What is most important part of a system?

cdk84 wrote,

"In considering what’s most influential in our listening rooms, which I believe to be important, I want to step back to ask a question with a wider view, specifically because listening to music is more than a technical exercise created with ’equipment’. To admit my own bias here, I want a presentation of music that takes my breath away, affecting me deeply at an emotional level."

Mountaineer to Guide: I finally made it! All that time and money finally paid off. The view from the top of Everest is a once in a lifetime experience. The view from here is breathtaking! Alone at the Top of the World! Nothin’ but blue sky!

Guide to Mountaineer: Whoa! Hey, take it easy, McGillicutty. Don’t get so choked up. You’re only at Base Camp.

😛

Jitter
Geek to us

Et tu, Brute?

Pluto
geoffkait,
English is not my first language, so I can`t express myself very skillfully.
I see your wonderful writing and I think What a U doing here?
.... Please let us know when your book comes to sale?

That's very nice of you to say, Pluto. A lot of people say it looks like Greek to them.

joejoe
OK Geoffkait I’ll bite, what’s the reason?

Let us call it mind-matter interaction. You could also call it extra sensory perception. The subconscious mind picks up on but misinterprets it’s surroundings, especially the immediate surroundings, and shuts down (degrades) the perception of sound as a response. Of course you’ve been accustomed to it your whole life so you take it for granted. You cannot control it because it’s subconscious. That’s it in a nutshell. That’s why, after the best laid plans have been implemented - the best electronics, the best cables, the best room treatments, the system still sounds edgy and shrill and distorted, especially in the treble. Especially when played at moderately high or high volume.

melbguy
Interesting that a violin builder puts the most time and attention into the body which gives the tone, not the strings which sing. That could be translated as the source transmitting through the speakers. Then the auditorium (the room) determines whether the sound can rise and decay accurately, without getting screwed up. Kind of reminds of you of the three most important parts of your rig.

actually, the value of the bow often far exceeds the value of the violin, even very good violins.

Audiophiles seem to be under the impression that in the best case scenario, with excellent equipment, excellent cables, excellent room treatments, even vibration isolation and CD treatments, that the sound thus obtained is only 5% or 10% from The Absolute Sound. Audio Nirvana. In other words, there is this concept out there people seem to fall for that there’s some magic ceiling above which audiophiles are forbidden to go. As if it were mathematically impossible, that Sound Quality Is some sort of hyperbolic function and once SQ gets to a certain point on the curve it cannot be improved without heroic effort. As if the laws of physics and mathematics cannot be broken. All of that, dear friends, is totally untrue. You've been hornswoggled. That’s the big can of worms I was talking about. Hel-loo! I hate to judge before all the facts are in but it certainly appears audiophiles have been following the wrong sheep.

Shadorne wrote,

"I have not had nearly as much upgraditus as others. I believe it is because I have chosen carefully and wisely. I don’t try to achieve a sound or sugar coated flavour filled sound. I seek accuracy and total neutrality. My thrills come from the music and the recordings and realistic convincing presentation that conveys the true dynamics of live music and real instruments (requires more than 120 db of clean headroom). Audio systems should be like a great camera lens - as clear as possible."

Gee, no kidding? I don’t think I’ve ever run across anyone who’s goal was sugar coated flavor filled sound. And I doubt anyone would disagree audio systems should be as clear as possible. I also suspect you are confusing dynamic range with headroom or peak level, whatever.

There is an expression that someone who represents himself in a courtroom has a fool for a client. Now, I don’t want to be too alarmist here, but I believe that expression can also be applied to the listening room. 😀 And I’ll go out on a limb and speculate that the reason why many audiophiles are always in upgrade mode and can’t get no satisfaction is because, drum roll, if you don’t learn from the mistakes of the past you’ll just keep on making the same mistakes. How can you explain why some audiophiles have had, let's say, twenty systems or fifty systems?

czarivey
you are the most important part of system.

ordinarily I'd agree with you but I prefer to restate your comment as,

you are the most important problem with the system.

Fair enough?