Pipedreams... Any thoughts?

I have heard the PipeDreams at an acquaintence home and 4 different locations at the most recent CES. 2 of the 4 were set up by the PipeDream folks. In all five cases, the speaker sounded awful..I am talking about really, really bad.. Zero image specificity, vocals were wrong and the sub does not integrate with the mains. I sure don't see what the rush is all about. There are many, many, many speakers on the market that cost way less than PipeDreams and are much, much better.

Nearfield Acoustics Pipedreams systems were in three rooms at CES,not four. With Plinius/Siltech, with VAC/VPI, and with Wadia. We remain in contact with every Nearfield customer and are curious about your private listening experience.

I have owned Model 15 Pipedreams (6' main towers and 2 subwoofer modules) since July of 1999. At that time, when I purchased them, they were the finest, most musically correct transducers I had the pleasure to experience and, based on what I have listened to since, they remain so. They are no more difficult to install and set-up correctly than any multi-piece speaker system. In fact, because of the ingenious active low pass/ passive high pass cross-over that accompanies each system, they are, in fact, easier to place than most multi-piece systems. Therefore, it would be difficult for me to believe that the "awful" sounds you experienced from the 5 installations you "heard" all suffered from improper installation and set-up. The only other plausible reason I can think of for your unfortunate experience is that you are deaf. Fortunately, you have found the Audiogon site and can post your audio system for sale since you won't be needing it any more due to your regretful hearing impairment. If, however, this condition is only temporary I cordially invite you, the next time you are in Northern Ohio, to contact me via email. I would be more than happy to demonstrate the prodigious capabilities of the Pipedreams, properly set-up, in a relaxed and comfortable environment, my home. That is assuming you are capable of hearing (and feeling) sounds in the range of 18hz to 17kHz (approximately). I offer the same "therapy" to anyone else who might be suffering from a similar malady as Cg70754

I don't know about Cg70754 and his Agenda or hearing. While I believe the Pipedreams are the best speakers I have heard ( and I have heard them many times and under numerous conditions), I have NEVER heard them sound Awful. What disturbs me about this post is the claim that they sounded awful in all 5 cases. Very few high-end loudspeakers sound awful, especially on 5 different occasions. 5 complete groups can't discern awful sound, but, Cg70754 can. This is pure BS. I heard the the Pipedreams in 3 rooms shared at CES 2001 with 3 manufacturers - 1) Plinius ( also at CES 2000) 2) VAC & 3) Wadia- wonderful sound in all 3 rooms- Can none of those manufacturers hear "awful"????

I had the pleasure of hearing the Model 21 at a meeting of the NJ Audio Society last summer, and can say that, even without Lamms and that level of equipment (the dealer used a Melos 333 preamp, Melos 400 monoblocks for the towers and a Bryston for the bass, and only used an MSB DAC 3 with a Pioneer DVD player feeding it ) the speaker system is stunning in certain respects and overall one of the best speaker systems I've ever heard. They do need some space, partially to give all the bass they are capable of and partially to allow you to bring the towers out into the room, and for the latter point I'd say you really need a dedicated listening room, if only because I'd hate to have to move those towers back and forth in my living room, where I listen. They have an ability to recreate a recorded soundstage that I have come close to with my 4-piece system (which is not really commercially available, but is a Richard Davidson design which uses an upward firing midrange and front and rear-firing tweeters to create a very spacious soundfield) but can't entirely match and have otherwise heard approached only by the mbl 101s, and there only on a smaller scale. They have effortless and natural dynamic capabilities, both macro and micro, and when you are in the proper spot their tonal balance and ability to reproduce timbres of instruments are excellent. And VERY deep, extended and natural bass. If I had a dedicated room and the cash burning a hole in my pocket, I'd seriously consider them; the room is key, because they indeed are best for nearfield listening so I'd think you have to bring the towers out away from the back wall to enhance the soundstaging, the sweet spot is not that wide, and I felt you have to be on axis and sitting to hear them at their best. When I stood up, the tonal balance shifted to bright, and had I not been seated I would have been critical of the speakers in that area. I wonder if that might explain some of Cg70754's reaction?