what percentage of us really knows sound

To start off I like my system!
BUT to paraphrase Zen Master Suzuki: My system is perfect as it is and there is plenty of room for improvement.
I agree with Juan, Have not heard a lot of people's audio systems BUT most of those were at best so-so, MY opinion. What is worse, in my view, is most systems in audio stores are at best no better, even in the "special high end" rooms.
Trying to tease out what it is in a system that allows one to hear things the way you do and what is just fluff or extraneous is blessedly hard work.
My system is for me, not to impress anyone but to get me nearer my music indeed.

Well we haven't had a thread like this in a while; which is a good thing.==,Oh, and don't we just love it that we can post our opinions;no matter how many folk we step on???
Surely,as enough have pointed out,we all pay our money and have different tastes,ears,budjets,rooms and such.
I did own Merlin MM's and sold them for what I paid;pronto.Just not my cup of tea.---Or, I like that mid coloration and more percieved bass,in room.--Only because I owned them do I trash the Merlins.--Course, violin's don't get that low.
As a guy whom plays an instrument; I have no answer for that. I do play the kazoo,however.
The system I heard at a freind's house was my first recognition of what my system lacked (back in the late '70's's)As best as I remember this is what he had: Lynn tt. Rosewood cart. Mac. ss stuff and I think the brand is Advent 1+1 for speakers.--This stuff just blew me away. For years this was my goal.
Here's what I have now; so any, so inclined, can pp in MY cornflakes: Meridian 808-i2 Rowland 312 Sophia 2's Tara Zero Gold ics Omega speaker wires. Audience T-6 for the conditioning,'cause I live in a 95 unit complex with its horible power.--Spell-check is down so this post shows me at my normal intel. level.
So,anybody can come over. I have ear pluggs and asprin.

While the OP came off as a little bitter & angry, for reasons best known to him, he has a semblance of a point. Gotta say that I'm surprised when looking at photos of the various systems posted on the 'Gon, at how many killa systems look totally out of place in the rooms they're in! I think your system should reflect your lifestyle, some people can afford to live large, some can't. Personally, I have a modest system, 'nuff said!;)

Jmcgrogan said it best. If it makes you happy, who are we to rain on their parade. Through the more knowledgable people here on the gon, I have learned countless times how to better my listening experience without spending dollars. If your perception is that a friends system could benefit from this or that tweek, share that with him and show him where the sound is. Just my 2 cents

Hello to all from Larry from High-End Palace,

I personally do not like threads because I believe that 80% of times they do more harm than good but I must admit that this is an interesting topic, a topic that I can relate to well “The knowledge of sound reproduction”.

Sound reproduction is serious business and it starts with good reference recordings. Right from the start you have deal with this, if you want good sound you must have good recordings. Not a simple task since less than 5% of CD’s and LP’s holds up well in a good high-end system.

Music lovers and audiophiles do their best to achieve the highest quality possible in sound reproduction with their high-end audio systems from what they know, what they have heard at friends homes, local high-end shops, reviews, threads and magazines.

I believe that the best thing a music lover can do if he is he is into high-end stereo systems and sound reproduction is to attend high-end audio shows like the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Axpona, CES and a few other new shows taking place this year like the California Audio Show in San Francisco and the Capital Audio Fest.

I believe if you have a passion for high-end audio you can hear and see for your self what high-end audio has to offer. You learn a lot at these high-end shows, you listen to music that you have never heard before, you get to expand you music library, you make new friends in the same hobby as you and you keep the hobby and lifestyle alive.

Attending high-end shows helps you make your own personal judgment easier by providing a better understanding of the sound that moves you. I truly believe that when you love something, when something moves you and you want to be good at it that you have to practice, you have to try new things, experiment, develop your own style or system that works for you.

Now days I have listened to thousands of high-end systems because of these high-end audio shows and installations of high-end systems for our clients and friends worldwide. Besides all the experience of all these high-end audio systems I have done live and studio engineering for over two decades and play multiple instruments on stage and in recording studios.

Sound reproduction is what I know well and I can tell you that if you truly love high-end audio like we all do here that attending high-end audio shows will make your knowledge of sound reproduction better, it will help you refine your ear, knowledge and sound quality of your audio system.

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