Finally happy with my setup.

[Alex2507]

I will be selling the mcintosh and buying a second speaker

HaHaHa !!!

It just now occurred to me to mention that I was recently in a high end shop down in Ft. Worth with Paradigm Dawg and his lovely wife listening to speakers. This has been talked about elsewhere but the two rooms we listened in had Mac gear driving the speakers ... lots of Mac gear. Don't ask me what it was because we were listening to speakers. If I had run across this thread before I would have had the salesman play 1 speaker at a time so that we could get a better feel for mono.

I'm sure cfrizz knows but for those of us who don't necessarily eat, sleep and breath AH another of my stops includes WmAx's house where I heard two of his systems.

(this isn't flowing but bear with me)

I'm in a rare position of having heard the same piece of music at WmAx's house on 2 systems,
At a high end store on two systems (both Mac driven) 1. B&W 804 2. Paradigm Sig 6,
At the Dawgs house on Rotel driven Paradigm Studio 100's ((how pedestrian)
And at Walter Duque's on a Cinepro/Carver driven (forgot the speaker brand,I was exhausted)

It all happened within a week or so and I think y'all should know that WmAx is not jealous. Accusing him of that is a mistake. This guy El-Oh-Vee-Eee loves audio and takes it as seriously as ball cancer. So ... if anybody is curious about his motives ... it's love. Look into my eyes (avatar), would I lie to you?

Cfrizz, you interested in taking a train ride down to Pawtucket? I'm an hour away from South Station. I'd let you laugh at my system. My g/f would make sure that I behaved. DVD-A ... SACD ... it's all here.

Edit: I looked up Pro-ject and see that they have one US distributor in CA. Their TT line up goes from $349 to $2,999. I have 3 TT's myself. Two were free and the third was 20 bucks. I'm such a peasant. Only two work but I'm on it like white on rice ... well, as soon as I get off the computer.

 

[cfrizz]

Thanks Alex. But, I'm not interested in laughing or putting down anyones system. Just the opposite. As long as YOU are happy with your system & it sounds great to you THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS!

I'm not going to interject MY opinions on if I think it is a well put together scientifically provable cheap system or if you got ripped off for spending too much money on "Name Brands" to put it together, which in the end won't sound any better the the scientifically provable cheap system.

I will simply RESPECT your choices & compliment you on the great system you put together for yourself & wish you all the happiness you can get from it.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

That's a beautiful set up.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... If such a thread becomes a sticky, there is an outside chance we could avoid such never ending discussions (degenerating or not)popping up in various threads. Or may be there is a stick on this sort of topic already? I didn't check.

That presupposes that people read all the sticky threads in the first place But, it could be a good experiment; certainly not difficult or expensive to do.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... I have 3 TT's myself. Two were free and the third was 20 bucks. I'm such a peasant. Only two work but I'm on it like white on rice ... well, as soon as I get off the computer.

Yes, but, how many can you listen to at any one time? I guess it doesn't really matter as long as one works

 

[mtrycrafts]

“…people still PERCEIVE differences from psychological factors.”

Translation: It’s all in his head i.e. he’s crazy.)

No, he didn't say he was crazy, not at all since he knows what exactly is going on about human perception and how the mind can interject unreal events, like make things up. Human nature.

“…my point being other than cosmetics or pride of ownership; there is no purpose in buying over-priced audiophile electronics.”

Translation: It looks real good but you spent too much money on it you got suckered by a “big name”

You are reading what is not written. You are falling into that mind tricks. Cosmetics and and pride of ownership is a reason to buy stuff, any stuff. If not for that what else is there to pay more? Charity?

I do consider this a slam. He either has an ax to grind with companies that produce high cost gear, or he’s jealous because he wants to & can’t spend the money he wants on his system.

Sheer speculation. Again, reading beyond the words typed

What was the purpose of posting any of this? Does he think AllEars is going to now sell all his gear to buy something cheaper so that he conforms to what WmAx thinks is an acceptable system? Or does he think he’s educating AllEars & who ever else might be reading this thread to think & believe like him?

No reason for him to sell and that is not what was posted. As to education others, why not. And no, it is not to believe in WmAx as belief has nothing to do with this but knowledge and knowing does. Besides, no one is forcing anyone around here to do anything, right?

Again, if you don’t agree with what someone else has purchased for themselves, then just ignore the thread. But to come in on someone’s thread to subtly put it or the poster of said thread down all under the guise of posting YOUR experience for “educational purposes is just plain rude.

Again, it has nothing to do with what he purchased and everything to do with what he posted he perceived. That is where the discussion is based on, not the components per say.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yeah but that amp will last forever I bet. They use very high quality electronics and have extremely good QA. Great engineering. A Rolex is great watch. Just ask Adam.

You mean Alex has a Rolex? I am jealous Not really. It doesn't have the capacity to store 30 phone numbers in it, does it?My Casio does and I just love it. No, I don't need a cell phone to do just that

As top lasting forever, will he last that long? Will the next generation care?

 

[PENG]

You are reading what is not written. You are falling into that mind tricks. Cosmetics and and pride of ownership is a reason to buy stuff, any stuff. If not for that what else is there to pay more? Charity?

Sheer speculation. Again, reading beyond the words typed

She is being really nice to us now so please don't get her started again!!
I don't know about you but I am beginning to see some of Cathy's points. We are talking about a hobby here so it does not have to be always scientific and rational. For example, I will not (no guarantee I won't change my mind one day) buy a pro amp simply because of the way they look. Also, before I sit down and enjoy my SACD/DVDA or vinyl albums I always tidy up the room and vacuum the rug too sometimes; otherwise I don't seem to enjoy the music as much.

 

[chris357]

I found this link interesting.

http://www.stereopal.com/McIntoshIntro.htm

I think you do get what you pay for whenit comes to customer service.. in being able to fix old equipment, in equipment even lasting 30-40 years.. even my Krell stuff does not have the heritage of Mac

 

[cfrizz]

She is being really nice to us now so please don't get her started again!!
I don't know about you but I am beginning to see some of Cathy's points. We are talking about a hobby here so it does not have to be always scientific and rational. For example, I will not (no guarantee I won't change my mind one day) buy a pro amp simply because of the way they look. Also, before I sit down and enjoy my SACD/DVDA or vinyl albums I always tidy up the room and vacuum the rug too sometimes; otherwise I don't seem to enjoy the music as much.

Peng you are a riot! Thanks for the chuckle!

 

[PENG]

Wow, I just got off the plane (5 hours flight) to find this thread 4 pages long.

Take another flight, we promise to get you at least another 4. We can start picking on your Pro-Ject... Just kidding! Actually I do have the lower end Debut model and I am sure it won't sound as good as yours.

 

[PENG]

I found this link interesting.

http://www.stereopal.com/McIntoshIntro.htm

I think you do get what you pay for whenit comes to customer service.. in being able to fix old equipment, in equipment even lasting 30-40 years.. even my Krell stuff does not have the heritage of Mac

Those OEM transformers really caught my eyes. One of the main reasons I stick with Denon is because of their quiet transformers. My 4308 is slightly more audible than my 3805 but still almost dead silent from a couple of feet away. My Adcom GFA555 is quieter, almost totally inaudible. The Bryston is the noisiest of the 3 though still not audible from a couple of feet away. I would love to put my ears on the Macs next time I see one now that I have read about them.

 

[allEars]

This is the way I look at it. Do I believe that all receivers sound the same? no
would I be able to pick on over another in a blindfolded test? no

This is like taking a similar photo with 10 different cameras, when looking at one photo at a time, I will not be able to tell you which one looks best but when you put them side by side, I should be able to pick my favorite, that is the one I am buying.

Applied the same principle to most purchases in life, as long as I can afford it

 

[WmAx]

This is the way I look at it. Do I believe that all receivers sound the same? no
would I be able to pick on over another in a blindfolded test? no

This is like taking a similar photo with 10 different cameras, when looking at one photo at a time, I will not be able to tell you which one looks best but when you put them side by side, I should be able to pick my favorite, that is the one I am buying.

Applied the same principle to most purchases in life, as long as I can afford it

A correction is needed. The blinded test IS the most sensitive method to detect audible differences. In the ABX protocol, one of the most popular blind tests, one gets to switch back and forth between each unit under test (A and B) and know which one they are listening to, then they simply have to figure out which (A or B) is X.

-Chris

 

[Highbar]

This is the way I look at it. Do I believe that all receivers sound the same? no
would I be able to pick on over another in a blindfolded test? no

If you can't tell the difference without knowing which one you are listening to then how do you know there is a difference? If you know which one you are listening too then your brain can make you notice a difference.

Next to that I'm staying out of this thread and just going to say that one properly setup amp/pre pro should sound no different than another one.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Peng you are a riot! Thanks for the chuckle!

Yes, he has that talent down pat May be a wanna be stand up comic? Or, he may be at it part time already

 

[agarwalro]

In fact, in adding the powerful DCX2496 processor, it's far more capable to optimize SQ as compared to say a common audiophile set up.

Chris,

I ran into a couple of folks at the Oregon GTG that were dead set against using the DCX. They calimed it was "noizy" and I could not counter since I barely know the device by name (most basic question would have been, in what way is it noizy). Further, I did not ask and they did not substanciate their calim with any facts or references.

So my question to you is (since you are the biggest proponent of the DCX on this forum and probably know it better than I know the back of my hand); is there any validity to the calim that the DCX is noizy (whatever that may mean)?

(of course, your saying that it is noizy would be nonsensical since you use it and heavily advocate it use, so perhaps you can provide some info as to how it meets audiophile standards?)

 

[lsiberian]

Chris,

I ran into a couple of folks at the Oregon GTG that were dead set against using the DCX. They calimed it was "noizy" and I could not counter since I barely know the device by name (most basic question would have been, in what way is it noizy). Further, I did not ask and they did not substanciate their calim with any facts or references.

So my question to you is (since you are the biggest proponent of the DCX on this forum and probably know it better than I know the back of my hand); is there any validity to the calim that the DCX is noizy (whatever that may mean)?

(of course, your saying that it is noizy would be nonsensical since you use it and heavily advocate it use, so perhaps you can provide some info as to how it meets audiophile standards?)

If you are feeding an amp without trims you will need to attenuate the signal. But if your feeding a pro-amp you should have no issues.

 

[Lordoftherings]

I am very new to this great hobby. A few months ago I decided to get back into the hobby. I had a Marantz 7500 that I wanted to replace with a receiver that supported the latest Codec.
I was looking for a receiver that did very well with blu-rays and even better with music. Most dealers don't put any time into setting up their system thus making very difficult to compare the different makes. After several weeks of going from store to store I decided to go with the Denon 4310. Excellent receiver with many features, excellent surround sound but when it came to music, a little flat. I started to miss my Marantz.
Well today I decided to spend some money and got a MX-135. What a difference, the detail in the sound is day and night comparing to the Denon. Spent hours lessening to music, the TV never came on. If you are looking for a unit that works exceptionally well with music, I would keep this one on the short list.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to share my experience.

Now! This is what I call A True Class Act. Congratulations on this Tour de Force!

 

[Lordoftherings]

Hi GlocksRock,

here is my setup, nothing special, I have seen some amazing setups on this site. It's a work in progress.

I keep reading in the forums that the sound difference between low and high end receivers is minimal. I decided to test this theory. At the present time, I have both the Denon 4310 and the Mcintosh sharing the same speakers, through a speaker switch box. I set both to Pure-stereo and using the same CD I went on to test the difference in sound, if any.

The difference turned out to be very noticeable, I was not ever able to get the Denon to sound as nice as the Mcintosh did. After changing setting several times on the Denon, it always sounded flat and with less depth (detail) compared to the Mcintosh.

Just my two cents...

I'm all in. (Speakers & all)

Also just my two cents...