn't playing. :D

They do look 'pretty". The wife noted, they look like little Daleks
 
davidscott

davidscott

Audioholic Ninja
Those Magnapans couold never provide the low end of the IRS. I heard them in a basement room at th e Consumer Electronics Show around the same time you heard them- the rest of the system was:

Audio Research preamp
Conrad-Johnson Premier One power amp (200W/channel)
Otari open reel using 1/2" tape

They played sounds from trains and, having hung out near RR tracks as a kid, I can tell you that it wa very realistic. The room was probably 40' x 50' x 15' high.
Agreed on the bass. But you have to admit that the Maggies got the mids right and sounded more alive than any speaker I have heard since. Closest live sound I have owned were my DCM Time windows in the late 80s early 90s. Of course, the Windows were in entirely different price range. They also lacked deep bass. Now living in a condo with a small living room I actually own some Infinity P363 towers, and they sound fantastic. Then again, my hearing isn't what it was 30 years ago. :)
 
Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass

Senior Audioholic
Wonder if a billionaire would pay $1 million for a system. Know one that spent over a million for a vintage car. If you have money to burn no problem. If you ruin your family that’s a problem. Saw an article on a phono cartridge that was $1 million. Wonder what the rest of the system should cost in comparison. Can’t imagine spending $1 million on a system. Now a boat that’s an investment
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Wonder if a billionaire would pay $1 million for a system. Know one that spent over a million for a vintage car. If you have money to burn no problem. If you ruin your family that’s a problem. Saw an article on a phono cartridge that was $1 million. Wonder what the rest of the system should cost in comparison. Can’t imagine spending $1 million on a system. Now a boat that’s an investment
Doubt you need to be a billionaire....and many wouldn't care anyways even if just having a few Mil :) Depends what you consider worth the $ at any budget I think....and those with insane wealth probably don't spend a lot of time with researching for value :). Spending $1M on a phono cartridge is what I'd simply call insane, tho.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I have to admire that guys craftsmanship. His system does fit in with the decor to an extent, but I don't think those speakers blend in seamlessly to the room architecture, especially that center speaker.

Talking of speakers, I don't think that guy is the finest acoustic engineer. That line source of mids are dipoles and so the rear radiations of those units will be out of phase with the front radiation. The Tweeters on the other hand are monopoles, and so having them front and back means the tweeters are bipoles. Normally you wire bi-poles in phase as they are separated. The radiations patterns of the drivers will be very different.

So if the units are wired to usual practice then the rear radiation of the mids and the rear firing tweeter will be out of phase and there will be a really rough FR. On the other hand if the rear tweeters are wired out of phase, then there will be poor congruence of the front and and rear tweeters. There is absolutely no way of squaring this circle.

I know for sure I would not have made that design choice.

His choice of class A amps smacks of audiophoolery. Apart from a colossal waste of energy, all those amps will be running at full heat output the whole time. This is not the most reliable design approach, as we all know heat kills electronics. Then for the summer, you have to add the cost and energy consumption of the AC to remove all that heat.

He does speak of making it AV. That would require a drop down acoustically transparent screen and a projector. There is no way to install a TV screen anyway, as 25' viewing distance is too far for that.

I do find peoples approaches to blending engineering with aesthetics fascinating. I would give this guy a B. I don't think those speakers do blend with the room architecture all that well. His equipment racks still show visible wiring. In my AV room there in no wire visible from the inside of the room. It is all concealed.

Large speakers you can't really conceal. So my approach has been to make those large dual TLs look as if the are an integral part of the room. The total design does conceal how large they actually are. All though they look large, they look significantly smaller then they actually are at their locations. The large rear lines look as if they are part of the book case, and their true size is also concealed.

Having said that his room does look impressive. But we all make different choices. His room does have a wow factor and that is for sure.

So I do consider the design significantly wayward. Best in the world, I doubt it.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Wonder if a billionaire would pay $1 million for a system. Know one that spent over a million for a vintage car. If you have money to burn no problem. If you ruin your family that’s a problem. Saw an article on a phono cartridge that was $1 million. Wonder what the rest of the system should cost in comparison. Can’t imagine spending $1 million on a system. Now a boat that’s an investment
Yeah, a boat is an investment in having less money than you started with. :)

Ever see the debt consolidation commercial with a happy couple saying , as the camera zooms out, "We paid off all of our credit cards and bought a boat!".

Large yachts can be an investment- small boats are an investment if they need work, the price is low and the buyer can do the work for themselves. Anyone who has to pay for marine service will never come close to breaking even.

A million bucks for a cartridge, eh? What special poi is in that thing?
 
Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass

Senior Audioholic
They say the 2 happiest days for a boat owner are the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it. It’s definitely an expensIve hobby but one like hi-fi that I love. I joke about the investment Since I just ordered a new boat. It’s like a car That way. The best is a boat with a decent sound system. Listening to a summer playlist while cruising around is about as good as it gets for me in the summer. I Like listening to my 2 channel setup in the basement on these cold winter days and nights but I’m thinking about my new boat. If I had a million for a hobby it would definitely be spent on a boat.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Wait but my system is the best

that I can afford anyway
Well I am sure many people think THEIR systems are the best for their money after they’ve spent many years listening to many other systems.

The reason is because there are so many great sounding speakers available.
 
Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass

Senior Audioholic
A million $ system helps us all at home. Honey, I know you think I’ve spent a lot of money on my system but it could be worse…
 
Swerd

Swerd

Audioholic Warlord
I have to admire that guys craftsmanship. His system does fit in with the decor to an extent, but I don't think those speakers blend in seamlessly to the room architecture, especially that center speaker.

Talking of speakers, I don't think that guy is the finest acoustic engineer …
I read that article over the weekend. It made me sad. The guy was obviously passionate, but he managed to alienate his own family members. As he aged, he stubbornly refused to consider other ideas or new developments in audio.

The article showed some photos, but had little else to say about his speaker designs. It sure seemed to me that he was a capable DIY guy, who unfortunately loved his own ideas too much.
 
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AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
The guy was obviously passionate, but he managed alienate his own family members. As he aged, he stubbornly refused to consider other ideas or new developments in audio.
Can’t teach some old dogs new tricks. :D

But yeah, family always comes first. Audio is great and I love it, but family always comes first.
 

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