Once you hear Tocaro everything else is a sound system and not a music system.
no cross over will ever add to the music. No pumping membrane will ever follow the actual notes. No marketing hype will ever make it more realistic.
"The Ultra High-End Speaker."
My entire relatively simple high end audio system retails for approx. $70,000, with my speakers alone retailing for approx. $24,000 (Revel Salon 2 speakers). I've been around high-end audio for over 40 years. I attend audio shows and visit local and non-local high-end audio shops on a regular basis. I get to hears a lot of high-end audio speakers and gear all the time. That said, I honestly believe, along with others who've visited my home and have listened to my system, that my system (speakers) produce that ultra high-end, reference quality sound. Others would suggest that, when it comes to speakers, that the "Ultra High-End" sound can only be achieved by megabuck speakers costing 50K, 100K, 250k and beyond. I do not believe that ultra high-end ("Sound Quality") is excusive to those speakers costing a king's ransom. And, I think my own system is am example of what can be achieved at a lower (not for most people) price point. I absolutely believe in the law of diminishing returns, especially when it comes to high-end speakers. What's your definition, idea of, what you consider to be, a "Ultra High-End Speaker, and at what price point does the ultra high-end start?????
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When it comes to the ultra high-end, some of the very best sound I've ever heard was a set of the Dutch & Dutch 8c, carefully set up and EQ'd. I have NEVER heard better imaging and the tonal balance couldn't have been better. They retail at about $15k/pair, which is pretty cheap for "ultra high-end", but they stand up against anything I've ever heard, at any price. |
It seems at 18.000 including dac and amp ,DSP EQ that it is a bargain if the sound is phenomenal... With a special acoustic room dedicated to them they can be end game ...Especially with the BACCH filters of Choueiri ...But here we must add more money ... My main interest is the top S.Q. for the least money ... This is the hard part of this hobby : no throwing money ... Anybody can buy 500,000 bucks system and putting it in a pro acoustic room of the same price ...We must learn how to do some part ourself at low price this is the fun part ...before music ... This review is interesting : https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/dutch-dutch-8c-review.21016/
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I admit up front that I do not consider myself a true audiophile. The extreme sensitivity of audiophiles to differences to subtle for me to notice does not justify my wishing to have speakers costing six figures. The music's emotional content and the orchestra's performance is as intense in most systems for me. However, I make a comparison to luxury watches. A $10,000 Rolex windup watch can be matched by a $10 battery watch. Why would I pay more to tell time the hard way. Cone speakers in cabinets are difficult to get right: the drivers need more complicated crossover networks and filters to compensate for irregular frequency responses and impedances, and the cabinets require extreme bracing steps to prevent the internal sound waves from the cabinet introducing passive speaker element effects. There are even cabinets made with concrete to address this. This is analogous to the Rolex windup watch. Planar magnetic speakers are analogous to the battery watch. They cost far less and have even frequency responses and impedances. They sound more like the live performances in the opera house I go to when I can than $50,000 speakers I heard at a public demonstration at a high-end audio store. The $50,000 speakers sounded better suited to resemble what one hears at an outdoor rock music show than a concert hall. |
My system cost is too low to be mention but being embedded mechanically,electrically and acoustically so well in my room/house for my ears/brain that i am lost in music interpretation or experience ... Sound is no more an impediment for the recording experience .. Then i am no more an audiophile, if i was one anyway, because i learned acoustic enough to know that the gear prices tags is secondary completely i am no more an audiophile focussed on gear buying collection ...I never was anyway , i was learning how to optimize my gear ...I succeeded... You are not alone ...
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It's tricky to find a "keeper" of a speaker for most of us S WE continually search for the next upgrade. I've had some really expensive speakers that were great and some that weren't. Some of the more musical ones were not expensive and considered "high end"- they were Klipsch- Chorus and Cornwall- huge but really musical and dynamic- just a really low Wife Acceptance Factor. Currently I've been really happy with Wilson Sasha 2 which seem to do everything really well. |
I have always liked the science behind Lansche Audio. https://www.lansche-audio.com/en/ Although the site is under construction one is still able to get a sense of what they are about. What I like is the attempt to capture the entire range of the frequency response as it pertains to the human environment. As many have mentioned room treatments would also have a tremendous affect. A good friend had a pair of the Revel Salon 2. A really solid performing speaker. He traded them in and got a pair of Rockports which he regretted. He then invested in a pair of Lanche 8.2 and never looked back. IMHO - the differenes were, that the Revel Salons had alot of energy and really good imaging. The Rockports, looked cool, but fell short especially given the price tag. And the Lansche's - the best way I can think of to describe it is that extremely clean (not clinical) detailed music enveloped the entire environment. I have used Lansche's approach as a guide in my own system as I cannot afford $200K++ for the 8/9.2 models. Inspired by thier design - the active woofer seperated from the passive midrange, which in turn is seprated from the plasma tweeter(also active) - I added a pair of subs to my speakers, and then also added a pair of "Super Ribbon Tweeters". Its far from matching the 9.2 Frequency response, 18 Hz - 150KHz however it has signifigantly expanded upon what I originally had for a fraction of the price. My next investment will be in room treatments. |
Happiness is what we all seek. If you take a poll of 100 people, you will find several opinions. Sometimes we have to align contentment to our bank account. When I moved to the USA from India, I had a pair of JBL speakers that cost me $100.00 a pair. Immense satisfaction they gave all my friends too. I have had fun experimenting with Wilson Audio, Martin Logan, Meridian, Vandersteen, T+A, Vivid Audio, etc. All these speakers were wonderful as I took time and focused on every detail, Audio Stands, Cables, setting up speakers, and optimizing my ECO system. I learned that getting power right was the biggest and cheapest improvement. Setups change but the love of music stays. I was the first store to bring in the Wadax reference DAC and Streamer. It was stunning. What you hear in that CH 10 series system is like no other. Mind you, I have a CH Precision MONO DAC at home and it's just fantastic. I just know that the Wadax system is amazing. That's OK. I own that too. I have customers who have a Technics Integrated with a pair of Stenheim Bookshelf speakers. They play live music with several amazing conductors. They are just content with their system. Pay attention to details. You sit in your home, that's your castle, your ECO system. Enjoy. Each and everyone matters as we all love music. |
The price doesn't matter in hi-end audio. The performance matters. The ultra high-end audio must sound closer to the original music. The only ultra high-end audio in the world is the Wavetouch audio/speaker since WT is an only natural sound system. All others are just hi-fi or low-fi. Alex/Wavetouch |