sorry...i must not have said it succinctly enough. i do think the analog stage is important. you, as the initiator of the 'whatever' preamp's superiority, have the burden of proof. and, in this case especially, only the facts will give an opinion validity.

on the point of speaker distance, this is where you and i differ. i would suggest building a room that isn't speaker distance handicapped. there are no diminishing returns there (unless you gold plate the walls). the time and money required are much better spent on the listening environment (which remains beyond our lifespan) than the audio hardware (which comes and goes with the changing technological winds) and the value increases with time. i'm a licensed builder, and residential design/drafting are 2 of the many things i do. the cost is not an issue with me, because it's where i live and i'm not of insufficient means.

of course i am aware of the importance of speaker placement. mine are all PRECISELY placed.

so, i understand if one of your issues is speaker distance (digital delay, which you don't have in analog) tweakability. it's just that, to me, it isn't a weak point for the 950.

Bosso:

I completely agree with your views on the importance of that "800 pound gorilla" - the listening room. A room that has certain ratios of length x depth x height can produce uncorrectable peaks and nulls in frequency response. Poorly thought out acoustic treatment (or none at all) can obscure the strengths of even the best equipment. Uncontrolled echoes, especially "slap echoes" can render even the best speakers ineffective at presenting a realistic image of the original performance.

Of course not all people can build a dedicated room, but there is a lot that can be done by simple arrangement of the equipment in the room and some thought given to the influence of objects near the speakers.

I really wish this topic would receive as much attention as is lavished on the differences between "brand A" vs "brand B". Listening room acoustics may not be as sexy or exciting a topic as the latest and greatest pre/pro, but believe me, it is far more important if the objective is the most realistic and faithful reproduction possible.

[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited April 10, 2003).]

Brianca pokes this thread with a stick to see if it's really dead......

Be Berry Berry careful!. If its like a ‘Terminator” movie. No telling where it will pop up next, just when you turn your back on it.

It ain't a good party if nothing gets broke.....

My two cents:

You know you're gettin' somewhere when people try and knock ya down!

Thanks Outlaw

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MeanGene's Home

Well, I've been gone a little over a week and look what happens.

I read the rules for this forum and abide by them--too bad others (ricky et al.) can't, however, I do enjoy a spicey battle now and then.

I agree with SH and the others-- Outlaw is great equipment and it's low price for the "bang" has allowed me to re-enter the separates again, and I am VERY greatful to Outlaw for this.

As a scientist (physical) SH is correct-- to conduct an experiment, one must take all precautions possible (re; blind testing) in order to insure that one's bias does not color the results. It sounds as if Ricky failed to do this.

I NEVER knock anyone elses equipment-- it isn't polite. Suggestion for Ricky: if you ever go to a "happening" (forum, convention, party, etc.) where like minded people are discussing topics (politics, religion, audio equipment, etc.), it isn't wise to tell them that they or their ideas suck. Instead, go to a place where a group with a mind-set like your own hang together.

By the time I got to the end of this thread, I was ANGRY. I hate being angry- it interferes with my natural flippant attitude. So please, Ricky and Friends, find another Forum other than this and attack them. Oh no, I just rubbed my over 50 year-old face and know what I found (from getting angry, I bet)? Two ZITS!! SEE WHAT YOU CAUSED!!!



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Hello All,
I can't believe that I just waded through most of this thread. IMHO there has been some great information, some marginal information, and just some crap. I'm back because I like the debate around here, and was bored. I wasn't disappointed.
Y'all spoke about qualifications. Well, I've been involved with Audio Engineering most of my life. Started with being raised by a great jazz musician and went to a degree from the University of Maryland in Audio Engineering, to employment by Disney, then many groups that you all know, 1000's of industrial shows, etc. In other words I've heard, been asked to review a lot of
equipment. I've done objective blind tests, and many more when i've just been asked what I liked. On this subject, I bought a new out-of-the-box Aragon Soundstage about two years ago with the promise that there would be an upgrade. My sojourn to the upgrade was long. It appears that my upgrade was if not a 'beta test' then close to it. My original version had a clocking error that caused the system to shut down after about ten minutes. Ultimately, through a ship-back of the piece to Klipsch/Aragon and many conversations with Adam at Mondial, I now have a very beautiful piece with 192khz/24 bit dac's, the Aurum Pre-amp, and all of the processing formats currently available.
Was it worth the cost/time? To me yes.
Caveat Emptor.
As Always,
Mix
And yes, I am an avid Outlaw Supporter. I've owned a 1050 and my entire system is supported by Outlaw cables.