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Best HOME system you've ever heard

Hopefully its your own. For some of us were still taking steps to get there. One thing I have realized is that its not all about money. 2 examples.

The best system my Uncle has ever heard was from a friend in Calgary who used a CAL audio cd player, Ayre K1-X preamp, Halo speakers (???) and a budget NAD power amp. My Uncle and the owner of the "Audio Room" had both said it was by far the best home system they had ever heard. To the extent that the Hifi Shop owner was purposly trying to build a room which sounded better using much more exotic electronics, but simply could not.

Second example is when I heard a system that got me into this whole mess back in the 90's. It was simply a Nak cd player, SimAudio Celeste pre/amp and Mirage M-3 speakers. The sound that came from that system was just jaw dropping. Soundstage and dynamics have not been matched since then to these ears. Perhaps I have warm and fuzzy memories of inferior systems of past but that system destroyed a system the same owner put together 8 years later including Totem Mani 2's, copland pre, Moon power, Nak cd. It wasn't even close.

I was curious of the BEST HOME setups you've heard. I hope to hear of stories of how people have come up with crazy and sometimes weird combo's and pulled off reference musical system from them. The $7k Ayre preamp with the $800 NAD power amp had everybody scratching their heads and made quite a few people "angry and puzzled" that story always made me chuckle, who would have thought.
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gliderguider's avatar
gliderguider
294 posts
 
To my mind there are two challenges in building a great home system (three if you count assembling thse initial bank balance...) The first one is figuring out what kind of sound you're after. The second is putting together a room that will do provide the right acoustic environment for that sound. After that, it's mainly a matter of experimenting with enough gear to figure out what design philosophies provide the sound you're looking for, and maximizing those qualities when you find them. In my experience the best gear for a particular system is usually not the most expensive available, but at the same time it's never inexpensive.

I'm after a natural, organic, tonally dense, highly focussed, ultra-transparent sound, with a natural warmth, speed you don't notice and dynamics that sound real rather than impressive. Intimacy is more important to me than scale.

This has led me to a system consisting of a very high quality single ended amp, highly efficient dynamic (non-horn) speakers and a tube-based, transformer-coupled, non-oversampling digital front end. The system is in a medium sized, symmetrical, well-damped but not over-damped room.

I'm content that for my tastes, my system is the best I've ever heard. I can no longer think of anything I want to change, or even play with.
jond's avatar
jond
5,846 posts
 
The best I ever heard was a system at Deja Vu Audio in Mclean, VA. It was an Esoteric DV-50 universal player, into one of Vu's preamps and amp. He builds incredible sounding gear. This system fed a pair of single driver horn loaded speakers he had built, utilizing a tubed active crossover. I think it surprised even Vu when he threw in a plain cd of Mel Torme and it was like he was in the room. Amazing! And I couldn't even afford half of it! Ah well, it's good to dream. By the way, I am in no way affiliated with Vu or his store.
hooper
396 posts
 
I agree that the system-room interaction is exceedingly important--perhaps THE most important factor in assembling a true reference system. I have a basement listening area that I thought was going to give me boatloads of acoustic problems, but after some treatment and some positive compliments from a few "golden ears," I was pretty happy. My system certainly isn't the best out there--and the room, at best, can be described as "quirky"--but it's one of the best I've heard, as presently configured. As gear evolves and improves, I'll likely make some changes, but for now, I'm pretty damn happy.
chip_henderson
6 posts
 
Hmmm....

Sumo Andromeda amp, Linn LP12, and Vandersteen speakers. Can't remember the pre-amp in that set-up, or the Vandersteen model, but it was the system that started me down this path 15 years ago.

It made a huge impression on me at the time. I'd been introduced to "audiophile" stuff the year before, but that's the first time I heard the music and not the gear.

I'll be bold and say that my system now probably bests that one (but just by a little), but that's the one that counted in my memory. Thanks for the time-warp!

Chip
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Tuff question, I guess mine as I live in an audiophile starved area for the last 20 years. The few audiophiles I have run across...had the gear, but not the room, or knowledge to set it up properly IMO.

It's hard to bring everything together what with wife factor, room, cost, component synergism, knowledge...ect, ect... so those factors place what should or could be a very nice system at a dis-advantage around my neck of the woods.

If it was not for Audiogon and the other audio sites I visit...I may feel I was the only audiophile left in the world!

Dave
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