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What Does High-End Audio Mean To You?

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  • What Does High-End Audio Mean To You?

    Andre's post (#9) here (https://www.audionirvana.org/forum/t...9-rip-aj-conti) nicely segue ways into a thread I was thinking of starting.



    What does high-end audio mean to you?

    Not high-price. High performance. Getting the most out of the equipment one owns no matter the price by whatever means to get closer to the music. Equipment that effectively communicates the music, not just plays notes. For instance, a car radio plays notes (or can give you the all important rhythmic aspects of the music) but an audio system does something else. Something much more special and harder to capture and define.

    What thinks you?
    Myles B. Astor, PhD, Administrator
    Senior Editor, Positive-Feedback.com
    ________________________________________

    -Zellaton Plural Evo speakers
    -Goldmund Telos 440 and 1000 Nextgen mono amps
    -Goldmund Mimesis 37S Nextgen preamplifier
    -Doshi EVO and Goldmund PH3.8 phonostage
    -VPI Vanquish direct-drive turntable
    -VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy dual pivot tonearm, VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy gimballed and SAT LM-12 arm
    -Lyra Atlas SL Lambda, vdh Colibri Master Signature, Mutech Hayabusa,
    -Technics RS1506 with Flux Magnetic heads, Doshi V3.0 tape stage (balanced)
    -Assorted cables including Skogrand, Kubala-Sosna, Audience FrontRow; Audience FrontRow, Genesis Advanced Technologies , Goldmund and Ensemble Power Cords
    -Accessories including Stillpoint Aperture panels, Cathedral Sound panels, Furutech NCF Nano AC receptacles; Silver Circle Tchaik 6 PLC, Symposium ISIS and SRA Craz 3 racks, Audiodharma Cable Cooker, Symposium Ultra and assorted SRA OHIO Class 2.3+ platforms.

  • #2
    To me it means that a little more care/effort is taken in each step of the process from the recording to the playback. Not everything has to be SOTA but by the same token doesn't have to play to the lowest common denominator. There is generally a cost to that extra effort and people willing to make that effort can be rewarded with an enhanced presentation/appreciation of music they enjoy.

    One thing many people tend to miss is that just because that extra effort is not taken doesn't mean someone can't enjoy the music just as much as you do. Being an audiophile does not grant you any privledges with regard to musical enjoyment.

    Beau
    Fairchild 750 in OMA slate plinth, Miyajima Kansui, AprilSound RIAA, EMIA step-up, Bent Audi TAP-X pre, Ayre C5x SACD, Innuos Zen Mini, CAD 1543 MK II DAC, AntiCable Level 1 loom. AprilSound 50 monoblocs, or Shiit Aegir or Museatax MTR-101 monoblocs.

    Comment


    • MylesBAstor
      MylesBAstor commented
      Editing a comment
      Just as different audiophiles get turned on by different pieces of equipment and systems, people appreciate music for different reasons. Music appreciation is a whole 'nuther thing altogether.

    • Beaur
      Beaur commented
      Editing a comment
      Didn't mean appreciation in the classical sense. I meant the attitudes that my "stereo" is more better than yours so I can hear the coughing in the background of this piece because my system is so resolving. The attitude of mine is better so I enjoy it more.

  • #3
    A combination of equipment and software that will occasionally, late at night with the lights off, convince me that I am listening to live music. I only seem to have this happen with fairly simple music, a soloist, a singer, perhaps a trio or quartet, never with large scale or complex works.
    Rockport Sirius turntable, Lyra Atlas SL cartridge, Audio Note M9 SE Phono stage, Audio Note M10 (Signature) linestage, EMM Labs TX2/DA2 digital, Audio Note Balanced Kegon amps, EMM Labs MTRX amps, Acapella Triolons, Jorma Prime and Odin 2 cables, Stage 3 Kraken power cords, HB Marble Powerslave, Finite Elemente Pagode Reference stands and Cerabases, Halcyonics active isolation bases, HRS Equipment stand, Stillpoints Ultra 6 footers, Furitech cable isolators and plugs, Loricraft and Audiodesk vinyl cleaners, Yamaha CT7000 Tuner.

    Comment


    • #4
      Working with the system until you get it to level where you start "Loving it". Very well said Mr. Conti.

      Comment


      • #5
        Good Friends, Analog, Tubes, Horns!

        david
        Manufacturer: American Sound Turntables and The Nothing Racks
        Special Sales: van den Hul Cartridges
        Industry Representation: Lamm, Kharma OLS Speakers, Ortofon, ZYX, Jensen Transformers

        Unique Items: Vintage Horn Speakers
        http://www.audionirvana.org/forum/ti...stening-room-1
        http://www.audionirvana.org/forum/ti...earfield-setup

        Comment


        • Beaur
          Beaur commented
          Editing a comment
          Add food and libation of choice and we're getting somewhere.

        • david k
          david k commented
          Editing a comment
          Libation is omnipresent!

        • Gusf
          Gusf commented
          Editing a comment
          The best room treatment ever!

      • #6
        Ever since I was very young, my earliest memories, I was a singer and loved music. With the best high-end equipment available today I enjoy listening to music even more. For me, listening to music is a destination activity.

        I had a couple of interesting life changing experiences regarding music when I was very young. The first was in grade school where I was taught by nuns. It seamed that one of the missions of the nuns was to pound the arts into you among other things. I remember a nun putting me into a room by myself and forcing me to listen to Enrico Caruso records over and over (can't remember if this was a punishment). The interesting thing was that I eventually "got it" and ended up loving it. Ever since that "aha" moment, I have had a deep emotional connection with music. Ultimate hi-fi gives me a more intense experience, like great drugs.

        The second experience I had was singing in the Seattle Boys choir in the opera Carmen. The scale and grandeur was overwhelming. Ever since then I love high power music, whether it be rock, jazz or classical.

        Later in life I was able to do live recordings for the Bellevue Chamber Chorus at Meydenbouer.Center. Unless you have recorded Choral, Classical and Jazz performance live, you will not appreciate the great recordings we have available today. The recording industry deserves a lot of credit for their hard work.
        Speakers/Amps: Genesis G2.2 Jr with Powered Servo-Sub Bass, Genesis GR1440 Mono Amps, 5,000 watts total power
        Preamp: SMc Audio VRE-1C Preamp (fully balanced inputs and output)
        Analog 1: VPI Signature 21 Belt-Drive Turntable w/ 10” 3D Printed Fatboy Gimbal Arm and Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti Phono Cartridge driving Lehmann Silver Cube Phono Preamp
        Analog 2: VPI HW-40 Direct-Drive Turntable w/ 12” 3D Printed Fatboy Gimbal Arm and Ortofon MC Anna Diamond Phono Cartridge driving Genesis Gold Phono Preamp
        Analog 3: VPI Avenger Reference Rim Drive Turntable w/ 12" 3D Printed Fatboy Gimbal Arm and Ortofon MC Verismo Phono Cartridge
        Analog 4: Second 12" Fatboy arm on Avenger with Ortofon 2M Mono SE Cartridge
        Analog 5: Studer A810 R2R tape w/ Bridge Console. Using built-in tape preamp
        Digital: Lumin Network Player with Lumin NAS
        Cables: Genesis Advanced Technologies/Absolute Fidelity Interface Interconnects, Speaker, Phono and Power
        A/C Power: Extensive System Upgrades, Sub-panel w/hard-wired power cables, and IsoTek Super Titan Passive Power Conditioning for Amplifiers
        Accessories: Custom Acrylic Equipment Stands, Klaudio Ultrasonic RCM

        Comment


        • #7
          High end audio for me means, not necessarily in order,

          🎶 the opportunity to listen to a very wide array of music in my collection and finding music I don't know through friends
          🎶 the exhilaration of finding finding a new tweak or buying a new component changing my listening experience for the better
          🎶 going to shows and meeting Audio friends in and out of the industry and hearing great equipment
          🎶 communicating with like minded people thru this site
          🎶 an ever changing musical social network near home and hearing their systems
          🎶 how you can't recreate the real thing at home compared to the live event and endlessly striving to bring the home event closer to the live.
          Turntable: TW Acustic TT with Ref motor & controller; Tri-Planar Arm; Transfiguration Proteus Cartridge (repaired and re-tipped by AnaMightySound), Massif Record Weight, PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamp; KLAudio Ultrasonic Record Cleaner.
          Digital: Bluesound Vault-2 Music Server & Streamer
          Amplification: VTL 6.5 preamp Series II, Pass Labs 150.8 Amp
          Loudspeakers: Piega C711 Loudspeakers
          Isolation: Symposium Osiris Rack; Symposium Platforms and Roller Blocks and grade 2.5 Balls
          Misc: Acoustic Revive RR-888 Low Frequency Pulse Generator, Synergistic Research 12 UEF SE Line Conditioner, Level 3 HC AC Cord and Level 3 Atmosphere power cords, Synergistic Carbon fiber wall plates, Synergistic Research Orange Outlet, Furutech NCF Booster Braces, synergistic Research Galileo and Atmosphere X Euphoria Level 3 Balanced ICs, Synergistic Research Euphoria Level 3 Speaker Cables, Synergistic Research Cable Risers.

          Sennheiser HDV 650 Headphone Amp; Sennheiser HD800s Headphones.

          Comment


          • #8

            without getting philosophical, In my book Hi-end audio and HQ audio reproduction are not mutually exclusive. Below is the classic definition of "high-end" that you'll find on the 'net:



            high-end
            adjective
            adjective: high-end

            Comment


            • #9
              Originally posted by Joe Pittman
              Ever since I was very young, my earliest memories, I was a singer and loved music. With the best high-end equipment available today I enjoy listening to music even more. For me, listening to music is a destination activity.

              I had a couple of interesting life changing experiences regarding music when I was very young. The first was in grade school where I was taught by nuns. It seamed that one of the missions of the nuns was to pound the arts into you among other things. I remember a nun putting me into a room by myself and forcing me to listen to Enrico Caruso records over and over (can't remember if this was a punishment). The interesting thing was that I eventually "got it" and ended up loving it. Ever since that "aha" moment, I have had a deep emotional connection with music. Ultimate hi-fi gives me a more intense experience, like great drugs.

              The second experience I had was singing in the Seattle Boys choir in the opera Carmen. The scale and grandeur was overwhelming. Ever since then I love high power music, whether it be rock, jazz or classical.

              Later in life I was able to do live recordings for the Bellevue Chamber Chorus at Meydenbouer.Center. Unless you have recorded Choral, Classical and Jazz performance live, you will not appreciate the great recordings we have available today. The recording industry deserves a lot of credit for their hard work.
              My father punished me with Enrici Caruso all the time at home. I now have his entire 2000+ LP opera collection at my house and I'm looking for someone who loves Opera to come to my house and take them off my hands.

              As for nuns, your story reminds me of my 6th grade nun, Sister Roly Poly. At the end of every day, she got this small electric organ and placed it on top of her desk and we would sing some religious songs. Of course I rewrote the words to most of them and me and my buds would sing the lyrics I wrote. Every so often Sister Roly Poly would catch on that something was up and she would stop playing her organ and scan the room with a hairy eyeball looking for someone who stood out. My and my boys would all stand there looking angelic until she went back to playing her organ and the process would repeat. We never got caught which was unusual because the penguins were usually pretty good at finding perpetrators and beating the snot out of them.
              Micro Seiki SX-8000 table with flywheel, SME 3012R arm, SME 312S arm, Lyra Etna SL and Dynavector XV-1S cartridges, ARC Ref 3 phono stage, Otari MX-55 tape deck, Ampex 350 repros, Roon Nucleus Plus server, PS Audio DSJ DAC, ARC Ref 6 pre, ARC Ref 75 amp, Parasound JC5 amp, JBL 4345 speakers, and Def Tech Ref subs.

              Comment


              • david k
                david k commented
                Editing a comment
                Originally posted by mep
                My father punished me with Enrici Caruso all the time at home. I now have his entire 2000+ LP opera collection at my house and I'm looking for someone who loves Opera to come to my house and take them off my hands.
                Where do you live Marc?

                david

              • 1morerecord2clean
                1morerecord2clean commented
                Editing a comment
                So those Caruso LPs. Are they 78s?😜

            • #10
              Southern Indiana. About 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Indianapolis.
              Micro Seiki SX-8000 table with flywheel, SME 3012R arm, SME 312S arm, Lyra Etna SL and Dynavector XV-1S cartridges, ARC Ref 3 phono stage, Otari MX-55 tape deck, Ampex 350 repros, Roon Nucleus Plus server, PS Audio DSJ DAC, ARC Ref 6 pre, ARC Ref 75 amp, Parasound JC5 amp, JBL 4345 speakers, and Def Tech Ref subs.

              Comment


              • #11
                Originally posted by mep
                Southern Indiana. About 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Indianapolis.
                Let's touch base over the weekend, depending on what they are we might be able to work out something.

                david
                Manufacturer: American Sound Turntables and The Nothing Racks
                Special Sales: van den Hul Cartridges
                Industry Representation: Lamm, Kharma OLS Speakers, Ortofon, ZYX, Jensen Transformers

                Unique Items: Vintage Horn Speakers
                http://www.audionirvana.org/forum/ti...stening-room-1
                http://www.audionirvana.org/forum/ti...earfield-setup

                Comment


                • bonzo75
                  bonzo75 commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Jeez lucky David

              • #12
                PM sent David.
                Micro Seiki SX-8000 table with flywheel, SME 3012R arm, SME 312S arm, Lyra Etna SL and Dynavector XV-1S cartridges, ARC Ref 3 phono stage, Otari MX-55 tape deck, Ampex 350 repros, Roon Nucleus Plus server, PS Audio DSJ DAC, ARC Ref 6 pre, ARC Ref 75 amp, Parasound JC5 amp, JBL 4345 speakers, and Def Tech Ref subs.

                Comment


                • #13
                  Originally posted by Rob
                  without getting philosophical, In my book Hi-end audio and HQ audio reproduction are not mutually exclusive. Below is the classic definition of "high-end" that you'll find on the 'net:



                  high-end
                  adjective
                  adjective: high-end
                  Why does it seem that good sound and good performances are mutually exclusive? We are constantly told that albums are constantly engineered to sound the best of boom boxes, etc. Why? Good sounding releases sound good on either high-end audio systems or boom boxes. Not vice versa.
                  Myles B. Astor, PhD, Administrator
                  Senior Editor, Positive-Feedback.com
                  ________________________________________

                  -Zellaton Plural Evo speakers
                  -Goldmund Telos 440 and 1000 Nextgen mono amps
                  -Goldmund Mimesis 37S Nextgen preamplifier
                  -Doshi EVO and Goldmund PH3.8 phonostage
                  -VPI Vanquish direct-drive turntable
                  -VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy dual pivot tonearm, VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy gimballed and SAT LM-12 arm
                  -Lyra Atlas SL Lambda, vdh Colibri Master Signature, Mutech Hayabusa,
                  -Technics RS1506 with Flux Magnetic heads, Doshi V3.0 tape stage (balanced)
                  -Assorted cables including Skogrand, Kubala-Sosna, Audience FrontRow; Audience FrontRow, Genesis Advanced Technologies , Goldmund and Ensemble Power Cords
                  -Accessories including Stillpoint Aperture panels, Cathedral Sound panels, Furutech NCF Nano AC receptacles; Silver Circle Tchaik 6 PLC, Symposium ISIS and SRA Craz 3 racks, Audiodharma Cable Cooker, Symposium Ultra and assorted SRA OHIO Class 2.3+ platforms.

                  Comment


                  • #14
                    Boom boxes are 95% of all listening.

                    The reason that 'audiophile' recordings have such dreadful performances is that the intention was to make a good recording. Intention is everything in the world of high end audio, it is intention and intention alone that determines what is 'high end' and what is not. It certainly is not price!

                    If you want a good performance and good recording, you have to work with the people who can do the good performance and find a way to record them without getting in trouble with the label that has the recording contract. You'll probably have to deal with the musician's union too. It gets tricky!

                    Comment


                    • Rust
                      Rust commented
                      Editing a comment
                      You would know about recording, I have a copy of Thunderbolt Pagoda.

                  • #15
                    To me, high-end audio is an attitude towards the creation of sound reproduction equipment that embodies sound engineering principles coupled with a sensitivity towards how the equipment actually sounds.

                    Comment

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