As promised, I am back to tell you about my trip to the arctic circle...actually northern IN...to hear Greg Weaver's VR5 Anniversaries. Greg was very hospitable and my wife and I very much appreciate him inviting us into his home. Greg has an exotic system costing (msrp) well in excess of $150K or nearly 4X what I have invested (visit
http://www.theaudioanalyst.com/ for a full description of Greg's system and a great picture of him posing as "the thinker"
). I say that just to give some perspective. As I should have known, it was pretty much apples and oranges however because he was running WAVAC tube monoblocks whereas my amps are SS MAC 501s. As one would expect, comparisons regarding the lower registers weren't necessarily fair and, as some would argue, the toobs have a decided advantage in the midrange/treble. In any event, trying to draw conclusions regarding how the Annies compare to my VR4 SR MKIIs was fruitless. All that aside, I did hear some very impressive sounds coming from his system especially his TT; specifically an LP by Rickie Lee Jones that he purchased off eBay. I gotta admit, that Redpoint turntable was pretty cool sonically not to mention the sheer size and heft of it. Hulk Hogan would pop a hernia deadlifting that thing.
The WAVAC amps were equally massive and gorgeous to look at. And Greg's Grand Prix eqpt. stands were things of beauty. All in all, a system that can make a grown man weep
So even though I came away not quite understanding just how good those annies are, I did come away with the realization that what I have assembled here at home is something pretty darn special and is a system that comes very close to doing what I expect a system to do: make music in such a way that you can get lost in it for hours on end without fatigue. I guess I realize that I am very happy with what I have now so the speaker upgrade bug has been exterminated...at least for the time being.
Happy listening everyone.
Gavin
ps...here are a fex pix from Saturday...
