2. misc-audio
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And the biggest influence on sound quality is...

The quality of the recording itself.

Then the room, the setup, the speakers, and lastly the  front end.

I've got recordings that make my system sound horrible, and I've got recordings that make my system sound absolutely wonderful.

None of the gear changes have had that much impact on sound quality.

 

 

tomcarr
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,605 posts
 

@tomcarr you covered most of the ones that really matter a lot. I’d add the proper technical integration of components when dealing with separate as opposed to integrated components like impedance matching and also that amp is a good match to drive speakers to their max. Poor matching and integration of components can leave a lot of performance on the table. This is a very common snafu that many may not pay as much attention to as they should.

Of course in the end it has to sound good to your ears specifically and that can be a very subjective thing to determine.

After that its mostly a tweak here and there perhaps. Modern DSP technology is your friend when it comes to getting that sound just right once you have crossed all the Ts and dotted all the Is in assembling and setting up your gear well. The icing on the cake!

 

The other things are all significantly big but room acoustics always plays a big role in how things sound (pretty much by definition) and is typically the thing you have the least control over.

 

Recordings are what they are. You have absolutely no control over that. You can only attempt to experience the works of others as provided as best possible.

Fun fun fun!!!

 

larry5729's avatar
larry5729
1,015 posts
 

Quality of recordings are very important.

williewonka
3,110 posts
 

So my system had reasonable components and cables and I had albums that sounded very good and others that sounded less than stellar.

Some pressings sounded well engineered and pressed whilst others seemed to lack the same amount of finesse.

I embarked upon a journey of discovery with my cables and over the years, with the introduction of better cables, the system was refined way beyond my expectations. And, to my delight, the recordings that previously seemed to lack finesse actually came to life, providing a listening experience the equaled the best pressings I had.

My components are "modest" , compared to others in the market, but the cables are among the best out there. Unfortunately, the cables are DIY, but Hijiri is one of a few brands that can achieve "Audio Nivana"

So take a look at your cables, they do make a noticeable improvement

 

Regards, steve

tomcarr OP
1,587 posts
 

@mapman Excellent point about synergy with matching components. I'm acutely aware of its value that can make or break a system but failed to mention it. Thank you for bringing it up. Very important point.

eurorack
50 posts
 

One question is, "What, overall, determines sound quality?". A different, but closely related question is, "What, under my control, determines sound quality?". OP tomcarr suggests the importance of the room.

Interestingly, the room is controllable by us in varying degrees. Some listeners may move the system from floor to floor, room to room, some are constrained to one room (but may adjust room treatments), others are confined to one room they can't do much about, and still others have one room and are told exactly where and only where the speakers may be placed.

So yeah. Two different questions, and "room control" floats between the two.

Enjoy.

 

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