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 hifiman5

The OP has it right with the thread title.  The speakers' sensitivity spec and overall performance needs will inform your amplification.  If you're in the ultra high efficiency mode then you can be looking at SETs that have those few, but glorious watts necessary for your speakers.

In my case, with low efficiency speakers, I knew that a higher power SS or perhaps prohibitively expensive tube beasty was going to be in house.

After that it's an allocation of available $ as to the sources, line stage (if needed), cables power conditioning, footers, yada yada yada.  For me it's the yada stuff that's fun.  Eaking out that last bit of musicality by attention to the minute details of the system and room is where the fun is for me. (With the obvious exception of opening the box of new gear for the first time).  Hey...who out there doesn't love that new car smell?