The end of an era - John Atkinson steps down as editor of Stereophile magazine

[Irvrobinson]

So back to my original reply here - does anybody remember J Gordon Holt the founder of Stereophile? He was pretty much the antithesis of Julian Hirsch of Stereo Review. I sort of found a middle ground in the old Audio magazines. Man so much nostalgia.

Yes, JGH was a pretty rational guy, and a very good writer. It was his writing that first encouraged me to listen to electrostatic speakers, which are still an enigma for me.

 

[davidscott]

Yes, JGH was a pretty rational guy, and a very good writer. It was his writing that first encouraged me to listen to electrostatic speakers, which are still an enigma for me.

Best speakers I ever heard for acoustics were large Magneplanars run through GAS amplification with high end reel to reel and turntable/ cart in the late 70s. I realize they weren't true electrostats but close and really did sound like the guitar players were in the room. Same with piano music. So what were your opinions on the electrostats?

 

[Irvrobinson]

So what were your opinions on the electrostats?

Like I said, electrostatics are an enigma for me. The first ones I heard were the Quad ESL63s and the KLH. When they were good, nothing else I heard at the time came close to their realism. Box speakers, even very expensive ones, all sounded like crap to me by comparison. But those old e-stats had weak bass, even for solo piano, so I never took the plunge. Then, again at JGH's urging, I heard the Sound Labs. They were a revelation. I couldn't afford them and didn't have an appropriate room for them, but I couldn't even listen to my own system for days after that. A few years ago I heard a Sound Lab A1PX system, their top of the line stuff, in an awesome room. Still no really deep bass, but playing my favorite CD of Chopin's Grand Polanaise on that system came pretty close to making me give up my Salon2s and spending $40k. The time previous that I had a revelation like that is when I bought the Salon2s. But they are cheap and small by comparison to the Sound Labs.

 

[davidscott]

Like I said, electrostatics are an enigma for me. The first ones I heard were the Quad ESL63s and the KLH. When they were good, nothing else I heard at the time came close to their realism. Box speakers, even very expensive ones, all sounded like crap to me by comparison. But those old e-stats had weak bass, even for solo piano, so I never took the plunge. Then, again at JGH's urging, I heard the Sound Labs. They were a revelation. I couldn't afford them and didn't have an appropriate room for them, but I couldn't even listen to my own system for days after that. A few years ago I heard a Sound Lab A1PX system, their top of the line stuff, in an awesome room. Still no really deep bass, but playing my favorite CD of Chopin's Grand Polanaise on that system came pretty close to making me give up my Salon2s and spending $40k. The time previous that I had a revelation like that is when I bought the Salon2s. But they are cheap and small by comparison to the Sound Labs.

Thanks. I also could never afford the big magnapans so I bought some DCM Time Windows in the mid 80s. Like your salons they were cheaper and pretty much the best speakers I ever owned. And boy oh boy did they sound like music which it is really what it is all about. I really miss them.

 

[Out-Of-Phase]

Good! Time for that snake oil salesman to go sit down somewhere.

Here's the classic debate with the late, great Arny Krueger.