That Transformational piece of Gear We All Wish For

laltik

laltik

I'm probably going to lean on GIK Acoustics as well, at least to start. I spent quite a bit of time with John Dykstra (from GIK) at Axpona last year and again this year. He was suggesting to start with a their software (maybe it's open source?), and working with their no cost advisors to get a baseline. That should get me in the right ballpark for absorption and diffusion, and of course knowing my room, speakers, and placement.

Their solutions seem to be sufficient, and cost effective. I'd be curious what your experience has been

@vthokie83

I had a great experience with GIK. From consultation to buying, the whole process was pretty painless. I never felt rushed and completed my installation in 3 phases. Be patient and open to experimenting with acoustic panel placement. First order is critical, which should address 1st reflections and some diffusion in your room. It’s a balancing act as you could easily go overboard :-) 

Old Proverb:  The Road To Hell is paved with transformational pieces of gear.

Glad to hear about the VK-80, I agree, I love the company, customer support, build quality and aesthetics, it’s a beautiful component. I hate to say this but the sound quality just doesn’t do it for me, in my setup it sounds too polite, errors of omission rather than commission. I can’t sell it because I want to love it, everything else is A+. I also have an Audio Research Reference 6 that I compare it to, possibly not a fair comparison due to price differences but when that gets swapped in, it wows me, big soundstage, dynamics, bass. A friend has the VK-80i integrated and that has to be one of the coolest looking integrateds on the market. He loves it and I’m tempted to sell the preamp to try the intergated. Associated components are KEF Reference 1 Meta, KEF Reference 3 non-meta, Benchmark AHB-2, Benchmark LA-4, Luxman 595, Aurender N200, Bricasti M3, Eversolo A8, HoloAudio Cyan2, Parasound JC-5. 

hi agbrace,  that is wild.   that is the exact opposite of what i am experiencing.  this beast has great dynamics and slam, and is anything but polite. i wonder if the tubes are getting old as  your description is so far from what i am experiencing.

are you the original owner?