2. digital
  3. 175185-169961

Power, Network, Connection, Which one matters the most to you?

Hi guys,

When it comes to sound quality, I've realized there're freaking many factors could affect it, some say the DAC is the paramount thing to be taken care of; some say the speakers are the real crucial part, given that you hear all the sounds from them, there's no certain right or wrong here I'd say, after all, " Sound Quality " is absolutely subjective...

I'd like to know which section would you invest more? cuz I read that some power cables are more expensive than speakers, I was pretty impressed by that though, I'm sure the know-how must be real high-class, or some people even rearrange the wire management in the households, or even spend tons of money on router or network switch!

For me, I might invest more on the " Power " part though, I mean, let's face it, all electronic gears require power signals, not just audio system, it's like bloodstream to them, so if the power source is stable & strong enough, I imagine that the high-end audio gears would have better performance(? that's why people use external linear power supply rather than a simple power adaptor hahaha.

Share your insights or your experiences below, I'd be grateful to learn, or telling me what you're looking for to upgrade your system is cool too.

Best,

preston8452

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
6,445 posts
 

You have a good point. But let me look at it a little differently. Each component, preamp, DAC, streamer, etc.,  has a major sub-component which supplies power. As you increase the quality of all components (except speakers), the amount of cost going into the power supply increases.. when you look at flagship products, they are frequently two box solutions with one dedicated to power. 
 

My streamer (Aurender W20SE) uses battery power to run the audio signal portion. So, I think you can conclude power is it. Direct lines help, power conditioners, and the power component of each component. 

ghdprentice
6,445 posts
 

OP. Yes, I would say that all people with high end systems have high end purpose built power distribution (distributor ((I hesitate to call it a power strip)) and cords)… most have a high end power conditioner as well. In addition, the components that they choose will  internally have well chosen an sophisticated power supplies. Also for a great high end systems you need great speakers and interconnects.

For a high end digital system 35% for speakers 20% for preamp, 15 % for DAC 15% for a streamer, 7.5% for cables and interconnects, and 7.5 % for power management (cords, conditioner, and direct lines). It is dependent on total cost and local power… but a mature system will have more devoted to power and interconnects.

More to discover