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"I'm a believer"

I’ve been around high end audio for a great number of years. I have had the opportunity to hear, at shows, at audiophile friends homes and at audio shops, a great number of high end speakers: old and new, from the low, to the ultra megabuck price ranges. I’ve heard very, very expensive speakers that didn’t sound so good to me, and then, I’ve heard vintage speakers or relatively affordable speakers that just knock my sock off. In all my personal experience in this great hobby of ours, IMHO, there is no other item in high end audio that fall under the "Rule of Diminishing Returns" like loudspeakers.

kennymacc

Showing 1 response by mike_in_nc

mike_in_nc
1,166 posts
 

+1 to the comments by @theo about the room.

Speakers interface with the amplifier and the room. Both interfaces must be compatible.

With most speakers and short speaker cables and most solid-state amps, pairing with amplification is not a big problem. Still, amps are voiced a bit differently, and one wouldn’t want a bright amp with a bright speaker. When using tube amps, system synergy becomes more important because of their high output impedance.

As to the other interface, room acoustics are always important. Cheaper speakers in a good room will usually sound better than more costly speakers in a poor room. These differences are huge, and what can be achieved by improving room acoustics is far more important than swapping cables, DACs, or in most cases, amplifiers.

 

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