I'm never going to hear a megaspeaker in a good room am I?

Hi @wyoboy

You got me a little curious, and I ran into this description of the Rockport listening room:

A combination of RPG diffusers and B.A.D. panels provide the correct broadband reverberant field without coherent specular reflections, while a series of custom broadband and quarter wave bass traps insure bass linearity down to the first octave. This ultimate soundroom is an essential tool in the development of our high-performance, full range loudspeakers, and in conjuction with some of the industy’s finest associated equipment, enables us to elevate the design process to the highest level possible. In this room, the listener can fully experience the true capabilities of our entire product range.

I have to say they said everything I’ve ever wanted in a listening room. :-) Linearity down to the first octave is a real challenge even for most high end stores, let alone most audiophiles and probably the cause of most disappointments.

The Magico listening room is also an extravagant feat of acoustical engineering, as is the Goodwyn's room in Waltham, MA.


Best,


Erik

@erik_squires I guess we haunt the same vicinity. Goodwinn's High End in Waltham is the area's most esoteric Hi Fi store. I have not been in a while. I always got good service because I drove up in a 911 Turbo. If you drive up in a Golf you couldn't get the time of day. Never bought anything from him. 
These store hang everything everywhere because they sell it and you need to buy it if you want your room to sound good. Total and complete BS (IMHO). You use enough to do the job and no more adding a one set at a time. This can be done inexpensively with acoustic tile. The stuff Goodwinn's sells is hopelessly overpriced but his clientele are extremely wealthy and they do not care or know enough to care. They are the set it and forget it crowd.  

Goodwyn's was relatively nice to me.  Let me listen to some pricey Avalon Acoustics with Spectrum amps.

A little ... snooty about brands.

Haven't been near the area in ages.

Best,

E

I haven't ever been to an audio show so my only listening experiences have been at dealers.  They have been in modest markets such as St. Louis, Nashville and Memphis.  The mainstream/larger dealers that also had Sony TVs along with the full suite of Sonos devices, etc. always leave me disappointed.  They haven't had this mega level of speakers to offer, but it has been the top of the line B&W and Paradigm to name a couple.  They were in medium to large rooms with 2 other systems arranged as well and possibly part of a home theater.  It has always been a let-down.  The one visit which wasn't was here in my hometown of Memphis.  George Merrill, who builds his own high-end turntables, is a gracious audiophile and welcomes his customer to stop in the store.  He has a single listening room for which I cannot remember all the electronics.  The speakers were Aerial 7ts.  His top of the line turntable along with some fairly exotic solid state electronics were all set up.  His TT is around $10k and the 7ts around $12k.  I looked up the other pieces and the system topped out with an MSRP of around $90k.  His room was fairly small and well treated.  It was my first listening experience in a well-treated room and it was jaw-dropping.  I felt as if I was in a vacuum chamber where there was no echo/reflections whatsoever.  The soundstage was so 3-dimensional and lifelike!  My point is that it may be better to search for these room more than searching for $100k or whatever mega price speakers that are simply connected.  One would expect speakers of this level to only be connected in such a room, but I suspect that is not the norm.  Regardless of our own individual budgets and purchase intentions, I feel these experiences help us in our never-ending journey for audio nirvana.  It planted a frame of reference in my brain that I use as I try different components in my system. 

It was my first listening experience in a well-treated room and it was jaw-dropping. I felt as if I was in a vacuum chamber where there was no echo/reflections whatsoever. The soundstage was so 3-dimensional and lifelike! My point is that it may be better to search for these room more than searching for $100k or whatever mega price speakers that are simply connected.

Thanks for this very interesting experience...

My experience is the same, except that not only acoustic, but mechanical and electrical embeddings controls are the way to go first....

My 500 bucks system gives me this "3-d and lifelike experience, ONLY because of the way i adressed these 3 embeddings controls priorities...

But it is more easy for us sometimes to gives money instead of thinking, or to buy ready made, instead of working it ourself.... But sometimes working is fun when it is possible and stimulate our own creativity.... I bought NOTHING (tweaks or upgrade product) , and create many solutions from homemade simple experience....My post is for those who need to be confirm in their intruition and dont have big money but big wish for audiophile experience..... Contrary to most adivices mine is simple: dont upgrade, embed it rigthtfully and enjoy doing it....

The only problem is it was for me necessary, not to have money, but to have a room for my audio experiments.... It can be done in a living room only if your are not married.... :)

If you are, it will be costly to have beautiful acoustical device controls and adequate controls at the same times.... :)

Mine a cheap,homemade, ugly, (i am not very crafty) but very poweful indeed.... My speakers will astound anyone with their sound for the price paid..... All that comes less from the good speakers choice than the device controls i used to liberate their potential S.Q.

Poor audiophile like me are not necessarily frustrated one....

Even with the money i dont know if i will upgrade, because if you can listen the Great Mass of Bruckner on your speakers without losing details, dynamical intermingling of brass,wood, choir and strings why paying for more?

My dream is comes true.... That is enough....

Audio need less money power than a little creativity.....

My best to all....