[arthurs]

Try the new Magico M5s, see:

http://www.avguide.com/forums/magico-m5-loudspeakers

I spent a long time in this room at CES, and that is one astounding speaker...

[cryoparts]

I haven't even been to Kevin's new place (he moved into a new house while I was in Texas) yet since I moved back to Utah.  I'm going to have to call him up and go give a listen, I've heard from some mutual friends that his new system is incredible.  I saw him a few weeks ago when he stopped by my shop and he encouraged me to visit, time to take him up on his offer.

Peace,

Lee



 

V. Sierra's (of Sierra-Brooks Horns) personal horn array. Talk about coming from opposite poles! Both capture not just tone, texture, monster dynamics and imaging but realistic scale as well. Those ALE loaded horns are something to behold.

Is he associated with K. Brooks:

http://www.kbrooksaudio.net/

I've been friends with Kevin for over 10 years, I really need to get up to his house and listen to his latest system, it is supposed to be amazing.

Peace,

Lee

Yup. Victor moved back to the Philippines though, I was fortunate enough to have been invited to his home. Kevin as you know is still going strong over there.
Yes I think you definitely should visit Kevin Brooks home. The systems aren't identical but these guys really do know how to mate drivers with horns and match them with the appropriate amplification. Then there's their mad hatter tweakery that further ups the ante. I'm not a horn guy but boy I was impressed or rather left with a very very poignant lasting impression.

cheers!

Jack

[cryoparts]

Try the new Magico M5s, see:

http://www.avguide.com/forums/magico-m5-loudspeakers

I spent a long time in this room at CES, and that is one astounding speaker...

X2.

Peace,

Lee

[Housteau]

Almost perfect?  I don't know if I am sure what perfect is, or would be.  However, this year I had the pleasure of not only attending the CES (The Show), but also contributing by helping out at the VMPS room.  We held a live music vs recorded playback demo highlighting the VMPS RM-V60s and Ray Kimbers Sonoma DSD recording system.  As each song was recorded it was instantly played back.  I can't think of a more definitive test of a speaker system and the electronics that precede it.  It was an instant A & B between real and artificial.  Was it absolute perfection all the time?  No.  But, on Saturday and especially Sunday it was darn close.  So, if your ideal loudspeaker is one that literally sounds like real music with all its tone, emotion, dynamics, and impact, then you will like these V60s.  I love mine.  If you missed it this year the plans are already in the works for an even better presentation next year.

[Kevin Haskins]

I'd recommend the Exodus Audio "Kepler" speakers. Very good price and even better sound. I'm very impressed with my pair.

Here's a review:

http://www.soundstage.com/diwhy/diwhy200804.htm

Best Regards,
TerryO

Ha!   Your my fan-boy Terry.       

I've never heard a speaker that I'd use in the same sentence with the word perfect.    They all have their flaws.   You pick and choose based upon your priorities.   

[twitch54]

Almost perfect?  I don't know if I am sure what perfect is, or would be.  However, this year I had the pleasure of not only attending the CES (The Show), but also contributing by helping out at the VMPS room.  We held a live music vs recorded playback demo highlighting the VMPS RM-V60s and Ray Kimbers Sonoma DSD recording system.  As each song was recorded it was instantly played back.  I can't think of a more definitive test of a speaker system and the electronics that precede it.  It was an instant A & B between real and artificial.  Was it absolute perfection all the time?  No.  But, on Saturday and especially Sunday it was darn close.  So, if your ideal loudspeaker is one that literally sounds like real music with all its tone, emotion, dynamics, and impact, then you will like these V60s.  I love mine.  If you missed it this year the plans are already in the works for an even better presentation next year.

Interesting !  sounds like a fun experience !

For me the mbl's do justice to orchestral music like no other, whereas the Avalon Sentinal's are as "realistic soundstage producers" as I've ever heard.

for me accuracy of playback is directly related to what you listen to live....unamplified music in a accoustically tuned enviromnet is by far the most difficult, but a rock concert in a 'hockey rink'....hell my home system sounds better !

[konut]

I've never heard a speaker that I'd use in the same sentence with the word perfect.    They all have their flaws.   You pick and choose based upon your priorities.   

Eggs Ackley. What bothers me about the premise of the question is that it assumes an almost perfect RECORDING. Microphones, and recording chains, differ as widely as speakers. If one were to construct a playback chain that mimicked, in reverse, the recording chain, then one would get closer to the vaunted goal of almost perfect reproduction.

[macrojack]

Konut gets the donut. His is the most insightful response.

The Absolute Sound has always been an illusory and fictitious pursuit. Harry Pearson was a dreammaker/scammer deluxe who filled our heads and hearts with a new religion from which many of us are unable to detach.

Audio equipment are appliances, not treasures. I have a backscratcher I bought about 15 years ago for $1 that, in its own way, provides as much satisfaction, pleasure and relief as I've ever gotten from my sound system. And I still have that same backscratcher. I've never even thought about upgrading it or wondering if it was the Absolute Backscratch that I was getting. During that same 15 years, I have gone through at least 100 audio components.

Let's face facts......what our fiends and loved ones think but won't say is true.....We are Absolute Idiots.

My speakers are absolutely perfect.

[jhm731]

Read that a new Maggie is coming out early summer ('09).  It has the aproximate dimensions of the 1.6, and will retail in the $2,500 range. It will have a true ribbon.

[konut]

Konut gets the donut. His is the most insightful response.

The Absolute Sound has always been an illusory and fictitious pursuit. Harry Pearson was a dreammaker/scammer deluxe who filled our heads and hearts with a new religion from which many of us are unable to detach.

Audio equipment are appliances, not treasures. I have a backscratcher I bought about 15 years ago for $1 that, in its own way, provides as much satisfaction, pleasure and relief as I've ever gotten from my sound system. And I still have that same backscratcher. I've never even thought about upgrading it or wondering if it was the Absolute Backscratch that I was getting. During that same 15 years, I have gone through at least 100 audio components.

Let's face facts......what our fiends and loved ones think but won't say is true.....We are Absolute Idiots.

My speakers are absolutely perfect.

I must disagree on 2 points. YOURS is the most insightful post. MY speakers are absolutely perfect. 

[mcullinan]

If we are being brutally honest here, and I know we are making a supreme effort, then one must conclude that the Merlin VSM MXs are the best speaker ever made bar nun!

Mike

[martyo]

You guys are right, we are at the recording engineers mercy. It must have been an excellent recording process that was used at CES.

[Brian Cheney]

You can read all about our setup for recording and playback on the VMPS Circle in the 'We did it" thread.

We did unprocessed DSD recording from a stereo mic (Sennheiser 800's in X/Y), no mixing.  Mic was about 12ft from the piano, sax and string bass, about 16 ft from the percussion, and singers stood about 3ft back.

Since we recorded and played back in the same environment considerable adjustment of performers and speaker setup was necessary.  Thanks to our SDE system we had digital crossovers and seven bands of parametric EQ available, plus considerable acoustical treatment,  all of which was required to take room characteristics such as bass modes and reverb time (doubled by the recording process) out of the playback.

It took several days to get it right, but the results prove it is possible to make the best of today's gear sound almost exactly like live music.

[DustyC]

I'm a Maggie guy, but if I had the dough it would be the Soundlab electrostats for me. aa

[S Clark]

I spent about 4 hours with Danny Richie's new open baffle prototype last week.  It's not perfect, but there are definitely areas where it really comes close to perfection.  Don't think I have ever heard a more convincing lower register of a piano that didn't come from a Steinway or Mason Hamlin.  It's a winner.

Of course, it helps to have the top Dodd electronics driving and controlling it.

[toobluvr]

If we are being brutally honest here, and I know we are making a supreme effort, then one must conclude that the Merlin VSM MXs are the best speaker ever made bar nun!

Mike

 

How's that for brutally honest?

 aa

[Housteau]

Interesting !  sounds like a fun experience !

Fun is exactly the right word.  You could see it in their faces.



There were several shows daily and they were well balanced kept both interesting and informative.

[TheChairGuy]

Brian/Big B...you're outta' place - you need to be in the back row, against the wall, right side - like you do in your VMPS studio 

John