How do I know if my systems any good?


I'm not able to leave my house due to a long-standing injury, so I'm unable to hear anyone else's system. I could list out my components but not sure what that would achieve.  Lets assume they're all fine pieces.

what are the things that should be considered when listening and judging an audio system that combines streaming and home theater via bypas thru a preamp.

Maybe it's a great system.  

emergingsoul

My audio system 10 years ago sound like this :

DOES NOT

Have noticeable peaks or hot spot notes in any frequency range

Frequently sound like you want to turn it down lower than you would prefer

Sound dull or mushy, lifeless

Sound harsh or edgy

Sound thin

Sound distorted

Make you avoid certain recordings because they do not sound good

Make you cringe

I will add because it is important and was not in this list : unnatural artificial timbre

 

Now after my acoustic listenings experiments :

For the vast majority of recordings (95%)-

DOES:

Sound life like, provides realism

Has exciting dynamics, attack and quickness

Can turn it up when you want to and still sound good

Spacious, 3-dimensional sound stage

Clearly separates the musical elements and performers

Sounds clean and smooth

Provides bass punch and feel

Makes you smile and enjoy the music

Then rule number one :

Buy basic good component... It is a hard job to figure it out if you dont want to pay a heavy load of money...

The rule number two is harder:

You must read about acoustic and make simple experiments in the mechanical ( vibration control) and in the electrical dimension ( low noise floor) ¸And especially in acoustical relation between speakers and room...

If you dont obey rule two sorry but you will fall for the upgraditis neurosis or worst for a life of audiophile frustration...

but if money is not a problem you will buy a 50,000 bucks system and call it the best in the world but you will never know...

But me i know WHY  my 600 bucks system is one of the best in the ratio S.Q./price scale...

 
 

 

 

I wonder if I had tubes in an amplifier things would be alot better. That lower fullness at the lower range of a volume Setting is what I hear tubes offer in the way of a meaningful benefit. 

It's like pornography where no one knows how to describe it, but you know it if you see it.

So maybe curvy seductive tubes would get me closer to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The only magical thing that help me creating my room and even understanding my new headphone is basic acoustic... most people think that electrical engineering is more important than acoustic then they look at the price tag of amplifier, tubes or not, and they are not even wrong, electrical engineering matter...

But without acoustic basic and listening experiments, people dont even know what is a "sound source" and what is "listerner envelopment" , these two factors ratio, ASW and LV are technical term in acoustic... And the timbre experience cannot be recreated in a room if we dont even know what timbre is acoustically by experiments and a concept in acoustic about it and then the way to play with it in varying experiments ...

Listening experiments will not give you "perfection" as marketing design promises do, they will give you the more precious gift of SATISFACTION, acoustically and personnally... Most basically good amplifier will work well in a very good acoustic room, none do well in a bad room because you cannot even evaluate the component in a fair way... Especially speakers...

Without acoustic basic my own headphone cannot be figured it out and then cannot be optimized ...It is a complex hybrid headphone with a dual acoustic chamber in the shell... It takes me 6 months of listening experiments to optimize it..

Are tubes necessary? Not at all, some S. S, can rival tubes amp...But tubes amp differ of each other as S. S. amp differ.. There is no rule but synergetical electrical compatibility and then listening experiments..

But it takes the right amplifier , tubes or not, for this particular speakers or this particular headphone ...

 

All that boils down to extensive listening experiments and acoustic basic to guide us with specific concepts behind the audio vocabulary , without which most people as chicken with their head cutted, walk foolishly from an upgrade to another without figure out what they miss and what is wrong and what they need ..

I know because i was like that 10 years ago in the beginning of my audio journey with no components and no money...

Now i only listen music , my audio journey is : mission accomplished...With my past acoustic room or now with my headphone..

It does not takes money, in the opposite, sometimes money and price tag, fool people with costly system which are not so great because they dont know what acoustic means and they are passive consumers instead of being fun player in acoustic experiments and study ...

I checked a dude on youtube with a million dollars bucks system horribly implemented in an empty room... my system value is 600 bucks... i laugh because my soundfield seems way better even through youtube and in an indirected way... But there is other very well installed system way better than mine but better not so better than i would kiil myself to buy them...

Sound experience is like anything: there is a minimal threshold of quality performance and an optimal threshold...My actual system is between these too...Inferior to all costly optimal one for sure, but believe me way less far from them than what you could  think... Why? Because acoustic basic knowledge tell me why and how...

If u spend 100k or more I’d say you have a good system. 😂. Just kidding but seriously for me I’ve always had a good system that I really liked. But I was never satisfied. I always found faults in just about everything where it was true or not. I finally upgraded my amps to the Audio Research Ref 750s and my Ref 6 to 6SE pre amp. Hoping this will be the system that makes me completely happy. Also I am going to be working on my room next. 

Also I am going to be working on my room next.

Working on your room you may discover if you do it right WHY price tag of COMPONENTS dont give always a good system... But acoustic always give a way better system...