ULTIMATE NERVOSA

[rollo]

  We all have it one way or the other. Gotta have the latest, NOS tubes, SS, Cables, Speakers, tweaks ? C'mon you know you have a weakness for something. Bass freak ? Imaging Guru, Midrange guy, What. Speak up what floats your boat. Neutrality, color, soft, loud ?


charles

[bpape]

Wow.  Where to start.

If the mids and upper mids aren't right (on the brighter side), doesn't matter to me what the rest is.  It won't work for me.

After that, the bass has to be solid, tight, and extended. 

Bryan

[Carlman]

For me if the room isn't right, it's almost pure luck whether you'll get all the audio goodness you want.. and if the room IS right, it still requires some luck.   But at least it's a little more predictable.

I'm looking for realism.  So far vinyl has the closest to reality sound I've heard.  Digital provides a new experience but not like reality.. something new.. which is fun as well.

Lately I've been tweaking a little on the gear but my ultimate focus is on finding good music and sharing with friends. 

-C

[richidoo]

I like to feel the sound of woody space inside my skull. I think it's in my sinuses, because I feel it behind my nose, and behind my eyes. It is a physical sensation.  It comes from dense midrange tone on wooden acoustic instruments, perfectly recorded with no phase distortion. Instruments playing in unison mix together to make natural phase interactions. Oh yeeaahhhhhhhhhh   

I really like speakers with no phase distortion from the crossover. Single drivers or 3 way with active crossover. Awesome.

Tubes, love em, hate em. At this moment I love them - 300Bs + 6SN7s = bliss. But I expect that won't last. I love linear bipolar chip amps the same way, in alternation with tubes.

The times that I have heard a room with flat bass response have always been peak musical experiences. I love my car stereo for that reason. So powerful, so intense, so satisfying, so cheap. 
Rich

[allenzachary]

Lately I've been tweaking a little on the gear but my ultimate focus is on finding good music and sharing with friends. 

-C

Over the years I've gravitated back and forth from record collector to music collector and hifi tweak to passive listener. 

At one point I had to have the material record, sometimes in several versions, UK pressing, German jacket, etc.  Then later, I was just interested in the music.  Sometimes I go after the ultimate sonic performance, other times, I just want to hear a song.  Lately, I've been satisfied by the speakers attached to my work desktop when Pandora "plays that song that's so elusive."

(I can't believe I am quoting Rush's Neil Peart.  It may be a new low for me.)

I agree with Carl that finding and sharing good music is the most satisfying.

[Bob in St. Louis]

- Crystal Clarity.
- "Openness".
- Oh yea...Good tight,clean bass. NOT boomy.
- Low noise floor.
- And everything else you guys said, except for that nasal/skull/sinus thing. ??? 

Bob

[richidoo]

Hey, don't knock it til you try it...     See, even jolly roger is smiling.

[Bob in St. Louis]

The only time I feel anything in my sinuses is when I'm getting stupid with eight 15" drivers. 

[richidoo]

Good decongestant?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Yes it is. 

[shep]

That sillyness of comparing gear. This evening I trotted over my ICE amp to compare with my neighbors gear which consists of stuff he's gotten from me over the years. His Hitachi vintage 78' amp I created with a Modulus tube pre from the early 80's. Neck to neck. He prefers his tubey sound. I'm on the fence. What was sure and blew him away was my ex. Straight Wire Maestro blew his recent Monster Cable out of the water. It was so obvious he immeditely order a pair from someone on Audiogon. This kind of nonsense turns me on!

[rollo]

Wow.  Where to start.

If the mids and upper mids aren't right (on the brighter side), doesn't matter to me what the rest is.  It won't work for me.

After that, the bass has to be solid, tight, and extended. 

Bryan

I'm with you Bryan. No brightness, crispness, or hardness. The soundstage cannot be in my face either, in line with or behind the speaker plane floats my boat.  Music must have weight and no skinny notes for me.
  THE KILLER IS EXAGGERATED SIBILANCE . DRIVES ME WACKO. Sony anyone ? Until one hears Holly Cole close miked [ Don't Smoke in Bed ] without that sharp sizzle one has NOT lived. Louie Armstrong's' singing is the true test. If Louie sounds natural ALL is well for me.
  Da room da room must be flat, no contributing peaks or nulls.


charles

[Bob in St. Louis]

Until one hears Holly Cole close miked [ Don't Smoke in Bed ] without that sharp sizzle one has NOT lived.

That song in particular, or the entire album?

Bob

[rollo]

Until one hears Holly Cole close miked [ Don't Smoke in Bed ] without that sharp sizzle one has NOT lived.

That song in particular, or the entire album?

Bob

  The entire album. If you have a polarity switch try it. When in phase its a different disc IMO. Orgasmic actually.



charles

[Bob in St. Louis]

Hmm...Interesting. Yes, I've got it. I'll have to check it out again.
The only polarity switch I have is for the bass augmenting drivers (< 80Hz), not the drivers from >80Hz. 

Bob