All depends on what peak you're trying to climb, funny thing is one creates the peaks in one's own mind.
No more "High End" for me...Back to Reality Audio
After a 3 year roller coaster ride with so called "Audiophile High End" Tube Amps,/Tube Preamps, multi thousand dollar DAC's, Speakers of all shapes and sizes, and several DIY mods. I've settled on what will be my "forever system" and stop chasing a Dragon that I'll never catch. There's more important things in life to worry about. Plus HIgh End crap can be very fickle at times. It has taught me though what sounds good and how to get there and of course how much it will cost new or slightly used.
For the first time, I'm building a system around the Speakers. I'm an electronics Geek so that has ALWAYS come first. I've always done DIY Speakers as well form High School to College to married life (my Wife puts up with A LOT).
My Bose 901 "passion" will be with me forever. I will defend those Sealed Box odd shaped boxes till I do. Any old Geezer will be told off wherever they knock that Brand down. I did it last last week.
Anyways, the list :
- Klipsch Cornwall IV's driven by a pair of resto modded McIntosh MC50's
- Sony UBP-X1000ES (gotta get some more before they and the 1100ES become as rare as the overpriced Oppo crap) with my mods to the Analog Output boards
- Orchard Audio Ultra Amplifers x6 (I'm getting near the end of hand buiding/soldering the 6 pcb's)
- Stax SRM-007tA with Koss 95/X Electrostatics
- Surround Speakers will be 4x Series I/II Speakers with two on Tulip Stands and two more hung from the ceiling (what the Wife can see sitting down but can hear is always a good thing)
- Center Channel with be two Heresy's resting horizontally angled up towards the screen slightly
- two double stacked 12" H-Frame Subwoofers on the back wall
- All the Electronics will be mounted in the wall giving lots of space for the Cornwall to do their "thang"
To those still chasing the Dragon. Enjoy !
Showing 3 responses by sns
Recent "Law Of Accelerated Returns" thread presents opposite argument to this. Perhaps each of us reaches a certain peak, at this point we're either motivated or stimulated enough to seek the higher peaks or turn back since the climb already undertaken has been taxing enough.
Law of accelerated returns says cost/benefit ratio all in favor of benefit, law of diminishing returns say costs quite high compared to benefits, law of no returns says costs far outweigh benefits. The last being gist of this thread.
I've been in all three camps at various times in my audio journey. Spent most time in diminishing returns camp, well over twenty years here. Only recently have I entered accelerated returns camp, the sound quality of present setup has finally reached the peak where live non-sound reinforced music, best sound system ever heard and sound quality of my dreams live. The difference in height between that peak of diminishing returns and accelerated returns is significant. |
@waytoomuchstuff +1. 8 and 9 are just two of the extensive mods I've done to my Klipschorns, upgrading over SonicCaps certainly worthwhile. Tractrix horns and John Allen A-55G mid driver also very nice!
With Klipsch Heritage one needn't spend a fortune on amplification, for the Khorns a nice little 2a3 could do a fine job. 300B's also don't have to be most expensive of amps. DIY modded Klipsch Heritage and low power SET would make basis for system with top line sound at budget price. |