Talk about reviewers for Stereophile. There was one guy back in the late 80's early 90's that did a review of the B&W 800, a really large speaker in his 10X12 listening room or something that size, what was Atkinson thinking? I have to find it. I believe it is pre '94 before they changed from digest size to magazine and I still have those going back to the mid 80's. Lewis Lipwich or something like that, played Contrabasoon for the National Symphony. That's why you have to be careful in trusting what a musician says. They REALLY do listen and hear things differently.
So far as reviewers I really get a kick out of Bob Harley, always waxing on about the latest and greatest with better seemingly commensurate to more expensive, welcome to Texas! I always feel it incumbent on a reviewer to review different gear across a broad spectrum of prices to keep everything in better perspective. Not everyone can afford a 185K speaker system, not that I don't enjoy reading about them, I do as I find it quite entertaining. How can you take something so expensive seriously UNLESS you can easily afford it?
There are a few large systems I've heard that were quite memorable, like the Infinity Reference V system with completely rebuilt Emitt drivers and woofers, over 500 hours worth of work by a gentleman named Bill Legal in Pennsylvania. His company is Miller Sound named after his father in law I believe and goes way back to the 1930's. I spent an afternoon with Bill in his listening room with those glorious speakers listening to a wide range of music, it was great. There was one recording he played for me that I hadn't heard since I was a kid, Buddy Holly's studio recording of "True Love Ways", my skin rolled over in goosebumps, not just the fact that he was "truly" in the room but the nostalgia and memories of the past. This is what its all about, sharing music and enjoyment, I'll never forget it. Bill and his wife were two of the most wonderful people I've come across in this hobby.
So far as reviewers I really get a kick out of Bob Harley, always waxing on about the latest and greatest with better seemingly commensurate to more expensive, welcome to Texas! I always feel it incumbent on a reviewer to review different gear across a broad spectrum of prices to keep everything in better perspective. Not everyone can afford a 185K speaker system, not that I don't enjoy reading about them, I do as I find it quite entertaining. How can you take something so expensive seriously UNLESS you can easily afford it?
There are a few large systems I've heard that were quite memorable, like the Infinity Reference V system with completely rebuilt Emitt drivers and woofers, over 500 hours worth of work by a gentleman named Bill Legal in Pennsylvania. His company is Miller Sound named after his father in law I believe and goes way back to the 1930's. I spent an afternoon with Bill in his listening room with those glorious speakers listening to a wide range of music, it was great. There was one recording he played for me that I hadn't heard since I was a kid, Buddy Holly's studio recording of "True Love Ways", my skin rolled over in goosebumps, not just the fact that he was "truly" in the room but the nostalgia and memories of the past. This is what its all about, sharing music and enjoyment, I'll never forget it. Bill and his wife were two of the most wonderful people I've come across in this hobby.