Your replies suggestions comments are welcome. And remember the Old Testament
Thou Shalt Not Honor False Gods. Wake up, Pinoydiophiles! Get out of your comfort zones and fixed ways of thinking. Harry Pearson's advise to me was to get you guys to get out of SET thinking and expose you to push pull triodes. You are big boys now. No hand holding. The Man has spoken. If HP said it it has to mean something, and I suggest you give him the benefit of the doubt. (I mean no disrespect to Rene). I have been briefed on how this group came about and I have given you the above as kind words from someone who has squandered a fortune groping his way around the block trying to find his way to audio nirvana. Now I offer myself as someone willing to share those experiences so that you can save those megabucks. I also had a lot of start up systems. from the Cyrus Ones to the Dynaco von Alstines to Celestion 3's. Ive matched up with the Big Boys and with the starter kits.
Hi GK,
I agree with most things you've said... I've read HP's articles in tha past starting around mid-90's (small journal format), and his constantly in flux mega buck systems. But I find the debates amongst reviewers and HP far more intresting when they aregue about musical tastes, equipment, etc. These days though I personally find most mainstream highend to be stale and boring with very few exceptions,
There is the so-called Cult of SET that is already mainstream by means of Cary and some budget Audionote UK stuff etal.... I don't want to diss those prodcuts, but most of those commercial offerings make serious compromises in design for cost effieciency and "attractive higher power ratings". Kelangan ng heavy mods to trulu shine... SET was stereotyped as midrange only amps because of the reason i just stated and combined with just plain wrong ancilliary equipment. PP Triodes in the commercial realm like the ones from VAC with paralleled triodes only hint at their true capabilities, which is really a shame (and waste of good tubes IMO). There are a few exceptions of course, but they are mostly very expensive custom and/or limited production types. There is a lot of dogmatic thing that Triodes are always superior, or SET is better than PP, or OTL is better because you eliminated the output iron, or OTL is unerliable, or SS sounds always sounds inferior to tubes etc etc etc... For me personally i don't buy into this, there is alot more creativity if you keep your ears and minds open and not be heavily indoctrinated, it all comes down to proper design engineering and implementation, there are loopholes. DIY stuff like anything else can be good or bad, that depends heavily on the DIY'r, but I mostly find the best of DIY (ss, tube, pc music servers, analog, all types of speakers) almost always tramples over commercial designs of even higher in $.
There are different types of tweaks IMHO.. One level is more akin to design changes and parts changes (cables, electronc and sources mods and upgrades, digital room eq and x-over for the bass frequencies..) The other is a dedicated room (optimization and component isolation and placement etc). The latter is very important as you pointed out, and I agree. But I have a personal hierarchy in setting up if I have more money and time to spend at least:
1. A dedicated music room with proper size and dimensions for the system (big or small)
2. Equipment synergy and maximization of each components' potential within the system.
2. Acoustic treatments tht are right for the room (mine is far from ideal
), component placement (speakers!) and isolation techniques.
I try to listen to all types of systems as much as possible if I have the privelege of access to it, and I bet others too or would too. I find that not making any sweeping judgments on certain technoligies is a good thing for there are too many facotors and variables involved, but of kors there comes a time that you just dont have to make any excuses. What sounds like a turd, really sounds like a turd no matter what tweak and system you put it into:D
The only cult I subscribe to is the "Cult of Good Music", which is a subjective thing and boils down to personal taste.