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RE: I was there once, but have turned to the other side!

Posted by stehno (M) on November 15, 2014 at 07:49:37

In Reply to: I was there once, but have turned to the other side! posted by E-Stat on November 15, 2014 at 06:49:33:

Hmmm, I used to own a $10k preamp. But that was before I turned to the other side once I realized after having spent a lot of money, I didn't need to spend a lot of money. :)

E-Stat, you bring up some good points that I omitted.

There are several ways outside of pre-amplified gain stages, namely proper AC mgmt and proper vibration mgmt. Line conditioning being the biggest part of the AC mgmt quotient. But not ALL manner of line conditioning as you say, since most line condtioners aren't worth owning. But yes, superior line conditioning will certainly help generate a more naturally dynamic music presentation.

I've always prided myself on having the most dynamic playback system I've ever encountered. One of the key things I omitted from my previous post was during those active preamp years, that was when my amplification was between 160 to 200 wpc.

What caused my system to become overly "jumpy" was when I switched to some fabulous nearly 600 wpc mono amps. It was that amp/preamp combo that drove my system further away from the live performance, becoming overly dynamic due to the electronics.

But with the 600 wpc amps and a passive volume attentuator, together with the additional benefits I listed earlier that now generates still one of the most dynamic playback systems I've heard (regardless of volume levels), only now it's a more naturally dynamic presentation with everything occurring up on the soundstage drawing me far closer to the live performance because of that and again because of the addtional benefits I mentioned earlier.

But yes, I'm pretty sure I would not be making this claim about wonderful dyanmics if I did not have my high-powered amps, nor if I did not go to extreme lengths to address proper AC mgmt nor proper vibration mgmt.

I omitted that 65% of my system's retail costs are dedicated just on those 2 mgmt areas. And I definitely would not have stated my claims without those foundational areas being properly addressed.

But as you allude, "high-end" audio being more of a journey, many such claims of performance can only be made based on where one is in their journey. Even then, that's not to say any that's any proof that any of us really know what we're talking about without actually hearing one's system for confirmation.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

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