Stereophile Article - Holt telling it like it is.

I guess there are still a lot of people who still follow the old chant"Holt, in whose ears we trust".
Hey, he is over thirty you know!
Do you still trust his old ears and his old style beliefs? Especially you young Gen X'ers?
In the old days he would diss all the Harry Pearson raves and Tas would have a field day counter-punching.
Who was right?
I think both magazines have morphed into one and have taken over the void left when Stereo Review folded it's tent.
Hirsch, Holt, Pearson, Atkinson, so many audio reviewers to criticize and so little time.
Hey folks, get a grip, it's just info-tainment.

Brianmgrarcom,

Why don't you start with sharing what the speakers are?

According to the grapevine, Gordon Holt is happier than the proverbial pig with his ATC SCM 50ASL's. I also read somewhere that he had Sound Lab electrostatics in the past (may still have them for all I know). I am more curious to know what other gear he uses - does anyone know?

you could put an ar xb on a marantz receiver on a pair of boston acoustic A100's in a hotel room at THE show or RMAF, and pretty much impress the daylights out of everybody. the hobby has come off the rails, and i don't think it will correct itself......hundreds of other cheapy wonders could compete as well.

Today's audiophile world is a lush and sugar-coated sound? What components/speakers precisely are you referring to?

I have been to three major high-end audio shows in the past two years, and nowhere was a lush and sugar-coated sound to be heard.

Tvad,

I would not dare list any components, as this would bring on an onslaught of verbal abuse. I suspect most people on these forums would agree with your statement "nowhere was a lush and sugar-coated sound to be heard".

My statement was simply intended to paraphrase Gordon Holt's views.

Let me explain...

If you read his recent rants (internet or magazine articles) he fears that most audiophiles have forgotten what real sound is like, conditioned as it were to the polite sound by market forces and reviewers that sold out to a new approach: nice sound.

According to Gordon, it apparently all started more than twenty years ago with the "BBC dip" in the mid range which became immensely popular and showed manufacturers what to do and how to increase sales over competitors. The "BBC dip" gave a more laid back or polite sound; less sibilance, less edge and less immediacy. Gordon believes this was the start of the new movement towards "nice sound" rather than the previous movement towards "accurate sound". Previously, in his mind, the audiophile world had mostly been about accuracy but since the mid 80's it has drifted towards finding a nice flavor for one's tastes.

Correct me if I am wrong but this is the way I interpret Gordon's past statements and especially in a couple of recent articles I have seen by him. I think Gordon actually uses the word "lush" in one recent article but I may be incorrect and he may never have actually used the word "sugar-coated", which would be a bit of hyperbole on my part ;-)