My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
I have 7 orange fuses and only installed 2 on the Antileon and 1 on the Essence. I still have to do 2 on the Pandora and 2 on the DCS dac. however, i am not going to be doing fuses on the pandora or DCS before the shootout. Again, i dont need to give the edge to any dac and i also dont want to hear "oh jay you did the shootout with orange fuses on the Pandora and they are not broken in so you gotta do it again because it is not accurate what we heard, etc, etc". i am not going to embark on that. The shootout will take place EXACTLY as explained on the video and once that has wrapped up then we will begin to do fuse changes and perhaps videos of the before and after effects with ACTUAL videos for you all to listen which has not been done on Youtube. |
Quick video i just shot after installing the new acoustic panels plus listen to the Antileon Evo.... https://youtu.be/L1IgmE-blig |
@mikepowellaudio I don’t personally piss on myself over Wilson or mágico or any brand you might carry as an audio dealer. I get over audio components as fast as they walk through my door. That said, the level where I’m playing today is quite high and there isn’t much here that i can easily use to substitute some of my components. I believe the only brands I’ve had in my possession for long have been dcs and gryphon amps. Both are brands that aren’t replaced quite easily and this is why I don’t let them go. It would be hard for me to find them again. |
It’s hard to do what i do with gear of this caliber. You got the fan boys of affordable audio walking around with machetes looking to chop my head off and then you got the fan boys of particular name brands that get angry and take high blood pressure medication for as long as I am owning a product they hate but once i have a product they love then they cancel their medication refill. It’s the nature of doing social media. Not much that one man (me in this case) can do about it. |
@rbch: You are essentially echoing the I’ve been saying before which was that there is no such thing as a perfect speaker or one that checks all boxes for everyone. The point i was making wasn’t what you assumed or understood by what i wrote above. It was to simply open up about the other side of the journey. It’s easy as hell to take aim at the moving target in front of you but if that target could shoot back then it would be an entirely different war. That’s all . Anyhow, yes i am the person who wanted to do this and I'm not dismissing that, but this doesn't mean i get to be a piñata 🪅 for everyone to crack open. |
Just for some added context: I am communicating with 2 serious audiophiles who own XLF. Their rig is above mine because they have owned these speakers for at least 3 years so they know it inside out. The stillpoint ultra 5s are supposed to elevate this monster to greater heights. I never said i would keep any speaker for the long haul. The question is WHAT THE HELL DO YOU REPLACE THE XLF WITH that doesn’t mean you gotta spend another 100k on top...while easily besting it without trying to hard...go on and answer that question first but DO NOT ANSWER IT if you’re speculating. Here’s the question loud and clear: Name a few speakers that would smoke the XLF while using the equipment i have on hand here and which doesn’t require me to spend yet more money on top for the new speakers.. again, no speculating here. Present it with real facts and give me literature or something to go off of. I’m with open ears and no don't tell me the Alexx V. I have already heard it. |
One thing i find interesting is that when nobody knew what the speaker was, 90% of people were impressed by it. As soon as they find out what speaker it was, the hate starts. The few that will not vote prior to knowing what speaker it is are actually the ones that are scared of saying they like what they hear in case it’s the brand they hate so they keep their comments behind until it’s known what the speaker it is. I got news... It’s EASY AS HELL to know who is who. I just gotta look at the comments and remember who said what prior to knowing what speaker it is and it’s easy to track those who didn’t say a thing until they found out what speaker it is. This is why I’m doing what im doing with the DAc shootout. If you open your mouth and vote, stick to your damn vote even if it means you selected the DAc you have hated for most of your life once i unveil what you voted for. I am blessed to own both dacs so it won’t break my heart which one you choose but pants need to worn and own your words. Don’t delete or change it. Oh and if you stay quiet prior to knowing what Dac it is and then you come out swinging AFTER i unveil it, I’ll come out swinging at ya. If you remain quiet and don’t say a peep while the presentations are happening and then you come out swinging after i say what each presentation was, I’ll call you out on the bs for not voting and speaking as to what you preferred. The DAC shootout is happening so either stay quiet and enjoy the show and say nothing or if you want to be heard, start being vocal BEFORE i unveil the presentations. Let’s play fair and square. Nothing pisses me off more than people who cant stick to their answers. Ps: stillpoint ultra 5 footers are now installed under the XLF. Time alignment has been fine tuned so tomorrow i am starting to shoot my first video with the first DAC. |
Dude I'm telling you that all the hate came AFTER i revealed what speaker it was. I was conditioning people with the sound of the XLf and blind folding them, but of course people must know the brand before they vote. Ain't that the truth ?.
You all see with your own eyes how f@cked up WE ARE as so called "audiophiles" ? It's is safe to accept that we buy brands and not sound OFTEN TIMES. I hope this has been a learning lesson for many of you. NOW you see WHY i get pissed off. |
Oh man...you are so right Ron! I forgot about that comment!!! The truth is most of the haters are now going to hide behind their keyboards. That is typical behavior for them. They will wait for this conversations to die off before the resume to posting their hate. I got a huge RPG ready on my shoulders for when they decide to come out. Gonna blast them into pieces. They better come out with guns blazing. |
@inna: You sure talk alot for someone who really doesn’t contribute much. You entered this arena and pooped all over the field so now I’m stepping on your sh!t. It would be once to see you do or show something good, but i don’t see it happening. With regards to what bothers me: It’s the sh!t talkers that talk all this game and change their opinion once they know the brand they originally liked. It’s pathetic to see that. Weak move and lack of character. If this offends anyone then good. It would be offensive only to the ones that fall within my description. If you aren’t this kind of person and didn’t do what i described above then you ain’t got a thing to worry about. The same suspects will do the same thing when i release the dcs and msb video I’m working hard on. They come and will begin to talk about how they know a dac that costs 10% of the money of the msb and dcs that i have and how it would easily beat both. Before that statement goes live, SEND ME THE DAC OR AMP OR CABLE that you claim can come and clown any of my components here and if it does then I’ll send you a check for $1,000 and i will go on record on YouTube. Who is willing to take me up on it ? I’m as serious as a heart attack. One grand will go to the one who can put something at my door that can best any of my components (DAC, amp, preamp) and that MSRP for less. You’ll get your heart broken once i record the first video of your miracle component and no don't worry i will not play any tricks either. I'd be as honest as possible. |
I find it interesting how choices change based on blind testing versus unblinded" This has been my entire argument here. Most people WILL NEVER ACCEPT this though. You have any idea HOW MANY people here were impressed by the XLF prior to me unveiling it? All you gotta do is go back and read (unless their comments have been deleted by the users themselves). As soon as they found what it was, all of the sudden the speaker is not good or has too much of this or too much of that, etc, etc. I am 200% fine with someone not liking something because it is a subjective hobby, but i detest the "changing" of your vote after you find out what product it was. To me, that is straight up BS and childish. This is another reason why the Poll i will be posting is going to be THE ONLY way for me to gauge WHERE the entire world sits with regards to the DCS vs MSB. Comments won’t matter UNLESS the person has voted. I also WILL NOT be rushed to unveil what dac it is. I will post as many videos as i want until i have enough votes on the poll and then i will come and give my opinion on what i heard here and leave the unveiling until THE VERY END. So if you expect me to unveil what each presentation is after 2 days, you won’t be happy. I will say it again, this is NOT ABOUT people not liking the speakers or the dac or whatever. I DO NOT CARE about that. Instead, this is about being truthful to your word, selection, decision or whatever REGARDLESS of what brand it is. I DO NOT understand WHY there are fan boys of brands here. Do they pay you? are you on their payroll? do you get freebies? do they send you Tylenol in the mail when you have a headache? Do they give a damn about you? HELL NO they DO NOT. How many brands have you seen on my channel? do you see me with them for the long haul? ever wondered WHY? Oh, before i forget, many accuse Wilson of being outstanding at marketing and promoting the brand and these being reasons why they sell so much, etc, etc. Well, then what DOES THAT TELL YOU? Who’s fault is that? It certainly isn’t theirs. They are being wise and smart at doing what most brands do not do. Why do you think I DO NOT BUY no name brands? WHY? BECAUSE YOU ALLL WILL NOT BUY THEM from me when i am done with them!! You all have a HUGE impact on my buying decisions! I would love to bring the vivid audios, audionets, EMM LABS of the world in here, but they are not "the brand names" you all buy so then what do i do with them when i am done? bulk trash? donate them to goodwill? |
@lalitk The objective is to sell / move gear for a big payday What are you talking about? You really think "big pay days" are easily done with this level of gear? You really think i expect for someone FROM HERE to show up at my door to fork out money for my XLF? if it makes you feel better, the M6 DID NOT go to a buyer. They were traded in which BY THE WAY, IN CASE YOU NEED TO KNOW, A LOT of the gear you see on my channel gets traded in for other stuff. Dealers DO NOT WANT garbage trades from me either just like you all dont want no name brands from me. I have been verbally told "Jay i will not take these brands on trade in the future anymore because they sit on my floor forever and i can't get rid of them later on " So then what can i do when i am being told this? I have to roll with the punches and essentially make moves that are strategic if the goal is not to be panhandling in a few years under the Florida heat and humidity. |
@daveyf You nailed it. I am in agreement. @ron17: thanks man. One big takeaway should be that we are all guilty/culpable of what happens with high end and have to accept that we often times we are not real with ourselves and don’t listen. We DO NOT LISTEN and that is THE TRUTH. We cant be mad at the big ticket items because they are expensive. Guess what? WE, AS A WHOLE, CREATED THESE MONSTERS. NOBODY ELSE! We want the pretty cabinet, the pretty drivers, the pretty shape, etc, etc then manufacturers are listening to us by giving us exactly that and forgetting to do less and less sonic improvements. If in order to make something sound better it means they have to build a bigger, heavier component that looks ugly, they simply will not do it BECAUSE nobody wants it in their home. It is a business at the end of the day and guess what? WE AS CONSUMERS have the power to dictate what sells or what does not. Manufacturers WILL NOT produce something that does not result in profit so essentially if the Ultra high end exists then it is BECAUSE OF US. Ever noticed why there are far more SUVs now than ever before? because we are demanding bigger vehicles and this is why many sedans have been completely discontinued. More and more brands are building big trucks and less small cars. |
Find out what the component list will be for this upcoming shootout of DCS versus MSB: https://youtu.be/A9dEXfxG7S0 |
I mean, look - there are always those who say that adding anything to the sound is detrimental. It all depends on what kind of listener YOU ARE. I personally like the "voodoo" effect that synergistic research achieves, but some people might hate it. On the other hand, if i were to use more ruthless cables then we can run into the typical issues of having too much of a "revealing" presentation. Ultimately, you have to decide what you prefer, but this is not easily done. Best practice would be to own 2 sets of cables at the same time and switch them out and decide what does it for you. Hope this helps |
I can tell you the beautiful M6 wasn't exactly selling like pancakes at IHOP either. Doesn't matter the brand, the color, the shape or anything else. Most people who buy these big boy toys aren't found around the corner. It's huge money even at a nice discount. I don't think clicks would go up if i go with more affordable speakers. Remember, by now most people are used to seeing me with these crazy toys and not so much with the more affordable ones. |
Here is the format for the shootout: Video 1 (releasing tomorrow) Demonstration 1 (2 songs) (DAC # 1) Demonstration 2 (same 2 songs) (DAC # 2) Video 2 Demonstration 1 (2 songs) (DAC # 1) Demonstration 2 (same 2 songs) (DAC # 2) Video 3 Demonstration 1 (2 songs) (DAC # 1) Demonstration 2 (same 2 songs) (DAC # 2) *Dac #1 & # 2 are the same dacs playing through the videos so for example if dac # 1 is dcs then dac #1 will always be dcs throughout all 3 videos. How should you vote? Easy as this: (i will pretend that these were my personal favorites:) Video 1 I chose demonstration 1 Video 2 I chose demonstration 2 Video 3 I chose demonstration 1 i essentially have selected one dac as my favorite (demonstration 1). This means that my final vote should be demonstration 1 because i preferred it on 2 out of 3 videos. does this make sense? |
So i finished shooting the msb dac yesterday and brought the DCS back from the dead after like 2 months i think since i last heard it? Interesting contrast between both dacs. I think BOTH do things so differently and uniquely. Both have strengths and weaknesses. i am hoping the first video of this shootout will go live tomorrow morning. As i mentioned, please vote on the poll. It takes you longer to type a comment than to vote. Dont be lazy. Let’s find out for ourselves how the entire world or how we all feel globally speaking about both dacs without knowing what is playing. This is one of those shootouts that we dont ever get to see ANYWHERE so let’s have some fun guys. Let’s see WHERE each one of us sits with regards to both presentations. Let's have healthy discussions about them and understand what each dac brings to the table. I want this shootout to be FUN and hopefully something that can also be helpful for your future buying decisions. I am doing all the legwork here so all i ask of you is to keep the comments, feedback, etc about what you are hearing. Also, make sure you remember that when the first video rolls out tomorrow, you will get a feeling of how things sound with a certain type of music. You might change the way you feel when the second video rolls out because the second video will probably have female vocals only so remember to keep your mind open because the first video might not be everything you need to hear to form your decision. You should listen to all 3 of them before you know exactly which presentation is checking all your boxes. |
What is this thread about?...... A quest for the best sound possible? Entertainment? One man’s journey through time playing with stereo gear?. Education and knowledge? Just passing time? Being right? Caring and loving? Wanting everyone to be happy? Easy answer - All of the above There is a new DAC from Musetec (formerly LKS) ......the 005. This $3300 (including shipping to your door) DAC has everyone who has heard it dancing in joy. How does this very tweaky Chinese DAC stand up to the big boys? Their last version, the $1600 LKS 004 with my $400 mod was keeping up with $10K DACs......this new Musetec 005 is way better in every way than my modded 004. What are you getting going from $3300 to $40K- $100K+. Wouldn’t you all want to know? If you are stuck on fancy name brands.....then no. If you are interested in great sound and value....then yes. Of course we want to know!. why dont you buy it and send it my way so i can compare against the big boy dacs? i mean i already chipped in big bucks here. Why dont you do your part and spend a couple of grand on these DACs you are referring to? :-) I am GAME when it comes to trying the cheaper offerings. If you are interested in seeing how they do against the big ticket items then buy them and send to me for a fair comparison. I think that is a damn good proposition! i already bought Grey Goose so can you get a couple of beers so we can compare? i got no problem tasting a good beer! |
Alright boys The time is finally here: MSB versus DCS for the first time ever, under a controlled environment, and on YouTube. Make sure you are part of this tomorrow morning at 10am ET! Click on the link below and then hit the "set reminder" on the video page. https://youtu.be/8FpEm7i6GIg |
@ricevs Here’s the issue i have: I personally don’t like to take advantage of in-home trials. I feel that it is quite dishonest on my part to do that if i know I’m not looking to buy anything. I also feel that if i open the door to your suggestion, wouldn’t it be fair i also listen to others’ suggestions as well? They should also be heard just like you and i know there have been people in the past who suggested i try brand x or z and i never did. Opening the door to what you are saying i should do is also opening the door to others because they also deserve a shot. That said, i can’t sustain that level of effort because it would be quite intensive. I tried tekton because someone from this thread sent it to me and i paid shipping both ways which was quite a bit i must say and that is fine - i ate that bill because it’s the cost of doing what I’m doing. Also, i have been vocal about this: if you or anyone here wants to talk to a manufacturer or someone they know on the inside of a particular brand and can facilitate this, PLEASE DO. You all got my email so feel free to send them an email and copy me on this email. Use whatever resources you got on your end to perhaps put a product you want to see in my room. Sometimes all it takes is an email from you because you know someone and i don't. |
Great feedback guys. i like knowing that you are using your ears here to find your match. That said, will this be the same selection for you both on video 2? Video 2 will have female and male vocals on both songs so there will be an opportunity to judge vocals. So far, most are preferring # 2 (according to the poll). That said, and this is SOMETHING that you guys should also take into account, which presentation (after all 3 videos are done) can you sit and listen for hours on end? It is hard to tell based on 2 songs of course, but remember when buying your gear that there is some gear that sounds amazing right out of the gate until you cant stomach it anymore after 5 songs. There is such a thing! |
@benzman: There is some truth to what you’re saying and i know exactly what you’re referring to. I know what caused some of what you are picking up but that will be a topic for a future video. Let’s just say I’ve already warned you all about this. We are all learning each day and i will share some DOs and DONTs that I've learned with some of my components. One cool fact i can share with you is that the best thing so far about the XLF is that you can easily hear when something resulted in less bass. You can literally plug your ears and the speaker will still tell you if the bass went backwards or forward because you will feel it in your chest. If you don't feel it then you know you lost bass and that is absolutely incredible. |
@chazzy: As of right now, you have articulated things extremely well. I might have to go back to the videos myself and see what you mean. Right now, i am setting up the Antileon Evo with the DCS Rossini. I'm also beginning to move my cables around. The DCS Rossini and Antileon Evo seem to do excellent things together. On a side note, I almost chopped my middle finger in half because i was lazy and didn't want to wear gloves to move the Antileon on the critical mass platform. The damn heatsink got me real good. |
Here’s a little background on the XLF for those of you who might be curious https://youtu.be/AvQlGqzAbf8 |
