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Will we ever be happy?


PhilMays

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I'm very happy. Over the past year or so, I've spent most of my money on music. Very little on my system(s).

I sold the Thorens from my Cornwall system a few months ago but missed the vinyl/Cornwall combo too much and just purchased a Music Hall MMF-5 from Mr. Parrot and once again I'm in vinyl heaven on both of my systems.

I don't imagine I'll be making anymore purchases or tweaks in the near future. Just want to sit back and enjoy the tunes. Life is good.[H]

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Because our ears are coupled to the most powerful, massively-parallel super-computer - at a phenomenal 10 quadrillion instructions per second on the planet, we excel at awesome pattern recognition of shapes and sounds. We learn to hear even the tiniest, barely measurable, differences between audio devices.

Interesting...I would use the same 'computer' argument to claim that our brains are awesome filtering devices capable of hearing what was supposed to be there. Just look at how many people enjoy the sound of worn out LP's and MP3's! [:o][;)]

The current audio chain is fundamentally flawed on many levels and is therefore incapable of reproducing anything. At best it can emulate and relies upon our own processing ability to filter out the flaws. Another thought on the subject claims that the audio chain is about creation - making new sounds that would otherwise never be heard before and painting a new kind of picture with them. In this approach the flaws of the system become an intrical part of the art.

Either way, our ears dictate whether we like the sound of something or not - those who tweak are unssatisfied in some way. If reproduction is their goal, then they are going to embark on an endless futile journey.

Just my 2 cents.

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when there comes a day when engineers make speakers that sound authentic to the original source (obviously I am making it to simplified neglecting source, compnents, etc) but then I bet there will be naysayers that say "it doesn't sound like the good old days of audio..."

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"Either way, our ears dictate whether we like the sound of something or not - those who tweak are unssatisfied in some way. If reproduction is their goal, then they are going to embark on an endless futile journey."

Agree with the first sentence, dissagree with the second.

Some who have tweaked, including myself, have not done it with reproduction as their goal. Obviously, the varied quality of recordings and sources would make that a frustrating and confusing quest.

Instead, its like the old line about what is indecent - I'll know it when I see it.

Here - I'll know that it is right (or that I am done) when I hear it..............And I've reached that point.

Many who tweak do it simply because they subjectively hear things that can be improved - that is, with respect to most of the type of the music that they listen to. Sure, once I got back into Klipsch (starting with base Reference to Reference seven then to Heritage), my system sounded "good." But, it eventually sounded better and better with each tweak.

Is it subjective? Sure. And done with your ears. But satisfying?

Oh yes.

Carl.

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Yes, I'm happy..........................until I read the Forum.........................

Truth be known...I am happy and would be much happier if I never saw another advertisement or heard of some other great thing others do to make their system "shine".

I believe it's the internets fault....Damn you Al Gore, Damn you to.....well...The Land of Bose!!!!

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I posted a thread long ago about reaching musical nirvana...I thought I had done that with my all Carver/Magnepan system. Then it improved tremendously with the addition of McIntosh, and more so with the family Cornwalls!

Unforseen circumstances later simplified my system. Due to room restrictions the venerable Cornwalls were replaced with other, smaller loudspeaker brands, but musical nirvana began to wane. Then I aquired tube components and noticable improvements were made, adding vinyl again increased my enjoyment greatly, and with the addition of my present Triangle Zephyr towers, musical nirvana is within my grasp once again!

As fantastic as the Triangles sound with SET power, I can easily live with my current system setup (superb dynamics, glorious imaging, soundstage, the works). But there is a drawback...the towers are just not sensitive enough (91dB @ 1W/1M, 4 ohms) with my 8 WPC SET amp, so higher listening levels are restricted. I could just buy a more powerful tube amp, but I'm happy with the sonics privided by 300B output tubes.

I realize right away I miss the sound of horns...since by brother has modified the Cornwalls, that live, in-you-face extended dynamic range only horn-loaded systems can provide is what I find missing from my system. As great as it is now, I need Klipsch! Not only because I want to play my music louder, but for the sheer impact horns have the ability to posses!

Stay tuned...

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Based on my prior comments about spending alot more and not seeing that much of a difference, somebody back there questioned whether I heard a tube system before.

Ye'p. That's what gave rise to my "Deaf Warmed Over" slogan below. The biggest difference was a tube pre-amp. There was really no difference between the tube CD and the SS CD, and there was almost no discernable difference between a tube amp and an SS amp..... though all were good, so there's no taking my comments as slighting anything about any of the equipment.

In fact, the tube CD I heard was a Jolida.

The "Deaf Warmed Over" slogan came from the difference between the SS pre-amp and the tube pre-amp. It was noticeably less harsh on the vocals. Just not enough to make me abandon my SS or spend money to trade up. Now, had I bought a similar tube pre in the first place.... that'd be different. I think trading all the time can be destructive to the pocket book, so I am less compulsive about this stuff.

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ly no difference between the tube CD and the SS CD.

In fact, the tube CD I heard was a Jolida.

Oooohhhh .....Jeff ....[:(]

perhaps the rest of your system masked it ..

but there's a hello' a difference between my Carvers, AudioAlchemy ...

and ..Jolida

i'm not saying it has anything to do with the tube, but ..

there are no Op-Amps in the signal path

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I that live, in-you-face extended dynamic range only horn-loaded systems can provide is what I find missing from my system. As great as it is now, I need Klipsch! Not only because I want to play my music louder, but for the sheer impact horns have the ability to posses!

I eschewed Klipsh for years, horrified by the cheesey components

JBL, all the waaaay, baby........

know what i listen to most, now ......???

Forte 2's .......[:$]

for just those reasons.....[:)]

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ly no difference between the tube CD and the SS CD.

In fact, the tube CD I heard was a Jolida.

Oooohhhh .....Jeff ....[:(]

perhaps the rest of your system masked it ..

but there's a hello' a difference between my Carvers, AudioAlchemy ...

and ..Jolida

i'm not saying it has anything to do with the tube, but ..

there are no Op-Amps in the signal path

Duke, not in this case. We had 6 components total - 3 SS and 3 tube. We tested the CD players by using VRD's (tubes), Scott 299 (pre tube) as the amp/pre-amp combo. Then, we switched my HK CD out for the Jolida CD.

The HK is an old one, but it was a little more pricey back in the day. So, maybe that's why.

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