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What Matters and What is Nonsense

I’ve been an audiophile for approximately 50 years. In my college days, I used to hang around the factory of a very well regarded speaker manufacturer where I learned a lot from the owners. When I started with audio it was a technical hobby. You were expected to know something about electronics and acoustics. Listening was important, but understanding why something sounded good or not so good was just as important. No one in 1968 would have known what you were talking about if you said you had tweaked your system and it sounded so much better. But if you talked about constant power output with frequency, or pleasing second-order harmonic distortion versus jarring odd-order harmonics in amplification, you were part of the tribe.

Starting in the 1980s, a lot of pseudo scientific nonsense started appearing. Power cords were important. One meter interconnects made a big difference. Using a green magic marker on the edge of a CD was amazing. Putting isolation dampers under a CD transport lifted the veil on the music. Ugh. This stuff still make my eyes roll, even after all these years.

So I have decided to impart years and years of hard won knowledge to today’s hobbists who might be interested in reality. This is my list of the steps in the audio reproduction chain, and the relative importance of each step. My ranking of relative importance includes a big dose of cost/benefit ratio. At this point in the evolution of audio, I am assuming digital recording and reproduction.

Item / Importance to the sound on a scale of 1-10 / Cost benefit ratio

  • The room the recording was made in / 8 / Nothing you can do about it
  • The microphones and setup used in the recording / 8 / nothing you can do about it.
  • The equalization and mixing of the recording / 10 / Nothing you can do about it
  • The technology used for the recording (analog, digital, sample rate, etc.) / 5 / nothing you can do about it.
  • The format of the consumer recording (vinyl, CD, DSD, etc.) 44.1 - 16 really is good enough / 3 / moderate CB ratio
  • The playback device i.e. cartridge or DAC / 5 / can be a horribe CB ratio - do this almost last
  • The electronics - preamp and amp / 4 / the amount of money wasted on $5,000 preamps and amps is amazing.
  • Low leve interconnects / 2 / save your money, folks
  • Speaker cables / 3 / another place to save your money
  • Speakers / 10 / very very high cost to benefit ratio. Spend your money here.
  • Listening room / 9 / an excellent place to put your money. DSPs have revolutionized audio reproduction
In summary, buy the best speakers you can afford, and invest in something like Dirac Live or learn how to use REW and buy a MiniDSP HD to implement the filters. Almost everything else is a gross waste of money.
128x128phomchick
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 

prof

geoff,

Simply repeating "yes you ARE being fallacious!"....is not an argument establishing that conclusion.

>>>>I know you are but what am I? If you can’t figure it out by now this conversation can serve no purpose any more, professor. This is a study in the lecturee - that would be you - believing or trying to pretend he’s the lecturer. 🤡 Wake up and smell the coffee! ☕️

I’m beginning to see why you took Michael Green’s post so personally. 😀

prof
3,452 posts
 
geoffkait:

this conversation can serve no purpose any more

Agreed, it couldn't serve the purpose you had for it ;-)


gpullman
14 posts
 
Hi

I am kinda new to this but here is my $.02. I have always loved music and have had a stereo system since a teen Pioneer receiver, Mission Freedom speakers, techniques turntable Sanyo cassette. Nothing great. Then about 15 years ago I  upgraded to Onkyo Receiver 626 Mordantshort speakers, then added Sonos connect. All my friends thought that I had a great sounding system and I was also happy. I then purchased a HSU sub which further enhanced the sound. 6 years ago I heard Monitor Audio silver 6's and loved them and purchased. My friends still enjoyed my system. I have a client who has 3 high end systems and I asked what I could do to enhance my current system. He told me what to buy and here my experience begins. He said that my Monitor Audio speakers were good but too small for the size of my room. I should also buy a NAD51 DAC and a Parasound A23 or used A21. If I could find a REL sub Stadium 3 or better add that. I should buy an oppo, a power conditioner and upgrade cables. I struggled to pay $15k in cables like he has for each system. The first thing I purchased was the NAD Dac and Parasound A23. Once that was hooked up with regular BB cables that I had my Monitor Audio speakers never sounded so good it was a huge improvement. So that got me going. I bought a Bryston Pii and although it isn't as friendly to use as the Sonos is I think I hear a more clear sound. I purchased average cables MacKenzie XLR and Coffee USB AB. I can't honestly say I hear a difference over BB RCA's. I found a REL Stadium 3 and it sounds way better than the HSU The HSU was too boomy and the REL just extended the bass nicely. I struggled to come to grips with a power conditioner however whomever I spoke with said it would make a difference. My client said Running Springs Jacco was a good one. I had the opportunity to borrow a RS Haley and it did make a slight difference to the sound slightly clearer and separation in voice and instruments were better. Where the big difference in the power conditioner came to be was when I disconnected it My music sounded really harsh which I had never heard before and the separation wasn't the same between instruments and voice. I couldn't find a Jacco to buy but I broke the bank when a Dimitri came up for sale. I also had the fortune to buy at a great price I think BW 803s and they sound even better than the Monitor Audio. I have heard the 800D3's and would love a pair one day. As far as cables go I bought a signal cable power cord and I have to say it made my music sound more laid back. Not sure if I like that or not and the more upbeat music seems to be missing something not as  punchy with just a regular power cord. I am running cheap speaker wire that was put through my walls when I built my house so I don't know what expensive speaker cables will do to my sound. Anyway that is my story I am not an expert just a guy who loves music but I have to say that the changes that I have made have made a noticeable improvement in my system. As far as interconnects go I have tried a few different ones all lower cost and I can't say that I hear a difference so the jury is still out on those.Still struggle with $1,000 cables.
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
It all matters and choosing gear that operates well together is also important.  The degree to which you want to re-create the original recording in your listening room is a personal matter.
fleschler
1,929 posts
 
Although I have one high end system for all music, my living room second system cost me $5K for used gear (Legacy Signature IIIs, highly modified voltage tap not ultralinear tap Dynaco ST70, custom built sub-mini tube pre-amp, a modified Pioneer DV-05 (certainly not stock), Stillpoints, GroverHuffman cabling). My wife rocks out on that system with it’s 6 10" woofers. It appeals to guests for pop, jazz and classical as well. Most comment, "wow, that’s some great music system!" "I wish I could afford that (they can, they just don’t know how to assemble a high end audio system), until they hear the audio/music room system. Yes, I installed an SR black duplex and one SR blue fuse (all there is). No room treatment, no SR HFTs-not needed in a good acoustic space. However, my audio/music room needs a lot of treatment, severe slap echo, windows, ample flat walls/cathedral ceiling). So the latter room has 2 pair of Hallographs and 32 HFTs of various types assembled throughout. I got rid of all of the wall hangings and acoustic panels (diffusion and absorption types). The sound is more spacious now with greater clarity and difficult to hear any slap echo while music is playing.

Again, the room is about 50% of the sound. The speakers are important but so is everything else. The speakers and amps have to pair correctly. The pre-amp is to be as neutral as possible. The tweaks are for vibration/resonance control and for acoustic room control. Simple in concept, often difficult to achieve. Used gear can be part or all of an audio room/system providing ample musical listening satisfaction.
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