Preamp Deal of the Century

Those with lowbrau tastes will find it difficult to appreciate the enlightened qualities of Supratek preamps.

Given the nature of the following of Supratek owners on this thread a non-supratek-owner can only conclude that either Mick's creations are as good as everyone says or that everyone is smoking the same stuff.

Well, thank heaven they're not directly heating their rectifiers.

Khrys, I'll bite...

you jealous little baby.

how's that?

Not bad Asa.

Did you order yours with the tesla-coil option for maximum Hollywood retro-look?

How's that?

Burgundies on the way! Just heard from Mick and my Burgundy amps are in transit. Mick says there extraordinary (he gets to listen to them before me).
I've been waiting about 4+ months for them. He had some delivery problems from transformer amnufacturer (specially designed and built for Mick's application). I just know they are going to be spectacular. Hoping that they will have enough muscle to drive my Avalon's. is there anyone else out there that has used these amps?

Clearly you boys don't know your Syrah from your Shiraz. Or your Burgundies from your Bordeaux.
You don't think it's odd that Mick's creations are named after substances known to distort and seriously impair and distort aural acuity? Is this some coincidence? Or perhaps a recommendation for auditioning?
No wonder they're sold "factory-direct".

707th post. Just noticed this when it popped up on the radar screen, freaked and hadta do it (I'll not be reading the other 706 :-) And I *had* thought I was a real Audiogoner...We (I and my preamp) are not worthy...

(I didn't even know Asa still walked among us. How's it hanging old buddy?)

Zaikesman, I thought about posting the same thing you said too, I think this is an Audiogon World Record !!

Khrys, don't you have anything better to do?

Does anyone have specs on the Supatek preamps? Wha't the gain for line and phono? is it switchable? what about loading? There doesn't seem to be info on this on the site.

Rx8man, I'm just grooving on how long it takes my poor old 'puter and dinky dial-up connection to load this page...this is what audio-chat has reduced me to for entertainment... :-) I'd be sort of interested to know what it is about this particular thread topic, of all the threads on Audiogon, that could have predicted such a massive response - but not actually curious enough to go back and read through it all to see if the reason could be teased out. So I'll just ride with 'shit happens' and be OK with that...

(Mark: It's alright - I'm not going to stay on this thread, so please carry on with impunity, and meanwhile I'll try not to take it too personally that you haven't posted to any thread I've been on for the past year. Besides, I've got a 17-bean and smoked kielbasa soup to finish making before the holiday...Happy Festivus, everybody! ;^)

Jjprez- Not sure what the actual #s are, but its high gain for sure! Selectable loading w/a 4 way slider "on the fly" and plenty of gain to handle a 0.25 mv mc cart.

Bwhite, having become independently wealthy from the sale of internet-hyped factory-direct products, only a degree of remorse guides my posts. You tell me if I have anything better to do.

Khrys, in the world of audio and wines, based on my experience which is reasonably broad with the former and decidely limited with the latter, the Supratek products would have the bouquet and flavor of a finer vintage at a price the common man might afford. While I love wine I purposely keep myself from getting too involved, I really don't need another expensive hobby so I limit my palate to expensive beers :)

Now to a true connoisseur such as yourself, the flavor of this product might not be on par with your obviously refined tastes and resources to acquire the absolute best so in that vein the Supratek may not be your cup of tea..er glass or wine but it is none the less a great value and a great product, a fine vintage at a truly excellent price, no hype, really.

kryhst, and evryone else...sorry, got off on a detour out there, somewhere.

Hi Zaikes. Soup sounds great. Thank you for remembering me. Merry Kryhstmas :0)

Khrys: hmmm, discretion is the better part of...would you like to pick a subject with me? I will let you pick it, and go first. Say, a Ch. Lafite Roth '86, or why a scientific instrument's product may deviate from what you say is the truth, or, better, what you say is the Truth...hmmm, references, not-so-obtusely to socio-economic class, I wonder how/why you did that, just for credibility sake - that's the context you impliedly offer - but, is that true (ask yourself...)?

Well, the question: what is your system that your socio-economic status has wrought? As in, the context for your aspersions, beyond the pat-old-and-tired irrational regressive one, sans argument or evidence...or context. You know, the first requirement of empiricism applied; that evidence asserted exist within a context of events to minimally qualify to be subjected to a peer group. I think even Tesla would tell you that one, or Descartes, or Kuhn, or...bwhite.

What are you doing now? Do you think I know? I think I do.

Come a little closer, come a little closer, so I can see you better...said the cat.

Mark

ASA. Do you "really" want to go there? Come on now : I know your a much bigger man than this. Just leave it be brother .All of you here have a very Merry Christmas and all of the best in the New Year. Sincerly David.

I just put an order in for a syrah pre...Purely on the faith of complete strangers that bought one...Funny thing, I have never felt so at ease and comfortable with a purchase like this in my life...

Tubegroover, your advice is sage.
Mark, your last post epitomizes the elegance of psychosis.
Stiltskin, I have a few thousand acres of land in northeastern Wyoming in which you might be interested.
Or perhaps a bridge connecting Brooklyn with Manhattan?
With your abandonment of discernment no wonder you feel so at ease.

Khrys...Merry Christmas, I hope all is going well for you this time of year...

Stiltskin,
Welcome to the club. Since there is not much of a way to audition Supratek gear, most all of us here have had to buy on faith and the testimonials of strangers. If you have spent any time reading through this thread, you know already that the vast majority of folks who have made this leap are very glad they did so. Happily, we have all abandoned discernment and are now enjoying the music like never before. My advice--not that you need it--is to avoid buying any bridges from bored (and boring) trolls. Save your money for NOS tubes. The stock are fine, but finding the right tubes for your system will take you to another level. We look forward to your report when your pre arrives.

Merry Christmas.

Tubegroover, your advice is sage.
Mark, your last post epitomizes the elegance of psychosis.
Stiltskin, I have a few thousand acres of land in northeastern Wyoming in which you might be interested.
Or perhaps a bridge connecting Brooklyn with Manhattan?
With your abandonment of discernment no wonder you feel so at ease.

Kut me to the Kwick Waltersalas!
I am bored and often boring except to those who respond to the trolls.
I have considerable experience with NOS tube-rolling and thus have amassed a sizeable collection of Telefunkens, Mullards, Amperex, Mazdas etc. Few improved the sound of the stock tubes supplied but they all made it different. Very different. If you all roll the tubes of the Supratek right out of the box then none of you is listening to the same preamp. Nor will you ever replicate its performance should you ever have to replace a tube, presuming NOS (not Chinese mimics)would still be available (the North American and EU verified stocks of NOS are bare, to be sure). But you can rest assured that you have the preamp deal of the century (20th, 21st?) until you try to send your beauty back to western Australia for servicing or updates. Abandon aural discernment. The Internet Rules!
Why even listen when your computer dictates your prediliction? And you're so sure you've found the next real thing.

WalterSalas...And a Merry Christmas to you.Walter I was being alittle factitious with my comment about beleiving all these strangers...How would you possibly know?.On a lighter note...Thank you for pointing out that you and others have also abandoned your discernment over choosing a supratek product...I was scared and up set for alittle while thinking that i was the only one...You cant beat word of mouth advertising like this...Mick...you...me... we all benifit

Khrys,

I should know better than to continue down this path with you, but since you seem intent on doing whatever you can to cause trouble and thumb your nose at us, I must respond to your implication that the Supratek deal wouldn't be quite so sweet if an owner finds it necessary to send the unit back to Australia for servicing. As it happens, I had to do just that with my Syrah, due to some noise in one channel, the cause of which Mick and I could not pinpoint after several email exchanges. So I boxed her up and sent it back to Mick. In less than three weeks (including the time it took to ship there and back), it was back in my system, good as (no, better than) new. Mick responded to my initial emails immediately, and took a lot of time trying to solve the problem so that shipping the pre back would not be necessary. When that didn't work, he split the cost of shipping with me and fixed the amp the first day it arrived in his shop, stopping work on new units to attend to mine right away. He then kept it for a couple of days to make sure it was functioning properly, and kicked in a free upgrade to the most current specs (I had had the Syrah for a year before the noise began, and it only occurred in the phono stage). In short, I got an upgrade for half the cost of shipping. I believe Mick now has someone in the states who can work on the units, should that be necessary. I would rate his customer service as second to none.

I find it ironic that you would disparage those of us who bought the Supratek gear largely based on Internet testimonials of other audiophiles (some of whom may even have a frame of reference to rival your own!). Just to be clear--we have all actually HEARD the Supratek, and you haven't, right? Given that, your level of "discernment" on this particular subject is astonishing indeed.

So let me get this straight. Someone is trying to tell Supratek owners that since we choose to tube roll in preamps that we purchased that our preamps cannot be the "preamp deal of the century" just because they all sound a little different. Let me assure everone that my Sauvignon is much better than the "preamp deal of the century" it is MY PREAMP and I don't give a care what anyone, especially someone who has never heard a Supratek, thinks about it.

Likewise, we all listen to our Suprateks with different ears, in different rooms, with different systems, and different music. None of which invalidates our personal preferences and experiences. Hi-End audio isn't about group-think, its about personal indulgence in musical reproduction. Now philosophize about that.

Waltersalas

I had the same noise problem on the phono a few months ago. I sent the Syrah back to Mick and his also fixed the problem and returned the unit to me within a few days. What can you complain with his service level? Did you pay any import tax? I declared a value of US$1,000 and end up paying $95 for the tax. I am still trying to claim it back.

I too have experienced exceptional customer service and support from Mick. He bends over backwards to help customers with repair issues if/when they arise & cannot be resolved locally. In the event of such a need, Mick never hesitates to make the financial burden fair for both parties.

I just contacted Mick about ordering a Syrah. I'm assuming most of you still love this preamp and that even though its his most basic model, it is still a great piece of equipment which competes with much more expensive units. Do you still feel that way? I hope the Syrah is at least much better than the Conrad Johnson PV12 with phono that I currently have and have enjoyed. Also, besides the remote control, is there anything else special I should be asking him for? Thanks for your help.

Mlkiz, you will be shocked & amazed when you compare the CJ to the Syrah - it's not a subtle improvement. Within the Supratek range, the Syrah is the best value and has MUCH of the signature of the Cortese. To my ears, the major difference between the Cortese and Syrah is simply a bit of refinement which after some consideration, to me was worth the extra $$. Tonality and character remains very similar between the two. By refinement, I mean the Cortese is just a bit more precise, solid and quieter than the Syrah.

As for options - the remote works well and so does the "new" version of Mick's home theater by-pass. This option allows you to seamlessly integrate your multichannel HT processor/receiver with your main 2 channel amp.

Ecclec: yes, I hear you, but now, here, do you see? I'm not much of an appeaser. Besides, I know who Krhys "is", so I knew it wouldn't go far; anonymity is the hobgobblin of small minds. I called him out and the rest did the rest. But I know what you are saying and thank you for reminding me (6ch hits me with a stick!). BTW, you have very good ears.

Khrys, thank you for your, er, conciseness in the face of such..I would have picked Borderline Narcissistic Disorder, however, so you might want to pick another subject...

Carry on.

ASA... I found khrys comments hilarious,especially the one to Bwhite... khrys claims?? he is independently wealthy from internet hyped factory direct products...Hyped internet products/mail order/ infomercial marketing tactics ...He thinks that is at work here!!! Well, my guess khrys was recently dumped , is alone during Christmas and is generally mad at the world...Anyway ,i am sure looking forward to my recent order of a syrah pre...

Hi gang,

I have followed this thread from the beginning and now I am the proud owner of a used Chardonney. The Supratek replaced a BAT 30SE and the Supratek is at another level.I have also compared in my system a ARC LS 25Mkll which retails over $5000.00 and to my ears the Supratek blows it away. This is by far a great purchase at a great price. Before I even hooked it up to my system I could tell by the built quailty that the Supratek was going to be something special. I am tickled with my purchase. Everything that has been said about Supratek is true. Quite possibly the preamp deal of the century!

Congratulations Bob. Amazing huh.The best of it all is: Like a fine wine or all fine tube equipment for that matter, it can only get better with age, as the transformers,caps, resistors,wire etc, need a steady dose of frequency modulation [read music] to settle in!Really comes into its own at about 6 months. Enjoy

My most sincere apologies are extended to any posters on this thread that I have offended. I certainly did not wish to disparage any satisfied owners of Supratek products but rather play "Devil's Advocate" for those not so lucky. The defensiveness I have inadvertantly elicited speaks volumes about the insecurity of those so supposedly satisfied with their purchase, wouldn't you say Asa? When the whole High - End becomes "internet-word-of mouth", "factory-direct", journalistcally unreviewed, "take-it-or-leave-it", unadvertised, non CES presented typography, why bother to listen? Unless of course you've already bought it.

Khrys, maybe some were offended maybe not. My guess is that many felt that your comments were a bit brisque in light of the fact you haven't listened to the product. I would only smile NOW at someone that would question the concensus of such a diverse group many with years of experience in this hobby. I was apprehensive myself but at the price and the raves felt it was well worth the risk. This product transcends word of mouth, it delivers on the hype. It is the only product I have purchased in my audio life that I would feel very comfortable recommending on a price/performance quotient. The value is just unbelievable and can't be fully realized by anyone reading this thread until experienced. I am not going to say it is the best product out there or that another product will not work better in a given system but I would ask, at what price? It is well worth taking a gamble on since the demand is higher than supply and some don't want to wait the 4-5 months it takes for delivery. You really can't lose on this one.

Devils Advocate? Interesting analogy and some food for thought here.How does one qualify as a "Devils Advocate"?? Perhaps... we can post an internet polling station here, and all of us "insecure members" can vote for you or whomever else aspires to assume this distinctive title "The Internet Devils Advocate" Yeah! Who knows... you could become really famous here on the Gon ... Maybe even become a "Legend in your own Mind". You would get my vote.

"The defensiveness I have inadvertantly elicited speaks volumes about the insecurity of those so supposedly satisfied with their purchase..."

Well, let's see here, Khrys. You've come upon a thread which is undoubtedly one of the most amazing in the history of Audiogon due not only to its length, but the overwhelming consensus and joy over a relatively unknown product that has transformed so many systems, and you feel compelled to jump into the fray with no experience whatsoever with the product. Your "devil's advocate" position, as far as my feeble mind can discern it, breaks down as follows:

1)Anyone who buys the Supratek without auditioning it first is a sucker by definition because:
a)it isn't carried by dealers
b)it hasn't been reviewed in major audio journals
c)it hasn't been showcased at CES
d)it hasn't been widely advertised in commerical ads

2)Anyone who buys Supratek gear is incapable of an objective response to it because we have been suckered into buying it in the first place, and are now "stuck with it." Therefore, we have no choice but to like it in order to validate our irrational behavior and "lack of discernment."

3)Anyone who buys Supratek gear is a fool because something might happen to it, and then where would we be?

I think your ego has caused you to misinterpet our responses to your inane posts, Khrys. You see them all as just another attempt to validate our purchases as an overreaction to your superior critical thinking skills. In fact, we are simply pointing out the obvious to all potential Supratek customers--YOU have not heard the gear and we have. Your implication that the audiophiles who have bought and love Supratek gear are sheep--unable to form objective critical judgments about it--is beyond ridiculous. I would wager that there are few, if any, Supratek owners who have not bought other audio gear (whether based on word of mouth or your precious reviews and advertisements) that, once in their systems, did not quite suit them for one reason or another. I don't know if you've noticed, but audiophiles buy and sell equipment all the time--once in a great while, you will even see a Supratek unit for sale on this site--often because we buy things that are not quite what we had hoped. For the vast majority of us in this thread, the Supratek is that rarest of audio birds, gear that not only lives up to but exceeds expectations.

Make no mistake about it--we are not defending our purchase to you, to ourselves, or to anyone else. We are defending a company that has given us all so much joy, while reassuring potential Supratek customers that your arguments are utterly baseless. Each person can make up his/her own mind whether the consensus and testimonials of so many experienced audiophiles with nothing to gain from their endorsement are more or less persuasive than a magazine advertisement or a review in Stereophile....or your "devil's advocate" protestations.

One last thing---your apology would come across as slightly more "sincere" if you did not follow it with another insult. But thanks anyway.

Happy New Year to all.

Waltersalas, extremely well-said.

And beyond that, I am not sure why anyone here is wasting anymore time with Khrys. He obviously just wants to hear himself talk even if no one else does.

Khrys...I will admit, at times in my life i have had fellings of insecurity and confusion... Other times i have strung human ears on a boot laces to validate numbers... You have been a laugh... Its time to move on...

I do not own the Supratek Syrah but I have heard it on more than one occasion in different rooms and with different amplification. Once was with the Berning and Merlin VSM speakers. Another was in my own home with both the Joule VZN80 and the Berning amp and my own Merlin VSM speakers. If a preamp can keep up with those components/speakers then it is pretty good. There is no doubt the Syrah is all it is cracked up to be. No way are you going to find anywhere else the performance, build quality, looks, and a phono stage in an all tube preamp for $2,500. If anyone knows of something better for the money please let me know. It is an absolute no brainer and based on what I have heard, makes spending a lot more money on a preamp a lot harder to do. Personally I am going to try the Joule LAP 150. Mostly because I expect (and hope) it will be better. It may not be. And I am very partial to the Joule equipment because it's works so well with my Merlins and sounds so good. And partly because I know of one available for a great price. If everyone were lucky enough to hear the Syrah they would have a much better frame of reference for performance and would likely save themselves a lot of money. Of course, Mick would also be backed up for years with orders...

Jim

Let us know how you like that Joule, Jim. It would be interesting to compare and contrast it with the Syrah. I think Asa has one of each in two separate systems and loves them both, if memory serves. We all should be so lucky.

If I ever have the scratch for a second system, I will definitely try out the Joule. But my Syrah isn't going anywhere--unless Mick comes out with something better in my price range, that is. The latest iteration of the Cortese is awfully tempting, but just a tad out of reach...

Will do. Tubegroover is nearby and has the Berning I mentioned as well as Merlins. We'll be comparing them for sure. Don't tell him I told you this but I will probably let him use it for a (little) while.

Jim

Tubegroover...Having just ordered a syrah pre... Mick tells me his start to finish time on the syrah is down to 5 to 6 weeks... I let Mick know that it wouldnt be an issue if it went beyond 6 weeks... keep happy and unrushed building mine...Tubegroover, you have a eloquent way of getting a point across , hopefully any new commer will read your great comments of 12-31-03...To all,health and happyness for 2004...

Good morning everyone. Snowing here, 6 inches they say, or said...Chicago in winter. But last night, with only 12 hours until the storm hit, the meteorologists, who get their data from the NWS, a bunch of scientists, are now off on the timing of the arrival of the storm by 8 hours. How could they be so wrong, so close, with all of their advanced science and all? Does this pattern seem to be increasing, even as technology becomes more complex, or is it just me? A lot of gulls in the midwestern parking lots feeding at the edges these days, don't you think? Strange Attractors, in a turbulence theory sense, showing up in greater iterations?

On Krhys: I thought he was funny too. Yet, underneath, I know what he is saying, and it may be a little closer to what I've alluded to above, and to what Supra owners find when they purchase the pre and why they are actually here also. What could possibly be the connection between Kryhs's attacks (challenges?) and to what we have found, and the gulls for Christ sake?

Khyrs is sensitized to the fact that "science" -its toolmaking, the consequences its assumptions engender (and even though he may not see this in himself, be able to admit the heresy as yet) - will not necessarily give you the Answer. He swoops in, a missionary to help us see, to pierce our unreflective bubble, as he assumes. He's frustrated with the scientific true believers who adopt any piece of gear (scientific instrument) just because someone else has told them it will save them, give them beauty. But here, he's been mistaken; this group has found an instrument that produces "beauty" at a "good" value, relatively speaking; he has found the people that he wants the scientifically attached to be (again, even though, in the mirror of himself, he may still say he is whole bread "scientific").

So, basically he's more like us than he thinks (and you to him...). Here's a question, for Kryhs too: Do you think it was a coincidence that Kryhs landed here in his frustrated search? Hmmm...Welcome Krhys. And, yes, more funny please. Love the funny!

On Bob: Great Bob! Eccle, good point, how about this also: that the Supra is able to be inserted into many systems, yes, but also, thereafter allowing a long progression in the other components evolution around it? Some products, although great, have a "personality". Not just in their sound, but in how they intra-act with the rest of the system, both intially and as the system changes in toto. Some components "personality" doesn't show up right away; they can play with their neighbors fairly easily at first, but then, as other components move up to that level in quality, they become more "dominating." This can be very hard to hear and leads to much angst (and spending of money). I've found that over time, the Supra maintains its, for lack of a better word, personality and "suseptibility" to integration with other components over time. That is not to say that it does not have a sound, which brings me to...

Eccl, don't you think/hear that the Supra is on the "clear side" of harmonic complexity? I mean, it seems that the Supra, while neutral towards other components, itself seems to respond better to an increase of "lushness" (hence, the black Kens, etc.) in the core harmonic pojection than to a decrease in what people mistakenly refer to as "noise floor" of space? Noise floor seems acceptable to most here, but complexity in harmonic fabric seems to be what people are going after. Just an idea...

And this why, personally, I recommend it to many people who are at the place of making that jump from perfecting accuracy (usually at a place of overly euphonic tube pre mated to good SS amp and, er, neutral skr/IC wire, chosen to then balance back the other way) to "something more." They are at this balancing place, the merry-go-round place, but feel there is "something more"; can feel it in their bones but don't know how to get there. And yet, a too lush pre inserted into their advanced SS-sensitized ears sounds not "clear enough". The Supra seems to be a great "bridge" pre for many of these people to get the "accuracy" they intially value and, at once, not be scared off by too much euphonics, and yet still get a pre that does many of the things that tube guys talk about at the upper levels of tube systems. And, to boot, as said above, allows significant evolution of the system after that with minimal integration problems.

Just a few ideas, certainly I could be wrong, hearing things that aren't there, but I'd be interested in what some of you think as you've had it a while.

Thanks again for the talk. Incidentally, can anyone answer the unanswered gull part? Is it "inciden-tal, ie hopelessly tangental? Why are you so happy, and defend it so valiantly to Krys, with the "beauty" you found?

I know, I know, that Asa pie-in-the-sky bastard, off the thread again!! Hope springs eternal...

Hello Gang. ASA, any Canada geese hanging out with the gulls there? Your Clear Side anology and its relationship with up stream and down stream components is bang on here. Yes...I do hear this attribute and you are correct in your analysis. I have employed the black Kenrads in my pre for that very reason. They do offer more of a textured soundscape and sound a little more organic in my rig when compared to most of the others. However, this does depend on the genre of music that I am listening to at the time, as well as amplifier choice[tubes in my case]. In my honest opinion: Ones choice of gain tube[6sn7]in the supratek is not a liabilty [per say],but a very flexible option to have when fine tuning with any given high resolution system . The Clarity of the supratek, will definitively allow one the abilty to hear the changes in the source,the componentry,wires,tubes etc,.An Example: the RCA redbase 5692 is far and away the tube of choice when used in my Luminescence B.....the Kenrad by comparison, would rank way down the list of nos tubes in that particular pre.Vice versa for the syrah[go figure]as mine does not seem to respond well to the 5622,at least in my rig. I have marched over [with my syrah in tow] to quite a few friends places [as well as a box of nos 6sn7's]and in every case, the syrah has removed a blanket of fog in each and every one of these systems[all very musical and high end by anybody'standards]By doing so,I have learned a great deal about the "voice" of the supratek and how it synergizes with different components. Example: One friend uses the Conrad Johnson MV-52 amplifier employed with nos mullard el-34's [beautiful little amp BTW]to drive JM labs model??? The Kenrad is "NOT the tube of choice in his system as we both preferred the syvania wgt's by a wide margin.The sound was a great deal tighter with the sylvanias in the syrah when listening to live blues and jazz. Another friend uses the meadowlark Shearwaters driven by mfa 120b monos in triode. These amps are running Genelex KT-88's and are wonderful sounding instruments. Here; the Kenrads sound incredible in the supratek.The stage is huge, literally holographic,with instruments and voices in full scale.A really enjoyable experience to be sure, made his Audible illusions 3a sound anemic,thin,and 2 dimensional.[Yes....he has ordered one] Prior to inserting in the syrah,his system was always very impressive in a "hifi sense" being that it resolved a heck of lot of imformation from the source with good dynamic range,great bass as well as clarity. I direct comparison with the Syrah, it sounds like good "hifi" but the Syrah gets you way closer to the event making the the 3a sound like its broken. I am a firm believer in getting the tonal balance right, first and foremost,then tuning the system to yeild as much resolution as one can achieve in a given room.The supratek is the heart and soul of each and every system I have heard it in! Enjoy.

Could it be that tube rolling is like mixing and matching cables in ones system? Compensation for certain attributes one thinks or feels that their system maybe lacking. Adding color here and there to fill in and round out what a particular system's owner may feel their rig is missing.Is this hopefull pursuit of accuracy one of reliving the actual event or a surreal pipe dream of an occasion that never happened? Tom

Good point Tom, but let me ask you a question, what component in ANY system isn't adding a degree of coloration? And what system recreates the real event? The pipedream is to think otherwise or that one technology supercedes another by virtue of the fact it is the preferred one. A nice simile is fine for now but I don't expect that the technology for reproduced as real has yet arrived or is on the immediate horizon. And besides, what would we all do if we didn't have something to "tweek"? Musical enjoyment should always be the goal, reality although a fine objective is unobtainable, like recreating the big bang, it only happens once.

Regarding my last post: I should qualify things for those that are following this thread.My commentary was based solely on the use of vinyl as the source for comparison.

Hey Kids,
I'll be looking for Mick's "wonder" at CES.
Competing with the World's competition,
Why should he be afraid?
I know, he just wants to save us money.
Lucky Us!

Hey Khrys, just give it a rest.

Everyone is now fully aware of your sentiments, so why not just move on. You are contributing nothing here.

You remind me of MikeCH in the whole Newform controversy.