Knowing that I have spent almost two decades building systems for Sound Rooms one thru three in my household, my brother asked me for advice on purchasing a high end system for his den. The qualifications were, have no more than three components that were clean and elegant. Have world class-full range sound with multichannel capability, and have the system source component capable of playing CD's & DVD's.
He asked me if he should buy a system off of Audiogon. I told him that was always an option, but that going to a great 2-Channel dealer, and letting them pull together a couple of their favorite systems in his pricerange should be a real consideration.
Well......that is exactly what he ended up doing. Here is the result.....
The Sound......Every bit as good as my main system at 1/3 the cost. No tweaks, no fancy cabling, no burn-in period. I am not saying that every Johnny come lately, burned out because they installed too many plasmas this week, audio salesperson can get you these results, but if you find somebody passionate enough...the results can be astonishing. Props to the whole team at Audio Connection in NJ!
What they say... Fully balanced differential circuitry with ability to internally balance a single ended input signal. Discrete resistor volume control with 88 1dB steps. All tube amplification and output (4 tubes total). Two sets of XLR and two sets of RCA outputs per channel. Bypass mode for home theatre processor throughput. Absolute phase, selectable via front panel or remote control. Full function remote included. What I Say...Having listened to and owned some of the worlds great preamps (Audio Research REF 2&3, Audible Illusions, Conrad Johnson, Krell, McIntosh) This Tube Line Stage is in the same league....Beautiful Rich Sound, detailed, layered, and missing nothing!
Aesthetix Atlas
What they say..... Hybrid amplifier: Bipolar output stage, bipolar driver stage, vacuum tube gain stage. Zero global feedback, fully differential amplifier.
Gain stage using one 6SL7 tube per channel.
Stereo amplifier: 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms; 400 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Amplifier has a built-in high-pass crossover. 6 dB / octave, 16 settings from 40 Hz to 200 Hz in approximate 10 Hz increments. What I say......Great AMP! Zero Feedback design produces a clean rich sound. When you consider the internal crossover and Jim White's collaborative efforts with Richard Vandersteen, pairing these with anything in the Vandersteen line produces sheer magic!
Vandersteen Quatro
What they say....The Vandersteen Quatro speakers provide enhanced performance by combining the 3a Signature and a pair of 2Wq's in a more esthetically pleasing enclosure, simplifying the setup procedure and presenting a less imposing presence in the room. The Vandersteen Quatro has many of the same attributes as the Model 5 without the cost of the veneered cabinet.
Enhanced performance is due to 11-band room compensation controls in each speaker allowing bass optimization in virtually any position in the room; newly designed 6.5-inch woven fiber cone mid-bass drivers for better resolution in the upper bass and lower midrange; constrained-layer enclosure structures derived from the legendary Vandersteen Model 5 speakers for reduced time smear; and the integration of powered subwoofer and main speaker. Combining the powered subwoofer and main speaker in a single enclosure allows improved linearity and better transition from deep bass frequencies to the rest of the spectrum. This results in audible improvements in the resolution of the leading edge of transient waveforms and provides a more lifelike presentation. What I say....Richard knows his stuff. These rarely come up for sale on Audiogon because they are a lifetime purchase. Very few speakers, at any price can compare. Very adaptable to challenging environments, dynamic, and versatile. Listen to a properly set up pair and it is hard to leave the store without them....
Linn Classik Movie
The Classik Movie from Linn is an amazing integrated home theatre system. With astounding audio and visual quality and a sleek, elegant new design, the Classik Movie is quite simply Linns finest home theatre system to date.
System looks great...can you give us some thoughts on the Atlas amp as there is very little information avaiable at this time. I would love to hear your thoughts.
