2009: Your AUDIO Investment!

[richteer]

Originally Posted by John72953

Obviously you are both passionate about audio and have the means to delve into equipment others only dream about. I can probably also accurately surmize that you both are very knowledgeable on the subject. I never even heard (auditioned) a speaker in the price range you guys own or are about to own, but I have to question whether or not you both have surpassed the point of diminishing returns from an auditory perspective. This is not a post to slight anyone, please let that be clear, but I have a difficult time in accepting that the cost justifies the end result.

John

My experience with very expensive speakers is somewhat limited (although I guess that depends on one's definition of "very expensive"...), and the law of diminishing returns is very real. However, my experience with my ~$9K MartinLogan Spires has shown me that this law kicks in at a higher level than most would expect (at least for speakers).

I think a lot of the law might be dependant on system context. For example, if I hooked up my Spires to my wife's $250 mini system (oh, the shame of it!) I very much doubt one would hear a huge improvement over the crappy speakers it comes with (though I've never tried). But in my main system, the difference between my very good Spendor SP1/2Es and the Spire is huge.

[JJ]

Love the Gaussian distribution of the poll, lol.

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

Love the Gaussian distribution of the poll, lol.

Rather close on both sides of the median for distribution.

Rich

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Hi John,

Yes, we are lunatics; in my case, I hope this is a 1 time purchase and as a result of inheritance, otherwise..... Also, if what I am understanding to be the case of the speakers that I am expecting to purchase, my price is a no brainer for their performance, but I will confirm that when I hear them. So for the price that I will pay, it is not a question of diminishing returns since these will cost me about the same as much less expensive speakers in many a line. High End speakers, like many other high end products frequently have a 10X mark-up of their parts costs.

Rich

Yeah I guess I must have miss read the post.. I just assumed you were spending 30 per and not 30 total lol so I threw those out just incase you were trying to stay in that price range.

Originally Posted by richteer

My experience with very expensive speakers is somewhat limited (although I guess that depends on one's definition of "very expensive"...), and the law of diminishing returns is very real. However, my experience with my ~$9K MartinLogan Spires has shown me that this law kicks in at a higher level than most would expect (at least for speakers).
.

I agree 100% with that, we've listened to Linn's, Meridian's, exc. that all sound to me and some even better then the evidence temps/ XRT2K's

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Yeah I guess I must have miss read the post.. I just assumed you were spending 30 per and not 30 total lol so I threw those out just incase you were trying to stay in that price range.

Thanks again. I had had the opportunity to listen to the $55,000 Nola Baby Grands and the $140,000 Nola Grand Reference speakers at Lyric HiFi and Video in New York City. Dave Schulte of the Upgrade Company who is designing and building the Towers had had an opportunity to hear the Nola Baby Grands at CES in Las Vegas. He thought that they were quite good. But, with what he is working on in the design of the speaker drivers, the crossover, parts, etc. he thinks his working test prototypes are more open, more detailed, and much better than the Baby Grands. So, if this is correct they are/may well be somewhere in between the Baby Grands and the Grand Reference for performance.

That is saying quite a bit for the speakers in their working test prototype form. With a total of 32 drivers per mirrored line stage tower the parts are quite expensive. If we were to use a standard multiplier used by many high end speaker makers, these speakers could sell in excess of $100,000. But we are considering a much lower mark-up at present. As mentioned, though for me at the start-up on these and possibly investing, I will not be paying anywhere near the considered selling price. The woofers may be changed in the design, but at this point, the soft dome tweeters and soft dome midrange drivers may be kept the same.

So, as I have indicated, without a real comparison, I could not say how these will sound compared to the Dynaudio speakers that you had suggested.

Rich

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Thanks again. I had had the opportunity to listen to the $55,000 Nola Baby Grands and the $140,000 Nola Grand Reference speakers at Lyric HiFi and Video in New York City. Dave Schulte of the Upgrade Company who is designing and building the Towers had had an opportunity to hear the Nola Baby Grands at CES in Las Vegas. He thought that they were quite good. But, with what he is working on in the design of the speaker drivers, the crossover, parts, etc. he thinks his working test prototypes are more open, more detailed, and much better than the Baby Grands. So, if this is correct they are/may well be somewhere in between the Baby Grands and the Grand Reference for performance.

That is saying quite a bit for the speakers in their working test prototype form. With a total of 32 drivers per mirrored line stage tower the parts are quite expensive. If we were to use a standard multiplier used by many high end speaker makers, these speakers could sell in excess of $100,000. But we are considering a much lower mark-up at present. As mentioned, though for me at the start-up on these and possibly investing, I will not be paying anywhere near the considered selling price. The woofers may be changed in the design, but at this point, the soft dome tweeters and soft dome midrange drivers may be kept the same.

So, as I have indicated, without a real comparison, I could not say how these will sound compared to the Dynaudio speakers that you had suggested.

Rich

Yeah I agree completely.. I got to hear the Linn Artikulat 350's and then I heard the Artikulat 350A's and to be honest I liked the 350s better then the A's that were 16 more then the 350.

it's all about what sounds good to you, if the htib sounds great to your ears then live it up, whose to tell anyone different.

[rickdeth]

i posted 2000-5000. I need 2 theater seats and an amp . Hopefully they can come in under 3 grand. Already spent 2100 on speakers this month.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by rickdeth

i posted 2000-5000. I need 2 theater seats and an amp . Hopefully they can come in under 3 grand. Already spent 2100 on speakers this month.

try this site http://www.theaterseatstore.com/ they have things in every price range.

[rickdeth]

Thanks for the link and nice since they ship to Canada ? anyone with experience from this place http://www.theaterseatstore.com/?

Thanks Rick

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by rickdeth

Thanks for the link and nice since they ship to Canada ? anyone with experience from this place http://www.theaterseatstore.com/?

Thanks Rick

You may want to also check this site for seating since they make their own:

http://www.4seating.com/

They sell quite a bit of equipment for Home Theaters, but you will have to confirm that they ship to Canada.

Rich

[samuelj]

Originally Posted by supersix4

yes ... when they came out they were 45-48

they were the follow ups to the Masters and still packed all the punch

LOL.Would love to hear that.

[LifeOfAPirate13]

I might upgrade my Onkyo 605 which is not really good for my speakers to a Pioneer SC-05 or similar to that. I need something busting out more power to these beast of speakers I have, I have had once instance of "crackle" thus far and that was on volume 68/100 watching cable tv through RCA cords I have yet to crackle a blu-ray at high volumes but I don't want to try either. So if I get more power to the speakers which with the new receiver I will, I wont be underpowering them as much.

[nezff]

1. Onkyo TX SR876S=$900 Upgraded
2. Klipsch RF63s, RC64, and eD A2 300 sub=$2200 Upgraded
3. PS3, Xbox 360 Elite, Directv dvr

[naturephoto1]

As I have mentioned in this and the previous thread on your audio investment (as well as in the Turntable section), my Teres 450 Turntable has arrived. It is presently disassembled and awaiting Chris Brady of Teres Audio to come with the first Teres Audio Beta Test Reference Tonearm and to install the tonearm, Soundsmith Strain Gauge Cartridge, and Soundsmith Strain Gauge 410 Phono preamp. Below are manufacturers photos of the equipment; I have also attached photo of my turntable prior to being disassembled and shipped.











I will post the whole turntable system after April 26 or so.

Rich

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

As I have mentioned in this and the previous thread on your audio investment (as well as in the Turntable section), my Teres 450 Turntable has arrived. It is presently disassembled and awaiting Chris Brady of Teres Audio to come with the first Teres Audio Beta Test Reference Tonearm and to install the tonearm, Soundsmith Strain Gauge Cartridge, and Soundsmith Strain Gauge 410 Phono preamp. Below are manufacturers photos of the equipment; I have also attached photo of my turntable prior to being disassembled and shipped.

Rich,

I believe we now deserve a round trip ticket to come over and listen. After all, we have been waiting for this as long as you have. Congratulations.

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Rich,

I believe we now deserve a round trip ticket to come over and listen. After all, we have been waiting for this as long as you have. Congratulations.

Gee, thanks. This has been quite an experience and a long time coming; it will be 10 months from the initial listening session in the Denver area and my leaving a multi thousand dollar deposit in June of 2008. I am already paying for Chris' round trip ticket, hotel accommodations, car rental, gasoline, and food. He is flying into Philadelphia on Friday April 24. He will drive up to my house from the Airport on Saturday, April 25 and we will install everything and do some real listening to the whole set-up. Chris will be flying home Sunday morning April 26.

I suspect that I may have to have Chris come back when I finally move. This is anything but a standard Turntable and it has a weight of around 150 pounds or so with the turntable base, platter, tonearm, and power control box. Then, there is also the Soundsmith Strain Gauge 410 Phono Preamp, Phono Preamp power box, and the Strain Gauge Cartridge. Chris will have to help me take down the turntable and the 3 level Adona Aluminum rack with the granite and MDF shelves. Then we would have to transport the whole thing and re-assemble that part of the system in the new house hopefully later in the year.

Rich

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Gee, thanks. This has been quite an experience and a long time coming; it will be 10 months from the initial listening session in the Denver area and my leaving a multi thousand dollar deposit in June of 2008. I am already paying for Chris' round trip ticket, hotel accommodations, car rental, gasoline, and food. He is flying into Philadelphia on Friday April 24. He will drive up to my house from the Airport on Saturday, April 25 and we will install everything and do some real listening to the whole set-up. Chris will be flying home Sunday morning April 26.

I suspect that I may have to Chris come back when I finally move. This is anything but a standard Turntable and it has a weight of around 150 pounds or so with the turntable base, platter, tonearm, and power control box. Then, there is also the Soundsmith Strain Gauge 410 Phono Preamp, Phono Preamp power box, and the Strain Gauge Cartridge. Chris will have to help me take down the turntable and the 3 level Adona Aluminum rack with the granite and MDF shelves. Then we would have to transport the whole thing and re-assemble that part of the system in the new house hopefully later in the year.

Rich

What are you going to do when you move to a bigger house?

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

What are you going to do when you move to a bigger house?

Actually, I rent one half of a small twin house at present. I kind of expect that this may be my one and only move at this point due to health [(for me mostly due to hands and wrists (broken wrists as a result of an accident when hit by a car in 1993)], age, available funds, etc. That is why I posted this thread in trying to get some input for size needed for a proper home theater and where to put the theater:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=92968

I still need input, because we are debating existing or building and ultimately the size of the house and the listening room/home theater room. Any suggestions at this point are most welcome. The listening room/home theater is the most important feature for the home.

Rich

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Actually, I rent one half of a small twin house at present. I kind of expect that this may be my one and only move at this point due to health [(for me mostly due to hands and wrists (broken wrists as a result of an accident when hit by a car in 1993)], age, available funds, etc. That is why I posted this thread in trying to get some input for size needed for a proper home theater and where to put the theater:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=92968

I still need input, because we are debating existing or building and ultimately the size of the house and the listening room/home theater room. Any suggestions at this point are most welcome. The listening room/home theater is the most important feature for the home.

Rich

When we moved to our new home in 1998, we negotiated with the builder and did it half custom. Among the extras were a large sunroom (14' x 30'), a swimming pool/spa, a 6ft wall around the back yard, sound insulation in all rooms, wood floor, and a home theater room. Basically, we had a three door garage with a driveway the size of Grand Canyon. We asked him to covert two of the garages to a home theater room. It is about 24' x 20'. The people from the city were not so happy and did not want to give use permits. I basically did all the changes (some with permits and some without) and told them to go to hell.

If we ever decide to sell the house, the city may stop us and force us to re-modify everything back. I guess if I ever decide to sell, I will have to talk to a couple of good lawyers.

[mdabb]

Rich, Are you looking to build a multi-use room for both home theater and two channel or are you doing separate rooms ??? Either way a room within a room would be nice. Especially if you are doing a new home build !!! Not sure what you are into design wise, I have never been a fan of most home theater rooms. With your gear a theme would be nice, say safari !!!

There is a pic on AC or Agon of a room that I really liked, I will have to look around this weekend for it.