Something For Snake/RSD... Â $350K Monoblock...

[Revlis]

Ya, know... I see em' all around, tasting wine, smoking cigars, preaching delicately of the "Headiness" or "Hints of Mocha" etc.   They are called Aficianados,  Sommeliers, or in this case Audiophiles...  BAH Humbug...

Am I the only person on the planet that is annoyed by these types of sugarbritches?  Pretending to find differences in wines based on the amount of Sun a particular region got in a particlular year.  Getting together and blowing smoke up each others asses about this or that?  I am not talking just preferences, I am not talking about the difference between a Maduro or a Natural wrapper, or wines from a different region or a different year.  No, there are obvious differences...

BUT, It's the fruit cakes who blather on and on, pulling the most obscure "70's Hippy" fuggin adjectives outta their asses to describe a taste, a smell or a fuggin sound.
 
I don't really consider myself an Audiophile, sounds too much like Pedophile.  But I do know good sound from bad sound.  I understand the ideas of presence, staging, distortion, coloration, and clarity.  But read this review and see if this stuffed poop butthead doesn't just reak of someone who needs a serious thrashing...   Stereophile  "Wavac" $350K AMP Review

I dunno, folks that just take things too damn far, Scrawny shoulder-less little freaks at a company dinner that prattle on endlessly about this or that vintage and are constantly busting out their "extensive" wine knowledge "For all to Admire?"  

I dunno, just like anything in life, everything in moderation...  I think sometimes folks get too wrapped around a hobby, or their work, or their cool sportscar, or yeah, even a motorcycle I suppose.  They start to think that their knowledge of a thing, or their possession of a "Thing" somehow makes them "cool"...  Usually it's them guys that used to get beat up a lot in school.  Or them little guys that are still overcompensating...  

Anyhoo, RSD / Snake I am not directling any of my rant in your general directions, just thought you all might get a kick outta the write up...  Listening to someone justify a $350K power amp...  Damn, This jerkweed needs to be politician..

 

[Iced]

I can't tell if you are FOR or AGAINST in this email...

can u be more descriptive?

j/k

 

[Lazerblade]

Yes, please exfoliate more.

 

[thesnake]

Revlis,

I couldn't agree more-- the thought of any AMP going for that price is mind boggling. The fact that is has wonderful clarity and is fairly transparent-- wow that's earth shattering ain't it? For that price, I can probably hire Ted Nugent to jam at my house for a year!


I ain't a fan of audiophile mag, because I've always felt they try to pander very high end stuff on the consumer. Very few times have I read any regative in their mag. The link I provided (avguide.com), I really like because to caters to all budgets and compares apples w/ apples. They have plenty of high end reviews, but it is balanced with normal joe smo who wants a decent system type reviews.

Motorcycle mags are much like audiophile mag-- they rarely print any negative in order to keep adv. dollars up. Every bike that comes along is the greatest and every year there is the next wave of "busa killers." Funny ain't it?

-snake



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[thesnake]

FYI-- when I was piecing together my system, I spent 6 months listened to nearly hundreds of processors, amps, wires, and speaker combos. The logan purists baulked at me not going with high end monoblocks. I listened to em both many times (mono's and multip amp) and I couldn't hear any difference between the my classe (which is by no means cheap ~4k) compared with monoblocks that would of come out to around 25k for 5 channel. The sales guy heard some minor nuances, but I attributed it to that he musta passed the bowl a few too many times. I heard ziltch difference.

 

[Revlis]

Yep, That's pretty much what I am on about. It's like the phantom HP I felt from bolting on my my uh... Bolt-ons, Sure sounded more powerful, therefore it must be true.

The worst one of these.... We need a name for em'... Social Extremists.. Obsessives?... Whatever, the worst example of this sort of Psuedo Cultural masturbation is a guy that is married to one of my wife's co-workers... All of about 5'8", Skinny, "Frier Tuck bald", Birdchested little guy. He Doesn't let the Valet's Park his Porsche, he inspects his place setting, and then will spend the evening "Sharing" his voluminous knowledge of the grape with everyone... Freakin Niles Crane incarnate without the humor...

It's that arrogance of those kept alive because it's illegal to kill them Ya know?

Bah, I am being a little harsh but I am a little bored... And this article just cracked me up...

 

[thesnake]

oohhhh but the grapes were great in 1999, haven't you heard?

Perfect blend of soil acidity, moisture, sun, and the god's blessing.

I like a good chianta (highly reccomend Gabbiano btw), but I chuckle when some grape head sits down for dinner and talks out of their rear for 30 minutes pontificating. I just ignore them and let em pick up the wine tab for last laughs.



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[BulletTrain]

I coulda swayed either way with the guy's point of view until I got to this part...

Bass presentation was equally sensational, if unusual: bigger and warmer than I was used to—which it needed to be to match the voluptuous midband—but not sloppy or weak or incoherent. In fact, listening to the Weavers' Reunion at Carnegie Hall 1963 (45rpm LPs, Vanguard/Classic), I heard something for the first time that amazed me. Pete Seeger can be heard tapping his foot at the right of the stage during "Guantanamera." I've heard those foot-taps for decades, but through the SH-833s, for the first time I could hear—and clearly—that Seeger was accentuating the third beat in each bar. I could also make out how far the vibration spread across the floorboard before dissipating.[/QUOTE]

Oh puhleeease!!! I instantly and unrecoverably fell into the same camp as Rev from there on. There's nothin' that guy could have said from there on out that could have made me see him as anything more than a twit. I'm with ya, Rev. Never thought about it that way before, but you've got a good point. I bet that guy hasn't had a date in years. Prolly the last time he saw any tooty was when he popped out of one. Those kinds of guys have no social skills whatsoever. The only time they have any worth in life is when they have an audience that actually eats up the crap they're spewin'.

However, I do wonder how my $200 Aiwa home stereo would sound if pushed by that amp though.

Ya reckon they'd send me one out to "audition"?

 

[rubbersidedown]

I like the old shid....McIntosh amps for instance(they had tubes) hehehehe.
but sound awesome.

CRANK IT TILL YOUR EAR DRUMS BLEED....then turn it back one notch....but only one.

hav a good 1....RSD.

 

[phatjoe]

rev dont sugarcoat it tell us how you really feel
guess your not interested in me growing muskadine grapes in the backyard?

 

[thesnake]

McI's amps are sweet! specially the stuff from a few years ago-- I had a 2 channel Mc and loved it. My new logan's just required more power tho to drive them to eardrum shattering levels (I am down to one ear btw!).

 

[Revlis]

Nah, It's not quite like that, I mean I could now give RSD poop about McIntosh being over-rated Old school Hype, Or I could ask you why the fug your growing Grapes in your back yard?  But then I would have to tear into Snake for recommending a Chianti (Yawn)...  (Sheesh, Penfolds BIN 386 is where it's at)  IMHO...  

 

OK Ok, point is if we stay too long on this train of Critical, acidic thought, it can really suck the fun outta too many things.  I mean, next thing you know, we'll be ripping the heart of motorcycle enthusiasts...  And that would expose all of our tender bellies...  

Nah, everyone has those things that they are into.  I am into Scotch, and Shamefully enough I love a good cigar.  I'll tear into Wine cause I still cannot figure out why someone would do that to perfectly good grapes.

  I also harsh on just about anything taken to an unhealthy level, in this case it was the review of a $350k Amplifier that just killed me.  

Is there room in this world for $350k Tube Amplifiers? Certainly, same goes for Million Dollar cars, and Ten Million Dollar Homes.  It's all good, but when describing a good thing, lets try to stay outta that "Sunshine N Lollipop" realm.  

I mean, if your spending $350K on Amplifiers you should prolly get your priorities worked out, but what the hell, you've earned it, knock yourself out.  Just don't ever try to convince me that these $350k Amps, are $340k or so better than a nice Carver, or McIntosh set up...  I'll tell you you've been sniffing glue...  

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[Rosco]

(Sheesh, Penfolds BIN 386 is where it's at)  IMHO...  

 

Ah, a man of taste.

You realize of course that the grapes are only trod by the finest young virgin emus.

 

[PACIFICBUSA]

Very nice, Rosco...very nice.

And yup...I'm with BT and Rev; although I found it far too annoying to laugh at. I mean, c'mon..."warm"?

Heheh...I got somethin "warm" for ya...

 

[thesnake]

Rev--Chianti's have been on the comback trail during the last decade. I like my $13 bottle of Gabbiano with my penne or pizza-- what can I say?

Mc's amps have taken a turn downhill recently and one is paying for that retro look and their namesake, but they were a sweet sounding amp!

Of course there is room for all shapes and sizes. 400Lb ladies have their place also, just not in my bed.

Scotch you say... I'm looking over at my single malt collect as I type... Oban, 18yr Glenlivet, 18ye Macallan, and 15yr old Glenmorangie. Oban appeals to me more than others, but it's all overpriced fluid if u ask me. I have about 1 shot a year from each. I'll never run out since that is usually my company christmas present. Gimme a bud light (I've got to watch the pounds) and I'm happy.

 

[rubbersidedown]

Gimme a bud light and I'm happy.

Jeezus H Christ....

sorry for the subject change.... BUT...


I could just piss in yer mouth , save you a few dollars , an' a trip to the liquer store.


The Shake , The fake , TheBAKED.....

I dunno, I'm at a loss for words .


Here I thought...the man had me goin'...I thought he had some ........ He's sittin' aroun' listening to tunes on a world class sytem....
I'll admit, my stuff is a joke...

Total joke....


bUTT then this....BUD LITe......

"Give me a Bud Lite an' I'm happy".

I feel cheap an' used....like a 3 dollar hooker , that couldn't make change for a duece .


you win Bud Boy.....you win...

 

[rubbersidedown]

yuk.....

 

[thesnake]

RSD-- u sure are a funny one-- I'm still laughing! I brew my own and favor an IPA fermented with honey. The bud light comment as you read was a function of girth control...

I can "shake" with the best, "fake"-- perhaps-- perhaps the story is just too damn good, as for "baked", indeed I fried the brain at a young age... I wouldn't have it any other way!

For now, those rusty nails and water have to do my son.


shake n' bake with some snakeoil.



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[Big O]

Yes, please exfoliate more.

 

[wizard]

..yep.. ..all of ya correct..



..only argument is this: picture yourselves when you are drooling over a $100.000 full-carbon bike, w/marchesini wheels, exotic brakes, cams, etc.. ..is this bike REALLY $93.000 faster-better than yours?..


..exaggeration is a crucial element in the art of progress.. ..you never can tell WHERE to draw the line when you hit for "perfection".. ..and no one can tell you, of course..


..audio is more or less my business.. ..I can sit down with 20 different people, listen to the same song, and get 20 different "views", "opinions", "whatever-you-wanna-call-it".. ..does this proves anything? well, one thing it does; that objectivity goes out of the window when it comes to humans.. ..you like Chianti? good for you! your best friend is entitled to hate it - no reason why, and I reccon you would still be friends, right?


..now, a $350K amp.. ..to get this thing in your house, you have to have a "proper" setup - with speakers & sources well over that amount, and yes, there ARE folks who have those in HUMBLE houses, and they are AVERAGE financially (only they can't afford/allow the luxury of any other hobby/activity in their lives..).. ..you also have to be able to APPRECIATE (= understand..) the difference between "this and that", and be h@rny enough to want "that from this"..

..there are also plenty of rich "afficionados" that want to impress chicks/friends/or simply pump their ego.. ..or, they are so stinking rich that NO OTHER AMP WILL DO, THAN THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONE!.. ..they are ruining it also for the rest of us, because manufacturers would think TWICE before they put price tags on equipment..


..to the question "if a $350K amp plays $340K better than the "X" brand amp" the answer is no.. ..but, to SOME people this tiny difference JUSTIFIES the extra cost.. ..the "tap" from the foot of a musician, if seen as "extracted" from the big picture is ridiculous - plain n' simple.. ..but the little nuances of a live or studio performance that can be transferred in our room, can also transfer us to another era, perhaps in the same room that this performance was originally recorded..



..it's called "magic" and there's no price tag on it..