What was your first big eye opener with regard to audio?



Hello friends,

what was the most fascinating thing you did with the compilation or optimization of your system in terms of SQ or performance, that really got your attention in either a good or bad way?


what was it that actually impressed or surprized you once it was in place?


or what DIY project was it that once done really gave your audio system a big shot in the arm SQ-wise?


maybe it was simply finding out just how much some items could cost


something always seems to take place that changes our philosophies or understandings and maybe even our approach to arranging a fine audio system.


what was your’s?

 

Perhaps it was buying a quality rack, platform, or maybe a pr. of amp stands?


rolling tubes? adding iso footers?


biting the bullet and bringing in a decidedly  more expensive or merely a different electronic component? DAC? Line stage? Mono blocks? Speakers?


what amazing things could be done with as little as 8wpc?


for example, my ‘eye opening’ events came two  fold. adding power line conditioning and using upscale wires/cables, or power cords.


which of these came first I’m not sure but all of them  came with a huge amount of prejudice on my part as to them doing anything positive to the quality of the sound, but indeed they did!


other things came along with nearly the impact or mind altering impact but those were the initial items that paved the way for me to keep an open mind with respect to building an audio system and preserving its synergy.


what was or has been your epiphany? your most surprising  ‘move’ in audio land?


blindjim
Finding out how big a difference a preamp can make. Going from the cheesey Dynaco pat-4 in the 1980's, to the Pat-5 bifet was amazing to my ears. Even more so, when I bought a used Dynaco Pas-3 tube preamp with Telefunken 12ax7's off a guy for $75.00 ,several years later. I have now gone up the ARC line ,from the LS-7, to an LS-16, to currently an LS-25 mkii. Working my way up to the reference line someday soon hopefully.
jssmith,

"What was your first big eye opener"

"My first blind amp test."
That is a good one.
my biggest realization was, when I played a dual monoblock, single ended pentode stereo amp, through big 3-ways speakers, with high sensitivity rating, and the speakers were 28 feet apart, and on 6 foot high shelves in the corners of my 14' x 28' living room.  wow. 
it changed my entire approach about audio.  the speakers have to be up high, and far apart.  no matter what the amp is.  but there's nothing like a single ended pentode when it's warmed up and working correctly.  and simple.  12ax7's into 6bq5's is all you need.  dual monoblocks.you can listen to that setup for years.  with headphones it's just as intoxicating, if not more, with the detail.  you hear stuff on the old recordings you never even knew were there.  and the soundstage is amazing.
As jouri_knegt posted about his Wadia 9, I was shocked when I bought, quite cheaply, a second hand Wadia 15 DAC which uses the same architecture as the 9  It 'only' does redbook but I have not heard anything else I prefer!

Room treatment too. So few so called audiophiles who spend huge fortunes on gear just miss the boat, chasing their tail with endless upgrades. Not until the excessive decay is tamed, will the system shine.
Best speaker heard were a pair of huge Tannoy corner horns.
1978 Denon 103D moving coil cartridge. Never heard anything like it before and don’t think I’ve heard anything like it since.

:(