How you know your system is improving?

Good advice here.

One thing I’ve stopped doing is calling anything in this hobby an "investment." Investments grow, they don’t depreciate. ;-)

"Investment" is a word I've used to tacitly apologize to myself (or my wife) for an expenditure which is completely, fabulously discretionary. In effect, I'm throwing money around to have some fun. I've chosen to not feel guilty about that anymore. So, no more "investments" for me. Just living.

@barts Oh, I'm with you. But that word bugs me because it's so frequently a cover-up word. And I've heard the word used so often in the financial way that I thought it's better to not have illusions. That said, I bought my XA25 used for $3700 and I could probably break even or make a little money on it. But nothing else in my system is like that. 

@grislybutter

" One needs the skills, the funds and the time to make meaningful improvements."

Totally agree. As kids are going to college, I’m finding myself more challenged regarding the funding part. I’ve done a ton with room acoustics, measuring, experimenting, including buying and making acoustic treatments. At the end of the day, though, it takes money to try higher quality things -- or different things at the same level of quality. (Case in point: I am interested in trying much more sensitive speakers, the Cornwall IV's. These are not more expensive than the speakers I own, but even used, they are equal in cost to mine.) We might not even be taking about components; we could be talking about kits. But even kits, to be decent, are not cheap. Good parts cost money, good used gear costs money, good treatments cost money, etc. Anyone who claims it can be done on the very cheap is just in denial.

@grislybutter That's kind. Thank you. When I got permission to do my system during covid, I had a basement with 6' 5" ceilings to work with. That meant that I had to figure out first and distal reflections and bass modes. That lead to a lot of research about room acoustics, etc. Had I had a kinder room (height wise), I might have skirted that research. But what I wound up learning is now transferable, so I hope to move rooms.

For me, the next question is the higher efficiency speaker, lower power tube amp match. I'm halfway there with my present speakers...

If you're in Denver, let me know. I have beer in the fridge at all times. (And an espresso maker.)

You have to know where the target is in order to hit it. Also the target must be real not just a pipe dream that can never be realistically achieved.

The problem of knowing what the target is goes back at least as far as Hume's argument that "taste" depends on educated critics who help the rest find the way.

Only judges with a more refined taste will respond to the “universal” appeal of superior art. Because refinement demands considerable practice, such critics are few in numbers....     the standard is normative: it must explain why the sentiments of some critics are better and worse. It does not follow that sentiments are true and false in any absolute sense. 

These reflections lead Hume to postulate five criteria for identifying good or “true” critics: 

“Strong sense, united to delicate sentiment, improved by practice, perfected by comparison, and cleared of all prejudice, can alone entitle critics to this valuable character” (SOT, 278).

After several stabs at identifying the standard of taste, Hume identifies it as the consensus or “joint verdict” of “true critics” (SOT, 278–79). However, such critics are “rare” (SOT, 280) and “few are qualified to give judgment on any work of art” (SOT, 278). Consequently, it is not the verdict of contemporary critics that constitutes the standard, but rather the consensus of qualified judges over time and from multiple cultures (SOT, 271; SOT, 280).

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume-aesthetics/#HumeEssaTast

I’m trying to follow, so is this what you said, basically? (I tried to rephrase it.)

"While personal preference plays a role, it’s ultimately secondary in optimizing an audio system. Developing a discerning ear takes practice – just ask any musician, acoustician, or experienced audiophile.

The key to optimization is achieving a specific balance between all acoustic factors within a room’s limitations and using your equipment to achieve a desired sonic concept. Timbre, the character and quality of a sound, is the cornerstone of this concept. Next comes the spatial information encoded within timbre, which creates the perception of a sound’s location and movement.

Following that, the listener’s sense of envelopment and the ratio of source width to auditory scene width (LV/ASW) are crucial for creating a realistic soundscape. Surprisingly, few reviewers discuss these factors. Why? Their focus is often on selling products, not on teaching proper acoustic integration and optimization for peak performance.

Without a grasp of these acoustic principles and experience, you might resort to throwing money at unnecessary upgrades. This approach, much like a child struggling with a complex dish, leads to the dismissive statement: "I don’t like it, it’s just not my taste." However, taste can be developed and refined.

Forget David Hume’s philosophy of taste; for audio optimization, we turn to Hermann von Helmholtz. By neglecting this crucial aspect, you miss the opportunity to truly appreciate the nuances of your system.

Marketers and reviewers exploit this lack of knowledge by emphasizing personal preference to push products instead of acoustic education. They cater to the consumer’s desire for grand, sweeping sound, all while ignoring the importance of acoustics. The word "taste" becomes their mantra."

I SAID:

I’m trying to follow, so is this what you said, basically? (I tried to rephrase it.)

Then I put in an extensive rephrasing.

Does anyone see how I'm trying to understand Mahgister? Is that so unclear?

But instead Mahgister says:

Since more than 1 year nothing will do...😁
I even apologized for my bad english many times... In private and in few threads...I think that he was wise and interesting person for discussion.. I dont think that anymore.....
He is coming back more arrogant each time...

QUESTION: What is arrogant about asking someone if I am understanding them? That is sympathetic and kind, in my world.

Instead, we get a triggered response from Mahgister. Take a deep breath and try to see sympathy when it comes your way.