-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
What was the 1st system that made you go WOW!!!!
- Thread starter Blumlein 88
- Start date
minor1000
Member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2018
- Messages
- 22
- Likes
- 31
Yes, I built a pair of those also.
I prefer the LXmini's to the Pluto's.
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2018
- Messages
- 3,741
- Likes
- 6,457
The first "I can't believe the sound of this thing" sort of wow, was the Harold Beveridge electrostatic, with matching OTL electronics. They were actually working that day. 
As I recall the source was one of those Doug Sax direct to disc recordings played on a Denon DP-80 and Denon 103D cartridge. I don't recall the tonearm. Bev's speaker was like you were swimming in the sound. Really weird (but not unpleasant) sonic presentation. I'd never heard anything like that. Very unique.
The speakers were designed to be placed in the middle of a room, facing each other. The special lens 'spread out' the sound into a uniform 180 degree wave, throughout the listening area. The speaker came with some subs, but they didn't seem to be well integrated. At least when I was there. Electronics were said to be very unreliable, but that's sort of par for the tweako course.
As I recall the source was one of those Doug Sax direct to disc recordings played on a Denon DP-80 and Denon 103D cartridge. I don't recall the tonearm. Bev's speaker was like you were swimming in the sound. Really weird (but not unpleasant) sonic presentation. I'd never heard anything like that. Very unique.
The speakers were designed to be placed in the middle of a room, facing each other. The special lens 'spread out' the sound into a uniform 180 degree wave, throughout the listening area. The speaker came with some subs, but they didn't seem to be well integrated. At least when I was there. Electronics were said to be very unreliable, but that's sort of par for the tweako course.
Hearing 901’s back in the 70’s maybe. They took your breath away. Second Wow moment was hearing JTR Speakers and massive Subs. Feeling ULF the first time I ran out of the room. Like it kicked in my innate fight or flight instinct. ULF is the crack of Audio. Electrostatic speakers is another Wow moment for me.
Really or are you kidding. Or maybe it was a "wow what a pos this is", maybe?
Ken1951
Addicted to Fun and Learning
I didn't care for them, but back in 1971-2 or so they were pretty impressive. Far different from most anything else one had heard up until that time. The company I frequented and later worked for had them running off of a Mac 2300.
A few WOW moments: first was the Infinity Monitor Jr, a 3-way with a dome mid, designed for placement on stands well out from the wall. Excellent depth and imaging for the day (1976). It did a lot right, compared to the systems of the time. Would love to see a spin.
Next WOW experience was the Apogee Duetta.
www.stereophile.com
And then the Infinity IRS (1980).
www.theabsolutesound.com
Then the Eminent Technology LFT-8 (1989), WOW, if less so than the IRS and a more reasonable price.
Hmm. That's a point, about lots of dipoles on this list.
Next WOW experience was the Apogee Duetta.
Apogee Duetta II loudspeaker Measurements
Sidebar 1: Measurements Just how hard is the Duetta to drive? Contrary to rumor, it proved quite tolerable—no less than 5 ohms, almost purely resistive, on the "1" setting, and it would warrant an across-the-board specification of 6.4 ohms, which is an easy load in speaker terms. The amplifier...
www.stereophile.com
And then the Infinity IRS (1980).
TAS Legacy: The Infinity Reference Standard (IRS) Loudspeaker - The Absolute Sound
TAS Legacy: The Infinity Reference Standard (IRS) Loudspeaker -
www.theabsolutesound.com
Then the Eminent Technology LFT-8 (1989), WOW, if less so than the IRS and a more reasonable price.
Hmm. That's a point, about lots of dipoles on this list.
JRS
Major Contributor
Agreed--they were different enough from anything out there as to truly capture one's attention. Whether they held it or not another story. I hung a pair for a dance (think ballet) studio that served their purpose very well for many years. They did one thing very well--spread music around a room, hence my choice.
JRS
Major Contributor
I recall that line of Infinity's; they did a lot well, and always worth a listen when I stopped at Pacific Stereo.
It was not a system that made me WOW it was an room with quite perfect acoustic condition that WOW me. When i moved magic was gone only the last 5 years i got it back making use of room correction software.
First large format 4way actives I heard in a studio designed by an acoustics firm. 1988.
I first heard a pair of VMPS super tower 2SE/r 's and was blown away. I had to have a pair and when i got them, my wife said they were monstrosities and she was going to bury me in them (they were just big enough)
That was my first experience with audio that approached live listening levels - a pair of Klipschorns in a stereo store.
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2018
- Messages
- 1,449
- Likes
- 4,818
It was context-dependent I think. I still have my pair of 901s and, honestly, I never regretted purchasing them. Back then, the SPL they were able to produce was impressive. I did a few birthdays and school parties with them (although the "proper" version to use would have been the more rugged 801s). Everyone in the room benefited from a stereo image, yes a fuzzy and different one for everyone, but still. The meticulous friend who rushed to buy the CDP 101 had Elipson, as I said above. Those were very nice at the sweet spot, but awful outside of it. Symphonic music at high volume was much better on the 901s though. The only speakers I heard that were clearly above back then were the KEF 105
Today, compared to something like the Focals, they are of course laughable. But context is really important. After years on green and amber screens, or later 8 bits color personal computers, 1024x768 16-bit SVGA looked like real life to me
We can test old amplifiers and see that some of them already performed quite well, even by today's standards. Testing older speakers is much much harder, and to some extent meaningless if they are reconditioned with new drivers but I believe most of them would be considered to be really, really bad by today's standards. And yet, we remember our old speakers fondly.
Much like i do with my 4th wife and she never measured well either
It's happened three times with me:
First, the Magnepan Tympani I with Audio Research electronics & a high-end turntable at a dealer.
Second, my acoustics prof has designed a room for the Klipsch Kornerhorns with a Belle Klipsch center and Crown electronics. He used a Crown reel-to-reel & played music that sounded better than any I had ever heard.
Finally, I heard a pair of Avalon's hulking speakers driven by Spectral electronics. "From another room," it caught my attention. Dealer had heavily treated the room, but someone left the door open. I listened for over an hour.
DSJR
Major Contributor
First I think was a master tape made by Angus McKenzie (a UK engineer/reviewer) of Hendon Brass Band playing Stars & Stripes Forever (flat out) and played through Crown amps (DC300A was notable) into IMF Pro Monitors mk3. Mind you, I loved AR LST's as well and the then huge Crown Electrostatic hybrids too, the latter pulsating the room playing 'Halleluwah!' by Can again off a master tape copy (vinyl really was sh*t back then) as well as a Dolby A master of Dark Side of the Moon which was incredible I remember (the heartbeat put pressure waves into the building as well your very being on a suitable speaker and of course the beginning of 'Time' always went down well on a Saturday when the store was busy).
The other notable one was ATC 200A's in a domestic environment I once knew - feck, these things had dynamics that no domestic system did and with pretty low colouration compared to horny boxes which claimed huge sensitivity but with severe colouration, at least back then and in UK rooms!
I've heard bigger and silly-money domestic based setups at shows and most of them have been pretty awful really. One early 80's show at 'Heathrow') had the Quad 57's set up on trestle tables and drien by a Thorens deck and Quad amps (of course). This room was nitable as being an oasis of peace and calm after the boomy blastings everywhere else and one just sat with a sigh and got lost in th egentler orchestral and chanber music being played - a wonderful experience even to my young self back then. Subsequent shows had their then new 63's just plonked on the floor and sounding dire - took me years to realise they didn't have to sound so bad...
and of course the beginning of 'Time' always went down well on a Saturday when the store was busy).The other notable one was ATC 200A's in a domestic environment I once knew - feck, these things had dynamics that no domestic system did and with pretty low colouration compared to horny boxes which claimed huge sensitivity but with severe colouration, at least back then and in UK rooms!
I've heard bigger and silly-money domestic based setups at shows and most of them have been pretty awful really. One early 80's show at 'Heathrow') had the Quad 57's set up on trestle tables and drien by a Thorens deck and Quad amps (of course). This room was nitable as being an oasis of peace and calm after the boomy blastings everywhere else and one just sat with a sigh and got lost in th egentler orchestral and chanber music being played - a wonderful experience even to my young self back then. Subsequent shows had their then new 63's just plonked on the floor and sounding dire - took me years to realise they didn't have to sound so bad...
MRC01
Major Contributor
There were a few, don't remember which was first, in the 1980s.
One was a friend in college who lived in a house nearby and had a small audio room. Some kind of tube preamp and good speakers / turntable. I remember the smoothness of the mids and the extended high frequencies (not emphasized or bright, but extended) made other systems I heard sound like AM radio in comparison.
The other was an audio store that had a well set up listening room and some kind of planars. Probably Magnepans or Martin Logans, I didn't know much about speakers back then. I was like, "yeah whatever that sounds OK". Then he played a solo piano recording and my jaw hit the floor. I had never heard piano sound so lifelike.
The third was the first time I heard a good set of headphones: the original Sennheiser HD-580 back in the 90s. Before that, headphones were just tinny sounding things one never used for real music listening. These were a whole 'nuther thing. I still own that same pair!
One was a friend in college who lived in a house nearby and had a small audio room. Some kind of tube preamp and good speakers / turntable. I remember the smoothness of the mids and the extended high frequencies (not emphasized or bright, but extended) made other systems I heard sound like AM radio in comparison.
The other was an audio store that had a well set up listening room and some kind of planars. Probably Magnepans or Martin Logans, I didn't know much about speakers back then. I was like, "yeah whatever that sounds OK". Then he played a solo piano recording and my jaw hit the floor. I had never heard piano sound so lifelike.
The third was the first time I heard a good set of headphones: the original Sennheiser HD-580 back in the 90s. Before that, headphones were just tinny sounding things one never used for real music listening. These were a whole 'nuther thing. I still own that same pair!
The Polk SRT surround sound system at Musical Images in Edgware (London) was the first time I was completely (and literally) blown away.
The system was a 5.1 setup with two rear satellites, two mains, two subs (which sat below the mains like speaker stands) and a very wide center speaker.
The bass and volume from these speakers was so prodigious that I could feel my trousers flapping during movie action scenes. It was an unforgettable setup and alas it's hard to find much information about them.
I was able to find the flyer below though and the specs for the sub units:
SRT Subwoofer Specifications:
The system was a 5.1 setup with two rear satellites, two mains, two subs (which sat below the mains like speaker stands) and a very wide center speaker.
The bass and volume from these speakers was so prodigious that I could feel my trousers flapping during movie action scenes. It was an unforgettable setup and alas it's hard to find much information about them.
I was able to find the flyer below though and the specs for the sub units:
SRT Subwoofer Specifications:
- High Velocity Compression Drive band-pass enclosure
- Weight: 87 lbs, 39.47 kg.
- Size: 31 1/2" H x 12" W (at top of cabinet), 14 1/8" W (at base) x 23 1/4" D. Metric: 80cm H x 30.46cm W (at top of cabinet), 35.89cm W (at base) x 59.02cm D
- One SW1080 10" woofer each cabinet
- One SW1081 10" woofer each cabinet
- High flow, low turbulence Power Port
- Built-In Amplifier Power: 300 Watts RMS
- Dual voltage operation - 115V or 230V, switchable
- "Auto On / Off" circuit
- Frequency Response: -6dB at 16Hz (in 3,500 cubic foot room) to -3dB at 90Hz
- Maximum Output: approx. 120dB SPL above 30Hz (pair of woofers in 3,500 cubic foot room at 1 meter)
- Variable height feet with removable spikes
- Joined
- May 18, 2020
- Messages
- 1,285
- Likes
- 2,939
Interesting. Re the 63s, I remember catching some pre-release coverage in a UK magazine (HFN, maybe?) where the journalist heard the new speakers in Peter Walker's lab. The lab was an untidy mess, and the speakers were sitting high on a pair of old kitchen stools. The scenario was reported as the usual mad-scientist PW schtick, but I remember thinking, OK, Walker feels he needs to elevate these things somewhat.
Similar threads
