Making Dreams Come True – by Reggie Knowles

We recently had the opportunity to help a client set up a wonderful two channel system that inspires this particular blog. Lou, as he will be referred to, has dreamed of owning McIntosh equipment since he was a little boy and first saw those beautiful V.U. meters bouncing to the music. Growing up in a typical middle class neighborhood, there was the local barber and grocery store situated closely together where he wore a regular path on his bike.  But best of all, there was the stereo store that also happened to sell albums, or vinyl as is popular in the current vernacular. During the summer he would ride his bike to that stereo store as often as he could,  and he would dream.

McIntosh Labs, founded in 1949, is a dream machine. Maybe a better way to describe McIntosh Labs is that they make products many have dreamed about owning. If you are into music and stereo equipment, McIntosh Labs has been making equipment you aspire to own. Much like Porsche or Ferrari make aspirational automobiles, McIntosh Labs fulfills that niche for the audio world. From the warm green glow emitted by the illuminated McIntosh logo and the functional V.U. meters that McIntosh is famous for, to the hand crafted chassis that is as recognizable as a Porsche, McIntosh Labs is ingrained into the minds of many dreamers.

Like many, Lou went to college,  grew up and got successful . Now the CEO of a respected company, Lou built his dream home right here in Telluride and chose us to realize his dream with Artistic Systems. Part of this dream was to have a real stereo like he dreamed of when he was a child and we were thrilled to have a hand in making that dream come true.

The first thing to solve, was to choose the right speakers for the room. The room, like many in Telluride homes, has a ton of glass to let the glorious outdoors in. The problem is a lot of glass can create an acoustically bright environment. We look to place a speaker that will sound “natural” in their environment.  We decided on the Totem Forest paired with McIntosh.

Knowing the Totems would sound great if there is good amplification, so to power them we chose the McIntosh MA5200 integrated amplifier. For McIntosh owners, this is entry level. For Lou, this was a dream come true. The MA5200 has the look. It is beautiful, even when the powered off. McIntosh has done an incredible job of preserving a vintage look of   thoroughly modern design featuring a solid state amplifier section packing 100 watts per channel plus the McIntosh Digital Engine. The McIntosh Digital Engine will decode your digital music at up to 32 bits and 192 kHz, delivering McIntosh analog sound quality to your favorite digital sources. This is not your childhood friends dad’s McIntosh.

For CD listening we choose the McIntosh MCD550 SACD/CD player (if you are unfamiliar with SACD’s there will likely be a future blog on what makes SACD’s so special). Built on a rock solid chassis, the 550 weighs in at over 42 pounds. Smooth sounding with analog warmth but full on digital dynamics and detail, the MCD550 is the perfect match to the rest of the system.

The only thing really missing at this point was something for vinyl playback.   Lou’s dream would not be complete without the right turntable. Fortunately, McIntosh’s MT5 turntable is more than just a really good turntable. It is a great turntable. Using a magnetic suspended platter bearing, this direct drive turntable is absolutely silent during playback. We selected the Sumiko Blue Point high output moving coil cartridge that comes standard with the turntable and that is factory installed and calibrated. Setup of a turntable has never been this easy.

So, the question is, how does it all sound and what will Lou think?  When you invest into a high end two channel music system the expectations are high. We were meticulous in the setup of the system and the payoff was real. The first thing we listened to was Wayfaring Stranger from an Eva Cassidy’s CD Songbird. This is a very simple recording featuring primarily a guitar and her voice….and what a voice! It was as if her voice just hung in the air dead center and out front of the speakers. It was like she was there.   Goose bumps soon followed. Lou had a grin from ear to ear.

The next thing we listened to was Donald Fagen’s  recording, The H Gang from the album Morph the Cat. This recording is far from the simplicity of the Eva Cassidy CD. Typical of Fagen/Steely Dan, the quality of the recording is top notch. A recording with many layers, the resolution and power of the recording was astonishing. Lou’s grin got bigger.

Finally, after a few orchestral and choral CD’s, all of which continued to make Lou’s grin grow, it was time for the big test. We were going to play vinyl. Not just any vinyl mind you, but Led Zeppelin III just released and remastered by Jimmy Page (Zeppelin’s guitar player).  This was the culmination of this part of Lou’s dream. We were about to listen to the one album he most remembered from his youth. From the moment the needle hit the record and Immigrant Song filled the room, there was a special feeling. Robert Plant was in the room. John Bonham’s drums pulsed. John Paul Jones’s bass was perfect and to the left back corner of the room. And the guitar…Jimmy Page’s guitar/guitars penetrated directly to the part of your body that makes you move. Lou’s smile said it all.

A good system should make you forget about the electronics. The emotion of the music should be powerful. The rhythm should make you move. All of these attributes are here.

A few nights after the big reveal we got a message from Lou. “Hey Reggie, I wanted to tell you that I am listening to Dylan’s Highway 61 revisited on vinyl and this the sound is just awesome! Awesome!.  Thanks for creating this system for me”

It’s nice to be in the dream fulfillment business.  I smiled.

Reggie Knowles is the Sales Manager for Artistic Systems in Telluride, CO.  Reggie’s love of good music and good sound brings passion to his ability to create a system that fits  your lifestyle and your imagination.  Originally from Texas, Reggie has been fulfilling dreams at www.artisticsystems.net for over 10 years.  Give him a call on his cell at 970-729-2248 or call our offices at 970-728-0400 for more information about designing your musical lifestyle.