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$25k vs $200k

Can any of you audiophools relate? For the longest time, (maybe 10 years), I wouldn't go to a high end audio store (living in NY, this was, at first, very hard to resist) to listen to, what I knew, would be better sounding systems. I feared that after listening to a superior system, I wouldn't be able to go back and enjoy my humble audio, after a tympanic tango with some, true, audio greatness. Well, quite the contrary, since I found out, (this is what you do on a rain delay Yankee game, with boring basketball on the Olympic station, and not a book to read in the house) that listening to systems much costlier, and better (for the most part) have given me a deeper appreciation for my system, especially related to cost vs sound quality. This was, perhaps, most reinforced, with my last go 'round at Sound by Singer. Any audiophools out there have similar experiences? peace, warren
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weiserb
476 posts
 
I am in NYC and can show you a system that will rock your world for $ 5,000.00 or $ less than $ 20,000.00
velo62
255 posts
 
Warren, what were the Altos setup with?
audiobugged
528 posts
 
Warren, Well when you travel with a beautiful long curly red haired Irish lass who's intrigued, & after 2 years with me now uses audiophile lingo (burn-in, soundstage, clarity, imaging) you get to see a little more! Other than the Mirco's we went to hear the Cary 306/200 24/194 cdp. The thing about visiting Audio Stores is just to audition items you've read reviews on, or see what's new. As otherwise you better have really deep pockets to try it all in your listening room. Overall the $30 cab ride to Singer allowed me to see some neat gear. Yet with mentioning my measly $15,000 budget for a new digital front-end, & monitor speakers. Singer's crew made me feel un-welcomed, & too much like a second class citizen for not wanting to build a $200,000.00 system. Therefore I feel the need to put Andrew on a diet by spending my monies elsewhere!
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warrenh OP
2,299 posts
 
Velo, I believe it was Burmeister amplification. Serious $$. I will say this: They sounded excellent, but for $17k? I guess I expected more. ( I don't have a lot of experience listening to ULTRA expensive speakers) Although I have a sub woofer, my Caravelles (in my set up, of course) without the sub, had prodigious bass, not to mention mids and highs, that went tete a tete with the Altos. ($5.5k with stands vs $17k) I didn't give (couldn't) the Altos the time they deserved to really get down, like I did with the Micros, so my impressions may be based on the limited listening experience and particular source material I was listening to. I did feel good, however, about my speaker choice. go figure. peace, warren
piezo
304 posts
 
no comment on the singer folks but on the base question raised by the title: I have a system at about $25k retail that IMO smoked the local high end shops $90k ref system. Maybe their system produced a bit more detial but for pure listening enjoyment there is no way i'd trade except to sell their system and rebuild mine the same way but with a larger amp using the profits i made.

min: dunlavy athenas, vtl mb185s, vtl 5.5 pre ARC CD-2 strung together with harmonic technology pro9 speaker cables and pro silway II and truth link

there: revel salons, mark levison 33 monoblocks, model 39 cd player and corrosponding pre strung together with transparent reference xl throughout
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