Bongofury,
Of course, I was not talking about PA systems for arenas but the home.
As for as I know this is a home stereo website.
I stand by my word. I've never heard a stereo system for the home yet come as close to the Helix (as set up by Bill Duddleston at his factory in Springfield,IL) to sounding like real instruments.
The particular case in point follows.
1. Bill Duddleston supports music and has a studio set up at his factory that bands may can come to, set up their equipment and at least practice. This area may have other uses as well, but there is a permanent drum set and other instruments there for musicians to play.
2. A local drummer (with considerable talent) was brought into the recording area and was recorded digitally while playing the resident drum kit.
3. This recording was mixed to the Redbook CD standard for playback on the Helix speaker system via a Cary CD player, Coda preamp, and Coda amplifiers.
4. About a month ago I was able to hear the Helix system replay the recording.
5. For the first time ever, I heard a home stereo system reproduce the sound of a drum kit with all the subtle dynamic shadings, rhythm, and explosivness that a well played drum kit is capable of. The system had "jump" that was scary.
6. I really believe if one was led into the room with the Helix playing, one could easily be fooled into mistaking the reproduction for the real thing.
7. I had the opportunity myself to "bang" on the drum kit in question (I would hesitate to say "play") myself and listen to how the drums filled and resonated throughout the studio room.
8. To my ears, the sounds/"music" I heard from the Helix system came closer to the "Absolute Sound" of the real thing than any other home stereo system I've owned or encountered.
8. I cannot claim that other high dollar speaker systems cannot attain the same level as the Helix, one would be foolish indeed to make such a claim, but as a musician and stereoholic, of over 40 years, I've not heard anything that comes close. (Wouldn't it be fun, to have all the "best of the best" in a shoot out, played in the same room with identicle front end and amps?) What a logistical nightmare!
