part of the problem with this hobby, or, for that matter with most anything, is that 'best' is SO subjective. Your Bughatti might be my Tesla Roadster, but to another guy, 'best' might be a Jeep Cherokee completely decked out as a beach machine. Your Audio Note might be best to you, but not to someone else. Further, 'best' is seldom defined by price. I've spent my whole life being able to afford most anything, within reason, but I've found that the money saved on 'real good' as opposed to chasing the 'best' is but part of the savings in terms of peace and happiness. I know that sounds sappy, but I've seen so many folks, over the years, make themselves miserable fretting over insignificant details, second-guesses and chasing that last .0001%. Spare me, personally. Your Mileage May Vary....as they say!
Totally agree with you. I love when people get on my case for liking Audio Note when my last 3 purchases have been 2 Line Magnetic products and KEF loudspeakers. I like lots of things and can now afford lots of things - the best overall system I have heard has been from Audio Note but that doesn't always happen - the system at the California Audio Show that I covered didn't make my best four rooms list and would not have made my top 10.
Sanity takes over whether one has the money or not. The Jinro at $26,000 is a better amp than my LM 219IA but the price performance to me is better with the 219IA and not so much in terms of just considering the amplifier but the amount of money that can be put elsewhere in the system.
Indeed the AX Two isn't as good in my home as it was in the store because my system isn't as good. But I've heard the potential of what it can do and that's an important consideration. Learning how important the front end truly is and now would be unlikely to follow advice from folks who say buy a speaker you like and figure the rest out later. That doesn't work for me because if I discover that a low powered SET amplifier sounds better than every Hybrid/SS/ClassD or T amplifier I have ever heard in the last 20 years then buying a speaker that is 2 ohms and 83dB sensitive isn't going to get me anywhere except in the land of upgraditus.
I think it's important to keep apples to apples where possible - when I say Bentley - well yes you may like a Jeep better but these are different animals. When we talk supreme luxury cars - Bentley rises to the top. If you want to talk off road vehicles generally something rises to the top, or sports cars, or electric cars or SUV's.
With audio there is far more subjective responses.
$20k speakers are not automatically good because they are $20k. I would buy the AN E/LX at $6,500 or so over the Wilson Sophia or B&W N801 or Magneopan 20.1 or Quad 2905 at $15,000 all around. That's a subjective take on the sound quality and what I can stomach listening to all day every day.
It's very important not to get caught up in the dollars and one upmanship that us guys typically get into. I spent more on a speaker so it's better mentality.
Now this isn't to say the guy who spent $15k on the Sophia or the Quad etc above are wrong. Quads do things really well that boxes simply don't do but the reverse is also true. Audiophiles and reviewers have to be able to admit or be able to hear what it is that something isn't doing as well not just what it does well. One of the reasons the lowly $1200 priced AX Two moved me was because of the Single Ended triode amp and the superb CD player and on intimate music where the AX Two would not get stressed out. It also helps that it was Eva Cassidy kind of stuff and with terrific tonality and body and enough bass - tremendous sound. Put on big ISO Mike Drum music and the AX Two would suffer. The big $20k Avantegardes would be far more involving and thunderous. But on Eva Cassidy it sounded separated sterile and out and out rough (from a computer audio player). The huge expense of the speakers sounded highly fatiguing and uninvolving - winner was easily the system with the AX Two. That doesn;t mean it's a better speaker than the Avantgarde but the overall result of the overall systems was rather striking.
Lastly, even with speakers like cars I would try to keep apples to apples. For me Soundlabs by far make the best sounding panels (ESL or ribbon). If I were to buy a panel these would be my first choice. But they're extremely pricey and very large. There isn't really much poiint comparing these things to boxed loudspeakers - people tend to gravitate to certain designs (Panel guys/Horn guys). Still within these you can clearly discern what is a better panel from a lesser one or a better horn and a lesser horn - just as you can with off road vehicles and sports cars and Luxury cars.
