I Have Seen the Light! or rather, Heard the Sound! - 08/24/07 02:25 PM
I am a Toronto resident who camps annually in Algonquin Park. For more then a decade I have been driving by Axiom Audio in Dwight on my way up and every time I drove by I said to myself "I should see if I can check this place out and audition some new surrounds since I am not that happy with my HT setup. This year I finally did it.
I sent an email in and JC got in touch with me. He connected me to Debbie Swinton and I arranged a date and time to show up. At the appointed time, I showed up with two of my camping buddies, One of whom I had indoctrinated into audio decades ago and the other who was just curious.
Debbie started us out with a great listening session. I had brought a couple of music DVD’s and a straight stereo recording. The technology lineup was M80’s, QS8’s, an EP500 and a VP150 centre. Source and amplification was suitable equipment setup by Debbie. The musical line up was:
Yes ---Fragile 5.1
Porcupine Tree --- In Absentia 5.1
Moussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain/Pictures at an Exhibition (Telarc digital stereo)
We used Roundabout for mids and high testing Cans and Brahms (2nd cut from Fragile) for sub testing (good low organ notes).
We used the first 2 cuts from In Absentia (Blackest Eyes and Trains) for a full blown rock out and general sound field assessment.
The Telarc disc was used for straight stereo assessment of full range orchestral sound.
Through out we were moving around the room checking dispersion, sound field depth, bass impact and musical presence. I was particularly listening to the surrounds and I could not stop myself from grinning with pleasure. I was impressed with them but I realized that I could not stop at the surrounds now. This whole setup was freaking me out with pleasure so much that I wanted the whole enchilada!
Debbie then gave us a tour of the plant. That was too cool! Getting to scream my lungs out in their anechoic chamber was mindblowing! Kind of like a nightmare scenario where no matter what you do no one can hear you. Tom explained what digitally ampping a sub meant and I immediately became a convert. I have never been in the presence of such innovative thinking.
So the upshot is I am obsessed with raising the budget to do a serious HT Axiom upgrade. I know what I want but it will take a couple of months to raise the scratch. I am jonesing for it in a very serious way and daydream about it a lot!!!
I want to say Thanks to Debbie, Tom and everyone else for the time gave us as well as their patient answers to our questions.
I hope to be totally re-experiencing all of my music and DVD’s soon.
I sent an email in and JC got in touch with me. He connected me to Debbie Swinton and I arranged a date and time to show up. At the appointed time, I showed up with two of my camping buddies, One of whom I had indoctrinated into audio decades ago and the other who was just curious.
Debbie started us out with a great listening session. I had brought a couple of music DVD’s and a straight stereo recording. The technology lineup was M80’s, QS8’s, an EP500 and a VP150 centre. Source and amplification was suitable equipment setup by Debbie. The musical line up was:
Yes ---Fragile 5.1
Porcupine Tree --- In Absentia 5.1
Moussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain/Pictures at an Exhibition (Telarc digital stereo)
We used Roundabout for mids and high testing Cans and Brahms (2nd cut from Fragile) for sub testing (good low organ notes).
We used the first 2 cuts from In Absentia (Blackest Eyes and Trains) for a full blown rock out and general sound field assessment.
The Telarc disc was used for straight stereo assessment of full range orchestral sound.
Through out we were moving around the room checking dispersion, sound field depth, bass impact and musical presence. I was particularly listening to the surrounds and I could not stop myself from grinning with pleasure. I was impressed with them but I realized that I could not stop at the surrounds now. This whole setup was freaking me out with pleasure so much that I wanted the whole enchilada!
Debbie then gave us a tour of the plant. That was too cool! Getting to scream my lungs out in their anechoic chamber was mindblowing! Kind of like a nightmare scenario where no matter what you do no one can hear you. Tom explained what digitally ampping a sub meant and I immediately became a convert. I have never been in the presence of such innovative thinking.
So the upshot is I am obsessed with raising the budget to do a serious HT Axiom upgrade. I know what I want but it will take a couple of months to raise the scratch. I am jonesing for it in a very serious way and daydream about it a lot!!!
I want to say Thanks to Debbie, Tom and everyone else for the time gave us as well as their patient answers to our questions.
I hope to be totally re-experiencing all of my music and DVD’s soon.
