Quote:
Originally posted by charlie:
Actually I was pretty impressed that the discussion stayed civil. Pretty good for a 'net forum. Even the Anthem guy (forgeet his name) was only mildly snobbish and had the good taste to bow out soon.

As for what is and isn't high end .... I tend to assume most outlandish claims are untrue. Further, companies and people who make such claims taint their other, less incredible claims by association. Things like:
  • Power wires that make a processor or power amp sound "better" with no instrumental proof
  • Premium wire in general, but to a lesser degree
  • Descriptions of "better" sound that are like listening to a wine critic.
  • Unfalsifiable claims in general


I also believe that, to a degree, a person generally gets what they pay for. Folks like "Mr Anthem" get irate, but really, look at the products! The Anthem [b]may sound similar, but the plethora of non-sonic features and options catapult it in a different class than the 990, and in this price class being able to smoothly integrate into a system is worth substantial $$$, since by this time it's assumed the sonics are at least passable. [/b]
This is true. I've always had issues with power cords making my system sound better. I've heard the difference I think. However I'm not convinced its really there.

Premium Cables... well I can tell the difference between brands which means they do something to "taint," the signal. I suppose the taint that suits your tastes is the one to go with.

As for critics who use wine tasting like comparisons I concur. I understand "harsh," but someone had to explain "bright," to me when I first read about it. I want a description that lets me know why its really better. "Rounded," sound? WTF, I need a reviewers glossary.

I hope I was able to say why we all thought the Arcam AV8 was better than the rest. The image was deeper wider and more defined. Meaning that if someone dropped something and it broke on the floor you could sense the exact spot where it broke. Master & Commander you could hear the wood creak in direct spots. It was far more defined than any of us (except the lucky Arcam owner) had heard before. The sound image was far more three dimensional. Hopefully that description makes sense.

No magic, just the best sound we'd heard from movies we KNEW.

To me it was a painful double edged sword. It proved that at least some high end really do something better to make them worth more money (to some people anyway).

Unfortunately it also made me want an Arcam. I think my pocketbook would have been much happier if I'd never witnessed that and just had to make the 990 or AVM30 decision. Which to me would have been easy and saved me $2,000. Instead I spent $4,000 more.

Again when you look at the specs and see the innerds you understand why one is better than the other. There is no magic going on, just a lot more processing power, more DACs, etc.