$150,000 Sound System Boasts Awesome Fidelity, Amplification

[The Straight Story]

$150,000 Sound System Boasts Awesome Fidelity, Amplification
Cliff Kuang Email 06.01.07 | 2:00 AM

The first thing you'll notice about the Steinway Lyngdorf Model-D Music System, a sound system the piano maker will unleash this fall, is the price tag: a whopping $150,000.

What will make you forget this ludicrous sticker price are the sounds that emanate from it when it's plugged in. In May, Peter Lyngdorf, the audio guru who partnered with Steinway to develop the system, demoed it for Wired News.

After a long, brain-breaking discussion about digital-to-analog converters and transient waves, he put on the theme song from The Pink Panther. I could almost smell the brass of the high-hat. After that, we listened to assorted symphonies, Peter Gabriel and New Order. It was an almost schizophrenic experience -- I heard background voices, breaths and sounds that I'd never perceived before on other speakers.

The Model-D -- named after Steinway's hoary concert grand piano -- is among the first completely digital, ultra-high-end audio systems. It can process signals encoded at 104 MHz, even though the best studio equipment can currently only record at 192 KHz. Meanwhile, each speaker tower has a solid aluminum casing and weighs 500 pounds, so it won't vibrate when sounds pour from the four 12-inch drivers, two 5-inch midranges and single ribbon tweeter. "The system can reproduce a full symphonic orchestra with no compromises in sound," crows Lyngdorf.

It can also blast that sound in all directions, since the speaker towers are open in the back. To make sure they still sound good throughout every corner of your penthouse living room, Steinway will send a sound technician to install the system, then take a mike reading from the couch (or wherever you'll be listening to music most) followed by random readings throughout the room. The speakers' RoomPerfect technology then creates a 3-D model of the surroundings, and adjusts its output to ensure the best sound quality over the widest possible area.

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/06/steinway

[thunder rising]

1. So that's where all those tax breaks for the rich are going.

I'm a bit of an audiofile (term from the old days) and I get page turning as well. I use one Crown stage amp, one JBL bass unit, and 4 JBL speakers that constitute 4 12" 4 mids tweeters.

And it still boils down to the recording. There's no magic in audio, just make sure all the speakers are wired in phase.

[Elwood P Dowd]

7. I don't think you qualify as an audiophile.

Number One: You spelled audiophile wrong.

Number Two: No audiophile listens to Crown and JBL crap.

Number Three: No audiophile would make the asinine comment, "...just make sure all the speakers are wired in phase."

Number Four: What in in hell is 4 12" 4 mids tweeters? Is that some new language?

[Richard Steele]

10. Yup, what you said. nm

[Warpy]

11. I have Klipsch bookshelf speakers with a KLH sub

so I barely qualify.

Just don't ask how old the receiver is.

[Elwood P Dowd]

14. Kiipsch speakers with certain old receivers ain't half bad.

Some of those old receivers blow away overpriced Crown crap.

[LastDemocratInSC]

49. I remember meeting Paul Kipsch when I was a child

My dad had a company that designed high-end audio systems for homes and businesses in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He sold only Fisher, McIntosh and Klipsch products. On many occasions Paul Klipsch flew into our hometown airport and spent the weekend at our lakehouse and then, during the week, met with local customers. I remember sitting in the left seat of his airplane at the airport turning the control yoke from side-to-side.

He was a lot of fun to be with as a child. He had a wild sense of humor, loved to laugh, and liked to swim in the lake after dark. Oh, if I had known then what I know now, I would have had so many questions for him.

[Warpy]

54. Ever hear a set of Klipschhorns?

Those things were magnificent.

The large bookshelf speakers I have are adequate for a small room in a small house, but oh my, those top of the line monsters!

[BlueJazz]

22. Thunder Rising....What you say about the recording is .....

...very true....especially in the Rock and Roll field.
A lot of pop music is mixed to sound decent on cheap equipment.
When you play it on a HiFi system, the user usually has to compensate (EQ..Etc)

Sorry about the rude-ass comments after your post....Most of the so-called
"Audiophiles" :) can't hear past 12,000 Cycles anyway and their hearing "Curve"
looks like the a child scribbling nonsense on a sidewalk.

I've seen people invest 50,000 bucks on a system that is totally wasted
on somebody over 40....

[Elwood P Dowd]

31. Sorry, but I can still hear to 15K

and I don't appreciate YOUR "rude-ass" comments.

[BlueJazz]

35. Well..Geez...When we have a new poster, most folks are a little...

...kinder to them than you were.
I mean, you could have said something like..
"What you say is partially true BUT blah, blah, blah and Oh.... by the way,
Audiofile is spelled Audiophile ... "

Of course, maybe I'm being picky...forgive me ..I'm tired...

[whistle]

2. I've place my order for two systems, one for my Wyndemyer Estate Mansion

....and the other for my Palm Beach ocean front cottage. It will be a stretch for us but I think if George gets that last tax break though, you know the one that exempts the rich from paying any taxes what so ever, we'll manage.

:spray: :hide: :yoiks: :rofl:

[live love laugh]

5. Looks like it's past bedtime for somebody.

:rofl:

[live love laugh]

6. delete -never mind nt

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. My God I've Gotta Find A Way To Get Rich And Get Me One Of These. It Sounds AMAZING!

Someday..... Someday....

[The Straight Story]

32. Invite me over when ya get one, I want to play some computer games

and hook my PC into it :)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

34. I Want To Hook Up My Ensonic Keyboard To It!

Jesus, that sound system sounds cool as hell don't it?

[Richard Steele]

41. I bet my Atari 2600 would sound AWESOME through that thing! nm

[Blue_Tires]

47. roger that!

great memories!

[Wilms]

4. I ggogled around, visited the web site, and I'm really, really, impressed...

that more than two-thirds of the $150K price will be for the marketing hyperbole.

Let's face it, a lot of wealthy folk are pretty thin in the brain department, while mainy are quite ample in the vain department.

Shit like this is for them.

[Digital]

8. You have a point there!

You do have to be pretty dumb to get rich! Only the brightest of folks can't afford health care!:eyes:

[Wilms]

9. Welcome Digit-Al! A little reading comprehension problem I see.

Let's face it, not all, but a lot of folk suffer that.

Now prove how bright you are by re-reading my post and, for the first time, understanding what I wrote.

I'll check back.

And I'll understand if you fall through a trap door.

[Digital]

18. I'll explain it to you like you are two...

I was responding to your absurd post that most rich people are stupid with another absurd post, that most poor people are highly intelligent. It's called hyperbole and/or sarcasm.

The fact is that both intelligent and stupid people can be found in both groups...rich and poor.

The fact that you don't see your own post as absurd, and you did not see my post as sarcastic indicate to me that you fall into the stupid category.

[Wilms]

23. Yeah. Explain it to me like I'm two.

Use direct quotes from my post to demonstrate where I said (and now I'll quote you) "that most rich people are stupid".

I am not responsible for what others post, but since you mentioned it, perhaps you'll share the link where someone claimed "that most poor people are highly intelligent".

I agree that "intelligent and stupid people can be found in both groups...rich and poor".

And while the sarcasm in your post was noted, I did form a judgment as to your intent. I chose to withhold that respecting the forum rules.

Have a nice day.

[Digital]

30. No thanks!

I could pour a wet, cold bucket of reason, facts and logic over your head and you would stand there, dripping, and swear that you are dry.

Have a great night.

[Wilms]

45. Is that a computer monitor, or a mirror you're looking at?

[Richard Steele]

12. Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay. nm

[Digital]

20. Thanks,

I'm sure I will. I do find a lot of like minded Democrats here. I plan to stick around for awhile.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

24. ...

:applause:

Welcome to DU.

Don't worry, the whole getting called a troll things will probably be thrown at you a lot if you express your opinion and they don't like it. Don't sweat it. If you are a real democrat with real intentions and understand the rules, you'll be just fine.

For the record, I found the rich people comment to be asinine as well.

[ReverendDeuce]

13. As with anything... diminishing returns...

You can get quality 95% of this for 5% of the cost. It's just how audiophile-grade equipment works.

[Elwood P Dowd]

16. That is true.

I've heard $10,000 systems that didn't sound as musical as some old 1973 Advents with a Harman Kardon receiver.

[Poiuyt]

17. I till have my old Advent Loudspeakers!

I guess that makes me pretty special!

[Elwood P Dowd]

19. Refoam the woofers and upgrade the crossovers.

That's a classic old loudspeaker.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

36. How do you refoam a woofer?

Please do tell. I have some old Advent speakers too.

[Poiuyt]

44. I did mine a few years ago

Check out this page:

http://mlug.missouri.edu/~igor/advent.php

I think you can also get refoaming kits on eBay

[Richard Steele]

25. Yup. I'm a "wish I had $$$ to be a real audiophile, but I never have" kinda guy....

....and our home system is a cobbled-together Frankenstein
built around a 70s Harman Kardon reciever we got for free,
from someone who was gonna THROW IT AWAY. :o

We have friends who have put serious money into new sound
systems that just don't sound quite as good as our pile of
old "obsolete" equipment.

[Wilms]

27. Indeed!

My buddies thought I had a secret.

I do. Maintaining gear I bought in the 70's and buying gear made in the 70's at garage sales and on eBay.

OK. OK. It would have been easier to go to mega-retailer if I didn't mind spending a lot more, and it sounding not as good. And yeah, it helped that I knew enough of what I was doing to pull it off.

Now pardon me while I go spin some vinyl.

:toast:

[tech3149]

15. I'm still amazed the audio industry hasn't figured out they don't need all that crap

To preface my statements refer to US patent# 4881617. It describes the basic concept for a speaker design that can provide full range, phase coherent reproduction with a single speaker. A friend and co-worker spent about 12 years of his free time developing the concept. He was inspired, as I was by an earlier design called the Ohm-F. It worked on the same basic principle, but the physical design was inefficient and self destructive. I have the first prototypes as my main speakers and I'd put them up against anything I've heard in the last thirty years. They're so efficient, I can listen to any music with less than 2 watts per speaker and they'll take all 150 watts from my Bryston amp all day long without complaint. I think my $2.5K investment has paid off over the past 10 years in enjoyment alone.

What frost's me every time I think about it is that all the major manufaturer's tried to blow off the ideas and design concepts based on the NIH (Not Invented Here) thinking. It's hearbreaking to think about good ideas being shut down by the powers that be.
Thanks for posting something that gets my head into the technology world. I think it might also promt me to call my old friend and see what's been developing over the last couple of years.

[Jonathan50]

57. I heard Ohm Fs a looong time ago..

I didn't really know much back then but I can remember being impressed at the time.

Today my system is Infinity three way's with a 10" woofer, soft dome mid and soft dome tweeter and an older Harmon Kardon receiver that has the high current output stage.

My computer speakers I'm kind of proud of, I have a three piece Altec Lansing system with a fairly hefty sub which I stick in the corner and two mini towers on either side of the monitor. The system has adjustable Dolby surround which I like, when you turn it up the difference is quite remarkable.

The best part?

I picked them up in a thrift store for $10.00

As far as bang for the buck goes, I'm way ahead of the $150,000 system. Everything I have I got used, including the linear tracking turntable (my grandkids asked me "what's that grandpa?" when they first saw the turntable :) ).

My brother has a Klipsh computer speaker system which is quite impressive. But he spent more on that than I have on both of my systems and my car system too..

Did I mention I'm cheap?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

21. Please, make a promise to me, wouldja?

Would all of you take the pledge to never, ever get sucked into that "oxygen-free copper" crap?

I mean really. I mean reallyreallyreally. The guys who are selling that shit are laughing all the way to the Caymans.

[BlueJazz]

26. Oh..Man..Tell me about it !!! Damn..I forgot where I read this but it....

...goes something like....>>>

"We a ???? Magazine took ten known Audiophiles...put them in a room, hooked up a super Hi-Fi system with very expensive cables then switch them with cheap extension cord wire from Kmart.
After 3 hours of switching cable and wires, the "Experts" picked the Cheap wires
32 times out of 60 times." :rofl:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

28. Are you aware...

That they are also doing this scam on power cords? Dave Haynie(Google the name) posted an article about oxy-free copper power cords to a mailing list I am on, where the writer waxed rhapsodic about the benefits of them. OMG, was this guy a complete ninny. Just a pretentious gagootz. The kind you want to strangle.

As an old sound tech(One of the first graduates of The AES School, way back when...), I am amused for hours with this stuff. I remember the fun we had when one sound company tried using welding cable as speaker cable. Hours of joviality ensued, along with a few double hernias from slugging that stuff around.

[BlueJazz]

29. Yep...How right you are. You know the funny thing about all this...

.."Super cable" stuff is the point that most (even Expensive) Speakers have
regular-everyday cheap-wire strung from the speaker connections (in the inclosure) to the crossover to the connections on the outside of the speaker inclosure.

Weakest link in the chain...and all that stuff...

[conscious evolution]

50. My favorite scam is the gold plated connectors

While gold is the fastest conductor it is still limited by the copper wires between the connectors.

Oxy-free?!?!?!?What is that suppose to mean?

[Elwood P Dowd]

33. You guys are freaking deaf!

I have been through these blind tests and picked out the better cable over 90% of the time. You have to have a revealing system, and you have to do the test at home with a familiar system and with familiar music. We used a box that sells for several hundred dollars designed by David Salz (sp ?). Using fast switching in an unfamiliar environment probably gives you different results. Oh, BTW, the earth is flat.

[BlueJazz]

38. Did you ever consider that you might be one of the.....

...rare folks that have great hearing?
Most people have had their hearing (partially) destroyed by all the constant noise
we are subjected to...

I've been blessed (Cursed) with Perfect Pitch and I have a hard time telling the difference between
a 10,000 dollar system and a 20,000 dollar system...

[Elwood P Dowd]

40. Well, I heard the differences in wire over 30 years ago.

It was a shock to say the least. I've found many who can hear the differences, including my mother when she was in her 60s. Your blanket statement on cables is just flat wrong. Many, many people I know can hear the differences. I've also discovered that there are cases where a less expensive cable is a better match in some systems. Also, the average person with a typical system doesn't really need much more than basic Monster Cable with decent connectors. However, this thread was about audiophile equipment, and that is a different world. These people do not spend the big bucks on cable because they are stupid or deaf. I've heard the differences far too many times to let you, or anyone else, make such blanket statements about these people. Most are not rich, but just middle class music lovers.

[BlueJazz]

43. mmmm..I'm not totally convinced but I'll do more research on the subject.

One thing though....What do you do with the cheap connecting wire inside the Box?
(as I said in another post)

A part of me thinks that you just might happen to hang around with true Audiophiles and have
not had the experience with folks who can barely tell the difference between a Great sound system and a Radio shack special...in the way that I hang around with good Musicians that (like myself)
know exactly what notes and chords somebody is playing and if they are singing 443 cycles and not 440
cycles... :)

Not saying you are wrong ..just not totally convinced...yet..

[Elwood P Dowd]

46. Good stuff doesn't have cheap connecting wire inside the box.

Nor does it have cheap connectors, capacitors, resistors, power supplies, or volume pots. I've been tinkering with audio equipment since the 1960s. Yes, I know many musicians with cheap Radio Shack systems. I also know a few with high end systems.

Audio systems are full of weak links. Every time you remove one, the sound improves. It's the same with your listening room. Tweak the room to eliminate standing waves and hot spots, and a basic system will walk and talk. Put an expensive system in a dreadful room, and it will sound.....dreadful.

Most musicians listen to crap systems at home. I once convinced a guitar player I know to do something about his amp. He took it to a friend of mine who replaced the EL34 (or was it EL84?) output tubes and the cables. It totally transformed the sound. Now, this guy has a high end audio system running on tubes that sounds incredible. He use to buy cheap tubes and use cheap cables on his guitar. He also listened to a cheap stereo system at home. He was a flat earther like you.

[BlueJazz]

56. Yes...What you say is True but now you're setting up straw houses....

...and knocking them down.

Look...I agree with everything you've said regarding tweaking systems.
I've got a friend who thinks the world will end if he can't buy a matched
pair of 12XA7's for his preamp....and I understand what you're talking about regarding
standing waves and the fact that a person in the room even changes the sound contore ..etc...

The ONLY thing that we don't see eye to eye on is the idea that a $175.00 cable is
going to sound better than a 25 dollar cable.
Maybe I gave you the wrong impression when I posted the story about cheap kmart wire,
that that's what I would use.
God No...But I don't think a person has to spend a fortune on cables to tweak his system either..

I mean, in the Tampa Bay area, there's a shop selling wire for 21 dollars a foot.

geez...give me a
break...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

37. I'm still using my Marantz receiver.

Circa 1971.

[Elwood P Dowd]

39. Many Marantz models ( old 2270 and 2275 ) were nice sounding receivers.

When the caps die, have it restored.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

53. So far, I've only had to replace the dashboard lights once.

Nothing else has gone out to my knowledge. It's 30 watts total.

[progressoid]

42. That should make my Reba McEntire records sound really somethning!

[Blue_Tires]

48. some NBA players will buy a few, no doubt

[cigsandcoffee]

51. It better. n/t

[OnyxCollie]

52. Darn it! I can't hear a thing with my tinnitus.

What ostentatious gadget am I gonna spend $150,000 on NOW?

[Fire Walk With Me]

55. Here is a high-end audio option from a company that I know and love.

http://www.adam-audio.com/hifi/english/index.htm

Click OSS at the far right. I own a version with a single tweeter, midrange, and pair of 9" woofers per cabinet, and it sounds exceptional. This must be mind-blowing.

Good luck to the other guys; more persons developing high-end gear is better for everyone in the long run. Thanks for posting the info!

[WinkyDink]

58. For that money, I can have my favorite singers sing to me in person.