Do sound characteristics matter when moving from midfi to hifi?


Like many, i'm waiting and researching while waiting until I can afford my next upgrades. As I read the pluses/minuses of each piece, I wonder if it only matters once you reach a certain level. Hypothetically, if going from Sony, Marantz, Schiit am I going to find something that I don't like about Pass Labs, Conrad Johnson, Coda? Everything I have, I bought online so I din't audition anything prior. Back in the 80s, when I bought my 1st system, (Yamaha, Infiniti) I bought what I could afford again without much auditioning. Just curious on the point of view from the more seasoned crowd.

njwvista

What we like and how something sounds is unique and personal, and every room and situation is different, so is a bit difficult to predict what you’ll like. I’d expect a significant upgrade in overall sound quality and refinement from a change to higher end gear such as you described, but there’s no guarantee you’ll like every aspect. Speakers and room typically have the most impact, but at some level all of it matters. Placement and setup are important with any system, but likely more so with a higher end system to truly unleash all the potential. At some point you’ll also reach diminishing returns per dollar spent, either with the gear, and/or what you’ll appreciate...only you can determine where that line is.

I assume the room will be the same, so if untreated or problematic, the higher end gear may have untapped potential that gets masked, but if should give you more incentive to keep plugging away at the gremlins and weak links of your system. ...Audio can be as much of a journey as it is a destination...sometimes a life long journey without a clearly known ending, so enjoy the trip.

As I read the pluses/minuses of each piece, I wonder if it only matters once you reach a certain level. Hypothetically, if going from Sony, Marantz, Schiit am I going to find something that I don't like about Pass Labs, Conrad Johnson, Coda? 

I think if a guy has a $500 cd player and $1000 speakers, he will still appreciate the upgrade from a $500 Sony receiver to any of those amplifiers, yes. What you are not going to like with those amps is the mass. 

And then when funds permit upgrading source or transducers will be even more noticeable and appreciated with the quality amplification. 

 

 

I doubt you would find issues with higher end gear compared to Sony, etc but if you upgrade one piece at a time, a better piece of gear may make shortcomings in other parts of your system more noticeable.  

How much do want to spend when it's all said and done?  Are you planning to upgrade the entire system now, or one piece at a time?