Best/worst Audio moments/products of 2013

the professor

the professor

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I was thinking. Every magazine, tv show, etc has a top 10 list or worst 10 list. Why not AS.

So . . . . .

What was your best and or worst audio experience in 2013. And by experience, I mean a bad sound experience, the biggest disappointment of a company. We'll you get the idea.

I'll start with my best audio experience: Finding and deciding to participate for once in Audio Shark. I spent my audio life (40 years) being a hermit and enjoying music by myself. But sharing and making friends here is and has been great. My hats off!

My worst: The Raidho D3s. They are the biggest flop of a product that I've experienced this year. I have yet to find a customer that doesn't have bass issues and doesn't need some kind of external device to fix it. Most just a slab of granite. Simple. But Raidho isn't supplying or helping, we have to do it on our own. So far all we have is the post that they will come next year to help. Maybe they want to get the best come back award for 2014. That being said they do sound wonderful if you play medium loud and spend ALOT of time w positioning.

Anyway, What's every bodies thoughts???

ADDITION: April 23, 2014. These comments were for the Version 1 of the D3 not the current version. The current version has eliminated all issues.
 
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The best experience for me was meeting audio dealer, David Baskin. He's an inspiration.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1387847975.941776.jpg

The best audio (listening) experience for me was hearing the MBL 101 Xtremes. These speakers are surreal.

The worst audio experience was the Sonus Faber Aida's. In my room, they were a disaster. I tried everything to make them sing properly, but nothing worked.
 
My best audio experience was upgrading to a Pass Labs XP-20 preamp, and Pass Labs X600.5 amps a month later in July. The worst was getting the electric bill in August. It made me have solar installed in September.
 
I have a few great experiences this year:
- Agree with Mike, meeting David Baskin. A class act, bar none.
- Agree with Jock, joining AS and meeting everyone at Bob's place. Hope to meet more of you in 2014!
- Building my dedicated listening room, a dream come true for me. On top of that, getting hours and hours of free construction advice from Jeff Whitlock (AV Solutions); Thank you again, Jeff!
- Going to my first audio show at NY
- Auditioning some top flight components, including the wonderful combo of Alexias + Dags! Musical bliss IMO!:audiophile:
 
Nice thread !!!!
Good - joining this awesome forum and making some audio friends that don't ask about putting subs in my jeep. :D

Meeting Bob, Joe, Mike, Allen, Nelson, Barry at Rhapsody in NYC !!!

Spending the day with Doug in NYC walking around, record shopping, listening some more at Bobs.

Finding my snappers after an exhausting 6-8 months searching for the right amps at the right price.

The second I dropped the cadenza Black into a groove on the first record!!!!

As Allen mentioned hours of free advise and a great turntable from Jeff!!!

And knowing everybody on this forum. Thanks for having me guys . And have a great and happy and safe 2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad- nothing audio related!!!
 
Best Solid Sound moment of 2013: Joining this aquarium audio website. :)

Worst moment of 2013: The strong and demeaning pressure from that other audio forum. :weird:

________________

It's all about the music; and in 2013 it's been good all the way to heaven. ...Classical, Jazz, Blues, World, .... :audiophile:
And there were some great flicks too (in high definition picture and high resolution multichannel audio). :entertaining:

Have a very Merry one and the Happiest next!-
christmastree.gif
+ 2014

And God saves the Shark! :exciting:
 
BEST, All the people I've met from AS in person. Trung,Mike,Jock,Mike (Ritmo). And of course my good friend David Baskin !!

WORST, THE Solution 710 amp with my Salon 2's................ugh !!!!!!!!
 
Best : Joining the AS meeting with all nice members or should I call our "AS family" members.:D

Worst : Joining the AS and talking with people who swap the gears like no tomorrow and influenced me to spend so much money . ( You know who you are ! ) :P
 
BlueMcIntosh said:
Best : Joining the AS meeting with all nice members or should I call our "AS family" members.:D

Worst : Joining the AS and talking with people who swap the gears like no tomorrow and influenced me to spend so much money . ( You know who you are ! ) :P
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Ha!.. yeah, those guys just don't get it...:rofl:


Some absolutely great things/moments for me this year. The forum has given me the life through the screen, the gear that I've heard in friends systems & demoed too. For mine, the best has to be the Soulution 520 preamp, everything has come & gone in my system since it's introduction, the worst was the Lampizator dac.
This year I've had three systems that I could have lived with easily, what a ride.... & how lucky I am.:woot::woot:Merry x'sy people & all the best for the new season.
 
Best: finally getting the long lusted MSB DAC IV Diamond Plus
Worst: finding out only 6 weeks later, that the Trinity DAC beats it
 
One of the best audio and personal experiences for me was discovering the AS and meeting both many people in person as well as through posts and through Shark/cyberspace. It really has been a real treat....thank you all.
 
Curiously my best audio moments of 2013 were listening to the Aida's sounding great and marvelous in my room. However the worst was finding that they did their best with borrowed equipment, and feeding them properly would be much more expensive than I could consider. Also changing all the equipment would be a financial disaster - as a good friend really wanted the Aidas's the choice was obvious. :blush:

New Year audio decision - rebuild the very large membrane bass traps, tuned specifically for the Aida's, and re-do the acoustical treatment of the front wall for the Alexia's.
 
Dear Jock,

I am sorry you have problems in getting your D-3 sounding great.. I have for a while been following your " problems " to get the best out of your D-3...

We do have a some issues with some of our US Dealers.. who don't really support you the way that they should... We don't blame these guys.. we are more blaming ourselves not to teach and train them in setting up and support our products in the right way.

We don't find that our speakers are difficult at all, we play them in rooms on Shows, so bad you will not believe with very high volume... Yes, of cause you can bring a speaker to far.. that is the case for any other speaker. First of all we are very sorry about this, and that is why, we have made the decision to go to see not only our US dealers, but also owners of our products in the early spring.. and you are of cause one of them.,..

Please inform me your phone no. and I will contact you in the near future. You can send me your no. to my e-mail... : [email protected]

Take care a Happy Holidays to you

Kind regards
Lars
Raidho
 
joeinid said:
:)

Getting to know you guys has been great. Here's to a wonderful 2014.
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+1 all the way Joe. In addition to that, I also heard the Genesis 1.1s in a super OTT system this year (Kondo Gaku-on, Scarlatti, Herzan active isolation), the stunning Altair 2s (all Constellation, DCS Vivaldi) and the mighty Gryphon Arrakis 2s driven by 2 sets of Siegfried II monos and a Clearaudio Statement Ref...the big floorstander...last year I heard the XLFs with Metronome Kalista Ref/C2A, D'Ag monos and ARC Ref5SE and Opus cables. I have put a marker down for next year to hear the Gryphon Pendragons and may someday find a way to hear the Q7s. That will be me done on SOTA speaker auditioning...;)
 
Best was learning how AS & a few handful of dealers really understand their products best qualities and how to minimize their weaknesses. We all know there is no perfect audio product. But thru AS members I have learn how to tweak my room, accessories and equipment and still choose cutting edge equipment that still
Maintains it resale value and deliveries great sound that bettered my previous system. AS has also helped me avoid some major purchases that would of been greatly regretted. My mother in law always says ask people what errors they have made during a major home remodel. Don't ask what they love because u will learn much more from other peoples mistakes. I feel that way about AS. Especially some of the PMs I have sent and received truly candid responses but still did not embarrass any member or manufacturer. !!

Worst-how a true scarcity of local dealers in my area r happy to do in home demoes and r more pushy marketing based vs just being very knowledgable. I mean these r major purchases. Would any of u buy a car without test driving it or seeing if it fit you or your garage ?

Great new year wishes to all. Hope to meet some of u at CES

Nick
 
Best audio moment for me was putting the first CD into my Marantz CD5004 thanks to Joe! Second best audio moment was hooking up my Phonomena II mounting my Ortofon 2M Bronze and dropping needle. Third: Discovering Goat hair brushes.
Worst audio product: anything Beats (which is true of any year)and worst moment was the announcement that my beloved MOG was sold and will now be Beats 2014.
 
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