Speakers are the first piece of the puzzle


Hello All!

This is aimed at understanding one particularly prominent posture on mapping out how to proceed in amassing a great audio outfit with speakers being the most significant ingredient, and initial purchase.

From the Audiogon pages alone, if you read between the lines, one can find that there are several approaches for how to erect an outstanding audio system as to which component should be the initial or by some accounts the largest system investment, or both everytime.

IMHO, The predominant system establishing camps are speakers first, amps first, or sources first. in deference to topologies such as panels vs cones, tubes vs. SS, analog vs. digital, as those preferences are options within options.

For the record, I’m not a card carrying member of the ‘speakers first’ organization. And see an eventually proud highly resolving great sounding system as a work in progress which begins where ever and endss when ever.


So, lets get to the lightening round…Questions:

1. why do you feel any system should begin life with speaker s the first building block AND its greatest investment?

2. which speakers were your first system build?

3. How long did you keep them?

4. were later speaker systems brought in prior to any other ‘component’ changes?

In other words, has the ‘speaker first and always’ theme been your blueprint forever, or at some later point, reveal itself as a much better plan?

tremendous gratitude for all the input.
blindjim

Showing 1 response by bigkidz

I am of the opinion that the source is most important.  Why well I build my own components as most of you know.  When I built a better source that was the biggest improvement in my system ever.  The source was what gave me better tone, space between instruments, vocals, soundstage, air, emotion, etc.  The speakers I was using improved in everyway because of the source.  Away went any bloat in the base, high end digital glare, separation was dramatic, micro and macro dynamic swings were excellent.  I have yet to find a speaker that could do any of this by itself.

I know many of you will not agree with my assessment but again my learning experience for myself.  When I bring the source I build over to another persons home for them to audition or just to hear how it sounds, it takes about 30 seconds for that person to hear what the source does.  Many of these people have tried speakers, preamps, amps, room treatments, cables, etc.  Why all of those parts have an impact, each of them by themselves cannot do what the source did.

Happy Listening,