Bernard
Well-known member
Joey, I wonder if you would have to brace the floor to handle the 330lbs.
OK! Esoteric K1 is the winner. ==• now we need to move to the speaker!!!!!}{[]>
- Thread starter Joey_V
- Start date
Help Support MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum:
Joey_V
Well-known member
That's what I was thinking too!! Damn it! Nothing's ever easy. If it's not one thing it's another. Because the media is in the 2nd floor we have to hire piano movers and that costs $500. Then I can never move these behemoths on my own... So if I sell them I'm screwed. Plus I have to brace the floor?
Then maybe my amps are not up to par? It doesn't end...
I sat there and thought... This is going to be a money pit.
Then I thought back to the Strads and I know my room fits the strads, I know they're only 150lb so I can move them easily and if I move or sell, it's not too bad. I know they are more efficient at 93db so my Cary 211 can run them all day.
Plus I think the strads look nicer.
And truth be told, I got more goosebumps with the Strads than with the Ref 1. Though the ref1 is technically the better speaker without a doubt.
Joey_V
Well-known member
But by the way, we positioned the ref1 8.5 feet apart tweeter to tweeter and 11 feet tweeter to ear.... And it sounded great still. The ref1 would still fit my room.
Joey_V
Well-known member
I gotta say that it was somewhat a bittersweet audition. I heard true SOTA and I knew I could not replicate the system at home. My room isn't as nice and I don't have the pockets to spring on his upstreams.
Analog - walker black diamond mk5
Digital - Meitner and Berkeley (the new one on absolute sound this month)
Preamp - some crazy tube pre that poops on my Cary 05
Amp - pass labs xs-300 in black.
All in all the system was probably 400,000 retail. And how did it sound? Better than I can ever have at my place. Even if I bought the ref1.
Edit:
And apparently the speakers are descendants from bats. Stupid iPhone camera.
In the UK this is done with Townshend stands. That is the same guy who had produced the stands for my Summits which Phil (Hifinutt) now has and likes. Since for Summits they cost 1k GBP, I guess his TAD stands must be quite expensive
Have you heard the Verity Audio yet? Verity is my favorite box because its midrange is flowing like a Logan. But the newer higher efficiency range is good, the older Parsifals to me are not involving enough. Try Parsifal Anniversary (not the older parsifals (ovation or anything).
Their higher end Sarastros and Lohengrins will be even better if they have newer higher efficiency models out
Their higher end Sarastros and Lohengrins will be even better if they have newer higher efficiency models out
i wonder about the soundstage. Is it upside down, or is it only the speakers?
(...Sorry, couldn't help it...)
hmmmm... do you ever wonder if you would not be satisfied with your new google buck system... because you were always comparing the cost to performance ratio? You still like the strads... that is impressive.... I personally don't really care too much about neutrality etc... If it sounds good... it just sounds good... I think we fight this - 'my system is so true to the source - half ofthe catalog I have sounds like crap because it was recorded like crap!! Isn't that awesome???' In a word... 'No'.....it isn't awesome - it sounds like crap... On 10% of the recordings - it may sound great... but jeez.. what a battle and you are paying for that!! I have never seen anyone say anything bad about the ref1s... but yeah, I mean... how much was that? Why don't you get the strads AND a Porsche Cayman?
Then you can get your goosebumps at home and on the road??For me the key is to find a good expensive system and then replicate it at home in a cheaper fashion, by getting giant killers. Lampi for dcs or MSB, NAT for ARC 5SE and VTL and Dan Agostino, and so on. Or even better, if I can pull it off, which will take years, a quality multichannel that plays the best SACD classical to wipe out 300k stereo systems. IMO this should come naturally to Loganites because Logans are inherently giant killers. I think people should seriously check out Jon Fo's and Greg's system before going high end on audio.
User211
Well-known member
We're all too good at spending Joey's money
Joey just buy want you want. Tis your money. And you are thinking and listening to make up your own mind. That's the best anyone can do.
Sure Porsches are fun (just got a brand new one LOL), but so is a f*%* off good pair of speakers
Timm makes a good point try and play some bad recordings in your demos. If the speakers are liveable with even they should sound better than you thought they would.
Joey just buy want you want. Tis your money. And you are thinking and listening to make up your own mind. That's the best anyone can do.
Sure Porsches are fun (just got a brand new one LOL), but so is a f*%* off good pair of speakers
Timm makes a good point try and play some bad recordings in your demos. If the speakers are liveable with even they should sound better than you thought they would.
Last edited:
Joey_V
Well-known member
I've resigned to the fact that I can't hear everything that's out there and frankly - I'm actually all auditioned out for the month. I think I have made my decision.
I really don't want to go down the road of these "hyper" speakers. It costs too much and I might become overly obsessed with getting the "perfect" sound reproduction that I might lose track of the reason why we do this hobby - musical enjoyment!
I buy the Ref 1 then I upgrade my amps and my pre... Soon I'll be looking at d'agostinos and dartzeel and lamm. Not where I want to go right now. Maybe in the future when I have more experience and money. Could I right now? Yeah sure... But I don't feel like it's worth it at this stage of my life. Money could be put to work for other things right now.
I think I'll stop at the Stradivari for now. The speakers are actually very transparent despite the reputation of the sonus faber line. Check out stereophiles measurement and aside from the near field unavoidable boost in bass, it is remarkably flat beyond 150hz. Moreso than the 800 diamonds and similar to Revel Ultima Salon 2.
There is NO going around the fact that the TAD Ref 1 is a superior speaker. It is technically a tour de force. However, there has to be a reason for the goose bumps. I almost teared when I listened to the Strads and no other speaker has EVER done that for me.
The TAD are like watching an IMAX movie with friends. The strad is like enjoying coffee at a coffee shop with friends. I don't know why but that's the best analogy I got.
I really don't want to go down the road of these "hyper" speakers. It costs too much and I might become overly obsessed with getting the "perfect" sound reproduction that I might lose track of the reason why we do this hobby - musical enjoyment!
I buy the Ref 1 then I upgrade my amps and my pre... Soon I'll be looking at d'agostinos and dartzeel and lamm. Not where I want to go right now. Maybe in the future when I have more experience and money. Could I right now? Yeah sure... But I don't feel like it's worth it at this stage of my life. Money could be put to work for other things right now.
I think I'll stop at the Stradivari for now. The speakers are actually very transparent despite the reputation of the sonus faber line. Check out stereophiles measurement and aside from the near field unavoidable boost in bass, it is remarkably flat beyond 150hz. Moreso than the 800 diamonds and similar to Revel Ultima Salon 2.
There is NO going around the fact that the TAD Ref 1 is a superior speaker. It is technically a tour de force. However, there has to be a reason for the goose bumps. I almost teared when I listened to the Strads and no other speaker has EVER done that for me.
The TAD are like watching an IMAX movie with friends. The strad is like enjoying coffee at a coffee shop with friends. I don't know why but that's the best analogy I got.
Joey_V
Well-known member
have not heard them yet...
Joey_V
Well-known member
We're all too good at spending Joey's money
Joey just buy want you want. Tis your money. And you are thinking and listening to make up your own mind. That's the best anyone can do.
Sure Porsches are fun (just got a brand new one LOL), but so is a f*%* off good pair of speakers
Timm makes a good point try and play some bad recordings in your demos. If the speakers are liveable with even they should sound better than you thought they would.
Yeah... lol..... I think I know what I want now. I guess the speakers I drooled over back when I started in 2006 is really the speaker I'm actually going to buy.. I fulfilled my goal.
Joey_V
Well-known member
I use lana del rey demos as bad demos.. i try to see what happens to the reproduction and is it actually listenable.We're all too good at spending Joey's money
Joey just buy want you want. Tis your money. And you are thinking and listening to make up your own mind. That's the best anyone can do.
Sure Porsches are fun (just got a brand new one LOL), but so is a f*%* off good pair of speakers
Timm makes a good point try and play some bad recordings in your demos. If the speakers are liveable with even they should sound better than you thought they would.
Joey_V
Well-known member
hmmmm... do you ever wonder if you would not be satisfied with your new google buck system... because you were always comparing the cost to performance ratio? You still like the strads... that is impressive.... I personally don't really care too much about neutrality etc... If it sounds good... it just sounds good... I think we fight this - 'my system is so true to the source - half ofthe catalog I have sounds like crap because it was recorded like crap!! Isn't that awesome???' In a word... 'No'.....it isn't awesome - it sounds like crap... On 10% of the recordings - it may sound great... but jeez.. what a battle and you are paying for that!! I have never seen anyone say anything bad about the ref1s... but yeah, I mean... how much was that? Why don't you get the strads AND a Porsche Cayman?
1. Yes I worry that I might not be truly happy because I have to still think about the cost to value ratio.
2. Ref1 is great... no issues at all there man.
3. Strads get me maybe 80% there... it should be good enough for me at this point of my life. Atleast this gives me something to look forward to in the future.
Porsche and Carman? I can see how that's cool...
Bernard
Well-known member
Joey, I hate to be a broken record (no pun intended), but before you pull the trigger go listen to the CLX again....$26K will address point #1 above.
Especially if set up like Greg has done, or like Jonfo has set up his Monoliths
Joey_V
Well-known member
I was trying to stay away from dipoles this time. I'll have some logans for other spots of the house though. This time I want to go conventional for once.
Joey_V
Well-known member
Hey Guys,
If you guys see a Strad on audiogon, make sure to send me a PM or alert me to it. If one shows up and its in good shape and looks good, I'm going to snatch of the 'gon.
Brand new one is right under $40 locally, which is a lot. Plus no demo on the gear either.
Now - which color? Red Violin vs Graphite vs the new Walnut?
Gotta tell you though, the new Walnut is nice but just released option. I doubt I can find a walnut used. I would probably have to go new for the Walnut.
Same with the Graphite - the likelihood I'll find one used is low, I think it is 10:1 red violin:graphite. And probably 100:1 red violin: walnut.
If you guys see a Strad on audiogon, make sure to send me a PM or alert me to it. If one shows up and its in good shape and looks good, I'm going to snatch of the 'gon.
Brand new one is right under $40 locally, which is a lot. Plus no demo on the gear either.
Now - which color? Red Violin vs Graphite vs the new Walnut?
Gotta tell you though, the new Walnut is nice but just released option. I doubt I can find a walnut used. I would probably have to go new for the Walnut.
Same with the Graphite - the likelihood I'll find one used is low, I think it is 10:1 red violin:graphite. And probably 100:1 red violin: walnut.
