Looking to hear new systems in New Jersey

Yes, Johnny is one of the best dealers in the country. Well worth a visit.

Thafler, I don't understand what you are trying to say. What is professional calibration? I know what it is for video as I have it done to all my sets for all inputs, but audio? I must be missing something here. If you are talking about programs that are basically eq devices, why do you need a professional to use one? Just trying to learn....thanks.

Ctsooner, thanks for asking. I have been in this hobby for over thirty years and have had many systems but it wasn't until recently that I had pro calibration done that really opened my ears. Perhaps if I had discovered this earlier I wouldn't have been on the bandwagon of reading reviews of the latest and greatest and thinking that is what will improve my system. I too have had my video systems calibrated actually before my audio and it was the same gentleman who convinced me to try it on the audio.

So what is essentially done is they measure your room with multiple mikes and determine best position for your speakers and subs if you have them.
Lasers are used for precise alignment and room treatments are determined by where the problems are. I was skeptical but until I heard the results after
a few small changes I wouldn't have believed it.

Thafler and Ctsooner ... I suggest that you read the thread about whether DEQX is a Game Changer. I bought the DEQX PreMATE and I think it "tamed" my system in many important ways. Room and speaker correction were parts of the solution. Perfect ... NO. Better ... YES.

Thanks for the reply Thaler. I've heard systems that are set up like this and for the most part I'm still on the fence. I've heard them loose a bit of life at times. Similar to what I've heard with some (named and expensive) power cables/boxes. If you have a difficult room, I fully get it, but my rooms over the years have been pretty good overall. A simple hung quilt or a plant in the corner has done the trick. As for setting up the speakers with lasers etc...I'm a proponent. Vandersteen has been doing this for years and it works. I have a program within Amarra that I can use to eq things, but I've still be reluctant. I heard the Lyndorf that Macintosh rebrands clean up a nasty 50z node in a dealers show room here in CT and it worked wonders. , so I'm not saying it doesn't work. I just think that if you have a dealer who knows his products that he can set them up properly in most any room. I doubt if the 'calibration' can fix poor components, but I FULLY understand what you are saying.
Interesting marketing for me as to me, it's just another reason we pay a dealer mark up and that's to set up their speakers properly in our spaces. I guess is kind of agree, lol.