Round Earth set-up for a Linnie - The follow up - Does this count ?

[9designs]

Well some regulars with long memories may remember a thread earlier in the year I started:-

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum1/7167.html

Well I heard a system today I hope "qualifies" as an alternative/opposite system to people's perception of a Flat earth or a Linn system.

Spec (listed in true round earth order ;)

Wilson Watt Puppy 5.1
Transparent REF XL-SS
Nagra VPA Monos
DCS Elgar
DCS Verdi Lascala

So is this system considered any good? Opinions?

[yoda900]

What did it sound like must be the first question for you to answer.

[Mr Coherent]

Some ones been to central audio

[Mr Coherent]

How do you feel those mono's sounded, they look superb, always felt underwhelmed by the sound.
Still on the end of some nice wilsons should have been good

[9designs]

Mr Coherent wrote:

Some ones been to central audio

Hey not meant to give the game away ........;)

Top guy, a pleasure to deal with and a refreshing few hours chat, compared tothe Muppets often found in some dealerships... (and Forums......LOL !!!).

I'llpost my observations later, just want to get someopinions first.

[notaclue]

I dread to think how much that system would cost. Probably too much.

It had better be good. In fact, it had better be better than good. It had better be.It had. Better. Be.

[kennyk]

the bottom line is, does it sound right to you?

forget the foot tapping test, IMO, if you get the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end, then you're getting somewhere...

[9designs]

notaclue wrote:

I dread to think how much that system would cost. Probably too much.

It had better be good. In fact, it had better be better than good. It had better be.It had. Better. Be.

I think if you bought it all new, about 57grand...... so just a budget system really ;)

[Ant]

I'd like to listen to it

[murray johnson]

I'd have thought the Nagra's were a little underpowered for the Wilsons tbh and would have worked better with something a little (a lot!) more sensitive. I'm not a big fan of the Watts although I have heard some of the bigger Wilsons sounding ok.

[griffo104]

I've heard the Watts sounding very good but with some serious solid state welly being pumped through them.

I heard a DCS setup a few years ago, with a I think an Accuphase transport, going through Spectral amps, and I thought it was one of the best setups I've ever heard, especially considering it was digital. The music was an orchestral piece and the scale and timbre of the piece came across as good as I've heard from any digital source. Way out of my price league though, but proved you can get great sound at a show.

[9designs]

murray johnson wrote:

I'd have thought the Nagra's were a little underpowered for the Wilsons tbh and would have worked better with something a little (a lot!) more sensitive. I'm not a big fan of the Watts although I have heard some of the bigger Wilsons sounding ok.

Didn't seem underpowered, but may be not a good sonic match

[9designs]

I guess I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the system, perhaps from some recent Linn bashing on Forums I was to be in for some sort of revelation !!!

Well no !!!...... one word keeps coming to mind ...... "nice" .... it was "nice" and that perhaps isn't to good on the praise stakes !!!

Smooth, relaxed laid back would all be suitable subjective terms. What Inoticed was vocals were recessed, pushed back in the mix, and sounding from behind or the back of the cabinet. Top end was a little lacking in sparkle. Bass though plentiful and able to extend down low, was muddled, thick and lacked definition to what I'm use to.....

Hair standing up ??? think more likely to fall a sleep in front of it, or read a book !!.... Foot tapping....sing along.... Tune dem.... hahahha no chance ;)Music lost it's rise and fall, and variation in pace..... everything on one level and even .....

Various tracks showed it could kick ass on synth style bass line, very deep and powerful, impressive..... but so what !

Can't really make much comment on the individual items, except I'd think the speakers were the biggest "weakness" or mismatch. A forward sounding solid state amp might have worked better....Naim perhaps !!! And whatI heard was a system as a whole, in a room new to me.

Kind of shows price is no indication of sound or musical ability..... I'm sure a well matched 5-10K set-up would beat it....

Why anyone would spend 7K on speaker leads beats me !!! and 20K on the Wilson's must rank is theft !!!

[Hawk]

9designs wrote:

I guess I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the system, perhaps from some recent Linn bashing on Forums I was to be in for some sort of revelation !!!

Well no !!!...... one word keeps coming to mind ...... "nice" .... it was "nice" and that perhaps isn't to good on the praise stakes !!!

Smooth, relaxed laid back would all be suitable subjective terms. What Inoticed was vocals were recessed, pushed back in the mix, and sounding from behind or the back of the cabinet. Top end was a little lacking in sparkle. Bass though plentiful and able to extend down low, was muddled, thick and lacked definition to what I'm use to.....

Hair standing up ??? think more likely to fall a sleep in front of it, or read a book !!.... Foot tapping....sing along.... Tune dem.... hahahha no chance ;)Music lost it's rise and fall, and variation in pace..... everything on one level and even .....

Various tracks showed it could kick ass on synth style bass line, very deep and powerful, impressive..... but so what !

Can't really make much comment on the individual items, except I'd think the speakers were the biggest "weakness" or mismatch. A forward sounding solid state amp might have worked better....Naim perhaps !!! And whatI heard was a system as a whole, in a room new to me.

Kind of shows price is no indication of sound or musical ability..... I'm sure a well matched 5-10K set-up would beat it....

Why anyone would spend 7K on speaker leads beats me !!! and 20K on the Wilson's must rank is theft !!!

Sounds like something I wouldn't like either especially the thought of vocals being sucked back into the mix... Get the synergy right and im sure you can get much much better results for far less money than that, so dont give up on your quest yet ;)

[griffo104]

I can't really see the point in something like this. I'm maybe a bit different than some on here but if you are happy with what you've got why change ?

I'm perfectly happy with my Linn setup - regardless of any Linn bashing that may go one, although it doesn't particularly seem prevalent on this particular forum.

There is always the theory that you don't know what you are missing until you hear it and yet there seem to be a lot of people who buy gear - give it great write ups and then next month you see it in the classifieds and another thread started which states 'it was great but couldn't do bass/treble/mid like my old ones'

It seems to me that forums have trends which come a long - a few people move from solid-state to valve, or from one brand to next or some other such thing, rave about it and then a few others jump.

9Designs - it seems to me that you are happy with your system so why not just spend time enjoying it instead of worrying about what a few individuals think of the brand you own.

[9designs]

griffo104 wrote:

I can't really see the point in something like this. I'm maybe a bit different than some on here but if you are happy with what you've got why change ?

I'm perfectly happy with my Linn setup - regardless of any Linn bashing that may go one, although it doesn't particularly seem prevalent on this particular forum.

There is always the theory that you don't know what you are missing until you hear it and yet there seem to be a lot of people who buy gear - give it great write ups and then next month you see it in the classifieds and another thread started which states 'it was great but couldn't do bass/treble/mid like my old ones'

It seems to me that forums have trends which come a long - a few people move from solid-state to valve, or from one brand to next or some other such thing, rave about it and then a few others jump.

9Designs - it seems to me that you are happy with your system so why not just spend time enjoying it instead of worrying about what a few individuals think of the brand you own.

Maybe the point has been lost in time, I am happy with what I have, but in the interests of music and Hi-Fi I asked for suggestions on alternative "round earth" set-ups to listen to... so I could better understand what some bang on about, and to see if the "abuse" often aimed at Linn was well placed.....

I'd rather speak from personal experience, than repeat Internet hear-say and errr bollocks basically. So used my ears to form my own opinion, in an open mind manner.

Plus it's interesting to listen to alternative ways of music replay, helps keep objective about your own set-up. Which so far seems to be going in the right direction, yet to hear a set-up that plays music better, and it sounds "natural" as well... Obviously I've yet to hear what Mr C can offer....... one day ;)

I fully agree with the later part of your post, I see the same.