In article , Chris Isbell
writes
On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:19:45 +0000, Derrick Fawsitt
wrote:

In message , Chris Isbell
writes
I am planning to get some 989s once I have moved house.
Don't hesitate for one minute, don't look elsewhere, don't change your
mind. When you sell your house and if you then cannot afford the Quads,
buy a cheaper house so you can afford them but with a large dedicated
room so you can accommodate the 989's because it will be the last
speakers you will ever want.

I have just read your reply to my partner. She agrees that they are
ugly and she is not prepared to buy a mansion to house them. This is
an ongoing joke between us. She hates my existing Quad 57s and says
she will leave me if I ever double them up.

Then double them up and get a woman who will admire them. Mine thinks
the Quads I've got are stunningly impressive)

She suggests that you and I could share a house together. :-)

Ooooer missus!...

[snip]

BTW: If the OP is close to Southampton, I would be very interested in
having a listen to his speakers.

Unfortunately I am in Lincolnshire and could not be further away,
however, if you are up this way anytime send me an email and I would be
delighted to give you a demo.

Pity.

Jim lives in Scotland - even further away.


--
Tony Sayer

In article , tony sayer

wrote:
In article , Chris Isbell
writes


I have just read your reply to my partner. She agrees that they are
ugly and she is not prepared to buy a mansion to house them. This is an
ongoing joke between us. She hates my existing Quad 57s and says she
will leave me if I ever double them up.

Then double them up and get a woman who will admire them. Mine thinks
the Quads I've got are stunningly impressive)

My wife does not actually like the appearance of any of the speakers we
use. However:

A) She likes the results with the Quads.

B) Prefers them as they hide the clutter/cables behind them. :-)

Thus their 'selling point' in visual terms is their ability to act as a
'screen'. :-)


Jim lives in Scotland - even further away.


No, no! *Scotland* is quite close. It is just that some other places are
"further away..." ;-

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

Chris Isbell wrote:

Snipped

A sub-two hundred pound Pioneer DVD player was indistinguishable
from
an expensive Meridian CD player in a double-blind level matched test
according to a recent report here. (Meridian have a reputation for
producing very well engineered and sonically accurate products.)

rest also snipped

Who did this double blind test and where is the results and write up?

ta in advance


--
Dave
www.davewhitter.myby.co.uk

Music is Art - Audio is Engineering
Steam is Fun

On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:19:05 GMT, " Dave xxxx"
wrote:

Chris Isbell wrote:

Snipped

A sub-two hundred pound Pioneer DVD player was indistinguishable
from
an expensive Meridian CD player in a double-blind level matched test
according to a recent report here. (Meridian have a reputation for
producing very well engineered and sonically accurate products.)

rest also snipped

Who did this double blind test and where is the results and write up?

ta in advance


It was, I recall, reported by Stewart last spring time. I will leave
it to him to comment further.

--
Chris Isbell
Southampton, UK

On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:19:05 GMT, " Dave xxxx"
wrote:

Chris Isbell wrote:

Snipped

A sub-two hundred pound Pioneer DVD player was indistinguishable
from
an expensive Meridian CD player in a double-blind level matched test
according to a recent report here. (Meridian have a reputation for
producing very well engineered and sonically accurate products.)

rest also snipped

Who did this double blind test and where is the results and write up?

Three guesses.... :-)

Boys in the teepee still throwing their toys out of the pram? :-)

Basically, I compared a Pioneer DV-575A to a Meridian 588 in my
Krell/Apogee main music system, double-blind and level-matched in the
usual way, using identical CD-Rs time-synched as closely as possible.
Test protocol was quick-swiyched ABX, and no one was able to score
more than 12 correct out of 20 trials. Basically, they sounded
identical when you didn't *know* which one was playing.

Please note that this is not a criticism of the superbly engineered
Meridian player, simply a confirmation that the same *audio* quality
can be obtained for much less money. Incidentally, the Pioneer also
sounded identical to a Benchmark DAC-1 hooked to its digital ouput, a
much easier comparison since there's no time-synching problem. IMHO,
the Benchmark really does represent the state of the art in digital
audio, so the Chinese-made Pioneer 'universal' player holds up pretty
well as a top-quality front end for *any* music system.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:19:05 GMT, " Dave xxxx"
wrote:

Chris Isbell wrote:

Snipped

A sub-two hundred pound Pioneer DVD player was indistinguishable
from
an expensive Meridian CD player in a double-blind level matched test
according to a recent report here. (Meridian have a reputation for
producing very well engineered and sonically accurate products.)

rest also snipped

Who did this double blind test and where is the results and write up?

Three guesses.... :-)

Boys in the teepee still throwing their toys out of the pram? :-)

Basically, I compared a Pioneer DV-575A to a Meridian 588 in my
Krell/Apogee main music system, double-blind and level-matched in the
usual way, using identical CD-Rs time-synched as closely as possible.
Test protocol was quick-swiyched ABX, and no one was able to score
more than 12 correct out of 20 trials. Basically, they sounded
identical when you didn't *know* which one was playing.

Please note that this is not a criticism of the superbly engineered
Meridian player, simply a confirmation that the same *audio* quality
can be obtained for much less money. Incidentally, the Pioneer also
sounded identical to a Benchmark DAC-1 hooked to its digital ouput, a
much easier comparison since there's no time-synching problem. IMHO,
the Benchmark really does represent the state of the art in digital
audio, so the Chinese-made Pioneer 'universal' player holds up pretty
well as a top-quality front end for *any* music system.

Sounds like a well-run test.

The same results might be obtained by replacing the Pioneer with a Coby DVD
player selling in the US for $29.95. I just don't happen to have a Meridian
or Benchmark to run the comparison with. ;-)

Have you more info on the:-
A sub-two hundred pound Pioneer DVD player was indistinguishable from
an expensive Meridian CD player in a double-blind level matched test
according to a recent report here. (Meridian have a reputation for
producing very well engineered and sonically accurate products.)
Would very much like to study the report.

--
John the West Ham fan


"Chris Isbell" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Jan 2006 20:41:43 GMT, "housetrained"
wrote:

Rubbish in, rubbish out. No matter how good the speakers are they can only
reproduce what they get. Rubbish in, rubbish out. Front end is ALWAYS the
most important.

A sub-two hundred pound Pioneer DVD player was indistinguishable from
an expensive Meridian CD player in a double-blind level matched test
according to a recent report here. (Meridian have a reputation for
producing very well engineered and sonically accurate products.)

What you say might have been true thirty years ago, but today any
competent CD/DVD player will be indistinguishable from any other. Any
differences will be due to the manufacturer deliberately distorting
the output to make in sound more attractive. This is especially true
for so called "high end" niche products, which will not have benefited
from the extensive product engineering skills of the major
manufacturers.

I am planning to get some 989s once I have moved house. However, I
will continue to use my 'cheap' Pioneer DVD player with them because
there will be no audible improvements gained from getting anything
more expensive.

BTW: If the OP is close to Southampton, I would be very interested in
having a listen to his speakers.

--
Chris Isbell
Southampton, UK