I like to try a new component once in a while when the upgrade bug hits. Cables, tubes, power cords, power conditioners, headphones, maybe even something major like a preamp or a DAC. I've noticed my successful adoption rate is pretty low and I usually end up returning the new component. About one out of every four or five attempts is a success. I'm batting about .200. What is your successful adoption rate when you try something new?
Depends entirely on how well you know your system/room, what you want to improve, what you don't want to lose, the quality of your research, and your willingness to accommodate the new component if it is (hopefully) more resolving.
I bat a very high rate (90%+) using that formula, but usually have to spend some time and money to accommodate the new component and its interaction with my system.
Thanks Dave, I think I have everything you mentioned nailed. Especially quality of research. That's the funny thing, I'm frequently disappointed in how the new components really sound compared to the glowing reviews I read. Of course everything is system dependent. I'm not looking for any system upgrade help myself, just curious how others fair when they try something new.
Are you paying attention to the small things? speaker placement, seating position, furniture in the room, wall and floor challenges? What about cabling and attention to vibration control, for each and every piece?
Instead of chasing the holy grail by changing components, you might want to focus on getting the most from the main pieces that you already own. (This is cheaper and more fun.) Have you read Jim Smith's "Get Better Sound?"
I agree with sgordon1. Smith's book didn't offer miracle advice but it did change my thinking about sound. I don't do many component changes (but sometimes, upgrades) and when I do, I first read everything I can find about it (and listen, if possible). Not just the glowing reviews. So the rate, for me, is probably closer to two out of three succesful.
Great response Dave. I believe the best point taken from Jim Smith's book is his advise to consider room treatment and system placement prior to equipment upgrade.
Thanks mesch. Absolutely right about room acoustical treatment and placement. Lately, I have been experimenting with vibration isolation (Symposium shelves & Rollerblocks and various springs) and am shocked at the performance improvement they have unleashed from my equipment. There all along but MIA before.
Dave---Vibration isolation? So you too are "delusional"? (read the entire "Do equipment stands have an impact on electronics" thread for context ;-).
MWard---Up above you said you think you just like your existing sound too much to change it. The obvious question then, is what are you hoping for when you try a new piece? Anything specific, or just a general desire for improvement? That’s kind of like shooting in the dark, ain’t it? Without a definite goal in mind, an "improvement" is just a happy coincidence, purely by luck.
Having been much younger than I am now when I did just as you are doing, and by wisdom of experience now realize, I would have been better off just listening to the music, and waiting for a specific shortcoming in my system to become apparent before trying a new piece that I have reason to believe will cure that shortcoming. Just some "fatherly" advice ;-). If you like your system that much, relax and enjoy it and the music. Life is short! I say that as about ten friends of mine have died in the past eight years.
My sucess rate is 95%+. You need to clearly know what you want your system to sound like. I tend to ignore any review that talks about resolution, detail, dynamics, distortion, etc. When a reviewer listens to a piece of equipment and says he played a favorite album and tears rolled down his face that is something I want to hear. Also I was a recording engineer for many years and try to reproduce the sound I got in my favorite control room. Remember all reviews are subjective as well as your own listening. You need to match them up to have any success. Your high failure rate is not knowing what you want Alan
I was lucky having many options to hear various components in my system from local dealers, local audio clubs, knew a few reviewers, plus I am able to do my own modifications/upgrades. I kept trying to see what would get me to the next level from all of these avenues, but being a cheapie, I would not want to pay the higher price for what I considered was not a significant improvement from one component to another in my system. I settled on upgrading equipment and trying various capacitors, resistors, transformers, chokes, etc. I also was fortunate in being able to try other peoples components in my system after they asked me to upgrade their components. All of this made me begin to build my own components. I learned what could improve a components sound and how all of this trial and error in parts swapping could change the sound. I have stated this before but many people have not been able to hear what I have been fortunate to hear. I would agree that many have not been able to really know what their system can sound like because of having been exposed to the same old thing from various manufacturers, IMO are just slightly different from each other. I am generalizing here but that is what I felt when auditioning a component. Once I understood what changed the sound and how it changed the sound, I was able to get to other levels in sound. Way back then, Linn had the concept of component matching by using all of their components and the most important was the source. I think I always knew that the source was the most important piece of the puzzle but it was not until recently that found out how important the source was. Once I found a better source my system improved more that I imagined. I don't think I really could judge my systems sound and any real improvement until this happened.
I have found in all gear digital may be the only exception, you buy a good piece of used gear and have it modded . I have worked with technicians gor some 20 years now and what most people donot realize their $5k preamp for example has less then $1000 of actual psrts inside, and parts quality average at best. Capaciyors, resistors wiring, transformers and other parts , even thjngs like gold plated copper Teflon tuse sockets better connectors and copper iec input Noticeable sonic improvements 1500 in upgrade parts would make your used Amp,preamp a close to $10k product like putting in a Nascar engine in your family car.it is cumulative . I have a Pass labs F6 build with A Nelson Pass Schematic he allows and just made it a dual mono in one chassis incredible results , find a well respected tube preamp and have it rebuilt ,same with speakers redo the Xover night and day results. From $10 stock Solen capacitors to Premium VH caps Audyn ,Jupiter, Mundorf for example.if you have any specific questions drop me an email.good luck.
I've had two new items returned in my journey so far because I could. Others were sideways improvements meaning different not necessarily better. These items were bought used and I stuck with them but that was a good thing. It helped to get the experience learning what different gear sounds like. Some things I'd like back and won't forget em. I've had much more of a rewarding experience tuning, tweaking, learning it's not always a component right off the shelf new or used that's gonna get me there. I would say my "success" rate is damn near a 100% percent because everything is a learning experience. The one true surprise/failure was my one experience with a mc. Nails on a chalkboard to my ears. That was through a step up into my Quicksilver. I didn't even think it was worth trying to work with it. I will try again with something else. The other surprise was a 2k ss phono that was cool but the heavens didn't open up with a choir of angels either. Gonna just enjoy the music now for awhile. It's not perfect but I know it's weaknesses and its strengths. The Decca super gold whispers in my ear at night tempting me from Grado though.
I like to try a new component once in a while when the upgrade bug hits.
I am sort of beyond trying new flavors of components just to satisfy an upgrade bug. As you are finding out, as I did years ago, the actual improvement with electronics and peripheral items like cables is only very slight. If at all. Its the transducers in a system like cartridges and speakers that will have the biggest sonic impact and I am pretty much where I want to be with these.
Much better to analyze where the weak links are in a system and address these. I am having a harder and harder time finding them in mine so I guess I am done for awhile.
My rate is 90% as i know what i am doing don't rush into upgrades without hearing them in my system first this is the key.Good luck with your next upgrade.
Getting the "bug" to upgrade can be expensive. Knowing what you "need" and filling that need is a different matter. A friend of mine once said, "the two most expensive things in life are vanity and impatience." I agree totally.
As a follow up to my above post I installed 2 Mundorf supreme silver/oil caps in the phono stage of the Quicksilver. I don't want to over do it, but wow. Nice to know you get what you pay for, this time anyway. I've changed caps before with some success but these are an absolutely unqualified success and as it happened in this case are the most I've paid for caps.
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