^^^^ This is a strangely common remark made by people who scoff at very high priced audio equipment. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen it. Some say "you could hire The Stones to play for you personally with that type of money," etc. Even as a joke supposed to make a point; it just utterly misses the mark.
What someone gets with a super high end system is generally what most of us want with out less pricey systems: the ability to hear a WIDE VARIETY OF MUSIC played by a WIDE VARIETY of favorite or known musicians, in the highest quality possible. Even if you just stuck to listening to symphonic music, the point is there are a huge number of recordings by heralded orchestras, conductors, classic performances, performers contempory and deceased etc, that a great system will allow you to hear in the best possible quality.
Then add to that a wider range of tastes one may have - rock, folk, pop, R&B, electronica etc - and you have an endless array of music and great performances to hear in the highest quality. So, no, you could not purchase anything LIKE the array of music by known musicians for the money you pay for even the highest priced Wilson systems.
One can certainly try to evaluate the performance/quality-to-cost ratio to render a critique of these high priced items. But this weird critique "you could hire live music for that money" should just go away, it’s so nonsensical and so utterly misses the point.
One of pet peeves too. First of all, richopp was probably being a bit facetious when he said you could buy an orchestra, but, most full time orchestra members make over $100K. So, no... Most posts of this type, usually say, "with that money, you could travel the world going to any concert you want". But here's the thing. Anyone with the kind of money to be able afford this type of system, would also be able to travel the world going to as many concerts they want. The person that buys these Wilsons, and the rest of the type pf equipment that would go along with them, hardly had to scrimp and save to buy these. |
Erik, yes, you are. There are aimed very specifically to location, both
of the speaker and the listening position height etc. Quite shocking in
fact, how a small change in these positions can make a dramatic
difference.
The problem is our ears are not omni directional microphones. No matter how well adjusted the speaker is, If we listen with our chins down (i.e. normal reading position) we will hear a tweeter differently as it is raised up due to comb filtering that occurs at our head/ear. This is how we hear height. That is, take an ideal, point source driver. Listen to it at 30 inches above the floor, then at 60 without moving your head. It will not sound the same. So, I'm very curious how much of an effect these speakers will have. |
Mike: The Audiogon discussion forums have changed. The days of IMO or IMHO are gone. Several members seem to think that their opinions are fact - in a very bloviating way. Their chronic posts are as fatiguing a noisy tweeter.
Not just the Audiogon forums, pretty much all forums. I haven't heard these, but I have heard the Alexandria XLF in a correctly sized and corrected room, and I was very impressed. And previously, I would not have considered myself a Wilson fan. I would have to assume the Chronosonic are better. THere have been few speakers I've heard that are able to get the scale close to realistic size. An orchestra seemed very much like the scale of an orchestra from about 15 rows back, and a singer with a guitar was also accurately scaled. |
@mikelavigne I guess we will have to agree to disagree. The forum in question has some of the worst moderation of any I have ever been on. To that, there seems to be a person ( we both know who he is) that throws as much mud as he wishes...with absolute impunity. I think you were the brunt of his recent ad hominem...whether you believe it or not.
IMHO, this forum is moderated infinitely superior to that one. Over there, so many blowhards that believe their own ’BS’ it’s staggering. No moderation on ad hominem’s and failure to halt agendas...like the site owners' ongoing push to sell gear he reps.
I am VERY pleased that I have absolutely nothing to do with those folks on that forum..here is a much healthier place...even i think for you!
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I find the situation odd and this may be my own preference but IMHO (sorry to disappoint you steakster) it is unlikely that any Wilson loudspeaker can come close to matching the tall Sound Labs speakers for detail, transient response and phasing. I have never heard a dynamic speaker come close. Why anyone would spend that kind of money on a loudspeaker when you can have the state of the art for $50K is beyond me. Ego maybe? Perhaps not knowing that such loudspeakers exist? Maybe they just got sold on them. Whatever. I have heard big Wilson's (not the 3/4 million ones) and big Magico's (but not YG's) and none of them match big ESLs. I do not own a pair of Sound Labs yet but that day is surely coming. |
