What is most important part of a system?
I have been saying the source for many years. I get the other posts also but if you are using a cheap $19 Walmart CDP and you think that will get you the best sound out of your $100K amps, $100K Preamp, $100K Speakers, Your $100K dedicated lines and line conditioners, Room treatments, etc. then who am I to argue? Happy Listening. |
"maplegrovemusic Anyone who stated source first in their list of importance please let me know what source will turn any speaker into some magical transducer . I really would like to try it ! Thanks, mike." I build DHT components. So IMO the source made the system sound the best. I began by building a better preamp, settled on DHT preamp with no caps in the signal path and as good as it sounded, the source (DAC) I built made the sound something that I never experienced before. So that is how I came to my conclusion source first. Same with the phono stage I build. By better the components they created a sound that had details, could produce dynamic swings, micro/macro dynamics, separation, clarity, depth of soundstage (4D), placement, etc. that I never heard before. Once that happened, I came to my conclusion that I everything else I tried over the years was to me chasing my own tail around. Better speakers only improved what I was hearing. I also came to this conclusion because when conducting auditions for other audio systems in those homes, those people after 30 seconds (yes 30 seconds) asked to purchase the components. Recently had a person with very expensive Magico speakers and what I would consider a cheap DAC, SS around $2K. OK sounding to me but after we switched source components, he heard things he never heard before. It transformed his system. It is the same change I hear in every system that we auditioned our components in, the source made the biggest sound improvement no matter the price of the speakers, Type of speakers, amps, cables, treatments, etc. Happy Listening. |
plutos I agree that it all starts from a source, but if preamp is not able to deliver it without veiling and distorting the signal, the source makes no big difference. I would disagree with that statement. Again, I have built various preamps, amps, DAC's etc. I also have repaired components for over 25 years. Any preamp that I have repaired goes into my system just to make sure it works as it should. I hear the differences in them but having what I consider is one of the best sources, you can hear what my source does without question. Each preamp has a sound but they do allow the source to flow though without an issue. The sound only gets better with better preamps. Someone mentioned TVC, yep I use one in my active preamp that has no caps in the signal path. The amps make a difference but overall the source IMO again from building my own components does not have the degree of sound improvement compared to the source. The speakers improve the sound but the source still has the most effect on the sound. Happy Listening! |
plutos one pair of transformers in the preamp. As good as the preamp is, the DAC made more of a difference in every system we installed it. In some instances it was night and day. We were stunned at that - the light was off and then the light was on kind of difference. The sound of the DAC was transforming no matter what speakers, preamp, amp or cables. Same goes for our phono stage. Happy Lisening. |
randy-11"The DAC is easy to get good sound from at a few hundred dollars and there is no need to spend $35,000 on it." I guess I am in the wring business then! I recently demonstrated my DAC to a person who had a well known company that builds a inexpensive DAC around $1K. You know the rest. The guy had Magico speakers in his system. He sold his DAC within 30 seconds because it could not compete with the sound he heard from my DAC. Same goes for a $5K DAC owner, and a $18K DAC owner. He played the Lou Reed famous song take a walk on the wild side. His DAC did not get the spacing, soundstage, tone, etc., correct and when the backing vocals came on, they switch from left to right speakers, his DAC barely showed the switch. With my DAC it was like they walked across the room, faded out in the left speaker, came on to the right speaker, and then the vocals got louder and faded away with decay that his DAC could not reproduce. With my DAC you could hear the number of persons singing in the backround, with his just a flat wall of sound, no dimension, hard sounding, no emotion. You cannot make statements like this unless you have really heard what a really good DAC can do for a system. With the $1K DAC the system sounded like every other mid-fi system I have heard even with $30K speakers. Just saying - Happy Listening. |
randy-11I am not likely to let big kidz anywhere near my system. I like this! czarivey If there's a $35k budget for DAC, why not try $250 DAC and see what changes positive or negative rite? I have been repairing, building, modifying components for 25 years. Built almost everything out there, tired caps, resistors, tubes, cables, etc. I am lucky to be in an area where I can hear many many systems and components, also when repairing something, I can hear it in my system. It cost over $3K in parts for my DAC, why because having a partner who is has a masters in EE, we can build anything we want and that is what it takes to make our DAC. If I could build something cheaper that sounded as god as my DAC, boy I sure would! I could send the design to China, send it to dealers and retire. When I bring my DAC over to someones home to hear in their system, it takes 30 seconds before they say, i want one, they tell me that they have been audio people for 20-30-40 years and have owned many components, then they ask how we did it. I am not saying that I am the only one who can do this but I am one of the few who understands how to make a Direct Heated Triode DAC and preamp (no caps in the signal path). Recently I had a gentlemen who worked in the industry for 35 years, retired now. He has seen everything in his system and most people who compared theirs to his, never made it. When he heard my DAC in his system he bent down on one knee and ordered one. 30 seconds is all it took. It took a few years to make this sound the way it does. Send me the DAC you have and and I will set up a meeting to compare the two so it won't be just my opinion. I will make an exception and do this. It will be fun for 30 seconds! Happy Listening. |
Plutos Most people are not prepared to hear the difference. They kind of get a puzzled look on their face and then move to sit in the position where they normally go to listen, pull out a recording they want to hear and then they ask how much for me. I wanted to give the benefit of a doubt also. But I like your thought process. |
