SF Guarneri Homage audition gone wrong ... then a silver lining

[Alberto]

As you know, I had (note the tense I used ) put my beloved Guarneri Homage for sale as a first step in my system tear-down and rebuild from scratch.

I get 3 nibbles

Within a few hours of listing the SFGH on craigslist and Audiogon I had 3 people interested in them. One low-baller, one guy who wanted me to ship them (something I am not willing to do), and a very nice local person who happened to be associated with a chamber orchestra - Guarneri & chamber music = match made in heaven. Or so I thought.

No tubes for you

Talking with this gentleman on the phone, he professed a dislike of tubes so, since I already had the system disassembled and would have to recable it, I went straight from the MDA1000 to the MC501s. I have never been a fan of this configuration but I know that others like going without a preamp, and I thought my potential buyer was in that category.

You are not too bright ... not!
To make a long story short, he did not like what he heard - and found the speakers/system too bright. I agreed with him, without the preamp the system had lost a lot of its body and, with it, a lot of its deliciousness. I could not really fault the GHs though, they were just doing their job of accurately reproducing the material he had brought with him - mostly classical material.

Rewiring the system to include the C220 that, by now, was in another room would have taken too long; and I am pretty sure that with his tube bias (pun intended) he would not have liked it either. But switching to the Fisher 600 required only changing speaker cables, so I did that.

He was not a big fan of the vintage tubey sound ... but I loved it!

No dice
I must admit too that the system without the C220 did not sound anything like its former self. I didn't like it either and so I was not surprised when he said that he would not be buying the speakers and left soon after (though we'll probably keep in touch since he was a great guy and I am interested in what he's going to end up with.)

At this point, you'd think I'd be disappointed that the audition did not go well. After all, this was a local buyer - someone in the chamber music industry, no less - and a very nice guy who would have provided a great home for the GHs. Well, I was a bit embarrassed that the system did not sound delicious but, after all, I was not the one who did not want tubes in the audio chain. Not everyone can handle the truth in the recorded material. I am sure some fan of B&W speakers would have found the highs too "timid". Different ears hear differently.

But ... while I was listening to the Guarneri through the Fisher 600, I realized that the combination which -- surprisingly I had never tried -- sounded quite delicious. I tweaked the bass up a notch and now it sounded REALLY delicious. I then [cover your eyes you purists] flipped the loudness button and I couldn't take it any more ... the deliciousness was overwhelming. I don't know what frequencies that loudness switch on the Fisher 600 mocks with, but the room came alive with a deep, warm and round bass and very present and shimmering yet non-fatiguing highs.

The Guarneris were now giving me the sound I imagined I'd get from my next set of speakers - with the exception of the lowest octave.

I've often claimed that the GHs were the most beautiful speakers ever made. Based on looks alone I would have never parted with them. But I wanted to explore and push the boundary of delicious sound with my system. I thought that the speakers would have been the first thing to replace, but now I am thinking that a different set of pre and amps might be the right place to start.

I don't believe in short term reviews and impression, so I'll hold final judgement for a couple of weeks, but perhaps -- just perhaps -- I've found a way to keep the Guarneris in my new system. And that would make me a very happy guy because they are the most visible and aesthetically important part of the system.

The journey to a brand new system takes and unexpected turn.

Deliciously yours,

Alberto

[jdandy]

Alberto.......Quite an eye opening first buyer audition on a number of levels. I am not surprised you have had a mild change of heart about parting with the SFGH speakers. Speakers like this have a way of endearing themselves to your heart.

Enjoy your journey. It is often as much fun as the destination.

[Masterlu]

Alberto, what flavor Koolaid are you drinking?

[chessman]

Too cool!

[j3brow]

Excellent choice. Keeping the SFGH is the right move IMO.

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

Alberto, what flavor Koolaid are you drinking?

Whatever kind it is, I'm sure it is delicious! What a fun review.

Dan...It may be the Fisher receiver as much as the SF's that's found a way of endearing itself to Alberto's heart!

Pete

[jdandy]

Pete.......That is quite possible. Makes me think of the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

Alberto, what flavor Koolaid are you drinking?

Kool-aid? Ivan, I'm on a low-carb diet .

I know, pairing a 50 year-old receiver with a modern $6K+ speaker sounds crazy, but I hear what I hear - and I like what I like.

As I said, I don't believe in quick audition, let's see if I still like what I'm hearing in a couple of weeks.

Alberto

P.S. I've already accepted the fact that my audiophile credentials are all but busted. I like to use tone controls, I like to use loudness, I like some kinds of distortions. To paraphrase the song: "I like big bottoms and I cannot lie!"

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by Alberto

Kool-aid? Ivan, I'm on a low-carb diet .

I know, pairing a 50 year-old receiver with a modern $6K+ speaker sounds crazy, but I hear what I hear - and I like what I like.

As I said, I don't believe in quick audition, let's see if I still like what I'm hearing in a couple of weeks.

Alberto

P.S. I've already accepted the fact that my audiophile credentials are all but busted. I like to use tone controls, I like to use loudness, I like some kinds of distortions. To paraphrase the song: "I like big bottoms and I cannot lie!"

Dang! Now I KNOW I'll never get Alberto to part with that Fisher Receiver!

Alberto...don't feel bad. I like tone controls too, along with loudness, analog equalizers, and other signal processors! I figure there's a lot of guys snickering at me, but that's ok. I've tried for years to convince myself that they must be "right" and I must be "wrong", and I've been unable to do it. What is right for you is right for you. It is what it is.

Pete

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by Alberto

Kool-aid? Ivan, I'm on a low-carb diet .

I know, pairing a 50 year-old receiver with a modern $6K+ speaker sounds crazy, but I hear what I hear - and I like what I like.

As I said, I don't believe in quick audition, let's see if I still like what I'm hearing in a couple of weeks.

Alberto

P.S. I've already accepted the fact that my audiophile credentials are all but busted. I like to use tone controls, I like to use loudness, I like some kinds of distortions. To paraphrase the song: "I like big bottoms and I cannot lie!"

Who are you, and what have you done with my friend Alberto?