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I'm interested in hearing what "the best" systems sound like, where to go?

I have my system sounding pretty good now with a wide sound stage and good depth and imaging. I hear faint details that I have never heard in songs before. It took me three amps, two CD players, two sets of speakers and room treatments to get where I am. But the rabbit hole being what it is....I can't help but wonder....do I have the best it can be? I've been to brick and mortar, high end audio stores, but they don't really have listening rooms. Do any of you know of a place that has a good selection in stock that also has a good listening room to try them out? I would like to hear what is considered "the best". I would like a yard stick to use to determine if I'm getting everything out of the recordings that I can get. Even if it is thousands of dollars outside of my budget, I would like to know what I'm chasing.
128x128baclagg
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
“Do you have a shirt that you really love,
One that you feel so groovy in?
You don't even mind if it starts to fade,
That only makes it nicer still.
I love my shirt, I love my shirt,
My shirt is so comfortably lovely.”
schubert
7,386 posts
 
magister, it was that quality that found its home in the tone and shade of
Brahms that , IMO , showed he was at his best in his music.
Class will out .
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,194 posts
 
Yes I loved his Brahms too...If you can listen to his Cesar Franck and Schumann cd...But frankly I never listen to one cd of Moravec that was not on top of the interpretation list... Like you just said "class" is the word....
itsjustme
682 posts
 
My two cents:  someone mentioned high end audio shows.  Beware!
They are great experiences, and a great place to talk, get quick listens, etc. But sound will not be optimal and if it is, its luck -and that distorts what is good vs bad. Having set up at those shows more times than I wish to remember, the sound if often way below what we hoped, and what we could produce with some control of the room - and maybe more than overnight with lost equipment and the inevitable tech gremlins that attack without warning.
Dealers are a mixed bag. And they too, if honest, will admit that sometimes they have magic, and other times, the magic is elusive.
G

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
OK, in case anyone is wondering why is the sound at shows frequently so bad, aren’t these guys professionals? Well, yes and no. Here are the top four or five reasons why getting good sound at the shows can be rather elusive. 

1. Brand new speakers, electronics and cabling. I mean, come on people! That’s a recipe for disaster. 

2. Everybody is plugged into the same circuit. No they don’t have dedicated circuits for every room. 

3. Vibration isolation of all front end components is probably not common, I’m guessing a little here on that one. Seismic type vibration can be a real issue at shows, you know, what with all the foot traffic. 

4. Tweaks are not used extensively on most exhibits, again I’m surmising. Maybe I’m wring, but I doubt, it. Even room treatments.
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