The perception of timbre can indeed be influenced by room acoustics—through reflections, absorptions, and resonances that may subtly enhance or diminish certain frequencies. However, these effects are generally minor compared to the intrinsic harmonic content of the sound produced by such components as a DAC or preamp.
Therefore, I respectfully disagree with the assertion that timbre is an acoustic "concept" that can be rationed by the ASW/LEV ratio. To illustrate this, consider a simple experiment: move from your main listening position closer to the speakers, thereby minimizing room acoustic effects. You’ll likely find that the fundamental "color" of the sound remains consistent, reinforcing the idea that timbre is predominantly determined by the source and its harmonic structure.
For example, in the recent (2025) DG recording of Bruch & Korngold featuring Bomsori Kim, the violin’s timbre is authentically rendered through my Topping D90 III Discrete DAC. In contrast, when using a more affordable AKM-based DAC, the violin’s sound becomes warmer and less engaging. This comparison underscores how a DAC handles the harmonic contents in the conversion process could significantly impact the perceived timbre, beyond the influence of room acoustics.
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+1 properly treating the room
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@mahgister seriously overlooked is "grounding issue"
Very true.
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What is seriously overlooked is "grounding issue" easily solved if we know how, But the most overlooked are acoustics concepts (not audio concepts),( timbre is an acoustic concept as is the ration ASW /LEV and the way to control it,our room is an Helmholtz resonator then how to control it etc )
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+1 @ghdprentice musicality
++1 @jsalerno277 I consider timbral accuracy first and foremost, then the ability to reproduce the nuances in tonal and dynamic inflection ...
Both well said. I will place timbral accuracy over the top as well. Sometime these two are not mutually exclusive. For example, timbre accuracy facilitates how we perceive and segregate different instruments in orchestra / symphony music reproduction, affecting our overall emotional response to a piece.
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What is the most overlooked consideration?
For over sixty years, starting when I was just a kid, I’ve seen/listened to all kinds of systems, from setups built on spare change to rooms well into six figures. And time and time again, the room—the room!—is the most overlooked element.
I’d never call anyone’s system their “ugly baby”—that’s not my style. But if the room is well-designed or even in somewhat treated ones, achieving audio nirvana doesn’t take much (even if you’re listening to Nirvana).
Dust bunnies and cobwebs in the corners? Those are just the marks of a truly content soul.
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@jsalerno277
Agreed, there are other sonic aspects that must be correct as well.
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Synergy because the best piece of gear will do anything coupled with the wrong one...
Once bought...
Adressing the three working dimensions:
Mechanical : Speakers vibrations resonance controls...(other gear vibration is important too but secondary compared to speakers)
Electrical : Wall plug and central panel control of interferences...
But mostly overlooked , the necessary well grounding of dac, amp and preamp...
Acoustical: the system/room various parameters control... Balance between diffusion,reflection,absorbtion and control over these ... What is very overlooked is the power of the Helmholtz resonators by their parameters adjustment and their location to tune and tame a room...
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I agree with @ghdprentice that musicality includes the properties of rhythm & pace and midrange bloom but as I stated, it is an intimately subjective criterion. I consider timbral accuracy first and foremost, then the ability to reproduce the nuances in tonal and dynamic inflection, including secondary harmonics and ambient decay, as well as image palpability. I guess these are more specific attributes or subsets of rhythm, pace, and bloom.
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@freediver Your question is very difficult to articulate a reply to. I will take a chance on being judged mentally infirm and attempt to explain my process, expressed as recommendation or steps to judge musicality. Since this is intimately subjective, the process others use will differ.
First, develop your impression on how live acoustic and amplified music sounds in intimate to concert hall venues. The only caveat is that large arena rock, while it has the ability to evoke much emotion, normally has interfering distractions and distortions, and I do not recommended it for this process. Make mental notes on how the composition and performance evokes emotions in you, and how the sound in the venue contributes to your experience. Also gain an understanding of the sound of studio recording techniques, for studio recordings present a different perspective from the concert hall experience. Identify recordings where the engineering techniques are evident, and where they contribute to the emotion expressed by the composition and performance.
Second, identify recordings that bring memories of the sound of live concerts you attended and more importantly, evoke similar emotions you felt at live concerts. Also, identify studio recordings where the engineering techniques are evident and they contribute to your appreciation of the album. I have some favorites … 2L Recordings MAGNIFICAT - Nidarosdomens jentekor & Trondheimsolistene, Anita Brevik; Stockfish Records Katja Werker feat. Gert Neumann - Contact Myself 2.0: Live; Mercury Living Presence Saint-Saens, Symphony No. 3, Dupre (organist) Pray, Detroit Symphony, Led Zeppelin (1).
Third, find a good dealer and make an appointment for a long listening session. With electronics, I usually get agreement to bring my model to hook up in their system and evaluate their model head to head. It’s work, but worth the effort. For turn tables and speakers, this is not feasible. In these cases a good, confident dealer you have a relationship with will have a return policy, permitting you to evaluate in your home.
Finally, compare the equipment on the basis of the command it has over the composition and performance (musicality) and its ability to evoke emotions. The usual audiophile criteria of timbral accuracy, dynamic response, resolution, leading edge, image density, staging and imaging play their own important part in evoking emotion, and an equipment’s musicality cannot be separated from these usual criteria. However, try not to focus on these individual criteria, but rather, focus on the sum of all performance criteria as musicality. You will know when the magic occurs and you feel the emotion of the composition and performance.
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Experience from my professional life. Once the original owners / developers move on or sell out, don't bother anymore with the brand. Passion, vision all disappears in the corporate cookie cutter, sell as much as you can world. Quality and service levels disappear, and often the brand too.
@aewarren absolutely WAF!
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@freediver
Musicality, technically comes about primarily from the properties of rhythm & pace and midrange bloom. Understanding the elements are not necessary. You can gauge the from auditioning products and systems, reading reviews and listening to live music. Learning this aspect of music... is probably one of the most overlooked aspects since it is really a gestalt thing and most folks turn on their analytical skills and examine the minute details of the sound as opposed to the overall presentation. Hence, we brought it up as an often overlooked consideration.
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For myself, build quality / proven reliability is of the utmost importance. Then after requirement is met ( hopefully), sound quality that brings you closest to live music.
I can’t be bothered by finicky, questionably made products & shipping back expensive & heavy stuff for repairs or modifications. That type of annoyance & frustration would take all of the enjoyment I get out of listen to good music.
For example, I bought a really good turntable/ arm /cartridge over 20 years ago & it still works perfectly & sounds excellent. One new belt & one new cartridge ( mishap w/ a cat). I think in general, smaller American companies have the best chance of providing such consistent quality.
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@2psyop
My top criteria’s when choosing a gear; does it provide long-term musical connection. More importantly, does it invite me to play more music, not just “audiophile tracks”? Secondly, synergy and lastly designer’s (manufacturer) integrity and accessibility; if and when I need the support of the person or team behind the product.
I have gone through my fair share of components in my pursuit of putting together an audio system that connects you to music intimately. A good audio gear doesn’t just sound good, it changes your behavior; how you feel and appreciate the music.
Reputation matters but resale, it’s a crap shoot :-)
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A mis-match of the preamp and the amp that can hinder the overall performance.
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All the things previously mentioned are considerations, I also need to see quality parts, I also much prefer point to point wiring in pre's, amps, speaker crossovers, power supplies extremely important.
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SYSTEM synergy
It may be hard to define in words, but you know when you have it (or lack it.)
A newly selected audio component inserted into your rig can create an audio performance change now ranging from poor/non/optimal to good/ improved.
Think all the daily AGON forum posts asking for new components recommendations.The conflicting responses range widely and all too many simply reflect personal fave bias.
Just because a touted Brand X component seemingly works well in a Respondent system, is no assurance that it will succeed in OP’s system.. “ One size does NOT fit all”…
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This is by no means the primary consideration, but as a retired person on a comfortable but fixed income, one of the things i always consider is whether a component is desirable by others and can I purchase it for a good price. Can it be flipped quickly, without losing money or at a slight profit.
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Not to hijack since it was mentioned twice I would pose this to the repliers commenting on the "musicality"of a component..How the H do you judge a components musicality if you are considering it for purchase & don’t yet own it?
ONLY the "usual"audiophile criteria can be used at this point of the process!
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The equipment’s grip on the reproduction of the emotion of the composition and performance. +1 for @ghdprentice term - musicality and his recommendation to not focus on the usual audiophile criteria. The prerequisite is to experience the emotion of live acoustic and amplified musical performances. Then you can evaluate the equipment’s grip on the music compared to this benchmark. I agree it is unrealistic to expect to bring the music hall to your listening room. However, the equipment should, at a minimum, bring memories of the emotional experience of a live performance, and should evoke similar emotions to the reproduction of music in your home. Yes, it is a personally subjective criterion. However, if the equipment is melodious to you, you will be engulfed in the emotional experience that the recorded composition and performance evokes.
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The crossover in the loudspeaker. I think I'll start a thread on that subject.
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I think one of the most overlooked considerations is long-term reliability. Everyone gets caught up in specs and brand reputation, but hardly anyone asks if it will still work perfectly five or ten years from now. I’ve had gear that sounded great at first but developed issues within a couple of years. It’s easy to get swept up by new features, but I’d rather have something that lasts.
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@freediver when I bought my Blue Circle amp (since sold and easily sold) a main criteria in choosing a new amp was just how many are seen on the used market.
So I could not agree more. Why are certain names more frequently seen for sale than others. It is not because so many were bought. It is because so many are for sale.
I just sold a Musical Fidelity Ñu-Vista 600. An animal not frequently seen on the used market. A very underrated product.
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@kofibaffour you completely missed the point of OP's thread..
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One consideration NEVER looked @ IMO is the FOR SALE market...Too little attention is paid when choosing a component to how many units are active on the for sale market & how many have been sold in the past few months..
Look at mass produced speakers like KEF,HIGHLY touted by Pro reviewers and the forums BUT if you look at the current market & past 3 months you will see they are the #1 most flipped speaker available today..Some will argue that’s because they are also #1 purchased but that just makes my point..There is a reason they are flipped more than any other speaker..
When I choose a component,I want to know people that have bought that component before me are holding on to them..Look at speakers like Reference 3A,Harbeth & Spendor..For every 1 for sale now or sold in the last 3 months there are dozens of KEF,Monitor Audio,Klipsch,JBL & on & on...
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Your room/speaker coupling and treatment is more important than any fancy cable, amp, DAC you'd ever buy @2psyop
Chasing anything else is just a futile self convincing that leads to a loop of purchasing syndrome
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I’m typically looking for technical innovations that might raise the bar. Other than that I always look for good value delivered and take resale value into account. Also always consider how well any new component will integrate into the room and system.
Looks also matter. 👌
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Musicality. The gestalt of the component... overall presentation. It is too easy to concentrate on fine details, transients, micro textures, width of the soundstage, image size, etc, and completely miss stepping back and considering if it creates compelling music.
I have owned high end / audiophile audio equipment and home theater components for fifty years. In that time certainly owning many more than 100 components and only two needed service of any kind (one audio and one home theater). Many pieces of equipment I have owned for over twenty years.
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