Almost everything depends on it and it can make or break systems.Well,make a system more musical atleast.

Speaker's to Amps
Cables to Components--CDP's,Passives Pre's to amps and the like.

Has any research been done into the question?

People can spend $1000's because they simply missed something like a compatible IC to use or mating the correct amp to a set of speaker's?

I realise that sound sometimes depends on taste to a certain extent,but sometimes a Manfactire can forwarn that a component will not work at it's best with certain equiptment.

An example is a friend of mione tried mating a pair of Magnepans with an HK amp.It kept blowing the fuses in the speaker's.

TIA

 weight in in personal taste.. it's almost impossible to do so..nt - Mellson 11:29:24 11/26/02 (0)
 Re: Synergy? - Monstrous Mike 22:48:19 11/23/02 (2)
 Please disgard the above....nt - Monstrous Mike 13:23:39 11/24/02 (1)

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Show full thread outline!

 weight in in personal taste.. it's almost impossible to do so..nt - Mellson 11:29:24 11/26/02 (0)
 Re: Synergy? - Monstrous Mike 22:48:19 11/23/02 (2)
 Please disgard the above....nt - Monstrous Mike 13:23:39 11/24/02 (1)
 Re: Please disgard the above....nt - Phil Tower 19:59:48 11/24/02 (0)
 Re: Synergy? - Pat D 14:24:14 11/22/02 (0)
 Re: Synergy? - jeff mai 12:49:41 11/22/02 (1)
 Re: Synergy? - NEAR SOTA 17:16:51 11/22/02 (0)
 I think the reason… - David Aiken 12:02:42 11/22/02 (7)
 You've actually understated it. - jj 21:13:51 11/26/02 (2)
 The problem with assuming others are like myself… - David Aiken 13:27:38 11/27/02 (1)
 It's not quite that bad, but... - jj 17:53:06 11/27/02 (0)
 Re: Synergy or how systems - - Timbo in Oz 23:52:11 11/24/02 (0)
 I think Mr. Aiken has zeroed in on the truth - Norm Strong 11:13:45 11/24/02 (1)
 I don't want to go down that route as the ultimate solution - David Aiken 12:22:28 11/24/02 (0)
 That is correct (nt) - Victor Khomenko 16:56:29 11/23/02 (0)

Plus, as you pointed out, there are the differences in taste regarding sound that people have - about as many as there are people.

Manufacturers often provide some recommendations but they tend to be general and are intended as broad guidelines rather than specific "must do's". That's probably the best that can reasonably done unless the manufacturer is making everything and intending that the whole package be used as a unit.

David Aiken

Additionally, specifying synergistic components might hurt sales. Think about it.

At line level, low output impedance and high input impedance is one thing I watch for. Most decent equipment has this so that it will work with lots of other equipment, and I wouldn't bother with any that did not.

With amps and speakers, well, some people like the sound of an amp with a high output impedance. I'd rather have one with a low output impedance, which most solid state amps have, as it makes things more predictable. And of course, one wants an amplifier that will drive the speakers properly.

Input sensitivity and output level can be factors, too.
____________________________________________________________
"Nature loves to hide."
---Heraclitus of Ephesus (trans. Wheelwright)

I have to admit it would be hard for a cmpany to state "don't us with.....",but I do think more could be done.

Research could be done on the subject.I have been lucky as I have only had one or two components which were mistakes on my part,but I could have been forwarned I think.

Synergy is a marketing term.

Please reply.

"Unless the manufacturer is making everything and intending that the whole package be used as a unit."

This is where I see audio headed, but it's a long slow road, and until audiophiles stop insisting on rolling their own, I don't see much progress being made.

The notable failure of active speakers to make a dent in the audiophile market has scared off a lot of manufacturers.

My problem is that if that is the only option, you're limited to choosing a house sound. You can't "mix and match", and you could well end up with problems when one component develops a fault and can't be repaired if things have progressed to the point where you can only buy a package.

I'd rather be able to play around and choose individual components. Yes, it is more work with more possibility of error, but I'm not limited to someone else's idea of what a system should sound like, or their ideas of what works best with something. If I'm prepared to put the effort in, and run the risk of making mistakes along the way, I can assemble a system that sounds the way I want it to sound and I can play with and tweak that sound over time. Not only is that part of the fun and part of the hobby for me, the sound I get will be slightly different from the sound anyone else gets. While difference for the sake of difference is of no value whatsoever, those differences add to my enjoyment if they support those aspects of sound and music which are of value to me.

It's fine for manufacturers to offer all the options, and I have no problems with individuals choosing to buy their systems that way, so long as we don't lose the option of assembling our own systems from individual components and as long as the range of individual components remains large enough and of high enough quality to ensure that remains a meaningful and viable option.

David Aiken

When you look at your post on the screen, at the very bottom is a delete button that you can use to delete a post if no one has responded.

Believe me, I've used that feature more than once.

I agree, and this actually may be a better way of putting the 'it depends', or systemic argument I am so fond of.

Thankyou again.

Leaving aside the tail chasers, spec-men etc, and the lucky rich bastards.

Some of us have (had to accept) a slowly evolving system. A limited Budget helps here ;-)}.

I am certain that with a different life path I would have a very different system. A system definitely.

Eg. I might have come across the 'spheres elsewhere in Aus, but it was more likely here in Can'tberra, wasn't it! They go well with tubes as efficient etc.

Listening to 'The Science Show' - a long time back - switched me on to the primacy of attacks and decays in music.

Learning how to set up sprung TT's properly, probably kept me into vinyl.

Having been trained as an infantry signaller (among other things) I knew that antennas and positioning really mattered. AND Needing a big antenna where I am. AND Having yr FM stations on one tower makes it cheaper to own a good big antenna as you don't need a rotator.

etc etc.

Timbo

Both source and sink impedence could matter.

But lumping paramaters CAN help some. Problem is, you rarely know all that you need to know.
JJ - Philalethist and Annoyer of Bullies

You're right, and that does up the ante, and so do the interconnects to connect the two. Plus neither of us got into the topic of sources and interconnects there.

You might wonder how anything actually works, much less works well, when you look at the number of real life possibilities we're juggling. It's an indication of how much care most manufacturers take to ensure that their equipment is compatible with that of other manufacturers that things do work, and actually do work well together; and it's obvious that they do since the question asked most often is the "what works best?" or "what works better?" sort of question rather than the much more basic "what works?"

David Aiken

Now, in the high end, this isn't as true. Some are "normal" some aren't, and so on.

The problem is that for the nonlinear aspects of such issues, there is very little way to characterize such a thing before trying it.

On the other hand, MOST effects are quite small. Please notice (not you as much as others) that I said MOST.

Some amp/speaker interactions (and speaker cable interactions) are "interesting", to say the least. Ditto for some devices with particular grounding, neutral, etc, issues, or for various devices with highly non-standard (to the extent one exists) input or output impedences.
JJ - Philalethist and Annoyer of Bullies