[Anaxilus]

The OP can't define 'best' yet equates best to 'cost'.  No point in continuing the discussion other than Googling the most expensive gear available which the OP could manage I assume.   

 

[Asr]

Quote:

If some one like a Sheikh, demanded his people to build him the BEST cinema in the world to give him the absolute best experience in the world... and he would gladly spend $20,000,000,000 if he had too....  
What would his servants go out and buy for him ??
 
There is no way in HELL that he'd get a $5000 system...I don't know that much about audiophile products but I'm sure the absolute best is in the six digit range.

 
You're assuming that "expensive" equals "best" which is a complete myth. There's plenty of expensive equipment that are vastly overpriced for what they are, and likewise just as much less-expensive equipment that offers more for the price. I can think of plenty of speaker models that cost more than $20K for example, but that doesn't mean all >$20K speakers are the "best," especially when it comes to one person's preferences. What if none of the >$20K speaker manufacturers make a speaker model with a sound that appeals to this theoretical one person?
 
One could remove the object of cost completely from the equation but that still doesn't address the huge variety of "sound" offered by the hundreds (thousands?) of different speaker models (and even more complication from sonic influences by amplification and source), and perception of sound is subjective too.
 
Quote:

Now, that's waaaaaayyyy wrong,  

1. live performers can make mistakes
2. Some music cannot be performed live
3. you could have bad acoustic due to the geometry of the place
4. you could have noisy neighbors...

 
A lot of times, you won't get the best sound with a live performance, but you compensate by having visual (and other sensory perceptions), thus making the experience better than what you get in you couch with your hi-Fi system. Best experience? probably. Best sound? sometimes.
 
For an unlimited budget Hi-Fi system, I'd split it between going to concerts regularly and have both architects and an acousticians design a room for the hi-fi system, and re-correct the room after the speakers have been installed.

I'd add the following additional detractions pertaining to live music:
- Non-optimal perception of acoustics due to improper seat location (too close, too far away, too far off to a side, etc)
- Even music performed live has the intrinsic restriction of being performed at a public venue - if we assume the ideal "goal" of headphones/speakers is to approximate the listening experience of a band or soloist/orchestra performing only for you and no one else. Or in other words, the experience of a band or soloist/orchestra giving you a private concert. Because I doubt most people actually want to re-create the experience of being at a public venue performance. If the ideal is a "private concert experience" (and it is for most people), live music becomes extremely cost prohibitive for almost everyone.
- To take the example of a soloist/orchestra specifically: I ask this question, do most people want the experience of a "private concert in an auditorium where you're in the first row" or "virtual re-enaction of being in the conductor's spot or even in the orchestra"? Either way, neither of those are attainable - well, except for those with big wallets who can spring for seats in the very first rows, maybe.

But then doing that every time for every live classical-music performance (and assuming travel costs for going to further performances, because let's face it, no single person lives in a place that will always have the best soloists/orchestras/performances) will end up costing far more than investing in a good headphone system and collecting CDs (or other formats as the case might be)....

 

[9pintube]

Quote:

A lot of people don't exactly get the point of the topic ...
 
If some one like a Sheikh, demanded his people to build him the BEST cinema in the world to give him the absolute best experience in the world... and he would gladly spend $20,000,000,000 if he had too....
 
What would his servants go out and buy for him ??
 
There is no way in HELL that he'd get a $5000 system...I don't know that much about audiophile products but I'm sure the absolute best is in the six digit range.

If this dude with a crap load of money, you keep referring to,  I'd hope he would START WITH THE RIGHT ROOM 1ST! (Size, Acoustics, The Dedicated power Lines ETC.ETC.) Then just to answer your Question about what equipment he'd buy! Simple, what ever the DEALER would tell him "This is the BEST Out there TODAY, and if he didn't know squat about what recorded music or even a HD system should sound like he'd be S.O.L. and have to keep upgrading every time his "know it all dealer" got the latest best equipment in, each month........Fact: I read where Fabio the dude with the long hair had a killer system with the best KRELL amps and speakers that were supposedly the best his money could buy and guess what...He had some friends over and cranked it up to show off his BIG BUCK, "Mines the best rig money can buy" and they all got so sick from the bass notes going so low and at a volume he was showing "IT" could reach, they all had to be hospitalized...NOW That's SMART isn't it!!!    what's the Quote "A FOOL AND HIS MONEY"...........Uncle Erik is on the right path again, IMO.....Believe me, I've heard and have seen 1st hand some of the most expensive equipment out there today and you'd be surprised how much of it sounds like crap.......for the simple fact that all of a great system components must match-up and complement each other........I know some of the smarter guys, or educated in "What makes a system Great" will agree with me.......FOOD FOR THOUGHT..........

 

 

[ClemBurmingham]

Quote:

Now, that's waaaaaayyyy wrong,
 

1. live performers can make mistakes
2. Some music cannot be performed live
3. you could have bad acoustic due to the geometry of the place
4. you could have noisy neighbors...

 
A lot of times, you won't get the best sound with a live performance, but you compensate by having visual (and other sensory perceptions), thus making the experience better than what you get in you couch with your hi-Fi system. Best experience? probably. Best sound? sometimes.
 
For an unlimited budget Hi-Fi system, I'd split it between going to concerts regularly and have both architects and an acousticians design a room for the hi-fi system, and re-correct the room after the speakers have been installed.
 

I'm not here to provide or pull from the conversation however,
 
-Live performers do make mistakes.  Doesn't that make the performance more organic?
-Some music cannot be performed live.  Wouldn't a sheikh, such as say Sheik Yerbouti (sorry had to do the Zappa reference) be wanting to listen to traditional instruments?  I mean sure he could be in to electronic music or layered music.  Though some music that was in the past was not performable on stage, I'm sure some of it can now.
-Well again, the sheikh would have the room tailored to the same set up all the time.  Kind of like you having a room built, and then adjusted. What about the performers you ask? He is a billionaire.  He can BUY the performers.
-Noisy neighbors... really? If I had that much money, or a sheikh had all that money, neither of us would live anywhere near people
 
As far as live sound, get a really good live sound guy, mix it well, and have him mix it down to a monitor section, run cabling out to an isolated room, signal into amp, amp out to your favorite headphones or speakers, adjust to preference.  If you buy a whole live room that is.  As far as having a room built for me I don't know about that.  I mean I would have to pick a spot, and then the room has to be tailored to have the best sound in that spot and that spot only.  If I move out of it by them tweaking the room too much, dead spaces and phasing occurs and what if I bring something in the room.  What if the room is built for me and a chair and I bring someone else in to listen? Yeah, then neither of us have a good spot.
 
That being said and I know the personal preference horse has been beaten... It's personal preference.  I'd spend the money on new headphones, amps, tweaks, speakers.  Anything to find a unique sound signature.  Maybe make a few rooms with different setups, so I can have what I want when I want.
 
Then put the rest in an account and live a good life.

 

[khaos974]

Quote:

Well, that can be true, but for one, if an orchestra is worth getting paid a million dollars(or however much would be equivalent of the perfect system) to play, they'd most likely(they better be) be able to make music without making mistakes. And if you had another million to throw away, you can get the best seat. And plus I'm pretty sure the acoustics for these music halls aren't half bad since they probably cost multimillion dollars to build them in the first place. But if you're still not satisfied, you can throw in some million dollars to improve the acoustics. Also, I don't think the music halls of such size as one shown in the picture would be just built on random place without consideration of location. e.g loud neighbors. And when you talk about noisy neighbors, keep in mind that perfect speaker/room setup is not exempt from the possibility of having loud neighbors either  
But yes, it's true some music can't be played live.

It depends on the orchestra, Berlin Phil, London Symphony and other world class orchestras, and even less famous  (but still quite good) orchestras like Radio France play without mistakes, but you don't always get to see them play, it may be a more local orchestra, or smallish jazz formations...

And when I mean have an acoustician work on your room, it no only means negating resonances, using bass traps at the right places... but also isolating your room from noisy neighbors and bot allowing (much) sound to leak out of your room.
 

 

[Kees]

Quote:

A lot of people don't exactly get the point of the topic ...
 
If some one like a Sheikh, demanded his people to build him the BEST cinema in the world to give him the absolute best experience in the world... and he would gladly spend $20,000,000,000 if he had too....
 
What would his servants go out and buy for him ??
 
There is no way in HELL that he'd get a $5000 system...I don't know that much about audiophile products but I'm sure the absolute best is in the six digit range.

If I were in this hobby and had that much money to spend I still wouldn't (need to) spend a six figure amount to get the best of the best. Thousands yes, maybe even tens of thousands, but I definitely never heard a reason to spend more.
 

 

[mochimon]

you guys are freakin idiots.
 
$6 million home theatre:  http://freshome.com/2008/02/07/jeremy-kipnis%E2%80%99-6000000-home-theater/
 
this entire building was redone for this 2 channel listening room. its on its own power line, and has been changing a LOT over time: http://forums.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1036349020
 
 
 
according to some quick googling, an entry-level imax theatre costs a little over $3 million to build - not bad at all.  of course this is just construction costs, and doesn't look at the cost of upkeep and staffing of the theatre - not to mention the hefty liscencing of commercial high-res films (if u have a screen like that, blu-ray would simply not cut it)
 
 
personally, i know i could top these budgets, but most of that money would be spent towards outrageous architecture, staffing, and rediculous amenities.  If you really wanted to make it special you would need to put some thought into it - like you would need to buy and display major objects of movie history: scripts, original prints, set pieces and props, costumes, etc..  hell, if i were doing it, i would straight up finance and produce my own damn films - so i could really watch what *I* want to watch.

 

[00940]

The most technically impressive demo I've heard was a pair of top of the line Avalon speakers, driven by a stack of big PassLabs amplifiers. Transport and DAC were DCS iirc. I'll let you compute the cost and multiply for multiple channels. Than you have the room to setup properly, the projectors and so on... I think I can easily build this Sheik a system for more than a million.
 
The demo that impressed me the most though was a pair of single drivers speakers with PHY drivers. The speakers were about 15K but the tube amplifiers and source were more reasonnable.
 
Let's dream a bit at times... It doesn't hurt.
 
 
Disclaimer: I wouldn't ever buy such setups nor advice such to friends.

 

[customcoco]

Quote:

There was a really huge horn system that was built but I can't find the pics.  

acapella audio arts sphaeron? 

 

[Landis]

Quote:

There was a really huge horn system that was built but I can't find the pics.  

If you're talking about the one I think you're talking about (big silver horns, some sort of planar cabinet thing in the middle, very aesthetically futuristic and kind of looked like a time machine) then I just tracked down a post I had made in another forum with it, but unfortunately I linked to the original and it seems like the picture is gone.
 
Regarding the thread topic... I don't think I could ever justify spending such a large amount of money on audio equipment! Speaking as infinite-amount-of-money Landis though... Well, I'd buy everything; that's right, all the headphones.

 

[FallenAngel]

Ooh, that system must sound awesome... oh wait, nothing is plugged in so it doesn't make a squeak!  Yes, pun intended, it's Ratatouille on the screen!

Quote:

you guys are freakin idiots.
 
$6 million home theatre:  http://freshome.com/2008/02/07/jeremy-kipnis%E2%80%99-6000000-home-theater/
 
this entire building was redone for this 2 channel listening room. its on its own power line, and has been changing a LOT over time: http://forums.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1036349020
 
 
 
according to some quick googling, an entry-level imax theatre costs a little over $3 million to build - not bad at all.  of course this is just construction costs, and doesn't look at the cost of upkeep and staffing of the theatre - not to mention the hefty liscencing of commercial high-res films (if u have a screen like that, blu-ray would simply not cut it)
 
 
personally, i know i could top these budgets, but most of that money would be spent towards outrageous architecture, staffing, and rediculous amenities.  If you really wanted to make it special you would need to put some thought into it - like you would need to buy and display major objects of movie history: scripts, original prints, set pieces and props, costumes, etc..  hell, if i were doing it, i would straight up finance and produce my own damn films - so i could really watch what *I* want to watch.

 
 

 

[n3rdling]

The crazy horn system I'm talking about was MUCH bigger than that photo.  I don't remember a ton about it, but I do remember one of the horns was bigger than a room and had to be extended well outside of the building.  

 

[melomaniac]

sadly, I see many wealthy people spend what even to them is a very substantial amount - just so they can play what to most of us here on head-fi might not justify any expense on music reproduction gear. and while there certainly are people who could afford to maintain their own band/ensemble/orchestra (which of course is how it used to be a couple of centuries ago) they don't do that - they get in-wall speakers that rattle and play radio-quality steppenwolf on heavy rotation, or whatever they danced to in high school... but they believe it sounds good because a) that's what it sounded like in their car when they were in high school, and b) they spent a whole lot on some unscrupulous surround-sound installer to the rich who promised them an awesome system.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by ClemBurmingham /img/forum/go_quote.gif
-Well again, the sheikh would have the room tailored to the same set up all the time.  Kind of like you having a room built, and then adjusted. What about the performers you ask? He is a billionaire.  He can BUY the performers.

 

[InFn-0]

It has to be something with which there is an emotional attachment, perhaps something mr.sheikh built with his own hands? 

 

[virometal]

Some of you guys are party poopers. The dude just wanted to chat about the high, high end.
 
--
 
With unlimited funds, my first purchase would be a top of the line Runco projector.