Zen & Audio - How "wrong" can become "right"

Yesterday I had a pleasant afternoon at my friend Toni's place, after he invited me to taste and enjoy his system, after some mods, in placement and gears, he recently made.

Well, I was already aware of "what" he did as he previously told me over the phone... BUT when I was in his music room... well, I smiled... how, when did you EVER saw an Onken W standing on shorter side?!?!?

All looks soooo wrong, don't you?

Is this guy crazy?

Did he get crack or something:-)))?!?!

No... not the case, folks... my friend simply mixed ingredients in his recipe to obtain a different dish.

The vertical-standing Onken W was far more natural and unbooming and nicely modulating... the Altec 1806 superb horn, also standing on shorter side, was even more weird looking and unseen around...

... but...

... but...

Music rules, pals... didn't mention the new, China-made "Doge" tube preamp which superseded the Audio Research preamp Toni was previously using... cool, inexpensive piece of gear, coming with a cool amulimium-made remote-control reminding my wife's Jolida's 300B amp superb building quality... and a transparency and improved detailing I didn't experience so often, at Toni's (and he knew that...).

... what I heard was a very introspective and involving, natural sound, with MUCH better sizing and soundstaging, both horizontal and vertical... he completely quitted using Goto's SG/370 and 16TT and now enjoy TAD 2002 in Sound Lab mid/high horn and Altec 290 in 1806 mid-low horn... Onken W always with Altec 416s...

What can I say? Falla/Ansermet/Suisse Romande's Three Cornered Hat on Decca Blue-Back, Peter Gabriel's UP, Ludwig Streicher's singing double bass and Bottesini on Telefunken... all flowed sooooo beautifully and as brand new.

A very nice result, Toni... also if using pawn-shop cabling and crossover:-))), my friend's musical ear and sensitivity were able to give such a result... a case where the grand-total is more than the sum of single parts.

Clever.

Thanking Toni for his hosting, kindness and dedication... and my apologies for ugly iPhone's in-low-lights pixes... lo-fi at best:-)