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I continually read here claims about dramatic changes coming about as a result of an equipment change, sometimes a rather minor piece of equipment. When one is going from a simple, mass-produced system to carefully-selected good components, the difference can and should be dramatic, but I'm not talking about that. I read claims that simply by changing cables there was a night and day difference, the results were amazing. Similar remarks are made about amps, preamps, and many other things.However, in my experience, once you basically have a good system, only two things can make a really big difference: better speakers and better source equipment. A speaker upgrade can produce a dramatic improvement in sound, as can a cartridge upgrade. If you have a pretty good TT and arm, say one of the better Rega models, you can of course get better sound from a better TT, but in my listening experience it will not be night and day. It will be incremental, maybe even subtle. I have compared many amps, and some are indeed better than others, but even going from the Sony receiver I have to my Plinius or to an ARC driving my Vandersteen 5s is not night and day. You have to pay attention to fully appreciate the benefits.
Maybe the scale is highly magnified for others, so that when people say dramatic, on my scale it would be "somewhat better." Over the last 40 some years my system has gotten a lot better, but most of the improvement is in the speakers, the TT/cartridge, and the CD player. Even though I've invested a fair amount in electronics, I would say they have helped, but only in the assisting role, not as leaders. When I compare my system now to many much more expensive, typically I don't say to myself "wow, that is a whole different world, I'm blown away" At most I may say I like it bit better. And my system would considered "mid-fi" by some people I know. Even the Vandersteen 5s, nice as they are, were not a night and day improvement over my Spendor SP 100s, though they are certainly better to my ears. The only "wow" experience I've had recently was when I was in LA and went to a concert at the Disney Center. One minute into it I thought "Now's that's what I really want in sound." It was another world.
What has been you experience? Am I way off base here?
Joe
PS: What really baffles me is when people say some tweak or equipment change is night and day, etc., and then they can't identify it in a blind test. Again, maybe it's the scale of adjectives, but how can something dramatic in a sighted test not evev be identified in a blind test? For me, most changes that are dramatic are apparent before you even get into the room.
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Topic - How often does an equipment change lead to "dramatic, night and day" sound changes for you? - jsm 18:25:02 09/12/06 (68)
- Another vote for phono stage - Kiwi Brian 03:17:56 09/14/06 (0)
- Mine involved removing the preamp... - Jeff Maxson 18:22:30 09/13/06 (0)
- The most dramatic improvements I've heard in my systems have come from line-level and phono preamps. (nt) - John Elison 16:19:14 09/13/06 (0)
- my last change easily qualifies - triode 14:17:31 09/13/06 (0)
- My first system change in 20 years (other than room) - Android 10:19:09 09/13/06 (0)
- it depends on what you want to and what are you liste to - Tawe 09:56:38 09/13/06 (0)
- Room treatment for me too. - Astroman 09:25:46 09/13/06 (1)
- I agree completely about the room. I dramatically degraded my system when I moved into my present house. (nt) - jsm 10:54:54 09/13/06 (0)
- The biggest differences I have found . . . - JoshT 09:03:09 09/13/06 (0)
- I just had that very experience - jhorowitz128 08:42:49 09/13/06 (0)
- "Night and Day" changes usually occur when switching from one record to the next for me (nt) - Vinylized 08:10:55 09/13/06 (1)
- Very important point! - jsm 11:01:50 09/13/06 (0)
- Re: How often does an equipment change lead to "dramatic, night and day" sound changes for you? - profbrookes 02:31:17 09/13/06 (0)
- The most dramatic changes I can recall are.... - freefallrob 01:43:28 09/13/06 (0)
- My most notable 'night & day' change ... - Brian_T 00:42:46 09/13/06 (0)
- as often as you want - Frank Waller 00:28:07 09/13/06 (0)
- room treatment did it for me - troporobo 00:21:27 09/13/06 (0)
- Tubes night and day moments..... - tubesforever 23:55:19 09/12/06 (0)
- Re: How often does an equipment change lead to "dramatic, night and day" sound changes for you? - Ken Lyon 23:35:23 09/12/06 (2)
- Probable "gobsmaking" is close to my use of "night and day." - jsm 11:22:06 09/13/06 (0)
- So, who was the manufacturer? - Astroman 09:33:38 09/13/06 (0)
- Re: How often does an equipment change lead to "dramatic, night and day" sound changes for you? - cjfrbw 22:49:18 09/12/06 (4)
- This has happened to me several times. - Bry 03:50:01 09/13/06 (3)
- What I find interesting is - Astroman 09:44:50 09/13/06 (2)
- Music Cognition resources - Ken Lyon 12:09:38 09/13/06 (1)
- How cool! Thanks Ken (nt) - Astroman 15:00:17 09/13/06 (0)
- Re: How often does an equipment change lead to "dramatic, night and day" sound changes for you? - SirAnthony 22:36:01 09/12/06 (10)
- Hmmm... - jsm 11:36:12 09/13/06 (6)
- Re: Hmmm... - SirAnthony 14:20:54 09/13/06 (5)
- I'm afraid not. - jsm 17:27:37 09/13/06 (4)
- Re: I'm not afraid - SirAnthony 00:18:59 09/14/06 (1)
- You are missing the crucial point. - jsm 13:13:29 09/14/06 (0)
- So here is a good comparison to chew on.... - tubesforever 23:31:45 09/13/06 (1)
- I intend to try some CAT 5 and... - jsm 13:21:50 09/14/06 (0)
- I sure don't prefer the DL103R..... - tubesforever 10:15:06 09/13/06 (2)
- Re: I sure don't prefer the DL103R..... - SirAnthony 14:24:10 09/13/06 (1)
- I paid 535 for mine.....new in the Box. - tubesforever 23:25:24 09/13/06 (0)
- Cables can make a difference - mtodde 20:18:57 09/12/06 (0)
- Agreed - Craiger56@aol.com 20:18:28 09/12/06 (1)
- Long-term listening. - jsm 11:50:05 09/13/06 (0)
- I don't understand. - artemus 20:12:13 09/12/06 (1)
- Ah, I may have confused the issue with this example. - jsm 11:56:54 09/13/06 (0)
- Significant Changes - JRags 19:46:55 09/12/06 (0)
- subtle & powerfull vs dramatic - OMalley 19:43:21 09/12/06 (0)
- I'd add power conditioning as another possibility - newanvil 19:33:33 09/12/06 (1)
- Re: I'd add power conditioning as another possibility - mosin 20:05:12 09/12/06 (0)
- I have a hard time believing it myself - but it's true - vinyl1 19:32:36 09/12/06 (11)
- This a case crying out for a test! - jsm 12:06:51 09/13/06 (2)
- I thought this was a DBT-free zone?? nt - Mr. Black 12:44:27 09/13/06 (1)
- A SBT done well is fine with me. A DBT is better, though. It's for his benefit, not mine. - jsm 14:09:34 09/13/06 (0)
- Okay, then... - Bry 03:43:51 09/13/06 (1)
- I believe you can do that with a PS Audio Powerplant if I am not mistaken./nt\ - Ray-o-Stat 08:39:47 09/13/06 (0)
- Re: I have a hard time believing it myself - but it's true - Calypte 23:20:16 09/12/06 (3)
- those are the FIRST 3 feet, not the last (nt) - Ken Lyon 23:27:06 09/12/06 (2)
- From the generator, it is the last 3 feet; and that is where the electricity is coming from. )MT( - J. S. Bach 09:09:21 09/13/06 (0)
- It's hard to argue with logic like that :-/ (nt) - Calypte 08:02:18 09/13/06 (0)
- I used to shake my head in disbelief at such a post. But then.... - artemus 20:26:25 09/12/06 (1)
- Re: I used to shake my head in disbelief at such a post. But then.... - mosin 20:28:26 09/12/06 (0)
- Re: How often does an equipment change lead to "dramatic, night and day" sound changes for you? - "skeptic" 19:32:10 09/12/06 (0)
- And how many of those "changes" are imagined vs. real? (nt) - hesson11 19:13:20 09/12/06 (0)
- Turntable and speaker upgrades. - olddude55 18:47:57 09/12/06 (0)
- Define dramatic. - mosin 18:41:24 09/12/06 (6)
- My definitions of changes, FWTW. - jsm 12:38:37 09/13/06 (5)
- Hey - This is a great set of definitions you've outlined... - Scottrt 03:04:10 09/14/06 (4)
- How so...? - Ken Lyon 16:13:21 09/14/06 (3)
- Wow! I must have hit a nerve or something! - jsm 17:38:25 09/14/06 (1)
- I guess that I could say the same(nt) - Ken Lyon 18:07:26 09/14/06 (0)
- Re: How so...? - Scottrt 16:35:00 09/14/06 (0)