Audiophile systems of awe.

In the mid 1990’s I met Mark Levinson. At that time he ran a company called Cello Music and Film. I heard his system. I have been into this hobby since the early 1970’s. I had never heard anything as life like as the Cello system. I liked it so much I bought one. It took ten years before I ever heard a system that sounded better.

Davidny, what was the system that trumped the cello music system?

Davidny,

Yeah, as Pedrillo asked, what was the system that trumped the Cello system?

The best system I ever heard (that was many years ago, and I might have a different opinion now) Was a Decca London cartridge, in (I think) a Linn table, into Audio Research tube preamp, and Audio Research tube mono amps into Infinity Servo-Static 1A speakers. It took my breath away. ..but then I head the total Cello system a few years ago and wasn't impressed at all.

The MBL systems that I had heard in the last two hi-end shows were definitely impressive, but only with some types of music. I had spent at least three hours in their rooms at each show. Some of the music they were playing just took my breath away. But these are mostly large scale music like choral, orchestral, or rock music. I tried some small jazz ensembles, solo instruments or solo vocals, and although they still sound impressive, the system make them "much, much larger than life".

At Stereophile show two years ago, MBL played a choral track from a Reference Recording CD over and over. It was so awesome, that many people went straight to Reference Recording's room to buy the CD after each demo. I was one of them. That CD was from 1991 and I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be the best selling CD for RR at that show. I've been using that track as a reference when I audition speakers/systems. But I've not heard anything that came close to what the MBL system was able to do.

FrankC