AZ Satori vs. Audience AU24

1markr:
I agree fully with your comments on the speakers, and have compared them to speakers up to only $10k here at home, and will say that they bettered some recent top contenders in that range. They are not very attractive, but I would not call them "ugly" either. Just not beautiful to look at...
I asked Albert at V.R. about the looks, and he had to do that in order to cut production costs to keep them at that price point. After hearing what they are capable of, I would have to say I would have been happy to pay an extra grand or two to finish them in something more attractive, but sonically speaking, they ARE a thing of beauty for sure!
I just close my eyes or listen in the dark, and feel like I spent the $10k plus with the sound I am getting! :]

1markr and Bigshutterbug. Something tells me you both know exactly what a $20k speaker should sound like.

And yes, they are not the most attractive speaker, but based on what I've read and what guys like you say about them, I think the aesthetics taking a back seat becomes a bit of a non-issue.

-IMO

I know we're kind of digressing from the topic here....but hey, I started this thread, so who cares!

Bigshutter...would you really trade in your nice triode-based tube amp and move to a digital amp??? I haven't heard the Spectron, and I know that Albert has voiced the VR4s with this amp, and I've also read the glowing review of the VR4/Spectron combo on Stereotimes. I just can't fathom a digital amp posessing the same musical attributes of a good, powerful tube amp, whether running in tetrode or triode. Something has to be missing; perhaps some of the coloration that tubes add, which I really love and look for.

I considered trying the Spectron, and there are a few currently listed on A-gon at pretty decent prices, but I decided to hold out for tubes, preferably ones that come with the triode/tetrode switching capability. VTL 450 Sig. or Manley Neo-classic 250 are on my short list. I guess I'm just too tube biased, pardon the pun.....

Regards,
Mark

So long as you're digressing, I would highly recommend your considering a McCormack DNA 0.5 or DNA-2 amp with a Revision A or Revision A Gold applied.

Because the VR4 GIII SE's are somewhat efficient, one or two DNA 0.5 Rev A's might be just right. But the DNA-2 Rev A could be a fantastic marriage.

If you know anything about these revised amps that are almost completely gutted and rebuilt by Steve McCormack at smcaudio.com with some of the finest aftermarket parts available, you may have heard it said that these amps combine the best attributes of tubes and solid state and sound like neither.

I own the DNA-2 Rev A. IMO, this amp has the characteristics of a 1000 wpc tube amp as it provides the warmth and bloom typically found in the better tube amps along with the speed, articulation, and fantastic bass control only offered by the finest solid state amps.

-IMO (of course)

I see we've veered off topic. Good.
I'd encourage you to check out the Spectron. I was using a set of monoblock tube amps to run my Snells and then a new pair of VR 5 HSEs. After I switched to the VR 5s, I bought a Musician II and used the monoblocks and the Spectron in a biamped configuration with a Syrah pre (initially with the Spectron feeding the bass and the monoblocks the mids and highs; the monoblocks have a volume control, so I was able to get the levels right). I messed around with the set up for a couple of months and discovered that the Spectron, alone, sounded much better than any other combination. In fact, to my ear the Spectron driving the high/mid sounded better than the tube monoblocks driving the high/mid (which I never would have expected).