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Harsh I tell you..very harsh!

Jonathan wrote:"Why spend $6000 on "near perfect""

I thought you were talking about Focals

"Why spend $6000 on "near perfect""

I thought you were talking about Focals

Old Audison HR100. Mmm.

We just completed an install in a shop demo vehicle here...

Mercedes Benz G500 SUV, with a Focal Utopia Be No.7 set up front (the 3-way version), a Focal Utopia Be No.6 setup in the rear (the 2-way 6.5" set), with their crossovers mounted where the factory changer was in the hatch, with a very cool custom bezel surrounding them...
Six Focal Utopia Be 8" subwoofers in a curving sealed enclosure.
Two Audison Thesis amplifiers mounted on a floating aluminum rack - one powering the No.7 set, one powering the six subwoofers.
One Audison SRx2 amp powering the No.6 set (it's actually hidden from view).

There's the ultimate example of "the best equipment".

And it's currently far from being "the best sounding", in one way because the install was just finished, and hasn't been fully tuned...
...but more fundamentally, because we completed the installation primarily to have it done in time for the NFADA Buffalo Auto Show (where the truck is now on display)... and in doing that, particularly with the front stage, we essentially completed the front stage install cosmetically - there's a lot we need to do acoustically to the front speaker locations to get them to really work to their full potential.

So you can list any of that equipment I listed here as "my favorite equipment" - and even though this is one of the best, most classy looking installations I've seen, it still wouldn't rank as one of "my personal favorite sounding" (yet), because it really is just all "equipment" at this point, without focus on "acoustics" - yet.

But - 95% of the people would find nothing wrong with the install in it's current state, and wouldn't ever take it further - and wouldn't ever realize the full potential of equipment like this... rendering equipment like this a true waste, IMO.
It takes a real focus on acoustics to extract full performance from equipment like this (that's round two, where I get involved. Thankfully, our fabrication team and a guest "celebrity installer" - training/consulting - got this very well done so far).

I wouldn't spend that much on equipment, unless I really knew how to squeeze out every bit of performance from it - otherwise I may as well go with a lesser "high end" set. Why spend $6000 on "near perfect" when you can spend $600 on "the best you've heard"?

That's a filter that hopefully any sets of eyes browsing for high end equipment can mentally process, while reading this thread.

yeah I still have some of the old store promo stuff for orion and alpine from the shop downstairs. that alpine banner has to be at least 15 feet long.

KikiTheCat wrote: If you want an example of an old, overbuilt amp, look at Orion GS series amps, if you can find any.

Man I remember drooling over those Gold Orion GS & the HCCA back in the day... but alas... I was doing it all with a GT220 on tweets, a GT220 on mids & a GT420 bridged to a pair of Orion XTR 10's (blue striped) remember the Ferrofluid cooled subs???. I used an SPX-200 xOver & used a Denon DCL-420 to control a Tape Deck & CD deck coupled to a Denon DCE-250 EQ.

Ah the good old days...

the GS line was 24K gold plated, and hand tuned by Orion's lead engineer before shipping. All components were 1% tol, MilSpec, and the amps could be engraved with the owner's name on the casing.

Yeah, you always hear how good the older orion amps are. A few years back I was at an car show/swap meet and there was a grandpa there selling 4-5 older orion amps for like 50 bucks a pop, but I had no money....

in amps I consider high end to be products that use things like 1% tolerance milspec components, and very well designed, beefy power supplies. Generally products that are over-engineered. The thing is, doing that costs more, so the amps will cost more, too. The benefit is a closer tolerance between identical amplifiers, and longer lifespans. Don't think that means every expensive amp is built that way though. Many are more for the name than the internals anymore.
If you want an example of an old, overbuilt amp, look at Orion GS series amps, if you can find any.

[quote="racerraul"]I did? You sure about that?
or was my list not SQish enough I have to do it again ]

In my best Jackie voice (from that 70's show).... SHUT UP!