Tekton Double Impacts

Charles I also believe that Terry believes the combo is best for/to him. I bet the system does some things in an extraordinary way. The key here is ...to him. Audience of one. In addition BEST is a very fickle thing. Over the decades with all my various types of systems, many great sounding, I learned something that I know is true for many audiophiles. One uses care, careful research, trial and error and finally settles into a very enjoyable system. The system is enjoyed for a season only to be replaced by another "type" of system that is deemed to sound better. Does the new system really sound "better"? Sometimes. However, most times the audiophile is really more pleased with the new sound. Something new that is now hitting different auditory pleasure points. Example...Going from ESL speakers with huge SS monoblock amps to high efficiency speakers and a 4 watt tube amp. It is exciting to both the ears and mind to enjoy a completely different musical flavor. Is it better? Well, for that season and to that person you bet it is.

I realize you are a different type of audiophile Charles not fitting into the group above. That’s great as no type of audiophile is best or right.

Hey grannyring,

Of course it always boils down to personal taste, like all artistic pursuits there is no right or wrong, it's what the individual finds pleasing to his sense of taste.  So you are stating the obvious in most of your post.

However, even in the very beginning of my life long pursuit at putting together my systems that would sound like the illusion of real music two constants have always been in effect:
1)  If timbres/tonality were not correct to my ear's the rest did not matter to me.
2)  I always knew that if some new piece of gear sounded that much better then my reference, watch out, new is not always better, maybe different, and you better live with it for awhile to see if it's as charming as you thought it might be.

As I stated earlier in this thread I have never liked horn and single driver designs. Therefore, before Eric's breakthrough you could not really use SET amps on full range multi-driver box speakers.  Now you can!  So, for my personal taste I can have the colors/tonality of a SET design with no apparent drawbacks as far as I can tell.

By the way:  Spent another six hours in front of the Ulf's today.  If they are not totally broken-in yet it got to be close now.  They are magnificent music makers.  They have the overall house sound of the DI's taken to even a higher level across the sonic board. When I write my review for hometheaterreview.com, hopefully in the next 4 to 6 weeks, I'll get into all the little details of Ulf's musical magic.  

Well many do read reviews and are swayed completely buy a reviewers subjective tastes. What you say is obvious to all I have found is not that obvious to some readers. My point needs to be repeated in threads like this. Not all readers of this thread, or reviews in general, are seasoned and experienced shoppers/Aphiles.

I suppose  that I may assume too much sometimes. I expect that others do recognize that opinion and perspective expressed on open forums are indeed just  "personal" experiences and not proclamations. I’m a fan of good SET amplifiers and appreciate their virtues. It doesn’t go beyond that simple admission and is certainly no decree admonishing everyone to do the same, hardly.
Charles

Hey grannyring,

For years when I would read the professional reviews I centered on two aspects over time.  First, what gear was in this reviewer's system, they might think a new piece of gear they were reviewing was great compared to their equipment, but that did not prove it was competitive to other gear that they never had experienced directly.  Secondly, I quickly could figure out their "personal taste" if it jived with mine then I could get a rough gage that I would like it vs the reviewers who had a very different auditory set of desires which meant not for me.  

I believe the major problem with many high-end customers is that they buy the flavor of the month because of EGO and to have the latest/greatest/most expensive gear, therefore if such and such esteemed reviewer raved about it they got to have it.  The purchase has nothing to do about improving the sound of their system or having more enjoyment of the music, but having the biggest "sonic cock on the block" mentality.  These individuals are really struggling with Eric's speakers because "blue collar" audiophiles can now get a pair of speakers that out performs their hideously over priced/hyped speakers.  Their "audio jewelry" has been tarnished before their eyes.