I (it turns out unfortunately) shared a room with him at Scalford. I had some Kharma Ceramique speakers at the time and was using a 150 wpc EL34 Tube Technology Synergy amp to drive them. It was ok and going reasonably well until Jerry decided his Viva amps should be introduced along with his copy of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
I apologise now to anyone who heard that. It was so embarrassing that I had to leave the room to have a serious guffaw with @ciderpig (who had just walked in and was looking rather shocked) in the hallway.
I have no objection to Viva amps whatsoever btw, but this occasion was comedy gold. I ‘restricted’ their use from that point onwards. The fact that he also brought a ‘T-amp’ to ‘try’ with the Kharmas was moot as I informed him of the amp/arse interface that would have been implemented if he even suggested using it.
Ahh, did you buy the green 2.3 or what ever number they were Karma’s from Chris Smeagol? They were one of the worst speakers he ever had, missed 70% of the music and only seemed to come alive if you thrashed them a bit.
I’ve tried Wilson Benesch floorstanders (forget the models - 2.5 way things) with moderately powerful valve amps, and the combo worked really well - way better than the usual solid state stuff they tend to get demoed with.
In all my 55 years, yet to hear a system with Wilson Benesch speakers that sounds any good, perhaps I am unlucky. Usually at shows and the sound there is usually poor anyway.
Looked them up - WB “Curve”. And aside from that one time I’d agree - heard WB Arcs in a couple of systems and hated them - terrible driver integration and overblown bass, and all the rest was hifi shows where they sounded awful every time.