Yesterday went to a dealer and heard a couple of excellent high-end systems. Probably not an unusual experience for most of you but it was for me.
Listened for a good while to an Esoteric cd player, and a VPI Scoutmaster w/ Benz-Micro, feeding Conrad-Johnson tube pre- and power-amps, kimber kables into JM Lab Alto Utopia Be speakers (about $22k/pair), in well-set-up room. Wow, nice, heard a variety of jazz, classical, acoustic guitar, rock. Also, for a shorter time, heard Rutter's Requiem through another system featuring new "reference" speakers by Gallo, I think called the 5LS, each about 7 ft. tall. All excellent, and the dealer's event allowed for no-pressure relaxed listening.
Here's my kicker - later at home, I listened with great enjoyment and satisfaction to my more modest system. No "audiophilia nervosa" urge to upgrade. Circumstances don't allow me to upgrade anyway, and that helps. But I dig my system - I think it gives me 80-90% of what I heard, for about 10% of the price. Phew, that was sort of a relief.
Yesterday went to a dealer and heard a couple of excellent high-end systems. Probably not an unusual experience for most of you but it was for me.
Listened for a good while to an Esoteric cd player, and a VPI Scoutmaster w/ Benz-Micro, feeding Conrad-Johnson tube pre- and power-amps, kimber kables into JM Lab Alto Utopia Be speakers (about $22k/pair), in well-set-up room. Wow, nice, heard a variety of jazz, classical, acoustic guitar, rock. Also, for a shorter time, heard Rutter's Requiem through another system featuring new "reference" speakers by Gallo, I think called the 5LS, each about 7 ft. tall. All excellent, and the dealer's event allowed for no-pressure relaxed listening.
Here's my kicker - later at home, I listened with great enjoyment and satisfaction to my more modest system. No "audiophilia nervosa" urge to upgrade. Circumstances don't allow me to upgrade anyway, and that helps. But I dig my system - I think it gives me 80-90% of what I heard, for about 10% of the price. Phew, that was sort of a relief.