New LFD Zero LE mkIV

Jtsin67 - give your new unit at least several hundred hours to settle in. The sound will change/open up. With your ProAc's it should sound pretty darn good! Is there an acknowledged "break-in" period for the new LFD.

Bigaitch - Most certainly agree - folks have choices. Buying gear is just as subjective as music loving is. I chose to buy the predecessor of the mkIV. Had it in my system for a time and chose to move to something else. I base my opinions on that experience. Not the mere fact of never owning and only on looks - my bad if that wasn't clearly communicated.

I purchased based on an audition and it's exciting ability to reproduce sound so elegantly compared to what I'd heard up until that point; full well knowing I didn't care for the looks. Getting it home, living and poking around with it revealed qualities I took issue with - not sound related - but important to me nonetheless.

Wrt "LFD units rarely show up on eBay & aGon" - and from that conclude "users are happy with the units" - I was merely recognizing that of all the listed systems on aGon only one lists ownership. That's a small pool to aggregate from. Of course aGon members are not the only audiophiles in the world. I feel statements like that don't mean what's implied. Is it a "stat" in the mathematical sense. Not exactly. But you get the idea as indicated by your "variance" comment.

And lastly, my opinion "is" more important the LFD's 'cause a) I'm paying for it
b) I have to live with it.

If the developer's don't care about looks that's most certainly their business. Just one I'm not good with turns out. It's neither right or wrong. Call it self-discovery.

Hello Bigaitch. Please, although you make a fine point or two countering my less than stellar observations, my suspicions of man's sincerity is based upon my sixty or so years walking upright, and as for Darwin, know I'm a student of and an appreciative one at that who finds explaining evolution through intelligent design about as valid as some of the more dubious claims made about audio products. I have found myself on more than a few occasions watching respected audio reviewers getting loaded prior to listening to audio gear at the trade shows. I wonder if alcohol improves the perception of sound? If you got this far, know I respect your intelligence and opinions and realize you, like I, have been around audio for a long time.

Hello again Airegin.

Please feel free to call me Howard. I can’t recall why I came up with the silly Bigaitch name in the first place.

Thank you for this. I would never be so rude as to not fully read what a person, any person in fact has posted here in response to something I’ve said. And thank you for your interesting observations.

Re reviewers being loaded, well I’ve not come across this personally, despite having been an ad-hoc reviewer for Hi-Fi News for a while. Frankly, given all the political intrigue, a thankless task. Yes, I’ve been around a bit – selling audio on and off since 1976. most of it was fun too. and today, in parts, it still is. No way to make money of course, but useful for filling in the cracks between all the other stuff I do.

Using your latest response as a catalyst, then if someone wants to initiate a thread along the lines of ‘one person’s view of the inside track re UK audiophile reviewing’ then I’ll be happy to inflict my two-cents worth on any hapless individual straying across that thread’s path. Or alternatively, I could shut up and respond only to LFD stuff. Any thoughts anyone?

Regards

Howard Popeck / Stereonow.co.uk

Tell us about the upcoming base phono stage ;-)

I too would love a phono stage!