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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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In Reply to: highest value component in your system posted by gkirkos on May 5, 2015 at 09:31:17:
I have found, in my 60 years as an audiophile, that this question is not particularly useful. In my experience, systems engineering and system synergy are much more important than the "best" components. A couple of months ago I heard a home audio-only system that cost in the neighborhood of $750,000. Every one of the components in that system cost more than any comparable one of mine. Yet I believe (and several friends have confirmed) that my system sounds better. Would my friends have said otherwise? You better believe it! They were born with arms folded and head cocked skeptically and they have raked me over the coals unmercifully in times past.
Not that I have made silk purses out of sow's ears. My system is in no way "cheap." But I have learned, for myself at least, that it is folly to think that a great system is guaranteed simply by putting together the top components (read, "most expensive") of the Stereophile annual product list. A visit to any one of the annual audio shows will demonstrate that conclusively.
In my case, I tackled the front end (phono cartridge) and back end(speakers) first. Then I worked on optimizing everything in between. "Optimizing" of course involved selecting good interior components such as phono-preamp, amps and such, but mostly optimization involved interfaces: e.g. speaker/room (both mains and subs); amp/speakers (impedance-matching; speaker cables); cartridge/preamp (tonearm wire; tonearm jacks); etc., etc.
Certainly not easy and definitely time-consuming; but cheaper, more effective and more personally satisfying than the "best from Column A" approach. But personal satisfaction is what this hobby is all about, isn't it?
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Follow Ups
- RE: highest value component in your system - throwback 10:33:34 05/05/15 (3)
- RE: highest value component in your system - Mel 21:10:29 05/05/15 (2)
- RE: highest value component in your system - throwback 08:36:37 05/06/15 (1)
- RE: highest value component in your system - Mel 09:55:09 05/06/15 (0)
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