[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

FWIW...I can absolutely hearvthe differences wrought by some cables. I got to the point that I could recognize the sonic signature of various brands (Kimber very bright, Audioquest neutral, Monster bassy). I considered them the final 'tone controls' to tweak the sonic signature. As to amplifiers, I'll just say that if you can't tell the difference between your Infinity's being driven by a Krell amp and by a Sony, then you need to get the wax out.

Just like most audio, the law of diminishing returns kicks in...that is, you can expect about a 10% improvement each time you double the investment. If you're not hearing at least that much, then don't spend more money.

To get close to the same tonal clarity and quality I get from my $2K headphone setup, I have over $6K in my speaker system. The imaging and soundstage is superior with the latter, but the musicality is better with the 'phones...and at 1/3 the price.

My Infinities would leave a Sony (amp) on the streets to die.  Actually, no they wouldn't.  They'd make it explode like Gunny does watermelons, as soon as it walked in the door.
 
I'm talking about amps with adequate power and a flat frequency response.  For me that means my preferred value/$ choices, Carvers and Adcoms - although I plan to replace the Carver with another Adcom for no reason other than to absolutely ensure that the fragile tweeters and mids don't run out of power.
 
And like I said, my roughly $6000 new/$1100 used speaker system far and away blows away, in essentially every way possible, what would be an approximately $2350 new/$1800 used headphone system (not even including a source or DAC)...  And that's with a similar sound signature.  I'm talking what's practical for me - and that means the best value for gear, which means used 90% of the time.  And since used speaker gear is more plentiful, and thus cheaper, than used headphone gear...
 
I think it's pretty clear we're not going to come to an agreement here, so I don't really see the point in continuing...
 
I'll post a few more photos of my system (again, in semi-storage as I'm abroad for the next five months...) in an attempt to get back on topic.  Note the basket of redwood pine cones on top of the turntable...
 

 

 

[immtbiker]

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Post pictures of your TICE Clock and then a comment or two might be appropriate, otherwise this is "Pictures of Your High End System" thread.

Tice clock and a picture of a HI FI-Tuning six pack of fuses.
 

 

[Sanderman]

A few pics of the speaker rig.  Wolcott amps, heavily modded CEC TL1X transport,  Audionote DAC 4.1 Signature dac. This is with my old Townshend rack.  That's one of the 2 power supplies for the Aesthetix preamp in the background....
 

 
The Aesthetix line stage in all it's 3 chassis wretched excess....
 

 
Analog front end....
 

 
The custom SRA (Silent Running Audio) Craz rack that replaced the Townshend it's all loaded on now....
 

 
Close up of the AN DAC...
 

 
Joe
 

 

[Yikes]

Yes Infinity Renaissance 90's would walk on most Sony speakers (even though they were released long after Harmon had already trashed the Infinity line), the real issue is that he was referring to a Sony amp in comparison to a Krell amp, not your speakers.

FYI - The Infinity Renaissance 90's retailed for $3,600 not $6000

 

[Sanderman]

Oh yeah,  I forgot the Sound Labs themselves, so finally a pic of one of the M1s....
 

 
Joe

 

[Yikes]

I understand the Electrostatic appeal. I owned the ML/Kinergetics mini-Statement system in the 90's. Stats are much more Head in a vise than most dynamics.

 

[n3rdling]

That is one hell of a speaker system Sanderman!  I've got Quad ESL 57s which I love and one day might switch to a nice set of Soundlabs if I enjoy them more.

 

[randerson3024]

Quote:

Oh yeah,  I forgot the Sound Labs themselves, so finally a pic of one of the M1s....
 

 
Joe

Fantastic system!

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

Yes Infinity Renaissance 90's would walk on most Sony speakers (even though they were released long after Harmon had already trashed the Infinity line), the real issue is that he was referring to a Sony amp in comparison to a Krell amp, not your speakers.

FYI - The Infinity Renaissance 90's retailed for $3,600 not $6000

I was referring to a Sony amp as well.  And the cost was including all the system's associated electronics - everything you see in the second photo.  Of course, the beautiful piano gloss finish was considerably more...
 
HK definitely hadn't trashed the better Infinity line at that point, but yes it was almost at the very end in 1992.  The Kappa x series was still in production, to be replaced by the almost-as-good Kappa x.1 series next year, and the IRS Epsilon (one of Infinity's best), Sigma, and Omega were yet to be released.  The IRS V remained in production for another six years.  The consumer line on the other hand...  Well, Infinity always made inferior consumer products.  I bet the SM series speakers outnumber (or come close to it) all those fitted with EMITs...

 

[Sanderman]

Actually that's really not true of the Sound Labs due to their forward dispersion pattern.  I used to own Martin Logan CLS IIs followed by IIAs and IIZs (over 10 years)  and those things defined head in vise.  Move an inch or tilt your head a degree and the sound changed dramatically.  Surprisingly, the Soundlabs are not like that at all.
 
Joe 
 
Quote:

I understand the Electrostatic appeal. I owned the ML/Kinergetics mini-Statement system in the 90's. Stats are much more Head in a vise than most dynamics.

 

[leesure]

Holy Jeebus Joe...between your 2 systems, you've posted enough gear porn to......well, I'd rather not say.
 
Ben,
 
Wow...saying "Carver and Adcom" is kinda funny given that they took such diametrically opposed views on providing power.  Bob Carver's 'suck it from the wall' approach vs. Adcom's HUGE ASS power supply and capacitance.  I always felt like the Carver stuff was running out of headroom, especially with harder loads.  The Adcom GFA-555 was a brut, that's for sure, and it sounded good, though not quite as refined as it's class-A counterparts of the era.  In that price range, I preferred the B&K amps.  My early 'high-end' system consisted of an Adcom GTP-450 (pre/tuner) and a B&K ST-140 amp with Celestion SL-12's, so I understand your point about value.  However, I always longed for the depth of wallet to afford an Audio Research Preamp/Krell KSA-150 power amp combo especially when I heard that through Wilson Watt/Puppies.  I got close over the years with a Sonic Frontiers Pre/Threashold Power combo as well as my current Audio Research/Musical Fidelity setup. I still don't think anything I've had can match the musicality of my LCD-2's...just like they can't match the imaging of the speaker rig. 

 

[XXII]

A high-end headphone rig but a low-end speaker rig 

 


 

 

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

Holy Jeebus Joe...between your 2 systems, you've posted enough gear porn to......well, I'd rather not say.
 
Ben,
 
Wow...saying "Carver and Adcom" is kinda funny given that they took such diametrically opposed views on providing power.  Bob Carver's 'suck it from the wall' approach vs. Adcom's HUGE ASS power supply and capacitance.  I always felt like the Carver stuff was running out of headroom, especially with harder loads.  The Adcom GFA-555 was a brut, that's for sure, and it sounded good, though not quite as refined as it's class-A counterparts of the era.  In that price range, I preferred the B&K amps.  My early 'high-end' system consisted of an Adcom GTP-450 (pre/tuner) and a B&K ST-140 amp with Celestion SL-12's, so I understand your point about value.  However, I always longed for the depth of wallet to afford an Audio Research Preamp/Krell KSA-150 power amp combo especially when I heard that through Wilson Watt/Puppies.  I got close over the years with a Sonic Frontiers Pre/Threashold Power combo as well as my current Audio Research/Musical Fidelity setup. I still don't think anything I've had can match the musicality of my LCD-2's...just like they can't match the imaging of the speaker rig. 

Yes, but it's all about value... I paid an average of $100 for the three Carver TFM-15CBs I have; the best price (and the one in the best condition) was a mere $80 at the local record shop (Flat Black and Circular).  Now, I'm not crazy about them (one of them was an accidental eBay win)  - they're complex, have very finicky meters, aren't particularly robust/reliable, and most of all they can't supply the current that the Infinitys need.  But they're a really good value for what they are, and they work fine with less demanding speakers.  The gain knobs are very handy, too - I sometimes set them up without a preamp.
 
The Carver preamp I have, on the other hand, is excellent.  It's neutral, transparent, etc. - everything a preamp should be, and it's got a good headphone amp section too.  It also has the controversial "Sonic Holography", which sometimes works well and other times just doesn't.  Funnily enough, I like using crossfeed with my headphones...
 
The Adcom, on the other hand, well it's also a value thing.  It's the most reasonably priced (on the used market) amp capable of driving most of the medium sized Infinitys.  It's neutral, has just enough headroom (well, like I said I want to get another GFA-555, since right now I have the Carver on the tweeter/midrange/midbass section), is very simple/robust, and is pretty much the most plentiful mid-high end amp out there on the used market.  I picked it up for $220 from an audiophile nut (he wanted to manufacture a CD anti-static spray...  although he was a really nice older gentleman) on Craigslist.  I like the looks too - as we all know, looks do matter...
 
I never got into B&K stuff - not really for any reason, just happened that way.  The Carvers (well, the first one anyway) were the first decent amp/preamp I found for the little RS 5s I inherited from my dad, and when I got the Kappas the Adcom GFA-555 was the amp that everyone kept talking about using with them, so I got one.  I've spent time with some other gear too, but nothing is quite as bulletproof as the Adcom.
 
One more thing - the tuner is a Carver TX-11.  It looks stunning... And it does a decent job picking up weak stations (with good noise reduction).  The sound quality for strong stations isn't above average though, and it doesn't do AM.  If I had bought the tuner myself I would have gotten the TX-11a (or b), which are said to be much, much better in the SQ department (and has AM reception).  Regardless, the brushed aluminum, and red/white LEDs make it one of the best looking tuners ever made IMO (and probably the coolest looking digital tuner, period).  Oh, and the buttons are absolutely, positively the smoothest and "clickiest" ever.  Sometimes I just sit there and press the buttons just to feel how awesome they are...  Okay, so that is a little weird - but you know how such things can be...

 
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A high-end headphone rig but a low-end speaker rig 

 

 
 

 

Now those are some headphone stands...

 

[jdandy]

Well, I am a newbee to Head-Fi, but so far I am enjoying what I am seeing and reading.  Lots of great information here.  I wouldn't call myself a serious headphone buff, although I do enjoy a few hours between the cans when the mood strikes me.  My main headphone rig is Sennheiser HD600 powered with a HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Class A headphone amplifier being fed with a McIntosh MCD500 CD/SACD player.  I find the sound very revealing, and always a treat to listen to.
 
I have three seperate systems in my home.  My main sound system is in the living room, plus there is a second two channel system in my studio, and a separate home theater 5.1 surround system downstairs.  All are McIntosh based systems.  Here are a couple photos.
 
 
Main System - Living Room

 
 
Studio System

 

[DjAmTraX]

Quote:

Here's a peek.

Here's the other side.  Sorry it took so long.  I was out of the country.