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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?
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LOL :=)
Yep, agree, everyone is right....
Every link on the chain is as important as other.
OK, I´m bit off from the start, but we need to definite the term "system" first....?
I scent that OP probably thought of a physical/electronical gear?
If so, my first vote goes to: speakers
second vote goes to: preamp
third vote goes to: amp
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Jitter Geek to us
Et tu, Brute?
LOL :) geoffkait My personal thoughts are; Sh*t in = Sh*t out. If the source is poor,
anything downstream is just reproducing, and perhaps trying to
compensate.
+1 to crazyeddy also
for taking my words |
I respectfully disagree.
Of course, it is critical that amp works well with your speakers and is powerful enough to properly control them, but
the rest will not fall into place
with this.
Maybe I never had any bad amps in my system, but in my experience the difference between (rightly chosen) amps is smaller than a difference between preamps and source components.
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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. Most mid-fi preamps are actually not able to transmit everything that a good source has to offer. Therefore for lower cost and budget systems I suggest a decent passive preamp like TVC for example. Start building the system from speakers
to source. If everything below is up to the task then it makes sense
to experiment with a source components.
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IMO room/speaker interface and amp(s) to speaker interface.
Agree these are fundamental things, but assuming these are ok, then my ranking is 1. speakers, 2. preamp, 3. source, 4. amp, 5. vibration control, cables etc. |
bigkids,
Of course, experiences will vary because they depend on so many different things. There`s no absolute truth. Different people, different experiences.
I suspect that you`re premap sounds remarkably good. TVC for volume and
no caps in the signal path. This can`t be bad :=))
BTW. Did you use single or double transformer per channel?
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There are so many variables that this equation is unsolvable.
Different - expectancy,
taste, room etc. etc. etc.........................
But I suppose that most will agree that there are no point to buy an expensive source if you have a mediocre preamp.
My suggestion is to start building your system from speakers to up.
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czarivey,
If
Alesis Masterlink is so good then why you using
Mytek 192
DAC then?
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czarivey,
Alesis Masterlink may be good and the term "close" is subjective but your statement is astounding.
Sorry to say but such complicated $250
Recorder/DAC
has it`s budget that only allows the cheapest parts to be used.
It sure may be extremely well engineered but it has it`s limits because of the budget.
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joejoe,
Totally agree. I also trust my ears. Newer and more expensive is not equivalent to better sound. In high-end audio industry the
prices are horribly inflated and it`s quite common that some older vintage or cheaper gear puts today's mega-dollar machines into shame.
........But it`s impossible to design a top end SOTA equipment for budget of $250 and expect it to sound as good as the best costing 100 or even 10 times as much.
I know that some 20k machines are bettered by 2k machine but not $250. In my view today it`s just not physically possible.
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It will be fun for 30 seconds!
Why does it take so long?
If the difference is so big I usually don`t need more than a couple seconds to pick the winner. :)) |
Bigkids,
My comment was meant as a joke a bit. I am confident that your DAC is super but since I`m in Europe it will be difficult for me to test it, though the temptation is high.
P.S. I hear quite a substantial differences in different digital front ends in my system. It is subjective but some are night and day differences.
Best regards
Plutos
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Just wanted to add that my profuse term "night and day differences" is also most subjective. It`s dependent of different systems (rooms), personal preferences, hearing skills/abilities etc.
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Yep, Schubert we know that sound depends of your room and
electricity, but it will not change the recording quality. :)
P.S. What`s with your
electricity in US?
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Sorry to hear. Now I see why the power-plants and other mains tweaks are so popular.
In the time when I was living in the apartment I also felt that in evenings the music sounded a bit better.
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Yep, Audioman, but mediocre systems need their own recordings to sound good.
Most of the mainstream stuff is recorded crappy, so it will sound good in your car radio or iPhone ........
Agree, recording is the beginning of the signal and if it`s crap then everything below is a ................ :))
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