Dear Audio Diary (AD);
Well today was an interesting day. I decided to take a few hours of my precious Saturday day-off and visit one of our true "high-end" audio stores. AD, you know how us Audiomaniacs can be. Even though i love how my system sounds, I sometimes want to hear what the truly Rich & Famous in the community are listening to and buying. One thing unbelievable about this crazy hobby is once you have caught that Audio virus it's like Herpes: it leaves you alone for a while but there is no known cure. After a while the bug hits you again and there you are - changing every IC and Cable in the system. Moving speakers 1/8" this way and that - trying to squeeze out every drop of musicallity from the equipment. AD, you know what I call this - Audioitis.
Anyways, today I listened to a few combinations of systems. I brought my 2 favourite CD's with me: The Ultimate Jesse Cook and Spyrogyra's "Three Wishes". Components included PrimaLuna Tube Pre and Power amps, MacIntosh, Musical Fidelity, ASW, and Wilson Audio Sophia speakers. At one point I quickly added up the dollars I was listening too and it added up to approx. $80,000.
Well, AD, guess what? My freaking system sounds better. What's that you ask AD - how can that be? Well, let me tell you. Sure the 80 grand had lots of power and presence. But my system has granite locked imaging. It has better soundstaging and better depth and above all, the instruments sound as they should. I have got MUSIC!!
AD let me remind you what I have - this will take a moment -
In the early 1990's Marty de Wulf at the "Bound for Sound" newletter began singing the sonic praises of equipment with the name of "Musical Design", a small audio company owned by a gentleman named John Hillig. At the time Marty named several of John's pieces as "Components of Execeptional Merit". Due to those high praises I bought one of John's early CD players and although it is not in my main system, I still have it. John also is very well known for his electronic mods to gear from Hafler, B&K, Adcom, etc with his other company called "Musical Concepts".
AD, remember what I celebrated last year. Yes, you guessed right - my 50th Birthday and my 35th year of living with Audioitis. So for my birthday present I decided to finally buy a 2 channel system that I would be proud of. So I made a big decision. I contacted Joh Hillig and told him that I wanted to place my treatment of Audioitis in his hands. "Cure me, John, please make me better sound!" I said. "Oh, and by the way, don't break my ban account".
So, AD, John told me what to do and I did so -
I bought a bunch of older equipment on Audiogon and Ebay and had them sent directly to Musical Concepts factory in Missouri. What's that AD, you don't remember what I bought? Let me remind you -
Power AMP - Hafler DH 220
Transport - Pioneer PD-S95
DAC - Musical Design DAC1A
Speakers - Meadowlark Shearwater HotRods
The only new piece I bought was John's outstanding Preamp: Musical Design SP-2B and also John's Silver Interconnects to put it all together.
John modded every single piece of equipment mentioned above. He even rewired the Shearwaters with wire that he said "sounded" better. John has Golden Ears. Why do I say that, because my system sounds glorious. And I didn't have to into 5 digits - if you know what I mean.
AD, I guess what I am saying is that we sufferers of Audioitis have a tendency to go and buy the newest flavour of the month piece of gear. But you know AD, when we go to Baskin Robbin's we always seem to order the flavour we have ordered for many years, Chocoalte Almond Fudge. The oldies are still the best.
Especially when you have as competent, honest, and decent a man as John is. You dial his phone number and he picks up the phone and talks to you. No technical hocus-pocus - just straight forward answers. He only tweaks his mods when he is satisfied that THE MUSIC WILL SOUND BETTER!!
Well, Audio Diary, it's time to go now. I have to take my medicine and fire up the system.
I urge all my Audio friends to visit John's Website at
www.musicaldesign.com and surf the Musical Concepts section. The site is a little outdated but John is definitely not. IMHO an Audio icon of Exceptional Merit.
See you next time Audio Diary.
