Eyebroughty
JohnC
Hi,
Being in the fortunate, or maybe unfortunate, position of having a number of systems I think there is no one system that is best, they are just different.
I currently have Linn, Naim and Quad (valve) electronics, along with Linn and Shahinian speakers and of course an LP12
The sources used are LP12/Ittok/Karma, Well Tempered Amadeus GTAA/Dynavector XXII MK2, Linn Majik DS and Naim CD5i, I accept there are better or more detailed sources, but they are not massive differences in what you get when you upgrade, just a different presentation and slightly more detail, of course I accept some will say these differences are huge.
When I swap around and use different parts I usually find that it is the presentation that changes more, not so much the detail in the content. What I mean by that is the soundstage and listenabilty of the system that changes more rather than the recording content. Basically what I have looked for is to get something that I listen to the music rather than the system.
Granted sometimes you will get an a marked increase in some part of the recorded detail or frequency, when this happens I have found it makes you think that other parts are now missing and so the search begins for that next upgrade.
Whatever speakers I use or have used, using pre/amps from the following three companies to me gives the following types of presentations, other equipment I would think would give broadly similar results I assume.
Linn electronics are detailed, fast and give a flat photographic presentation showing up very easily the recording to be good or bad sometimes making you listen to the way it was recorded rather than the music content, but not in all recordings, some would say accurate is best, other prefer listenability over accuracy. Can make your favourite recording sound not as good as you thought it would be.
Naim electronics, maybe not as fast as the Linns, has a nice pace to the music with some depth to the soundstage, makes some music sound amazing and some unlistenable to in the same way the Linns do, overall has all the PRAT that people go on about, in your face a little at times to the extent of turning it down when being played, can be a bit tiring after a long session listening.
The Quads very easy to listen to on any recording, very open and gives a better impression of something happening in the room than the other two with amazing depth and width to the soundstage. First system I have had that I listen to all the recording rather than just a few selected tracks. I now listen a wider variety of music than ever before with the valve amps.
I would add that the first real system I had was an TD150, SME Series 3, Supex, Leak Stereo 20, cannot remember the pre amp, into Quad ELS57's, that was something else, if only I had the room now for something similar.
I can hear people say it will be your room, your speakers, source or some other part, however to counter that I would say I have listened to and had different systems in different houses over the many years I have been interested in HiFi.
My point being that in all the systems I have had there never was the best, they all had something that needed upgrading that was felt to be missing or I did not like.
Why do I have so many bits, well I tend to keep most of the bits I like, whatever their differences and I am at an age now where I have the time to play about with different variations of equipment for fun and out of interest.
I still say that the best, to my ears speaker wise are ELS57's, Linn Kans, Isobariks and of course any Shahinian. But that is just my taste, others will have a complete different take on those, just the same as whatever electronics is used and of course whatever the source used.
On a final note I would say that I would recommend any of the three companies equipment I mentioned, they are all very very good and will give years of pleasure to many. All I have tried to show is my listening experience I have found with them, if I only had one of those systems and never heard the others I would be happy with that system, if you can get the system to play music that is the prime objective.
I wonder how many on here have found the same on their journey into HiFi, with whatever equipment used and would accept that in fact the best HiFi is the one you have.
Cheers
John
Being in the fortunate, or maybe unfortunate, position of having a number of systems I think there is no one system that is best, they are just different.
I currently have Linn, Naim and Quad (valve) electronics, along with Linn and Shahinian speakers and of course an LP12
The sources used are LP12/Ittok/Karma, Well Tempered Amadeus GTAA/Dynavector XXII MK2, Linn Majik DS and Naim CD5i, I accept there are better or more detailed sources, but they are not massive differences in what you get when you upgrade, just a different presentation and slightly more detail, of course I accept some will say these differences are huge.
When I swap around and use different parts I usually find that it is the presentation that changes more, not so much the detail in the content. What I mean by that is the soundstage and listenabilty of the system that changes more rather than the recording content. Basically what I have looked for is to get something that I listen to the music rather than the system.
Granted sometimes you will get an a marked increase in some part of the recorded detail or frequency, when this happens I have found it makes you think that other parts are now missing and so the search begins for that next upgrade.
Whatever speakers I use or have used, using pre/amps from the following three companies to me gives the following types of presentations, other equipment I would think would give broadly similar results I assume.
Linn electronics are detailed, fast and give a flat photographic presentation showing up very easily the recording to be good or bad sometimes making you listen to the way it was recorded rather than the music content, but not in all recordings, some would say accurate is best, other prefer listenability over accuracy. Can make your favourite recording sound not as good as you thought it would be.
Naim electronics, maybe not as fast as the Linns, has a nice pace to the music with some depth to the soundstage, makes some music sound amazing and some unlistenable to in the same way the Linns do, overall has all the PRAT that people go on about, in your face a little at times to the extent of turning it down when being played, can be a bit tiring after a long session listening.
The Quads very easy to listen to on any recording, very open and gives a better impression of something happening in the room than the other two with amazing depth and width to the soundstage. First system I have had that I listen to all the recording rather than just a few selected tracks. I now listen a wider variety of music than ever before with the valve amps.
I would add that the first real system I had was an TD150, SME Series 3, Supex, Leak Stereo 20, cannot remember the pre amp, into Quad ELS57's, that was something else, if only I had the room now for something similar.
I can hear people say it will be your room, your speakers, source or some other part, however to counter that I would say I have listened to and had different systems in different houses over the many years I have been interested in HiFi.
My point being that in all the systems I have had there never was the best, they all had something that needed upgrading that was felt to be missing or I did not like.
Why do I have so many bits, well I tend to keep most of the bits I like, whatever their differences and I am at an age now where I have the time to play about with different variations of equipment for fun and out of interest.
I still say that the best, to my ears speaker wise are ELS57's, Linn Kans, Isobariks and of course any Shahinian. But that is just my taste, others will have a complete different take on those, just the same as whatever electronics is used and of course whatever the source used.
On a final note I would say that I would recommend any of the three companies equipment I mentioned, they are all very very good and will give years of pleasure to many. All I have tried to show is my listening experience I have found with them, if I only had one of those systems and never heard the others I would be happy with that system, if you can get the system to play music that is the prime objective.
I wonder how many on here have found the same on their journey into HiFi, with whatever equipment used and would accept that in fact the best HiFi is the one you have.
Cheers
John
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