I spent Friday and Saturday auditioning speakers. Finally after 14 years of being happy with my Avalons, I hear that it is time for a change. I was a Spectral owner for 20 years. The Spectral gear was great with my Avalons. Now, I sold the Spectral gear. I just got tired of Rick Fryer saying that the new stand alone phonostage was coming and coming and coming. Enough ! I had the Spectral 30SV preamp (magical preamp BTW) but something went wrong and it would not play well with my Manley Steelhead or my Pass XOno. Time to move on. So Pass it is.
Since I have changed almost my entire system, Pass electronics, Two new TTs, brought my DAT tape deck out of storage, having a Teac R2R rebuilt. Looking to replace my 28 year old CDP. My dedicated room is Fully treated with ASC tube traps, Vicoustic, Acoustic and GIK diffussors. Sounds better then ever. Thought that, I should at least listen and consider new speakers. What an eye/ear opener the last 2 days were.
I had wanted to listen to Rockports for the last 2 years and saw my chance at a dealer that I did not know in Chicago. By Appointment Only.
Saw his Ad. Well Rockports have great tone, Zero imaging. Rockports are off the list. Paradigm, beryllium Tweet and Mids, and alloy woofs, just too bright and forward for me. Focal, Sopras 2 and 3, Very Good, Maybe the best. My wife and I came away, being most impressed by Wilson, Sabrinas. The word that kept coming out of us was; LIVE ! After, Axpona this coming weekend, we should know or be very close to a home audition and final decision.
Wilson Sabrina - Live is the word stuck in our minds.
The other thing, that came up with the auditions, Streaming Only ! No CDPs, no TTs. Streaming Only. Yes, It does sound good but when the dealer says you can listen to anything you want and then cannot produce it. How disappointing, especially when you brought your music on CDs and vinyl, and they could not play those either. We were so impressed with the new world order. Lots of apologies that they could not produce the music but also that the music that they could call up, was not the HI Res or whatever they thought they could. I am Sorry, is getting to be meaningless everywhere. The grocery store, Audio Auditions, ADT security, Xfinity home cable and internet, the hospital. You name it. I am sorry seems to be a good excuse everywhere these days. Does not mean that you will get a break on your bill, Just that they said that they were sorry. And pay your bill on time or you'll be sorry.
Wilson Sabrina - Live.