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Posted

 

I was pondering my answer to another thread the other day (i.e. my rule of upgrading - don't spend any money until you have identified a deficiency you want to fix). That raises another question - how do you know if you have a deficiency that needs fixing? It then comes down to what you want from your system, which then dictates how you go about fixing it. 

 

So I will start with me. 99% of my listening is classical music. When I was in my teens, I was plagued by muddy sound - cassettes which I recorded from radio, played back on a Sony Walkman, and I used computer speakers and cheap earphones for listening. That defined my priorities which are still the same after so many years in this hobby: I want clarity, the ability to hear what the musicians are doing in complex orchestral passages, I want to hear instrumental timbre, I want dynamics, and I want realism. I DO NOT want any anomalies which might muddy the performance, or any band of frequencies emphasized or diminished in favour of others. Since classical music is wideband (down to 5Hz and up to above the range of hearing), I need a wideband system with excellent dynamics and no aberrations. IOW - my music preference dictated my requirements for a system. 

 

Then it becomes an analysis of what you gain and what you lose by choosing a certain type of equipment. I chose horns - I gained dynamics, high efficiency, and narrow directivity - but I also gained some horn coloration, lost soundstage depth, bass integration, and money (these things are expensive!). The next step is to ask yourself what you can do to fix it, and whether you have the budget and technical proficiency to fix it. Or whether a fix is even possible (for example, it is impossible to make a panel speaker sound as dynamic as a horn). 

 

Another example was all the soul searching I went through when I decided to give up vinyl and go all digital. I knew that vinyl sounded better. But by going all digital, I would gain the ability to DSP my system, and I knew back then that DSP is a very powerful tool. What I lose by giving up the lovely sound of vinyl would be more than made up by what I gain in other areas from DSP, so I swallowed a bit and went about reconfiguring the system. 

 

I understand that everyone has different music preferences to mine. Some people like to listen loud. Some like bass slam. Some people only listen to vocals. So they put together systems that bring out the best for their preferences. I have met many fellow audiophiles on SNA and been lucky enough to be invited into many homes and heard many systems. They are all different and enjoyable in their own way - because they were put together with different priorities to mine, by people with different music and sound preferences.

 

So I would be interested to hear what YOUR priorities were, and the story of why you chose your gear and made the decisions that you made. 

 

  • Like 11

Posted
12 hours ago, Keith_W said:

 

I was pondering my answer to another thread the other day (i.e. my rule of upgrading - don't spend any money until you have identified a deficiency you want to fix). That raises another question - how do you know if you have a deficiency that needs fixing? It then comes down to what you want from your system, which then dictates how you go about fixing it. 

 

So I will start with me. 99% of my listening is classical music. When I was in my teens, I was plagued by muddy sound - cassettes which I recorded from radio, played back on a Sony Walkman, and I used computer speakers and cheap earphones for listening. That defined my priorities which are still the same after so many years in this hobby: I want clarity, the ability to hear what the musicians are doing in complex orchestral passages, I want to hear instrumental timbre, I want dynamics, and I want realism. I DO NOT want any anomalies which might muddy the performance, or any band of frequencies emphasized or diminished in favour of others. Since classical music is wideband (down to 5Hz and up to above the range of hearing), I need a wideband system with excellent dynamics and no aberrations. IOW - my music preference dictated my requirements for a system. 

 

Then it becomes an analysis of what you gain and what you lose by choosing a certain type of equipment. I chose horns - I gained dynamics, high efficiency, and narrow directivity - but I also gained some horn coloration, lost soundstage depth, bass integration, and money (these things are expensive!). The next step is to ask yourself what you can do to fix it, and whether you have the budget and technical proficiency to fix it. Or whether a fix is even possible (for example, it is impossible to make a panel speaker sound as dynamic as a horn). 

 

Another example was all the soul searching I went through when I decided to give up vinyl and go all digital. I knew that vinyl sounded better. But by going all digital, I would gain the ability to DSP my system, and I knew back then that DSP is a very powerful tool. What I lose by giving up the lovely sound of vinyl would be more than made up by what I gain in other areas from DSP, so I swallowed a bit and went about reconfiguring the system. 

 

I understand that everyone has different music preferences to mine. Some people like to listen loud. Some like bass slam. Some people only listen to vocals. So they put together systems that bring out the best for their preferences. I have met many fellow audiophiles on SNA and been lucky enough to be invited into many homes and heard many systems. They are all different and enjoyable in their own way - because they were put together with different priorities to mine, by people with different music and sound preferences.

 

So I would be interested to hear what YOUR priorities were, and the story of why you chose your gear and made the decisions that you made. 

 

 

my journey has been different. for obvious reason and there's limited value talking to these because these are expected and somewhat universal. for example, I value classical but not over rock/alt/metal, while jazz, pop and synthesised dance are also in the mix. we could go on. 

 

but at the fundamental level, i've been driven not so much by identifying issues to fix but also opportunities to add something that appeals. And not so much a focus on what I currently have, but what I could have.... Enter external influence - this forum, printed and digital reviews, product marketing, hype, and spin, the Jones' next door, etc. etc.

 

I took the perspective that a) I'm not really in a position to self-assess my system against personal preferences or universal criteria, and b) when pursuing a hobby (golf, riding, gaming, art) we generally (sub-consciously or intentionally) allocate some ongoing budget. 

 

So i have x$$ per time-period at my disposal.

 

I come across something and without necessarily tracing it to a perceived deficiency in my system or getting hands on with the item like a demo, I'll do my best to work out if it's worth taking a punt on in the expectation that it will provide a "general" improvement verse something specific, OR at the very least add to my overall experience and appreciation of the various factors that contribute to the listening experience. 

 

for example 

* Gaia iso footers - there was enough non-biased (IMO) material to justify the investment even if I didn't really know what problems needed addressing

* I started with an entry level Rega phono and Onkyo integrated. I was rather opportunistic when replacing these, capitalising on value for money for an outright solid performer, not necessarily a roadmap to take the system in a certain direction or address a system deficiency. 

* I invested in a dedicated room and room treatment because it made sense to have a good listening space regardless of the system

 

I completely understand if this "cause it's better" haphazard approach is at odds with those who are more deliberate. And tbh, I'd like to think my maturity in this hobby, at some point will, shift and warrant a more introspective and hands on approach.
 

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Posted

For me it was "involvement" in the music—the more the better.:)

 

So in the early days I searched for gear that was generally acknowledged as involving; then gear that extended the bass to get more drive and groove; then gear that increased clarity and detail without losing the involvement—which was sometimes difficult.

 

Listening to others' systems, auditioning gear at shops, bringing trials home was the method. Listening to aspirational systems or individual pieces (usually well above my budget) gave me ideas about what was possible and whether it helped the music for me. Then I'd balance what it was likely to cost vs it's value to me and my disposable income for musical involvement.

 

As you can see from my signature music has been important to me since I was 8 years old and it still is. Hence my cheap furniture and expensive stereo gear.xD

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Posted

It’s a good topic.

Some say first decide on a budget. I am now more inclined to think what’s the best I can get, and work down from there on the used market to what I can justify spending. Not that I am rich - far from it. But I do ok.

 

My biggest single purchase has been speakers.  I had a bunch in a huge list I wanted to listen to - many out of the price range but I wanted to understand what I would have been getting for that sort of money, so I knew whether something within my budget sounded “good enough”.


In the end, dream speakers became available used at a third retail price, and wife said yes, so now we have them. Forever speakers are sorted.


Now back to a point you raised. How do you know what deficiencies there are. How much better can it be. What will it cost to get improvement. What areas can I improve.

I have very little idea on the answers there. I know I could do better with power, cables, speaker feet - they are all on the list of things I will address.

But, are my amps not at the level needed for these speakers? Are they good enough? Is it an improvement or a sideways move to change brands and spend more.

Then the DAC - should I stay with the DAC I have, should I blow up to $10K on a used great DAC, should I get the DAC that goes with my streamer.

 

All of this is unknown, and learning is, I guess, the crux of the hobby. That, and enjoying the tunes.

It’s a bit different here in Tassie, not easy to walk into a hifi shop and listen to reference gear, that requires a trip to the mainland.

 

I will be interested to read how other people decide what they change.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

What a very interesting Qu, @Keith_W.  :thumb:

 

I guess my buying Mike Kontor's personal pair of Maggie IIIas 30 years ago (when he switched over to being an Apogee dealer) has directed just about all I've done to my system since then - as what I was trying to do was improve the dynamics of the Maggies.  The 'Frankenpans' you heard just before we moved out of Greville Street were the culmination of that journey.  :)

 

Maggies do a lot of things well - but dynamics is not one of them!  :o  So:

  • making them active (getting rid of the series inductors!)
  • putting them in braced stands
  • and replacing the crap, stock MDF frames with hardwood frames

... all improved their ability to react to transients.  There were a few amp changes along the way ... simply because Hugh Dean had come out with some newer amplifiers which I knew - whilst not improving 'dynamics' - simply pleased the ear more!

 

Moving to Richmond in 2015 - where at last I could add subs (to get rid of another Maggie weakness - deep bass!) ... meant a radical change to my system as I moved across into the digital world.  A MiniDSP 10x10HD (analogue in / analogue out) provided:

  • 4-way active XOs,
  • delay ... to time-align the mains with the subs - which are about 1.2m further away from my ears
  • and some DSP room correction.

Subsequent changes have involved refining the digital processing side - for more clarity:

  • adding an A2D converter onto my phono stage meant that I could use digital in on the 10x10HD - instead of analogue in - as all the other inputs (CD, DAB+ and Foxtel box) are already digital,
  • this enabled me to run the 10x10HD at 96kHz, instead of 48kHz.
  • subsequently the 10x10HD was replaced by an all-digital nanoDIGI - requiring 3x external DACs.
  • so I was now using higher-quality DACs, as well as ADCs, than miniDSP provide.

The current refinement, as you know, is to use the convolution capability inherent in Roon to provide a linear phase "FIR filter overlay" on top of the conventional IIR filters provided by the miniDSP unit.  I can now play:

  • 96kHz FLAC files stored on SSD
  • my DAB+ radio
  • and on-the-fly vinyl

... using the magic of Roon's convolution, through my linear-phase spkrs  :thumb:

 

Is there any more to do?  :classic_laugh:

 

Certainly, better-sounding DACs (than my Topping E30s) are a possibility ... but my 40w Class A monoblocs (designed by Hugh Dean) are unlikely to be bettered.  :o

 

Edited by andyr
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Posted
35 minutes ago, Sounding said:

In the end, dream speakers became available used at a third retail price, and wife said yes, so now we have them. Forever speakers are sorted.
...

But, are my amps not at the level needed for these speakers? Are they good enough? Is it an improvement or a sideways move to change brands and spend more.

 

Tell us what your noo luvly spkrs are - and your amp - and we can advise.  :)

 

Posted
6 minutes ago, andyr said:

Tell us what your noo luvly spkrs are - and your amp - and we can advise.  

There’s a topic I started - I don’t want to contaminate this topic too so here is the link.

And a photo as a teaser.

IMG_8023.thumb.jpeg.489a673caf756408cd28589635478f7d.jpeg

Posted

Aah, very noice @Sounding.

 

The spkr specs say their impedance doesn't drop below 4 ohms - and your MF amps are 700w into 8 ... and 1300w into 4 ohms.

 

I suggest that combination is very hard to beat!  :o  The only suggestions I can offer are:

  • simply because I know how it sounds  - try and get hold of a Sanders Magtch ... or better still, a pair of the Magtech monoblocs
  • likewise, a pair of Hypex Ncore 2000 monoblocs
  • I'm not sure any of the fancy, much higher-priced amps from the Scandinavian countries - or US behemoths like the Boulder 3050s ... or the d'Agostino 'Relentless' Epic 800 monoblocs - are going to do a better job than your MFs!  They will certainly cost a lot more though.  :classic_laugh:

 

  • Like 1
Posted

For me everything is a compromise so i don't bother with any deficiencies.

 

I go with what brings me enjoyment and that has lead me to components that will likely have various deficiencies but in the end work for me. My preference in sound is the very effortless dynamic lifelike forward sound - hence i have tubes and horns. 

 

We at times get too hung up on the negatives to then forget what it was we liked in the first place. I have vintage gear that in my opinion support my theory that there very nature of being imperfect technically makes them sound perfect.  

 

I chose my gear simply because i like how it sounded, nothing more. 

 

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Posted

A couple of slight disagreements first, I think non-horn speakers can be just as dynamic as horns when used within their output range. Of course we all want our systems to be as dynamic as possible and infinitely loud with no distortion. Also I don't think vinyl and DSP have to be mutually exclusive.


I want my system to have good smooth bass. For this room correction is a must; I use Dirac Live via miniDSP SHD Studio. I use 4 different profiles with each having different levels of bass. For me this is a must as recordings differ considerably in tone. So one could consider it a tone control that I can change with remote control.


I want my system to have good imaging even if that sacrifices some soundstage width.
So I think I favour speakers with relatively narrow dispersion which means they are generally easier to place as they have less interactions with the room than wide dispersion speakers.


I want my system to sound good at low and moderate volumes and for this I use JRiver MC's Loudness feature so as volume goes down below a reference point, bass is turned down less than other frequencies maintaining perceived overall frequency balance. I've used this for many years and feel like I can't accept any system without some sort of low-level listening compenastion.


I think it's obvious by now I have no hangup using DSP.


I generally prefer active speakers overall, but would not rule out passive speakers.

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Posted (edited)

Much like @Satanica and @Keith_W, I am using DSP in an effort to chase every possible incremental improvement in my system. 
 

I am seeking a high performance setup that is just as happy playing at 60dB as it is at 100 dB, heaps of headroom and with as many issues from the room deleted or ameliorated through room treatment or additional room correction.
 

I am not chasing an audiophile sounding system though, I want all the best of a mastering studio type rig. Ruler flat, crystal clear and headroom galore.

 

I've currently got Dirac Live's Active Room Treatment in beta in my system and this is something to behold. I'm under a confidentiality mask for now, but it stands up to the hype.

 

I will be getting this bedded in as well as replacing my rears (and probably add a third sub to my system) before I get an acoustic consultant in again to finish my room treatments to help optimise / reduce the processing I am doing.

Edited by BugPowderDust
Typos everywhere
  • Like 2
Posted
1 hour ago, BugPowderDust said:

Much like @Satanica and @Keith_W, I am using DSP in an effort to chase every possible incremental improvement in my system. 
 

I am seeking a high performance setup that is just as happy playing at 60dB as it is at 100 dB, heaps of headroom and with as many issues from the room deleted or ameliorated through room treatment or additional room correction.
 

I am not chasing an audiophile sounding system though, I want all the best of a mastering studio type rig. Ruler flat, crystal clear and headroom galore.

 

I've currently got Dirac Live's Active Room Treatment in beta in my system and this is something to behold. I'm under a confidentiality mask for now, but it stands up to the hype.

 

I will be getting this bedded in as well as replacing my rears (and probably add a third sub to my system) before I get an acoustic consultant in again to finish my room treatments to help optimise / reduce the processing I am doing.

To ascertain where your system is at any given time with respect to resolving audio accurately , would it be beneficial, to compare to a signal path, not changing it at all ? 

Posted
17 minutes ago, stereo coffee said:

To ascertain where your system is at any given time with respect to resolving audio accurately , would it be beneficial, to compare to a signal path, not changing it at all ? 

Every change I make to my system is exhaustively recorded in REW as well as keeping copious subjective notes. 
 

with my processor I can switch between 16 different DSP filters, all within less than 1 second. I have an unprocessed “preset” and what I get post dsp is chalk and cheese from my default unprocessed signal.

  • Like 3
Posted
2 minutes ago, BugPowderDust said:

Every change I make to my system is exhaustively recorded in REW as well as keeping copious subjective notes. 
 

with my processor I can switch between 16 different DSP filters, all within less than 1 second. I have an unprocessed “preset” and what I get post dsp is chalk and cheese from my default unprocessed signal.

I was thinking in terms of not even a switch, and certainly not a switch involved with other functions such as 16 filters. Rather a system designed away from the DSP unit altogether. You can then really say what the DSP is adding or subtracting from a signal path. 

Posted

If dsp is disengaged, it’s doing nothing to the signal path. The REW measurements I have from my old 2 channel setup are identical and back this up.


I’m not playing Lego here mate. 

  • Like 1

Posted
4 minutes ago, BugPowderDust said:

If dsp is disengaged, it’s doing nothing to the signal path. The REW measurements I have from my old 2 channel setup are identical and back this up.


I’m not playing Lego here mate. 

What is the make and model of your DSP unit ?

Posted
On 05/05/2023 at 12:00 AM, Keith_W said:

Another example was all the soul searching I went through when I decided to give up vinyl and go all digital. I knew that vinyl sounded better. But by going all digital, I would gain the ability to DSP my system, and I knew back then that DSP is a very powerful tool. What I lose by giving up the lovely sound of vinyl would be more than made up by what I gain in other areas from DSP, so I swallowed a bit and went about reconfiguring the system. 

You didn't connect your phono to a ADC?

I have never heard a record player which didn't sound "like the record player" when run through a AD/DA

 

On 05/05/2023 at 12:00 AM, Keith_W said:

I understand that everyone has different music preferences to mine.

 

On 05/05/2023 at 12:00 AM, Keith_W said:

So I would be interested to hear what YOUR priorities were

Good sounding playback.

Start with the biggest most bad sounding issues (which are also the most impractical to solve) ... and work down the list.

 

I don't consider "my preference" when thinking about this... my preference is just to hear what the record sounds like better.

Posted
On 05/05/2023 at 2:00 AM, Keith_W said:

 

I was pondering my answer to another thread the other day (i.e. my rule of upgrading - don't spend any money until you have identified a deficiency you want to fix). That raises another question - how do you know if you have a deficiency that needs fixing? It then comes down to what you want from your system, which then dictates how you go about fixing it. 

 

So I will start with me. 99% of my listening is classical music. When I was in my teens, I was plagued by muddy sound - cassettes which I recorded from radio, played back on a Sony Walkman, and I used computer speakers and cheap earphones for listening. That defined my priorities which are still the same after so many years in this hobby: I want clarity, the ability to hear what the musicians are doing in complex orchestral passages, I want to hear instrumental timbre, I want dynamics, and I want realism. I DO NOT want any anomalies which might muddy the performance, or any band of frequencies emphasized or diminished in favour of others. Since classical music is wideband (down to 5Hz and up to above the range of hearing), I need a wideband system with excellent dynamics and no aberrations. IOW - my music preference dictated my requirements for a system. 

 

Then it becomes an analysis of what you gain and what you lose by choosing a certain type of equipment. I chose horns - I gained dynamics, high efficiency, and narrow directivity - but I also gained some horn coloration, lost soundstage depth, bass integration, and money (these things are expensive!). The next step is to ask yourself what you can do to fix it, and whether you have the budget and technical proficiency to fix it. Or whether a fix is even possible (for example, it is impossible to make a panel speaker sound as dynamic as a horn). 

 

Another example was all the soul searching I went through when I decided to give up vinyl and go all digital. I knew that vinyl sounded better. But by going all digital, I would gain the ability to DSP my system, and I knew back then that DSP is a very powerful tool. What I lose by giving up the lovely sound of vinyl would be more than made up by what I gain in other areas from DSP, so I swallowed a bit and went about reconfiguring the system. 

 

I understand that everyone has different music preferences to mine. Some people like to listen loud. Some like bass slam. Some people only listen to vocals. So they put together systems that bring out the best for their preferences. I have met many fellow audiophiles on SNA and been lucky enough to be invited into many homes and heard many systems. They are all different and enjoyable in their own way - because they were put together with different priorities to mine, by people with different music and sound preferences.

 

So I would be interested to hear what YOUR priorities were, and the story of why you chose your gear and made the decisions that you made. 

 

Priorities have been to discover ways of having circuitry reveal the capabilities of recordings. In my case the gear to do this created, from those efforts. Decisions made were to never give up, to achieve what was possible.  

Posted
18 hours ago, stereo coffee said:

I was thinking in terms of not even a switch, and certainly not a switch involved with other functions such as 16 filters. Rather a system designed away from the DSP unit altogether. You can then really say what the DSP is adding or subtracting from a signal path. 

One can't purify their way out of small room acoustical problems.

  • Like 1

Posted
3 minutes ago, Satanica said:

One can't purify their way out of small room acoustical problems.

Can't,  is perhaps not trying correctly

Posted

I think in the past 12 months I have now got to where I want to be.    The big change was 10+ years ago when I went from passive to actives with the SGR's.       It was then from analog to full digital.     

 

A purpose built, mini music PC got me going.   

 

I now have.............(see signature for details) 

 

Fully digital source through to speaker output

Room Treatment

Isolation Transformer for clean power.

Upgraded Power supplies for most units.

Amazing Active Speakers with DSP in the Kii 3's with 2 JL Audio subs set to 50hz to take the strain off the Kii bottom registers. 

I found Dirac Live is must have.

Ease of use via ipad and JRiver software

 

I think my music is clean, detailed and fatigue free at any volume for hours at a time.   What I have suits the room it is in, which is thin and long.   3 x 3 into 4 x 6 metres.  11 foot ceilings.  

 

I now look at the SNA For sale items and just go........Nope, Nope, Nope, not needed.   

 

I can't really think of anything else I could incorporate that would help.    I'm happy with my assortment of quality cables, power supplies and important components such as the JCat XE usb card, Mutec and Mini Dsp with Dirac Live.   

 

I don't need to be DAC shopping or Amp shopping with the Kii 3's.   

 

Music Life is good.

 

Regards Cazzesman

 

  • Like 4
Posted (edited)
On 05/05/2023 at 6:42 PM, ENIGMA said:

For me everything is a compromise so i don't bother with any deficiencies.

I go with what brings me enjoyment and that has lead me to components that will likely have various deficiencies but in the end work for me. My preference in sound is the very effortless dynamic lifelike forward sound - hence i have tubes and horns. 

We at times get too hung up on the negatives to then forget what it was we liked in the first place. I have vintage gear that in my opinion support my theory that there very nature of being imperfect technically makes them sound perfect.  

I chose my gear simply because i like how it sounded, nothing more. 

 

Bingo!

That unmeasurable personal preference...

That sound...the sound...what a sound...gorgeous sound...beautiful sound...sound is right...The first time ever I saw your face I thought the sun rose in your eyes And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave...the very first time I heard the sound of hi-fi...came from a mix of quality components...there was no I, no me,  listening anymore...it was just glorious music...a wonderful sound that filled my ears, head...(maybe even jolted, moved, tilted my soul with happiness, but I won't go there...) let me simply say that the music just left a smile on my face and a want to hear more of it. It was the moment. You know it, everybody knows that moment...'the moment'...'that moment'...the very first time...when your stopped in your tracks from doing...being...thinking...conscious...the arrival of first love....that manages to take your breath away...Watching every motion In my foolish lover's game On this endless ocean Finally lovers know no shame Take my breath away...quietly and hardly daring to breath, in case you missed something special, you listen...you listen like you have never listened before...paying attention to every note played, sung words...floating in a very special place of wonder...When no-one else can understand me When everything I do is wrong You give me hope and consolation You give me strength to carry on That's the wonder The wonder of you...oh yeah.

And then imperceptibly...slowly I/we surface...and I/we wonder in our heads...about that sound...the sound...what a sound...gorgeous sound...beautiful sound...sound is right...you ask yourself, can that bass be improved...the treble...can it be better?!? Again you ask/think whilst the music plays on. Ahhh that snake in paradise...hisss asking the question...can the sound be better?!? Improved?!? But it's too late, the die has been well and truly cast...But it's too late, baby, now it's too late Though we really did try to make it (we can make it) Something inside has died and I can't hide it And I just can't fake it Whoa, no, no-no-no-no...the die is cast and I can't fake it!

The egg has inevitably cracked and slowly from it's shards emerges the baby duckling...beak first...beak-con-ing now...and how mysterious the grand process of it's 'imprinting' occurs...the first look that important look...determines who it's mother will be...the center of it's tiny Universe...And so it was with me...'imprinted' for life, when I first saw and first heard my music come forth from a Sansui Amp...Just one look That's all it took Ha, just one look Just one look And I fell so hard...it's now how I like my music to sound.

Ohhh I may dally...I may wander...I may flirt and may express a little dalliance...but in all seriousness, I never stay away, stray...I return, I come back to my first love, Sansui.

Edited by BLAH BLAH
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Posted (edited)

For me, I want my system to be musical than reproducing just more details overall. Thus, the sounds I hear will make me emotionally involving or happy, and feet tapping, in which I completely absorb myself into my favourite tunes. 🙂

Edited by vinilink
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Posted (edited)

I’m a greedy bugger. I want it all…. Perhaps the one thing I can sacrifice is floor shaking impact though that is easily remedied by a sub….. I think sounding natural, musical and engaging is probably my highest priority though at the same time I see no need to sacrifice sound staging (width or depth), incredible fine detail, dynamics, PRaT….. Most importantly the system must absolutely nail the correct timbre when it comes to voices and any other instrumentation…. This is all there in the recording so it’s just about your system being able to reveal what is already there and my experience is that even poor recordings sound better on such a system than a great recording on an insufficiently transparent system. It needs to not just deliver the notes but the weight and force behind each note. A sense of scale also which matches with the content being played. A big band should sound BIG! I do not want pinpoint imaging however, it needs to sound lifelike and that doesn’t exist in reality and in my experience is usually just an artifact of a speaker using small drivers.

 

I’ve capped myself at $15k per component though in reality the only single component that has cost more than $6k are my speakers. Every tiny little detail needs to be addressed right down to wire choices, RCA sockets and binding posts used inside components, capacitor choices etc. Then there’s measures to clean up AC power and reduce the electrical noise getting into my system, improvements in networking etc.

 

I will play around with room correction in the not too distant future via Roon. Besides the measurements will let e see any deficiencies I’m unable to hear. The only reason I’ll be doing this is it’s the last thing I’ll be able to address once I’ve a larger listening room and dedicated power circuit for my audio gear. Likewise since I moved to purely digital content it’s a simpler proposition….. If I can be bothered.

 

I no longer listen critically now preferring to just enjoy music in the background….. Not even sitting in the sweet spot. When music sounds stunning no matter where you are I find enjoying imaging takes a back seat to comfort….. Say lying down on the couch.

Edited by MattyW
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