I was intrigued by the title of the post, but disappointed to read that it was about cabling. I believe cabling can make a difference, but as has been said already, not as much as the components themselves. If the title were posed as a question I would have definitely said the room. That also can make a HUGE difference, and I'd look to investing time, effort and $ there before exotic cables. The potential for the room impact is far greater than cables IMO and in my experience. As far as the cables themselves, IC's before PC's. Source (to pre) first. That'd be my approach anyway. Clean, isolated power will have more bang for buck than just sticking in an exotic PC. If you pay an electrician to run a couple of isolated lines for your system, depending on your house, it may run you less than many fancy PC's, and, again, bigger bang-4-$.
Most overlooked part of your system?
Can good power cords and inter connects make that much of a difference? What are some good low cost options? How about the outlet you plug your gear into? What do you use? Where do you get them? What about Isolation platforms - to eliminate vibration. I plan on bringing a dedicated line for my system. Will a 15 amp breaker be sufficient or should I use a 20? I am only plugging in two pieces - an integrated amp and a CD player. You can spend more on cables and inter connects than what you spend on your gear ... I just wonder if is worth it. your thoughts...
Showing 2 responses by jax2
on a serious note - I think all audiophiles should read Oliver Sach's recent book "Musicophilia". I started reading that at my sister in-law's place over the holidays. I made a note to pick up a copy. Another good read on the same / similar subject is This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession. There is a recommendation blurb, as I recall, from Oliver Sachs on the back. |