A Day in Audio Heaven

Aaron
Aaron Posts: 1,853
edited February 28 in Clubhouse Archives
On Saturday I took a trip down to Soundex in Willow Grove, PA. I met Dan (Mantis) at Soundex, where he works, and got the grand tour. All I can say is wow! That place is incredible! They have some of the coolest stuff I've ever seen and heard like the Dynaudio Evidence Temptation's, Wilson Watt/Puppy's, and B&W Nautilus 800's. They have 22 of the nicest sound rooms I've ever seen. I'm sure they had to send someone through the store to clean up the puddles of drool I was leaving everywhere. They have affordable stuff, too. I was pretty impressed with the various Dynaudio speakers I heard, particularly the Audience 82's and the Contour 1.3 MKII's. Another speaker that really impressed me was the Martin Logan Ascent.

After completing the tour of Soundex, Dan and I went to Hi-Fi House. I wanted to go there, because they carry Musical Fidelity components that I've been dying to hear. We got there and the salesman totally copped an attitude. He basically said that he didn't feel like setting the equipment up unless I was going to buy it. Good sales tactics. He hooked the stuff up and didn't even bother to speaker placement. Everything sounded horrible. I complained, so he fixed it a little bit. It still sounded bad. After he left, Dan fooled around with placement and got everything sounding 100% better. Still, there was something funky going on in the room. I was hearing an echo/hallow characteristic in the music. The good thing about the demo was that I got to hear the equipment on the B&W N805 bookshelfs (speakers that I'm familiar with). Overall the sound was decent, but I've heard better. I was a little disappointed overall, but I'm not sure where the weak link in the chain was (MF, B&W, room, placement, cables, etc.). The Musical Fidelity stuff is gorgeous, though. When I'm ready to buy, I'll definitely give them an in-home demo.

After leaving Hi-Fi House we thought about going to Tweeter to make fun of the silly Klipsch speakers, but we decided that our ears were too precious for that (oh, sorry Dean :p). Anyway, I had a great time seeing, hearing, and playing with all kinds of cool gear. Dan's a cool guy and is quite knowledgable. He also made an excellent audio tour guide. If you ever get near Philadelphia, you should definitely make it a point to check out Soundex.

Aaron
Post edited by RyanC_Masimo on
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Comments

  • dean/klipschead
    dean/klipschead Posts: 295
    edited April 2002
    nice post

    sounds like an awesome store

    i don't know about their hiring practices though:)

    you said you were "hearing an echo/hollow characteristic in the music"

    now, are you sure Dan didn't have some Klipsch tucked away in that room somewhere:D
    Dean
    Quicksilver M-60 monoblocks - JM 200 Peach Linestage - Sony DVP-S9000ES - '03 modified Klipschorns

    "I'm sure it's better than it sounds."-- Mark Twain, when asked what he thought about Wagner's music
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited April 2002
    You see that Aaron,
    Dean has us all figured out.He got me.I'm sorry Aaron I did have a pair of rf'7's hidden inside of the N801's that were sitting in the Hi Fi house,Thats why nothing seemed right, even after i set up the N805's you were really hearing the RF 7's.
    We have to watch that guy, he's real cleaver.
    And I used to be a bum on the street, they brought me in feeling sorry for me with my cup and everything.I get to clean the toilet's and once in a while they let me see the gear.
    All kidding aside...Aaron and I had a great time,he really seemed to like the Dynaudio line.They do that to everybody.If you never heard Dynaudio's go, It's worth you time to hear them go.They are funny speaker's, they mate with just about anything,(except Integra)and can play any kind of music as well as any speaker made.I'm also impressed with there line, everytime I sit in fron of them, I leave in awe.
    My guy's in tweeter would have let my set up anything I wanted, but as Aaron said we didn't want to ruin the rest of the day with Klipsch.:p :p
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited April 2002
    Twenty-Two??????

    Man, sounds like audio-nirvana........I wonder what kind of insurance a place like that must carry.....

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited April 2002
    TON'S
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • dean/klipschead
    dean/klipschead Posts: 295
    edited April 2002
    I've always wanted to hear some dynaudios -- they're just not around here anywhere.

    So, I guess I'm stuck in 'hollow' earth;)
    Dean
    Quicksilver M-60 monoblocks - JM 200 Peach Linestage - Sony DVP-S9000ES - '03 modified Klipschorns

    "I'm sure it's better than it sounds."-- Mark Twain, when asked what he thought about Wagner's music
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited April 2002
    Hey Dean,
    just move you listening chair closer to your speaker's and aim them right at your head.Like headphone's, then they won't be hollow anymore.
    Or fill them up with sand,that allway's work's.
    Thats a shame nobody carries Dynaudio,all music lover's(even you Dean)should get the chance to hear a pair go.The closest thing would be Eggelstone's, they sound somewhat like Dynaudio.They use there driver's.;)
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • Aaron
    Aaron Posts: 1,853
    edited April 2002
    you said you were "hearing an echo/hollow characteristic in the music"

    now, are you sure Dan didn't have some Klipsch tucked away in that room somewhere:D
    Well, if he did have some horns hidden somewhere, he must have thrown a low pass filter on them, because my ears weren't bleeding. The sound I heard with the B&W's had a bit of an echo to it, most noticable in the upper bass. I used the word "hollow", because it sounded like a resonance, like when you rap on the cabinet of a very poorly made speaker. The hollowness I experienced with the Klipsch's was more like an absence of sound, something was missing. That's not a good description, but it's about as good as I can do.

    Aaron
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited April 2002
    So where is Willow Grove PA. Can I get there from Frederick MD in less than 3hours or so? Sounds like a fun tour! Wouldn't mind meeting Mantis either but if he's going to play klipsch then I'm unsure... Never heard of Dynaudio but it sounds like it's worth it.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • Aaron
    Aaron Posts: 1,853
    edited April 2002
    Willow Grove is a suburb of Philly, so I'm guessing you can get there in under 3 hours. Dynaudio is definitely some nice stuff. The funny thing about them is that they don't look expensive or all that impressive. Of course, once you play them your impression tends to change a bit.

    www.dynaudio.com

    Aaron
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  • gidrah
    gidrah Posts: 3,049
    edited April 2002
    I haven't had a chance to listen to anything with Dyn's. I'm also fairly shy about asking to have stuff rearranged. It must've been sweet to be on a guided tour. I get initial looks. Either it's the "Time to pay the mortgage look" or the "Oh, this guy. He never buys anything look".
    Make it Funky! :)
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,649
    edited April 2002
    madmax001

    You don't have to go to PA. to hear Dynaudio. They've got them right here in MD. JS Audio in Bethesda, 301-656-7020. It's less than an hour from Frederick.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • juice21
    juice21 Posts: 1,866
    edited April 2002
    i might be coming down soon. you're just a bit over an hour away...
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  • joe6pak
    joe6pak Posts: 267
    edited April 2002
    Aaron. 22 sound rooms. How did you find time to go to another store? I'm afraid if I ever get to go there I will need to bring a sack lunch. Maybe two sacks. Does Mantis get much for these tours?

    joe
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