What makes a system compelling?

It takes time and experimentation. After tons of gear both tube and solid state, I must say ARC tube gear sounds most musical...especially the new more inexpensive stuff I.E...VS110 and SP16L. when combined with let's say a Sony ES SACD player and good cables you can have a dream system worth drooling over!!

I know that enough beer makes my system pretty compelling. In fact, here soon i will be heading home to some Coors and Nick Cave. ;)

I wonder if there is a point where the system gets too accurate. Kinda like a photograph. A good photo is very detailed and accurate and can be very pleasing, but i think alot of the time a well done painting is more interesting and striking.

Maybe that is why the tubefanatics like thier distorted-ass tubes over the technically superior solid state gear, cause it makes the music more interesting. Maybe they are not as accurate, but they paint a beautiful sonic picture.

Now, im on my way to Mexico before the tub-fans get a look at this thread and decide to storm my house with pitchforks and torches!

seriously tho,
ive really been toying with the idea of getting a small tube-setup in the future for a bedroom system. My roomate has a 59 Les Paul with a tube headamp, and it sounds pretty sweet. ;)

now yer thinking.... did slappy insult tubes? or did he give them praise?
things that make you go "hmmm"

;)

a magic midrange. imo tubes yield that better than solidstate. you need to able able to connect with the music. midrange, transparent,rhythm, PRaT, dynamics, etc. bass slam and detail extraction alone will not get you there.

In one word Naim!

Quite simply a top of the line Naim olive series 52 pre, CDSII cd player (a huge factor), 250 amp with high quality full range speakers. You'll feel the depth, timing, bass, dimension, rythm, and articulation immediatly...In the store or at home...very engaging! and you won't need no stinkin subwoofer either.

The answer lies between a person's ears, and in their heart and soul!

For each of us, it is a different thing. Some want excitement, some want liquidity. Some want bass, some want treble, and others want midrange. The answer is reflected in the variety of systems that we all have here. If there was a simple cookbook answer, Pete's speakers, with John's amplifier and preamplifier, with the ABC turntable, a big number of people here would own that system. But no, we use solid state and tubes, electrostatics and dynamics, vinyl and CD.

Just like the famous Stereophile cover with the Krell and the Cary amplifiers which stated, "If one of these amplifiers is right, the other must be wrong." Not true, otherwise one of those companies would no longer be in business. There are enough proponents of each to keep both companies not only viable, but thriving.