The Law of Accelerating Returns


I totally agree this letter from the editor of A-S.

It makes sense if you have a $10,000 high quality integrated and stick a   $500.00 TT with a $300 phono section, a $400,00 Topping DAC and stream through your phone you will never know the real potential of the $10K integrated. And don't get me going on speakers. 

This article makes total sense but one must live within their means. 

No you do not have to spend a left lung for great sound but it all needs to be balanced. 

 

128x128jerryg123

Showing 1 response by realworldaudio

I would call it law of accelerated potential... which may, or may not be fulfilled.

At the very beginning of my audio journey I heard the two most expensive systems of the time. On being a B&W Nautilus with eight (!) solid state award-winning monoblocks & most expensive digital front of the time. The other the top Audio note system (with Kondo Ongaku) and vinyl (all AN, top of the line). Heard one a few minutes after the other at the audio show. 

Peculiarly, although both were the most expensive rooms by a far cry, yet one was the worst sound of the show and the other the best. (Both by a far margin worst & best).

So, money allows to unlock potential but system synergy & knowing how to set up a system will decide success or failure.

At that time the Nautilus room was a WFT(!?) shock moment for me, and it totally demolished the appeal of B&W loudspeakers, collapsing all my B&W related dreams (generated by hifi magazines) to those cringe-worthy minutes.

Since then I learned that this spectacular Titanic re-enactment was not simply the fault of any of the gear, but the result of the absolute incompetence of the presenter. Each demoed component of the chain was reviewed #1 and got best awards at the time, and they assumed that put all #1 together and you get the absolute top system.

Put all #1 together indiscriminately, without a light bulb in the head, and instead of absolute Nirvana, watch the tragedy of Titanic replay in front of your eyes... and more sadly, ears.