holliswhy Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 A wow factor in Audio, in my mind, a "terminus" status, or at least a key checkpoint in the audio journey. My view, well, one that I have developed recently is that the wow factor can be a singular word. What I am suggesting is that, in an audio system, there can be one attribute that gives a wow factor. This could be thumping bass from an 18' inch JBL driver and 1000 watts of Krell power; 3D soundstage so deep and wide that you are lost, like in IKEA from an electrostatic panel; or, even, visual beauty like the B&W 800D. Most would argue that its silly to "force" a particular (audiophile) attribute because musical enjoyment is about emotions. But, if Johnny Darko was right about Hi Fi being an extension of our ego (other objects does the same thing btw...ie. cars), why can't I extend my ego (in my own sitting room) to have a wow factor? Beyond these black and cherry boxes (visual)? Beyond my head (soundstage), and beyond 50hz @ +-5db? Has anyone here achieved this? One "factor" that has X, written all over it. Is this just my philosophical imagination? Or, can this be a reality in my 6x4m sitting room? Tips will be nice.
Volunteer sir sanders zingmore Posted May 31, 2013 Volunteer Posted May 31, 2013 I had a wow factor looking at and listening to these recently whilst in Singapore.. Avantgarde Duo Mezzo 1
Once was an audiophile Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 A wow factor in Audio, in my mind, a "terminus" status, or at least a key checkpoint in the audio journey. My view, well, one that I have developed recently is that the wow factor can be a singular word. What I am suggesting is that, in an audio system, there can be one attribute that gives a wow factor. This could be thumping bass from an 18' inch JBL driver and 1000 watts of Krell power; 3D soundstage so deep and wide that you are lost, like in IKEA from an electrostatic panel; or, even, visual beauty like the B&W 800D. Most would argue that its silly to "force" a particular (audiophile) attribute because musical enjoyment is about emotions. But, if Johnny Darko was right about Hi Fi being an extension of our ego (other objects does the same thing btw...ie. cars), why can't I extend my ego (in my own sitting room) to have a wow factor? Beyond these black and cherry boxes (visual)? Beyond my head (soundstage), and beyond 50hz @ +-5db? Has anyone here achieved this? One "factor" that has X, written all over it. Is this just my philosophical imagination? Or, can this be a reality in my 6x4m sitting room? Tips will be nice. Bhobba (bill) had more wow's then anybody on this forum 5
joeling Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 1) Decent equipment 2) Properly proportioned room 3) Correct room treatment 4) Attention to details on placement & tuning 5) Good / suitable listening chair The above are essential ingredients for a wow presentation. One cannot imagine how some effort with the help of friends on the proper placement, correct levelling of speakers can have on the soundstage width & depth & making the speakers seemingly disappear. One does not need 18" woofers, twin 8" woofers on each speaker & 250W of tube power is more than enought to light up a room of about 7.5m X 4.5m X 3m. Play "lights" by Ellie Goulding & the the bass just hits you in the gut... Regards, Joe Ling 1
analog brother Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 hi joe, does your ref 2se give you the wow factor? 1
joeling Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 Well I cannot say I am very comfortable with analog just yet though the ref2 SE & Ortofon cart is getting there The Aurender & DCS combo is wowing me at the moment. Now looking for a sweeter sound. The Cary 805 50W SET is quite nice. Looking forward to the 100W Cary 211 FE soon to try out.
Briz Vegas Posted May 31, 2013 Posted May 31, 2013 Anyone who has upgraded has had the wow factor. The wow factor is transient. That is almost the definition of the wow factor. If its wow today chances are it will not be wow tomorrow. It could even be that a system that creates a wow factor is doing something wrong which can make it tiresome over time. Mind you, I have never read any wow theory. It's just my gut feel and experience of upgrades upon upgrades. Then there is the unsolicited wow factor. Wednesday evening started as a regular listening night, then about an hour in my preamp did its usual leap in performance, but this time it was a bit wow. Not only was I getting the solidity I like about my tube amp sound, it was also joined by better transparency and detail and lack of grain. Spent the rest of the evening like I had just added a new source, sampling everything and wondering where the magic came from 3 months after my last system change. On the Naim forum one of the more eccentric posters likes to talk at length about his quad 57s. He loves his speakers and his system because it has no wow factor. I think this guy is on to something. He says the 57s just play music like nothing else. No fireworks or kick in the guts from the kick drum. I get the wow thing, but its relative. it has driven crazy expenditure on my part for years. its probably why I still vist hifi forums. It's also a mistake to kid yourself that it lasts, unless you are a goldfish. Even a BMW M series gets ho hum after a while, either that or you end up killing yourself. Conclusion, the music should be the source of your wow factor, not the hifi. Find some new music and retire that bloody Pink Floyd or audiophile dross that you bore everyone to death with at every GTG. Discover some Latvian death metal band or some Iranian folk outfit. That's just what I intend doing........once I work out what happened Wednesday night...........and after that new power supply arrives, for just one more wow for old times sake. 7
analog brother Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 i get wow and flutter when i hear new records 1
analog brother Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 Well I cannot say I am very comfortable with analog just yet though the ref2 SE & Ortofon cart is getting there The Aurender & DCS combo is wowing me at the moment. Now looking for a sweeter sound. The Cary 805 50W SET is quite nice. Looking forward to the 100W Cary 211 FE soon to try out. need more break-in?
Volunteer sir sanders zingmore Posted June 1, 2013 Volunteer Posted June 1, 2013 <snip> Conclusion, the music should be the source of your wow factor, not the hifi. Find some new music and retire that bloody Pink Floyd or audiophile dross that you bore everyone to death with at every GTG. Discover some Latvian death metal band or some Iranian folk outfit. That's just what I intend doing........once I work out what happened Wednesday night...........and after that new power supply arrives, for just one more wow for old times sake. Absolutely.... You have nailed it. 2
alittlewino Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 Absolutely....You have nailed it. Conclusion, the music should be the source of your wow factor, not the hifi. Find some new music and retire that bloody Pink Floyd or audiophile dross that you bore everyone to death with at every GTG. Discover some Latvian death metal band or some Iranian folk outfit. That's just what I intend doing........once I work out what happened Wednesday night...........and after that new power supply arrives, for just one more wow for old times sake. +1 got the WoW recently listening to Shelby Lynne on vinyl singing Dusty Springfield's hits for the first time - took my breath away
daemon d Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 I agree with Briz whole heartedly. Becoming a wow junky will bankrupt you, it's an endorphin high that can't be sustained, unless you get it from your music and not your gear. You could be in serious danger of turning into a wow-ho and having to sell your body to score more wow. Every now and then, when I start to get jaded with my sound system, I restrict all listening to my car or clock radio or some such silliness. After a week or two it starts to sound normal, and then I warm up my hi fi again and wow.... Sounds silly, but it keeps my upgrade cycle in the decade range, rather than annual. Better than wow though, is finding a new bit of music, or rediscovering an old bit, that brings a tear to my eye or butterflies in my stomach. I must be overly emotional or something. What did those Avantgardes sound like Whatmore; never heard those myself. 1
David.M Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 Also agree with the music factor. Spinning vinyl again after many many years I've been getting a few 'wows' of late. The Reiner/Scheherazade on Classic 200g blew me away, I'd only ever heard the SACD beforehand. Then the other day decided to spin the first couple of Midnight Oil albums, hadn't listened to any of their music for many years & thought I had just grown out of it (& I'm not into his politics), took me straight back to my late teenage years & Friday nights at my local (Royal Antler Narrabeen), I felt like I was there! Memory is an amazing thing.
analog brother Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 yes good observation, david. i find music and scents can take me back to a pinpoint moment in time, many years back. crystal clear, but sometimes cannot remember what i did last month. 1
matt200sr Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 1) Decent equipment 2) Properly proportioned room 3) Correct room treatment 4) Attention to details on placement & tuning 5) Good / suitable listening chair The above are essential ingredients for a wow presentation. One cannot imagine how some effort with the help of friends on the proper placement, correct levelling of speakers can have on the soundstage width & depth & making the speakers seemingly disappear. One does not need 18" woofers, twin 8" woofers on each speaker & 250W of tube power is more than enought to light up a room of about 7.5m X 4.5m X 3m. Play "lights" by Ellie Goulding & the the bass just hits you in the gut... Regards, Joe Ling 6) Single malt whisky 3
David.M Posted June 1, 2013 Posted June 1, 2013 yes good observation, david. i find music and scents can take me back to a pinpoint moment in time, many years back.crystal clear, but sometimes cannot remember what i did last month. sometimes I struggle to remember what I did yesterday let alone a month ago, yet I have vivid memories of the Oils & INXS (and many others) at local pubs 35yrs ago. One of the magical things about music, time is no barrier
analog brother Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 certain things stick, but the other day somebody asked me what the name of the family dog on the brady bunch was, and i got it within a minute; normally would take me 3 days. i must of really took a liking to the brady bunch as a child...
daemon d Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 Or senility is setting in and your becoming closer to your inner child
analog brother Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 yes i think it's just starting! and it's exciting! no restrictions this time... 1
Paul Spencer Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 The problem with getting an immediate wow factor is that it so often is later followed but an irritation factor! Initially you might be impressed with the shimmering treble detail, only to find at other moments a harsh top end that is often fatiguing and plagued with sibilance. Or initially impressive full punhcy bass becomes flabby boom. So I think it's best to avoid the pursuit of those things that initially grab you and immediately announce "listen to my treble detail and buy me now before you notice what a Diva I am and how much I'll drive you nuts later!" But if you get everything right in your system that matters, it will be the music that creates the wow factor. So the challenge in setting up an audio system is to get everything to disappear that would otherwise distract you. I don't care what is needed in the system to arrive at that point, I only care about actually getting there! If it takes opamps, DSP, active crossovers, measurements, bass traps, cutting holes in the floor, lining boxes with messy bitumen, rebuilding the room ... it's a great journey! I find there are many things people tell you that you must have to achieve it, that you don't need at all. Often those same people eschew the things that would actually help them get there. A lot of people can't accept the idea of using things that leave obvious problems sticking out like a wart. 4
unclemack Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 (edited) If music was the only Wow factor then we would all be listening to it via lifestyle systems. It's Bulldust. The combination of great music through a great system creates the Wow. I have had my Infinitys out of commission several times and the last time I had to make do with a little pair of cheap Wharfedale bookshelves which, partnered tih a cheapish subby, worked well but, when i got those four 12' Watkins woofers and EMIM and EMIT drivers running again, the music took on a whole new perspective. I relished the detail, the lifelike soundstage and that beautiful, subterranean bass, delivering the music into my room with a level of authority and pleasure the Wharfedales just couldn't match... The synergy of the system, the music and the brain is the equation that = WOW... Cheers M Edited June 2, 2013 by unclemack
Noypi888 Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 (edited) I agree with Briz whole heartedly. Becoming a wow junky will bankrupt you, it's an endorphin high that can't be sustained, unless you get it from your music and not your gear. You could be in serious danger of turning into a wow-ho and having to sell your body to score more wow. Every now and then, when I start to get jaded with my sound system, I restrict all listening to my car or clock radio or some such silliness. After a week or two it starts to sound normal, and then I warm up my hi fi again and wow.... I fully agree with this as this is what i am doing as well and it really works......I refrain from listening to my hifi system for a week or two, just making myself busy with other stuff when at home so the only source of music will be my car stereo and only during my travel to work....when i listen to my system again....WOW there it is again, the pleasure and satisfaction is back....you will again rediscover what your current gear is capable of giving.... I would suggest people to try this and they will be able to control upgraditis.....at least for longer than usual..... Sounds silly, but it keeps my upgrade cycle in the decade range, rather than annual. Better than wow though, is finding a new bit of music, or rediscovering an old bit, that brings a tear to my eye or butterflies in my stomach. I must be overly emotional or something. What did those Avantgardes sound like Whatmore; never heard those myself. Edited June 2, 2013 by andrei
Paul Spencer Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 If music was the only Wow factor then we would all be listening to it via lifestyle systems. It's Bulldust. The combination of great music through a great system creates the Wow. I have had my Infinitys out of commission several times and the last time I had to make do with a little pair of cheap Wharfedale bookshelves which, partnered tih a cheapish subby, worked well but, when i got those four 12' Watkins woofers and EMIM and EMIT drivers running again, the music took on a whole new perspective. I relished the detail, the lifelike soundstage and that beautiful, subterranean bass, delivering the music into my room with a level of authority and pleasure the Wharfedales just couldn't match... The synergy of the system, the music and the brain is the equation that = WOW... Cheers M You say that as if contradicting and correcting what has just been said. 1
unclemack Posted June 2, 2013 Posted June 2, 2013 You say that as if contradicting and correcting what has just been said. Probably...beer and forum posting never works for me... Cheers M
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