What is your definition of 'High End' audio?

Cost? no, not that.

Hi Fidelity? well that can mean different things to different people, so not that.

Reproducing the live experience? can't be done, and i don't want all that distortion anyway...so not that.

Faithful to the recording material? not possible IMO, every component influences the sound including the room, so not that.

For myself, It's what I like, and someone else may not like what I like :)
 
4-2-7 said:
<snip>

I'll read on but don't know were your going with this.
Click to expand...

I remember when the term 'High End' began to be used to describe the quest for audio excellence in the home, TAS Recommended Components featured things like Double Advents, ARC SP3-A1 and D76a, Sony TTS-3000, Shure V15III-G, etc. Great, fun components.

Seemed like we were in a time of great discovery regarding just how good we could get things to sound in our homes.

Probably just nostalgic for those times.
 
TubeHiFiNut said:
I remember when the term 'High End' began to be used to describe the quest for audio excellence in the home, TAS Recommended Components featured things like Double Advents, ARC SP3-A1 and D76a, Sony TTS-3000, Shure V15III-G, etc. Great, fun components.

Seemed like we were in a time of great discovery regarding just how good we could get things to sound in our homes.

Probably just nostalgic for those times.
Click to expand...

Mine too, I came in about then.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
davidro said:
Were they very expensive at the time?
Click to expand...

The ARC tube stuff was relatively costly compared to consumer grade electronix, the Advent speakers were an acknowledged bargain. The Sony TT cost what it's very good quality level was worth, the Shure cart was totl but not exotic costly.
The exotic speaker at the time was the Infinity Servo-Statik system, which was pricey.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Good point.....and what was the role of Audio Note Ongaku in this regard? Thought some heralded that as what 'brought the resurgence of vacuum tube high end electronix'
 
davidro said:
Good point.....and what was the role of Audio Note Ongaku in this regard? Thought some heralded that as what 'brought the resurgence of vacuum tube high end electronix'
Click to expand...

Dunno the history of Audionote, heard of them but thought they were latecomers.
I recall ARC in the early-mid 1970s, then Conrad Johnson, Cary Auto and others.
The old 1960s tube goodies from Marantz, McIntosh, Harman - Kardon and others retained/regained respect from the reintroduction of SQ over sheer solid state power by the ARC line.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Pio1980 said:
The ARC tube stuff was relatively costly compared to consumer grade electronix, the Advent speakers were an acknowledged bargain. The Sony TT cost what it's very good quality level was worth, the Shure cart was totl but not exotic costly.
The exotic speaker at the time was the Infinity Servo-Statik system, which was pricey.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I remember the Servo-Statik......so incredibly exotic at the time.

And every bit as finicky as you would expect.

4-2-7 also brought up the philosophy of the source as being the most important.

That was the whole Linn mantra at the time: Source first, build from there.
 
TubeHiFiNut said:
I remember the Servo-Statik......so incredibly exotic at the time.

And every bit as finicky as you would expect.

4-2-7 also brought up the philosophy of the source as being the most important.

That was the whole Linn mantra at the time: Source first, build from there.
Click to expand...

Oh for sure, put gold in get golden out...I'll coin that one..:D
 
Pio1980 said:
Yes, it was the Good Stuff that brought the resurgence of vacuum tube high end electronix, due to at-the-time superb SQ.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Pretty much every manufacturer was beating the drums of solid state.

'Get rid of those old tube things, the future is here now.' You can't believe how little Marantz 7Cs and 8Bs, Mac C20s, 240s and 275s went for back then. Tubes were dead, they all said.....

Except William Z. Johnson at Audio Research Corporation.

As Pio said, CJ soon followed. Luxman had their tube preamp and amp models. Paragon had the 12a. Quicksilver followed in 1981, Cary in 1989 with others all along the way.

ARC was also instrumental in bringing the Magneplanar concept to the High End through the Magneplanar Tympani speakers.

Had a pair of Tympani ID in the late 1970s. Wow.....what a pair of speakers. :yes:
 
Last edited:
High End is extremely expensive, it looks beautiful and my ears are too stupid to appreciate the quality of it's sound reproduction.
 
HarmanKardon said:
High End is extremely expensive, it looks beautiful and my ears are too stupid to appreciate the quality of it's sound reproduction.
Click to expand...

Good answer!

In the end, it is how it sounds that counts. I will say, the went someone says "high end", McIntosh, B&O, (real) B&Ws, etc... come to mind. All the stuff I dreamed of back in the day.
 
There are two Audio Note companies:

Audio Note Japan (Kondo): Founder - Hiroyasu Kondo (not sure when Peter Qvortrop became his partner)

Audio Note UK: Founder - Peter Qvortrop

Anyway, they had a parting of ways due to a disagreement on designs and Peter formed Audio Note UK. Both Audio Note Japan and UK produced the Ongaku, but it was first introduced by Audio Note Japan in 1989. Audio Note UK was founded the same year. Apparently, Peter Qvortrop had significant developmental interest in the designs for the Ongaku.

I've met Peter Qvortrop. He is a very nice gentleman. This topic (dissolving of the partnership between him and Kondo) is probably only discussed with those closest to him.




TubeHiFiNut said:
AN may have been founded in 1976 but they were not well known in the USA until years later.

IIRC, the Ongaku was their big splash over here. I remember seeing it at CES in Vegas, mid-90s(?).

Beautiful, expensive and single-ended. :)
Click to expand...
 
Lilmsmaggie said:
There are two Audio Note companies:

Audio Note Japan (Kondo): Founder - Hiroyasu Kondo (not sure when Peter Qvortrop became his partner)

Audio Note UK: Founder - Peter Qvortrop

Anyway, they had a parting of ways due to a disagreement on designs and Peter formed Audio Note UK. Both Audio Note Japan and UK produced the Ongaku, but it was first introduced by Audio Note Japan in 1989. Audio Note UK was founded the same year. Apparently, Peter Qvortrop had significant developmental interest in the designs for the Ongaku.

I've met Peter Qvortrop. He is a very nice gentleman. This topic (dissolving of the partnership between him and Kondo) is probably only discussed with those closest to him.
Click to expand...

I recall something like this clouding the issue. Still in the USA they are relative newcomers to tube audio in my mind, after ca 1980.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom