We are buying and reviewing gear all wrong


So let's assume that cables, power conditioners and electronics all contribute noticeably to the sounds we hear.

In that case, maybe the idea of buying individual gear, reviewing individual gear, etc. is all messed up.
We should review entire systems, and buy entire systems.

This idea that we constantly shuffle interconnects, speaker and power cords for all our lives is messed up.

We shouldn't be looking at audio stores or reviewers as recommending gear, but themes. Styles. Entire collections all at once.
erik_squires

Showing 2 responses by dgarretson

At various times in the odyssey I've gravitated to several components from a single manufacturer(first BAT and more recently Pass), but this pretty much ceased after discovering that almost anything can be improved or successfully re-voiced with DIY modifications.  As to cables: once the speakers and electronics have been brought up to a high level, a carefully researched DIY recipe with pure annealed silver wire and branded terminations is the finishing touch.  My greatest regret in the hobby is an expensive drawer full of commercial cable purchases.

I can't think of a single manufacturer with whom I would buy into the construct of single-sourcing purchasing-- including Linn, ATC, and Naim. 

@cd318 I’d like to believe in ATC as a full-service supplier, were it not for a dealer demo I heard several years ago with ATC speakers fed by an ATC preamp. The combination was opaque and sterile, whether owing to the speakers or the preamp I know not. Maybe they are outside their depth in the preamp space. There are few if any manufacturers that can cover all bases.