MBM135 Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Had a small gathering of friends here last night for some Scotch after a particularly boring function downtown. I drank beer, they had Scotch--amazing how anynody can swallow the stuff without instantly feeling nausiated... Anyhow, one of the guys immediately noticed the Forte IIs (and the SB-2s) in my HT room. He immediatly commented on my selection of the "well respected" Klipsch brand. He was further intriuged by my Scott 299A which was dutifully cranking out the "Counting Crows." Turns out he owns a pair of Vandersteen something-or- anothers costing many thousands of dollars fed by a Bryston amp. I, of course, pointed out the low cost of my poor mans audio gear... He listened for awhile seemingly impressed with my solution at music-on-a-budget. He told me that one of neighbors a block away has some Mark Levinson gear and just spent $4,500 getting some speakers "refinsished." My god... I know the guy well so will be knocking on his door this week. I must admit, I can't wait to see the set-up. Will beg him to borrow the Levinson CD player and then post here. Imagine the $10K Levinson compared to the Rega Planet through the Scott! Will post in a couple weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invidiosulus Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 And what is wrong with some scotch?? Peace, Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM135 Posted July 14, 2003 Author Share Posted July 14, 2003 Nothing really--I keep a bottle stocked in my bar for visitors. I don't care for the stuff, but, hey to each his own. I'll stick to Fat Tire Ale and an Absolut Martini from time to time. MM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjohnsonhp Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 If would be interesting to get your opinion on the Vandersteens (or any mondern cone speaker). I haven't heard them but I have been listening to a few popular cone speakers (Monitor Audio Gold Ref 60, Kef Ref 207 & 203, Sonus Faber GP, etc.). I find my Cornwalls to be totally different. The meaning of "BIG LIVE Sound" vs "lifeless & dead" is really starting to sink in. I also appreciate the refined, smooth, sweet, and nonfatiguing sound of these modern speakers. These little 5-6" drivers on many popular speakers just don't pound the walls like my Cornwalls and the Klipsch sound is notably bigger and more forward. Unless I hear a large (and expensive) cabinet (ie KEF 207) the smaller towers just don't have as big and full of a sound. With my Carver C500 pushing 90db+ the CD highs are way too piercing but when I was running the Scott 222c the sound was notably smoother in the highs--especially with vinyl at 80-85db. Although initially kinda fun the 95db+ Carver/Cornwall sound appears ear damaging or at least tiring. The bass certainly provides that rock club feel and the highs on blazing rock songs tend to push me into a cross eyed fizzle...Kelly's skull piercing comments come to mind. So the big question is between tubes and Cornwalls and the modern cone speaker sound w/200+ watts of SS power. There is a less tiring refinement to the GR60's with great imaging, detail and a nice rich sound, but they aren't anything like the Klipsch sound for providing a big pounding bass and drum sound. The forward sounding brass and sax also seems more live, close, big and dynamic. I guess I wonder at times if there is too much edge and piercing effect leading to fatigue (like wearing headphones too long). The KEF 207's ($15k/pr list) have a good combination of full sounding big cabinet bass combined with extended range highs (Hypertweeter), smooth and detailed sound. Moving to a speaker I can afford and the big sound and deep bass is lost which opens the question of using a sub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myhamish Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 MBM135 wrote ". ..... I drank beer, they had Scotch--amazing how anynody can swallow the stuff without instantly feeling nauseated..." Excuse me? Drinking Scotch (SMS) is an acquired taste that grows on you like haggis. This reminds me of a story. Back in college, a guy named Roger owed me $40. I never saw it but 5 years later I'm working in Alberta and he shows up at the end of his holiday. His plane is leaving that night, so I offer to cook him dinner and then take him to the airport and get him on his flight back to Toronto. Anyway, when he came in I poured him a Guinness, another with some pickled eggs as appetizers, then one more Guinness with the main course of a couple slices of sausage and onion pie with melted cheddar cheese. By the time I got Roger to the airport, he was already feeling mildly gassy and turning a mild green colour. I wonder how he made out on that 5 hour flight because I never heard from him or saw my $40 again. Hamish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 The Vandersteens are a fine sounding speaker, as well as the Magnepans. But both of these speaker lines also benefit from tubes in the chain. I ran the Anthem Pre1L with my Luxman 200 watter and Magnepans long before I came to this forum. 30 years of listening to the likes of Advents, Dahlquist DQ-10s, AR-11s, and Magnepans -- is how I finally came to settle on Klipsch Reference. Much of the smoothness and refinement of these 'others', yet aggressive enough to produce a sense of realism. A good compromise for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Agreed. My Magnepans were extremely detailed, with a life-like, room-filling soundstage that, in my opinion, is still very hard to beat! Powered by a Carver TFM-35x and later a McIntosh MC7200, nothing comes close to the smoothness and clarity of the Maggies...I can only imagine how much of an improvement a good PP tube amp (of higher power) can make the Maggies dance circles around other brands. But to get the full-size, gut-kicking sound like my Cornwalls, the Magnepans need a powerfull sub, adding up the cost to your system. Granted, the Cornwalls are a completely different sound from the Maggies, but their full range sound without the need for a megawatt amp and a sub is what keeps me "settled" on Klipsch as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 You've obviously never experienced a fine single-malt, neat. You've got to experience the relaxing combination of some good small-combo jazz on the hifi and a bottle of Glenfiddich on the wet bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 The flavor of smoked peat is definitely an aquired taste, as is the taste for gin, so to each there own. I like a good scotch anytime but can only drink gin and tonic poolside and nowhere else! Am I weird or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Maggies still have major trouble with the slam factor. Yeah, they can fill a room, but it always sounds like they're saying, "give me more, give me more!" -- no matter how much power you're dumping into them. They lack that sense of immediacy that only something with horn(s) can deliver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 ---------------- On 7/14/2003 12:08:37 AM MBM135 wrote: Had a small gathering of friends here last night for some Scotch after a particularly boring function downtown. I drank beer, they had Scotch--amazing how anynody can swallow the stuff without instantly feeling nausiated... ---------------- Can't stand the stuff myself. I've acquired a taste for a lot of different things in my life but scotch will never be one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Mike, What you've posted describing your evening, (except for the scotch ) is a great testimony to the bang for the buck value of Klipsch and vintage Scott or other amps. You've got good audio nailed. Don't know what a realistic estimate would be, but from where you are, one would probably have to double their investment even to get a modest improvement. Hope you can post your take on hearing the other really high end gear. Thanks, and best regards, Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Greetings: As we look at the "slam factor," it's most reality, but some parts that are the trick of the mind. The efficiency of the Klipsch gets people right away, plus the bonus of sounding good to great (varaibles). Go to a concert and except for some techs or small venues that use Bose, most of the P.A. system speakers are either very big, i.e. LaScala, or somewhat like the Heresy, with the LaScala and some other Klipsch models in the mix. Sound pressure level is deceiving. I can get 114 db from my Paradigm Mini-Monitors (sub off), but I know the size of the speakers and the dispersion. After the concerts with the large speakers, MOSTLY HORN, minds do not want to accept the sound from the small speakers and the dispersion is usually different enough from the horns that you get that slam. Yes, the Klipsch are bright, my Chorus IIs are almost too bright, but as most age the brightness is not as apparent. My chief complaint was that some of the horn speakers sounded like cupping your hands and speaking. That is matural with the dispersion and most are metal. Both can be overcome as most on the Forum have read and discussed. At times the cost of stereo/HT equipment has mirrored the downfall of a good amount of equipment. What an average person can afford sounds good, performs, then conks out. The cost of new makes it justifiable to throw the old away and buy new. The ridiculously priced equipment goes to those that have and it's no big deal that they spend an extra $450 getting them finished - does this all somewhat sound like a mirror of our society? It rubs noses that equipment costing thousands less can sound good. It's like the mid to late '70s BIC 960, 980 Turntables, they were excellent, with one drawback - they were underpriced, thus down the drain. It's nice for all of us to have a reality check with our systems. Are the tweaks, $100's extra for Interconnects, Speaker Cable, not recommending what comes with the unit per se, but cable at $350.00 foot is a tad much. Reading the makeups of many systems posted, I have heard, Legacy, Cello, etc. and if the equipment listed is kept up, then we can have many more cases of one upsmanship, but if they're happy..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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