Steve,

thanks again for being a great host during my visit a couple of weeks ago to your wonderful new room. it was enjoyable and the sound was really wonderful.

i also posted a few more thoughts about my visit on What's Best Forum

cheers,

mikelavigne August 02, 2013 16:19

OB, i'm glad retirement is fun for you.....god knows you deserve it.

in the three-plus years we've known each other we both have made a few changes.

we both changed preamps once.

we both upgraded our EMM Labs.

our cables have stayed the same although i do now use the darTZeel BNC from pre to amp. i did switch power cables from the Elrods to the Jena Labs. i'm not sure whether you changed power cables during that time.

you went to the Zoethecus racks and i changed to the Grand Prix Audio racks (after 8 years with the Zoethecus).

we both changed power amps once.

i did build a room which resulted in a change of speakers from the Kharma to the Von Schweikert's. you upgraded from the X-1 Mk III's to the Alexandria's.

then recently i did switch to the Evolution Acoustics MM3's.

i've had my Rockport TT for 5 years.....and hopefully you will have a new tt in the near future so you can play that Louis Armstrong i gave you.

i am working on issues such as my power grid and some tweaks (things not completed when i built my room for lack of funds)......fine tuning the system. i suppose i will always be doing a bit of that. and we'll both will always be buying new music.....still the best 'system upgrade' availible.

if my system is 'always under construction'......then i'm not alone. of course; current intentions compared to future reality will need to play itself out. i have read that you are done changing and i applaud that. that is also my intention.

i have the greatest respect and admiration toward you as one of the true gentleman of our hobby so don't take the details of my response as some sort of challenge. i am simply surprised that you would put my history in a different catagory than your own. we are more alike than we are different. you simply view your changes as final ones......and that viewpoint appears different to you than your interpretation of my changes.

i look forward to our continued friendship.

mikelavigne April 29, 2007 21:44

OB, belated congrats on your retirement a few months back......and best wishes on the Medspa working out well.

i sincerely envy your time flexibility......and hope to join you in a few years in the life of leisure.

i know you are enjoying the music on your wonderful system.....i expect that the X-2's and ML2.1's are really a terrific combo.

best regards,

mikelavigne April 19, 2007 20:48

OB,

it was great seeing you at CES; too bad we couldn't spend a little more time together. i did hear the REF 3 pre and was very impressed.....even though it is hard to 'hear' exactly what a preamp is doing in any system i percieved blacker backgrounds and a lack of grain that exceeds my perception of the already excellent Ref II Mk.2.

i liked the digital readout too although i've always liked the ARC volume dials with the lighted steps.

mikelavigne January 11, 2005 18:50

OB, it looks like the room will be done by the last week in September.....so i'm looking forward to your visit soon there after. i will do my best to measure up to the great time you showed me at your place.

best regards,

mikelavigne August 31, 2004 06:34

i would like to thank OB (Oneobgyn) for his gracious hospitality last weekend......it was a pleasure meeting him and Mrs. OB and also all his fellow crazies down in the Bay Area.

OB's system is one of the very best systems i have yet had the pleasure to experience and the very best at quite a few different things.

the first thing that comes to mind is that there are many different valid approaches to sonic (or even video) nirvana. also, that one's context, listening biases, aural memory, and references dramatically influence perceptions. as i listened last weekend i found that i was examining why i was reacting to things in a particular way as much as what was happening. my current sonic perceptions are greatly influenced by listening to my system is a very small room in the extreme near-field. to go into 30' x 17' (or 20') foot rooms and listen at twice the distance makes the experience so different that i was always having to recalibrate my perceptions. i do look forward to moving into my own bigger space.......maybe then my perceptions from last weekend will be more valid.

i spent about a total of 10 hours in OB's room in 4 separate sessions. i came away very impressed with OB's system, room and taste. every room is set up with personal priorities. it was interesting to read discussions in previous threads of the set-up of OB's room, his speakers and various room treatments. after spending time with OB and his room my opinion is that he should change nothing.....the system is doing what OB wants it to do. the speakers are where they should be based on OB's priorities. you could apply a different set of priorities to his set-up and change things......but i believe OB has found his 'sweet spot'. we did discuss various approaches to how he could integrate vinyl into his system....which could involve him moving his source gear from between the speakers to the left side.

OB's room has considerable absorption......which based on his listening and visual considerations suits his approach. if he were to remove some of those treatments he would get a few sonic trade-offs that might suit other's sonic visions. the nice thing about what he has done is that he can change things easily if he ever wants to. overall, his room has plenty of energy and has a good sonic balance. when you walk into the room you get a sense of 'ease and control'.

i was impressed by how OB has the big Wilson XS integrated into his system. when you are playing music it never intrudes.....it serves the music. it provides a wonderful foundation for everything. when you do want to 'rip the house off the foundation' with bass.....it will go as far as you dare. even still......it stays in context and doesn't get out of control.

the X-2's do many things better than any speakers i have yet heard......and in other areas are world-class. it's list of superlatives is long. the X-2's energize the sound stage thru the entire frequency range better than any speaker i have heard. even though the speaker is massive......i got no sense of 'box' or 'closed in feeling'. everything has just such an 'ease' and 'flow'.....never forced. with all that energy and complication the X-2's were very fast and had excellent seamlessness and coherence (while not quite the best i've heard in this category). the X-2's do a very good job with soundstage width and height.......i think his set-up priorities do reduce the potential depth and layering that this speaker is capable of.....but that is not the most important thing. tonality and clarity are very good......the ARC Ref 600's are a natural match and the sound is neutral and uncolored; yet natural and not edgy......a very good balance. this X-2/Ref 600 combo really has no weaknesses. it does nuance, it does space, mid-range clarity and dramatic frequency extension. i was damn impressed.

OB's system allows you to really enjoy the music......both the sounds and the event. we were into the music and the performances.......especially on Saturday afternoon as everyone pulled out their own personal cd's......every cut had a little magic......this is a world-class music system.

finally, spending time with OB was a real pleasure. he is a class act that shares my level of commitment to this great hobby. i greatly value his insights and friendship.

mikelavigne August 29, 2004 10:29