Interesting equipment setup article

In the first place, one cannot achieve one’s goals if one does not grasp what they are, and the fact is that many audiophiles simply do not know what they want from their audio system.

This is the truth if ever, and for the last thirty some-odd years I have had a ckear idea of my aims, though I will freely admit that my ideals had evolved and I have even made significant changes of view in the light of owning equipment that I thought was ideal at the time of buying.

The clearest volte face that I managed was over Castle Harlech quarter wave loaded speakers. I heard these making some glorious sounds in the Tottenham court Road in London - please don't ask me which shop, as I have no idea - and decided to get a pair in 1999. After eighteen months of trying to site them so that there were no strong [enhanced] bass notes I was heartily sick of them. They played most things quite well, and strangely did the best job on music contain almost no profound bass at all! But give them a big orcheatra or an organ to play and there was nothing I could do to eliminate such an uneven response! So I got some SBLs, entirely unheard on the basis of Forum advice, and that really is a risky thing to do! But even though it could have ended in tears I was very pleased with them. But I also knew that I was still shy of achieving what I wanted in some respects. but it was the best compromise, and I was certainly enthusiastic over them as the best speakers I had owned. 

Then came a rocky period where I was running equipment that was significantly less accomplished, but found some speakers that were still very fine, though having a hint of the uneven-ness of the Castles of years before. The Minstrels. I eventually gave these to a friend who liked them very much and took to headphone and the tivoli Radio! Now I was still enjoying the music, but last December brought the cycle crash, and knowing how I'd never be able to assemble enough money to get a grand replay set again otherwise decided after months of thought to investigate the ESL 57, which though I had known it for nearly for years, I never thought would be possible for me. But this room - i hoped - would house them nicely, ad so it proves.

My ideals in replay may be summed up in saying that what the Quad ESL 57s do on the end of a Nait is "exactly" what I have hoped for in replay for at least the last ten years. So not the last word in modern technology, or even particularly fashionable, though the early Naits certainly are fashionable now, but something with all the right vices not to get in the way of simple enjoyment!

Thanks for the link Tony.

ATB from George

Glad you liked the link George. Interesting to read your comments also. Thanks. 

From the article that Tony posted:

"Every system that excels at presenting music excels at some things and not at others"

In my 30 or so years of hi-fi experience this is 100% true. The most musical systems are unbalanced ones, in the sense that they do not attempt to have an even spread of abilities. Those systems that do attempt to do everything well can still be enjoyable, but they seem to lack that spark, that special something that sets truly great musical systems apart. When I think back, my most prized speakers in particular have been hopelessly unbalanced designs, but incredibly musical - Linn Kans (originals) and Naim IBL's. Now if only I can get back to  owning something like this ......

Peter  

Bloody ell, I can only think that somewhere along the line, a threat was made that the Head was going to make examples of a couple of you after Friday prayers 

Chris

Friday Prayers?

ATB from George

This is the bit that resonated with me the most (and the biggest problem I see with audiophiles and the way they choose equipment.) They worry about details which are relatively unimportant and forget about the basics below which are far more important and difficult to achieve.  

" There is no worry about whether some of the life of the music is being sucked out of the performance. It’s all Gene Kelly dancing in “Singing in the Rain.’ ...Immersion in the joy of it all."

Dear Dave,

It's funny, but I totally agree having not read every word of the link:

Here is my most recent post on the ESL thread:

On a slight tangent, I have found the ESLs so revealing of musical values that I am forced to re-evaluate some of my more recent [last five years] purchases of recorded music. The music itself is naturally enough favourite repertoire, but I have found some performances revealed as being not so very musical. Strange but true that the ESLs really do put forward musical values rather than sonics as such.

They will show an unconvincing bit of phrasing or faulty tempo change more effectively than anything else, and this has been the major surprise so far. I could not ask for a better surprise!

ATB from George

PS: Jos van Immerseel had better be finer in the Beethoven Symphonies than he has been shown in the four Overtures in his recent recording. To be fair I had some doubts about these four overtures before, but they are underlined with the Nait and ESLs. The iTunes deleter's axe may be falling soon on these. All are covered in grand alternate recordings! No repertoire lost if it happens ...

I think that says much the same in different words. Music first, and sonics second!

ATB from George