Why will no other turntable beat the EMT 927?

So no one liked my magic coils story? Hmm. A lot of talk going nowhere here. Let me say this: there are hobbyists and there are the real pros and innovators. The ultimate are those who have not just designed and built amplifiers and speakers but have gotten to the level of detail of winding their own transformers for amplifiers, speakers, microphones, phono cartridges, or motors even. Restoration is a labor of love and requires great skill and knowledge- don't get me wrong. I had a buddy in the 80s that was very talented at restoring amplifiers and preamps. He looked for old tube amps to restore that were known to have good quality, good sounding transformers. Maybe that's were I get my coils kick; but even he didn't try to wind transformers himself. Anyway, I want to weigh in here too. I agree that it's easy to grow accustomed to colorations in our sound systems. I get to hear acoustic presentations at our nearby University and they almost sound as good as my stereo. :) I like Blues music but I don't like the overpowering, way overdone bass at live presentations. I definitely do not want to duplicate that at home. I like live orchestra but my system at home cannot duplicate a music hall. So I have to live with that; but I still enjoy classical music at home.
I pretty much put my soldering iron away in the mid-90s and moved away from modifying to acquiring more "high end" equipment. I think I had to spend a lot of money to get beyond the sound of my modified gear. Part of me wants to believe that more $$=more better sound, but my experience over the years has proven otherwise. I'm brainwashed by the great marketing machine like everyone else. If I had the means, I would spend well into the 6 digits on my stereo to both satisfy my ego and get to the ultimate audio experience. As it is, I have learned to do more with what I have to maximize the audio experience. I think most of us as music lovers and hobbyists try to do that. I miss the stereo salons of the 70s-90s. So few around these days. It was always fun to hear the latest gear and walk away smirking at the bogus claims of some salesmen.

Tonywinsc,

you are describing pretty well how you developed through "your audio career". I guess there are some others among us -maybe not writing posts at all, only reading - who couldn't stand anymore the experimentation process when changing gear or adjusting the system. Some of them gave up or went into smaller audio settings or just decided to be fine on a certain level. But there is a number of audio afficiniados still searching for the holy grail.

It might be also related to the age, the period how long you are working on your system, the abiliy coping with frustration, defeats and new beginnings. I don't think people with real ambition gathering here are walking in a shop, fair or platform buying samples of the most expensive stuff and relax for the rest of their life in front of their system. Those guys enjoy some other hobbies much more and come back to their music system very rarely.

The real HighEnder believes it is helpful building up knowledge, exchanging with friends and discussing on Audiogon e.g. The real Extremist High Ender has strong beliefs what kind of listening approach is adequate and will lead to listening enjoyment. It is not about listening at loud or low level - sometimes a very funny labelling of groups happens usually pointing at the "loud listeners" as the deaf or unknowledgable guys - no, it is more about natural sound, in my universum it comes with a profound bass related (!) to the music, drive but also a kind of airiness. I also prefer a good resolution (not necessarily High Resolution at all times) rather than only mid level frequencies.

I am not sure if someone not having really listened to one's system is able to draw conclusions like "that must sound distorted or not". But we all usually do this when looking at images of other friends' systems. For me the biggest jump forward in developing my listening mode came when I was exchanging ideas and views in situ - which means with experienced guys in my listening room. Of yourse you need to bring along a kind of learning readiness doing so. If you claim you are the biggest boy of all and your system is the greatest achievment on earth you will not suceed with my approach and experiences in the last years.

Nevertheless you may come to the point in one's audio career where not much is going forward anymore. Either you need to implement a complete change like "from transistors to tubes or vice versa" or "from less efficient speakers to very efficient horn speaker systems or vice versa" or from "MM to MC or vice versa" etc. or you are concentrating on room improvements or so called voodo accessories. The field is very wide for spending energy and money, especially in the analogue arena.

Some among us have finally reached at Nirvana or some similar Happiness, being absolutely satisfied with all their successful efforts. Is this the basis or motivation for moving out to the world showing and talking about their joy. Maybe yes! Are they right I don't know? Does it help others - maybe yes or no. Some among us are warning their comrades about the bad influences of the industry, reviewers and some other temporary fashions in the audio world. On top of that some believe in completely different audio philosophies as e.g.Raul seems to do right now.
Is this helpful, yes and no. Yes because we should never believe having reached some level keeps us in a position not listening to critical arguments. No because philosophies of denial and intolerance to others' different approaches (sometimes with personal implications) esablishe no solid bases for a positive audio adventure.

Tonywinsc - the times may have changed. Instead going to dealers looking around at new gear or installations (I know how it was :-) we are visiting audio friends learning from their experiences. It is sometimes a more complex and time consuming activity especially when you are visiting cross-border. I for myself will be in Paris next week listening to a completely newbuild Western Electric 12a installation. Is it for me? I don't know and I do not care about, I certainly will enjoy and learn.

Dear Mapman: Unfortunatelly all the audio community belongs to that AHEE.

Now, inside the AHEE are great things and bad things, good very good people and other not so good.

Agree, impressions matter with people, sometimes even more than facts.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Mapman and friends: If we take a look around us around each one system and around threads/posts on several internet forums we can confirm that more and more audiophiles are now listening/to take refuge on vintage audio items: TTs, tonearms, cartridges, speakers and even electronics.

Why is that?:

certainly there must be/exist heavy reasons to that kind of behavior other than " vintage nostalgic ".

That's IMHO a fact that is telling to the AHEE that something is wrong with the AHEE historic trend and that something must has to change that audiophile firm trend in favor of what MUSIC playback needs, in favor of what LP playback needs and of course in favor of what all of us audiophiles needs more than simple making $$$$$$$.

I think that that audiophile " silent protest /revolution " is not enough because the AHEE follow with its trend.

I think we have to SHOUT at every single forum/way we have. I think we have to take active actions to really provoque an audio highn end change in favor of the AHEE and its real grow up in the right direction.

How can we SHOUT and be heared?, examples: that all over the world the audiophiles stop to buy any single audio item for one week or one month, to all audiophiles cancel their audio magazines suscrptions, that all audiophiles send an email SHOUTING to all audio forums, etc, etc.

Today, we audiophiles over the world are the ones that mantain that permit to survive any single AHEE member ( the good ones and the ones not so good. ) with our money$$$$ not with their money.

Always is to easy " to play " with other person money but a different history to " play " with our own money. Don't you think?

That's my opinion, which is the one each one of you have on the whole subject? do you want to follow paying for audio items ( any ) that does not fulfill the MUSIC and your real own NEEDS?

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Great post, Thuchan. I think it is a really good summary.