Japan random pixies and thoughts

I'm really far too close to the recent Japanese experience and am not in the mood to put a decent review of what I heard and enjoyed...

 

I'd say over-dosed by audio?


Maybe... but never of music, of course.

Sure I'll share with you, folks, a true personal (universal?)  belief: technical redundancies and musical bliss not always come hand-in-hand!


Shinzo's system at his superb music-bar in Fukuoka, with BHT amp, Westrex Acoustilens speakers, EMT 930st, Marantz model 1 preamps and Revox G36s was - maybe - the best overall sound.

Kato system in Toyama was another league, so talking about viable music systems...


Sato-san in Sapporo was so elegant, yet sound-wise, quite "slow", hi-fish/coldish, uninvolving.

Kyohara's WE16s system in Ukiha? What a system, visually so impressive, unique!


Sound-wise?


...


Yoshihara's system and his private pole?

Impressive system, but... sound-wise?


...


A big lesson: everything sounds, yet music only seldom blossoms.


Tubes are cool, sought-after... but solid state is able to sound much better, in some systems.


I'm just suggesting the mixed-feelings I got after listening to 12 (twelve) different systems in Japan: the exotica of every given installation, gear-wise, cannot be splitted from the musical result, period.




The above just hinted personal opinions are - of course - music-only related, with my deep concern about people and their efforts and expenses, who/which I sincerely appreciate and respect.