Best system for opera lover at $30,000

Garfish, I Must side with Skull on this, What I love about audiophiles is they are all so full of themselves... Yet they listen to reviewers as if they are gods, simply because their opinions are published in these jokes called Audio magazines.. I know a lot of these reviewers and most are idiots.. Bob Harley, Don Saltzman, J. Valin are exceptions, along with some of things H.P. says. And I restate (some) These guys are reviewing equipment, and reporting to the public the results, based on how the component meshs with their own systems (and rooms), colorations!! They might have a dull room, muddy amps rolled speaker wire, etc. listen to a lyra Parnassis cartridge and declare it neutral, and it's a bright, thin, etched, piece of junk! I love all these Hi-Fi terms like Fast, Clean, shimmering,etc. When was the last time you listened to live unamplified music, heard a real sound, and said to yourself: wow! listen to how fast that was? It's a joke! I have a very expensive system, and have modified a lot of the the gear myself along with building stuff, I have put together systems for $5,000 to $10,000 that kill a lot of $200,000 dollar ones. Most audiophiles have lost track of what really counts, the music, We as a group (Because of magazines like Sterophile) are starting to get back into specifications! It's sad, because we were the one to tell everyone that they didn't matter.. They still don't, I don't believe we know what or how to measure what counts. All that matters is our ears.. But we listen to these reviewers, and are influenced by the specs, and don't listen to our own ears.. "They most know more than me, they're in a magazine"!! It's just not true. it's a matter of circumstance, and who they know! Most are leaches trying to get free equipment. People out there believe what they are saying, doubt there own ears.. and their own values become skewed. Because of this I've only met a handfull of audiophiles across the country that can HEAR!! You must build on equipment based on neutrality, one piece at a time. accepting a pieces minor colorations,and knowing this, use them to compliment your system, and room, as a hole. This way you can keep your perspective when judging a new piece. Reviewers don't do this. It's sounds great in their system so it's nirvana! Most of the Digital-Transistor guys out there, (I'm presuming you are one) Have 3 CD's out of a thousand that they can enjoy. They are constantly trying new cables and accessories, are impressed by some Hi-Fi artifact they get from them, grow weary of the trick, then later take them out. They are on a endless quest.. Seaching for something that they have forgotten about, all they know is they are not happy. It's not fun anymore. They don't melt in their chairs and listen to record after record.. into the night They are lost! What they are searching for is... THE MUSIC.. the emotion.. They've gone through a maze and can't find their way back... There is a not for profit Web Site coming out that will deal with these issues and hopefully try to guide us back in the right direction. After all we are a small brotherhood! If It continues on it's present coarse I think this industry is doomed, If it were not for home theater (yuk), most of the dealers would aready be gone. People are getting frustrated and quiting the hobby. Lets hope we can get back on track.. Manufacturers are out of control with their ego driven price structures, "oh they are charging that much, my stuff's way better, I'll charge more".They will price themselve out of existance.. I just hope we can all survive this.. P.S. I belive that if a system is selected, and set up correctly it will play all types of music in a realistic, and satisfying manner.. There should be no need specify Opera. It would need to do space, convey emotion, go low in the bass, have enough detail to suggest space, have a big soundstage, also requiring a big room!! Image wide and front to back.. And do layered depth. Wouldn't you want all these anyway..

You don't need to spend $30k to enjoy recorded opera. But it would be easy to spend $30k and be disappointed. Being able to lose yourself in your favorite performance of a five hour Wagnerian opera on a reasonably priced system in your home presents challenges that require tradeoffs that are not necessarily the highest priorities for jazz or rock.

Fusilli, you say your friends are opera lovers -- I take it they're not audiophiles (good for them). Because if that's the case then the oversized speakers, dedicated listening rooms, difficult to set up equipment and sweet spot listening chairs that us audiophile obsess about are not going to interest them. Also, how was the $30,000 budget arrived at. For a stereo setup you really don't have to spend so much. Diminishing returns set in around, say, $12,000. I think the system you suggested is great, but is that what a music lover really needs. My suggestion is to go with something that is very user friendly. Try one of the Meridian systems. They're full range, reasonably sized, decent looking, sound good and are simple to use (once professionally instaled). One box for the CD player/controller and dedicated cables to the combination DAC/amplifier/speaker. Your question goes to the heart of how normal people differ from audiophiles. Most people want good sound and really don't care much about the equipment.

Hi Skull and Snoopdog; First, I sincerely appreciate your responses. I just didn't like it inferred that my stereo system was "junk" because it's mostly solid state and does not include vinyl. As I've become more confident and trusting of my own judgement and ears, I find that I have much less need of anyone's recommendations. However, I still enjoy reading Stereophile, and my mind can accomodate more than one component in any given Stereophile Class, eg the little Pass Aleph 3 going head to head with the biggest and best Levinson or Krell has to offer. According to Skull's logic, there could only be ONE "best" in each class. I disagree, audiophiles have many different tastes and preferences. Stereophile's recommended components is a GUIDE, let me repeat that, a GUIDE, and they tell us that over and over and over. I'm curious about how you guys know so much about Stereophile anyway, if you can't stand it, why do you (obviously) read it? You could better spend your time listening to music (watching TV?). No? I auditioned a Levinson 331 a year ago (Class A) and didn't like it at all-- it was sterile, lifeless, and I ended up buying a McCormack DNA-2DX that has not even been reviewed by S'phile. It's very musical, very live, very enjoyable, and somewhat "tubelike", ie smooth and sweet but with good bass control-- I've yet to hear a tube amp that had much bass control. Still, many clearly like the 331. I do have about 1000 CDs, and I enjoy by far the majority of them. As any self respecting audio hound, I also enjoy tweaking and constantly fiddling with my stereo system, and admit to being an equipment junkie. But NOBODY should accuse me of not enjoying the music. And I suspect that both of you guys have some of this in you too, or you wouldn't be on line yakking about it and critisizing my choices. Rather, you'd be listening to your 30 year old tube/analog systems and enjoying the only two musical stereo systems in the entire free world. As I stated in my previous PS post, I'm finding that I now like and trust Stereophile much less than I did.... say 5 years ago ie, since they have been taken over by big publishing. PS: until you've heard Buddy Guy live in concert, you haven't truly heard music-- I have, but it's a TOTALLY different experience than stereo system listening, which is also enjoyable. I have enjoyed this spirited exchange-- so thanks.

PS...Skull & Snoopdog, Re: live music. I have played guitars (as an amatuer), both acoustic and electric, for over 40 years, and I don't need to be told that I don't know what "live" music sounds like, or the fact that room acoustics are important.