[HeadphoneAddict]

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Funny, I don't like Grand Utopias as well. I heard MBL monos with mbl 101E speakers and also with Kharmas. Kharma speakers use these ceramic drivers that just sound bad to me, very high acoustic pressure. Different strokes for different folks as they say. One thing I got to give to 101E, they image well and have a huge sweet spot, but a bit diffused. If you want to talk more about PM. I had a lot of issues with MLB setup, LOL.
 
 
Nice system you got there.

When I heard the Grand Utopia at RMAF '09 I didn't like them, and thought they sounded dark and lacked detail.  I figured it was the room setup, or poor synergy with the source and amps.  Then I went to pick up the Salamander rack seen in the photo from Dinan and listened to his rig, and it sounded completely different and certainly better than what I heard at RMAF.  He had MBL speakers (funny looking) but they were sitting next to the Grand Utopia and not connected to anything.  As far as I know, the Focal in his home are loaners from his work or the manufacturer.  
 
I wasn't sure if my rig qualified as high-end because of the missing speakers and some of my transports being low end rather than having a Perfectwave transport, although my unibody Macbook Pro with 24/96 files might fit the high-end requirement.  The PS Audio Bridge with an NAS will likely come next.

 

[mrarroyo]

Larry, that system sucks and I can not let you live with such a lousy system. This offer is for only 24 hours and it will expire tomorrow at 8:10pm ===> pack all of it and ship it to me. You should still have my address but if not send me a PM. I am doing this as a last resort intervention to save you from all the suffering you are having, I am here for you!

 

[sachu]

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Faust2D, I heard an MBL source and huge mono-block amps at Dinan's house via a nice pair of Focal Grand Utopia speakers, and in no way did it sound cold and clinical at all! I would almost kill to own a rig like that, but jail kinda scares me.
 
I'm not sure my rig below counts as high-end, but it's better than mid-fi. All I have is a bad iPhone photo. 

 
Top to bottom - Eddie Current ZDT, Woo WES, Samsung DVD coax transport, PS Audio Perfectwave DAC.  The NAD 555 turntable is covered by a loaner Luxman P-1u, which I sadly had to ship back this Friday after reviewing it.  The HD800 are on top of the Luxman, while the O2 Mk1, HE60 and K1000 are just out of the photo.   All it needs are a couple of nice speakers, and a Perfectwave Transport.  (Unseen transports are Macbook Pro, Airport Express, and DLO HomeDock HD. The Travagans Red and Nuforce HDP SS amps are in the mix to use while the tubes warm up). 
 

Noob! 

 
p.s: Just about getting ready to test something that's going to join that pathetic rig..actually give it some class. 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Larry, that system sucks and I can not let you live with such a lousy system. This offer is for only 24 hours and it will expire tomorrow at 8:10pm ===> pack all of it and ship it to me. You should still have my address but if not send me a PM. I am doing this as a last resort intervention to save you from all the suffering you are having, I am here for you!

I can't afford the shipping.  Please send $17,000 and I'll get this off to right away!

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Noob! 

 
p.s: Just about getting ready to test something that's going to join that pathetic rig..actually give it some class. 

Something to sit in the place of the Luxman that's gone away.

 

[Faust2D]

Woo WES looks really nice I bet it sounds great with O2. I wish I had 5K to burn on an amp like that. I need to post some pics of my somewhat updated stuff.

 

[Lunatique]

Not an audiophile setup--just a home recording studio, but the Klein + Hummel O 300D monitors are considered high-end I suppose:

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I like the mood lighting.

 

[JB197]

Lunatique, that looks like a really cool place to be. Congratulations, and I hope you enjoy every moment.

 

[PabloDiner]

All these post make me want to walk out onto a highway. just when i thought i was happy with audioengine 5's... damn.

 

[nikongod]

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Head-fi beer? I'm sure there's a back-story to that one.

The head-fi community had some beer bottled and labled a few years ago.

 

[Hi-fi Wigwammer]

Just replaced my Voyd Valdi with it's bigger brother - the full-blown 3 motor Voyd.
Had to make my own armboard to mount the Helius arm - need to paint it matt black tomorrow. I was just in too much of a rush to get the deck up and running to care today!
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

[PabloDiner]

 
Quote:

Just replaced my Voyd Valdi with it's bigger brother - the full-blown 3 motor Voyd.
Had to make my own armboard to mount the Helius arm - need to paint it matt black tomorrow.

 

What kind of cables do you use? same brand throughout or different brands for different strengths/signatures?

 

[Hi-fi Wigwammer]

I use Kondo/Audio Note silver litz interconnect cables throughout (the tonearm is also wired with it) and Kondo KSL-SPc speaker cables. SPc is actually copper - would love their silver speaker cables but at £3000 per metre that is unlikely to happen!

 

[PabloDiner]

Quote:

I use Kondo/Audio Note silver litz interconnect cables throughout (the tonearm is also wired with it) and Kondo KSL-SPc speaker cables. SPc is actually copper - would love their silver speaker cables but at £3000 per metre that is unlikely to happen!

currently i use Blue Jean Cables in my set up (not hi-fi) and i'm thoroughly satisfied with them, they were pretty inexpensive for the level of durability and quality i perceive, but can a  $8000 per meter silver core cable really provide that much better of a connection? I'm sure it makes a more noticeable difference with much higher end speakers (currently using audioengine a5) but is the price difference really worth the fidelity? I understand this is a subjective question and probably asked a thousand times over, but i just cannot fathom forking out that kind of cash when you could instead pick up some $1000 speaker cables and buy a small town in mexico for 7g's instead.