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The Ten Rules of high-end audio

1. Room acoustics can make up to 50% of the final sound.
2. With cables you can only "tune" the sound: they don't make a flawed system sounding good.
3. Tweaks can change a system's sound, but a different sound doesn't have to mean that there is better sound.
4. System synergy is not brand dependent. It has a weak relation with the costs of the individual components. It has also a weak relation with the technical design of the components (for example tube or solid state amplification, cone based or ribbon speakers).
5. It is better to have a good front end (where music reproduction begins) than to have very good speakers but only so so front end.
6. The importance of a clean AC power shouldn't be underestimated.
7. It is more worthwhile to invest in electronics and/or acoustics than in so called "tweaks".
8. It is better to strive for a "balanced" sound with some comprimizes than to strive for a "perfect" sound by frequently mixing and matching things. This way you will likely end up with a less satisfying sound.
9. Older high end components are not inferior to more contemporary units by definition. Some older units sound even better (= more musical) than the newer ones. This is also true with newer iterations of the same basic concept (Mk II, III, IV, etc).
10. When you are building up a high end system (or replacing units in your system) you should ask yourself two questions: What are the goals I'm striving for? What can I expect sonically from the component(s) I'm purchasing?

Comments please!

Chris
dazzdax

Showing 1 response by don_s

don_s
271 posts
 
I am squarely in the "speakers first" camp. A good source will sound good in any room and many systems. The same cannot be said for a good speaker. You can't just plop panels, electrostatics, or horns, etc. into any room and expect success.

The speaker has to fit not only the room but the taste of the listener. And the taste of the listener defines the entire system. The speaker and amplifier combination is particularly critical so in some instances (e.g. user prefers SETs) the amplifier type will strongly influence speaker choice (or at least it darn well better).

Think of it this way. How long did it take you to determine the position of your equipment rack (including the source)? How long did it take you to determine the exact speaker position (assuming you aren't still trying to determine that)? The speaker and the room come first. And I strongly endorse room treatment be part of the equation.
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