Grand Prix Monaco review in new Stereophile- OUCH

Dear Koegz: I think we are talking on the same subject/approach with very little differences.

I almost agree with you that in theory the designer should be the right person to know about but we have here the Guru of the analog gurus ( and this statement does not means that he has no errors: he is human like any one else. ) that IMHO and with all respect to everyone in many ways knows/experience a little more on some ways that the designers it self.

+++++ " I subsribe to the idea that every part(tt, cables, amp, pre-amp, phono etc.) should add to the whole and be able to stand on it's own " +++++

the critical word here is " add " because many times that component add good " things " and other times add bad/wrong " things or ( like you say ) brings out the bad on other components.
In anyway we have to make a FINE TUNE set-up to find the wrong component(s ), to find why the new component it is not performing like we are expecting and fine tune it ( tweaked ) to find if with this fine tune that component is up to the task. I think that when you add your Talon subwoofer in your audio system you make some fine tune about, right?

+++++ " all components MUST be able to play together. " +++++
I totally agree with you, only add with/in synergy.

Achieve this target is very complex because there are many different parameters in an audio system ( including room ): if we change the VTA or the cartridge load impedance ( examples ) almost everything change for the good or bad and that's why I think that every single link in the audio chain must be fine tuned to obtain what anyone of us are looking for in our individual audio systems that in my case is to be nearer to the recording and live event.

Well, what I'm saying is that in this time MF does not fine tune his audio system for the Monaco and I ask him again: WHY????? Because he is comparing it to his Caliburn that is totally fine tuned in his audio system!!!!!!!! , got my subject?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

agree and disagree. assuming MF system sounds as good as he claims it does(i believe that, that is a given)and all the parts are of high quality state of the art components(i am sure they are), changing one component should not be the direct cause of the system to sound bad(the extreme) unless it has flaws. an example maybe to compare a porsche 911 to a corvette. they both do the same thing but if i were to say that the porsche beats out the corvette in everyway(and it does) in a test drive you would argue that the porsche was tweeked(even though we are talking stock cars) better then the corvette or that the track was set to posche's favor. these aguments don't hold water, would you argue the porsche has better tires or a better clutch. would you swap parts to try to improve? of corse not. IT IS THE SUM OF IT'S PARTS AND HOW THEY ARE CONECTED THAT MAKES ANY COMPONENT WHAT IT IS, THEY ARE CHOSEN BY THE DESIGNER. you can tweek a SYSTEM but in the end a component is what it is..... i do enjoy the music

When someone makes the statement and I quote "Based on what I saw with the accelerometer taped to the top carbon fiber shelf, the stand "sang like a diva" throughout the midrange" Well all the accelerometers I ever used I had to use the 10-32 threaded part in the bottom of the accelerometer to bolt it down so you would get a accurate reading. I question the test Mr.Grooves has done. I have worked for Freescale Semiconductor for 10 yrs in the accelerometer test and development division.

Dear Raul, I think MF usually uses the Cobra tonearm on his Caliburn tt and that for the sake of the comparison, he mounted (whatever tonearm) on his Caliburn and the same one was used with the GPM, so he is NOT guilty of trying to force the GPM to perform in a system that was customized for his Caliburn. Moreover, with all due respect, you are missing the point. The point is that in order to do such a comparison, one must observe the scientific method - change only one variable at a time. In this case, he held the system constant and changed only the two turntables (plus unfortunately the turntable stands), and he heard what he said he heard. End of story. One could well argue that the Mike heard the difference between the two stands moreso than the difference between the two turntables, but he did as he was asked by the GPM manufacturer.

Your point that further tweaking of the GPM in isolation could possibly make it superior to the Caliburn is unchallengable, since in the end this is all about subjective judgment.

By the way, I have no dog in this fight; I cannot afford either turntable.

Dear Koegz: Let put things in " other " way ( because we are talking about the same subject ): when you change a component in any audio system you have to deal with a different kind of distortions/colorations/noises that could like you or not, if not IMHO I think that the people that cares about quality sound reproduction should be try to find what is happen and try to " fine tune " elsewhere to be nearer his expectations.

Now, at the level of product that we are talking almost no product will sound bad, maybe different but not bad and like I told you we always could make a fine tunning, don't you think?

Come on, when you change for a different cartridge: what do you do?: I think that you try to fine tunning till you are satisfied: right?
Now, if you don't do it then we are talking in different audio language and we are losting our time.
This is not who or whom has the reason but where we can meet/coincide.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.