best possible seperates combination of all time: source, amplification & speaker

[Analogos]

The most expensive is not always the best 

Firstly I would like a room to accommodate what I suggest.

My choices would be .
Turntable-SME 30/12
Cartridge-ZYX 4 D or Blue Angel Mantis or Airtight Supreme 
Phonostage-Valve Ausio Whisper
CDP-Something wiff valves for sure.
Amplification-Valve Audio Genesis Pre. and Genesis power amps.
Speakers-Martin Logan CLX or Kharma Exquisite Reference or alternatively Sonus Faber Stradivari Homage.

[alphabet]

Firstly I would like a room to accommodate what I suggest.

Now there is a valid statement, irrespective of what equipment you have or wish to have

[ghostinthemachine]

The most expensive is not always the best 

Firstly I would like a room to accommodate what I suggest.

My choices would be .
Turntable-SME 30/12
Cartridge-ZYX 4 D or Blue Angel Mantis or Airtight Supreme 
Phonostage-Valve Ausio Whisper
CDP-Something wiff valves for sure.
Amplification-Valve Audio Genesis Pre. and Genesis power amps.
Speakers-Martin Logan CLX or Kharma Exquisite Reference or alternatively Sonus Faber Stradivari Homage.

I concur! On both room and gear... and the advice about the price of the gear... 

[ghostinthemachine]

My best possible system would include the following:

Turntable: Must run constant, on-speed, true and smooth.
Tone-arm: Must have good mechanical integrity and precise bearings on all axii
Cartridge: Features a perfect diamond shaped to extract the most info from the groove walls. Its output must be healthy
CD Player: Least amount of jitter and easy controls, sturdy build
Pre-Amp: Wire with gain, minimal controls, miniature lightning jars must be included
Power amp: Must run hot (class A) with some lightning jars that protrude from the chassis
Speakers: Must be capable of reproducing the thump of a 22" kick drum to the soaring highs of a violin with the least amount of resonance

All connected with silver-plated copper wire cable and teflon insulation.
All in a room that has the least interference with the sound.

But I am sure my current system is capable of giving me a glimpse of heaven (thats when I am done with the speakers and tube amp) 

[ODUODU]

stefan

the plinius looks amazing

how well do you know theta ?

the plinius looks like they can easily rival or evan the theta amps of a couple of years ago or evan surpass them

isnt interesting how a company that for many years did make such quality products and then after a couple of years they just slowly seem to demise and then out of the blue a new company comes with something amazing and then the same thing happens to them.

are there companies out that has consistently over the years produced (say +- 20 years) products that remained at a high level. what is the reason you could possibly think that if you built a great cd player then then one who comes after just isnt as good. if you allready a good design, why change it ? simply try to improve on it. this something that has boggled me many years.

this the real reason i asked the question: is the best seperate component producing companies still the same as 10, 15 or 20 years ago. once you've done something right why do stop doing. maybe a more interesting question would be to ask is how many of the best components producing companies in the last 40 years lasted for more than 10 years. does anyone with a good memory and many years of knowledge & experience maybe a have an answer.

thanks
ockie
   

[Stefan]

Speakers: Must be capable of reproducing the thump of a 22" kick drum to the soaring highs of a violin with the least amount of resonance

Yep, one of the most important for me to. A speaker must be able to reproduce every percussive instruments 'timber' cleary and well defined, especially double kickdrums at 180bpm and a clear, fat bassline(not one-tone). Oh,  and a massive soundstage, everything at ear-bleeding levels! Then I'll be happy!

[Moog]

For a meaningful response, the word" best" should be defined. However have a look at this site for some expensive gear (not necessariy the "best") .Take a look at this: http://www.higherfi.com/

[ODUODU]

Hi Moog

the radiostrahler 101 x mbl is like the lp player stephan showed me via a link in his post. incredible beauty and looks like it has exquisite sound. i am quite surprised by the number of brands i have seen here i have never heard of before. shows you how much i know......

thanks

[Moog]

How about this caption in the advert: PIVETTA Opera-The world's ultimate and most expensive amp and we are the exclusive worldwide dealer. Hand made in Italy, 20,000 watts, 220 volt AC, 6 feet tall, mutli channel capability, will power any speaker … awesome! Retail price USD 650 000 (SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND GREEN ONES!)

[ODUODU]

looks like something used to startup boeings

the magnetic field that thing emits must be used. not to be placed in the same room as your tv/computer

nice though

what will your electricity bill be ? R5000 per month ? 

at that price i guess it wont matter

[Moog]

For me i can only mention my favourite and not the "best". For me , if money was no object, i would opt for the Audio Analogue Ongaku amplifier for my vinyl playing system, a high current class A amp (maybe Mark Levinson and a Conrad Johnson Act 1 preamp) for rock music. For my speakers, i would opt for a the Usher 20-Be (reputed to be as transparent as an eloctrostatic, but capabale of reproducing deep bass ( low as minus 3 db @ 22hZ ). For my sources, i.e. cd turntable, etc i will need to do more reserach. However, the advance in technololy relentlessy moves on and who know what improvements are available at the next corner. I suppose one needs  be open minded about this. Just imagine what the response would have been like if this question was raised in 1970 . To my mind, i can only conclude that the there is no "best" out there and they may never be where sound has to be reproduced.

[Ampdog]

I must hesitate to post here because of the repeated admissions I have made in the past regarding lack experience of commercial equipment.

But I would go with Moog's first sentence. Because the final 'arbiter' used is something as subjective as human hearing, there can be no 'best' standard. 'Preferable' so often seems to veer toward cost distinction. Someone will quote the generality that that proves that 'you get what you pay for' - yet all too often such so-called 'best' products reveal distinct deviation from the original by way of performance stats. Thus, what you hear is not inaudibly close to the original (however that may have sounded - we were mostly not present).

I think at this stage the article quoted in the thread "Is this what analogue is all about' (Tube Section) is relevant:    www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb10/articles/analoguewarmth.htm

The author explains why often the 'warmest' rendition of the original is preferred, adding "just the right amount of distortion to make the sound perfect" (an actual quote from a high-end amplifier manufacturer!). I believe we all know that often (high end) products on preferred lists have exemplary mechanical execution, inclusion of components of over-the-top specs etc. These may have impressive specs but not enough of audio value to compare.

As said elsewhere, I feel that in this we are fortunate to have limitations in our detecting device (hearing), thus the practical question is really: What combination of audio equipment presents inaudible deviation from the original? This does not make the choice easier, but perhaps less likely to be argueable.

My problem in compiling a choice will lie with loudspeakers. I believe (and tests have shown) that regarding amplifiers and ancillaries we have reached the stage some time ago of showing no audible contribution by the apparatus. Lastly - what source does one use for input - some of the over-processed CDs on the market??             

[ODUODU]

thats why sometimes i still prefer tape decks & vinyl over digital technology. as with everything in life i have come to the conclusion that economics will dictate the way technology is exploited. consumerism is the enemy of all thing that are classy, dedicated & honorable. where we are supposed to have competition in the market place we have simply a too small market for that matter in this country. there is simply no place for quality anymore & everything is money driven. when we didnt have the technology the quality remained, now we have the technology to deliver astounding sound but it simply exploited in the name of profit. when will we come back to a state where it is about quality and workmanship on a large scale. it can be like that again but it wont be profitable in the long run. cars and pc's are made to be so that are after sales service and thats how the companies survive in the long run. that company that doesnt do this doesnt survive. any body noticed how toyota who was allways a champion for the poor man now also lives by the same rules: cars must have airbags, frontloading cd player, abs brakes etc all just to stay competitive or else lose market share.

i guess the arabs having driven yhe oil prices are in some way to blamed for but do we as the buying still value what we have ? have we not become to complacent ?

[Moog]

It is unfortunate that some(if not most) new material is not available on cassette or vinlyl or the vinyl medium is more expensive. One may be "forced" by these circumstances to listen to cd as well. I think we are victims of big industry. What i find extremey sad is that when i made and "A" to "B" comparison of the  Led Zeppelin Three album and Pink Floyd's The Wall between vinyll and cd , the CD versions  always sounds inferior since all the emotion from the music had vanished(sigh,sigh), despite some "pops" and "clicks" from cd.

[Moog]

My apoligies. The last word was supposed to read "vinyl" instead of "cd".