Bvdiman,
Perhaps you're right which would make speakers very sensitive to positioning. Music was still very good but not memorable. First audition tho was and lingers.
Went back to listen to Piano this time. Finally had arrived. Burned in with I believe over 400hrs. Hooked up with an assortment of gears: pass lab massive monoblocks, top moon pre amp and escoteric cdp with digital out into a 1500usd dac. Sound was anything but memorable. Held back. Not engaging. Lots of low and high details but one dimensional. Was packing up my cds after an hour or so. Then dealer suggested I listened via his server (macbook + DAC via usb). System came alive. Piano managed to do something similar but not quite what contriva had done on hi res tracks. We then burned Dr Hook and streamed it. But it did not approach what I heard on contriva with esoteric. Leaves me to conclude either get contriva or something else. Likely go back for final audition between scala and piano (dealer believes he needs to optimize as he agreed a few thngs were not right about the sound) as I would dread to spend 60k on speakers to make contriva regardless of performance a real option. Visually piano a stunner. Preferred them to contriva easily. Looks probably better than my cremona m. Exudes authority and class. A bit taller and wider than cremona m.
Perhaps you're right which would make speakers very sensitive to positioning. Music was still very good but not memorable. First audition tho was and lingers.
Went back to listen to Piano this time. Finally had arrived. Burned in with I believe over 400hrs. Hooked up with an assortment of gears: pass lab massive monoblocks, top moon pre amp and escoteric cdp with digital out into a 1500usd dac. Sound was anything but memorable. Held back. Not engaging. Lots of low and high details but one dimensional. Was packing up my cds after an hour or so. Then dealer suggested I listened via his server (macbook + DAC via usb). System came alive. Piano managed to do something similar but not quite what contriva had done on hi res tracks. We then burned Dr Hook and streamed it. But it did not approach what I heard on contriva with esoteric. Leaves me to conclude either get contriva or something else. Likely go back for final audition between scala and piano (dealer believes he needs to optimize as he agreed a few thngs were not right about the sound) as I would dread to spend 60k on speakers to make contriva regardless of performance a real option. Visually piano a stunner. Preferred them to contriva easily. Looks probably better than my cremona m. Exudes authority and class. A bit taller and wider than cremona m.