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Stopped looking for the best system

I've been in this hobby since I was 16 years old and, like so many of us, have stayed on a constant quest of finding the perfect, or at least best for me, overall system. It's a quest, though, that has no end; there are just too many variables as well as listening tastes to address.

Many times I have made changes, put in a familiar and favorite CD and said, wow, I finally found the answer, only to find that the next CD selection was a disappointment. With that in mind, it crossed my mind that the best solution would be separate systems dedicated to certain genres of music, for examples, acoustic guitar, vocal, concert, etc.

Of course, that wouldn't be practical and there would still be a question in each case of whether I had gotten it right. So, the only real alternative is to try maximizing one complete system for everything which means that some things will necessarily be compromised.

This all sounds a little negative but it really isn't the case because it, at least, gives us all something to do. After all, the value of any hobby is in the journey. This journey, though, can be quite expensive so I consider myself somewhat fortunate to have a limited budget that restricts the number of choices. Further, if I was given access to anything available, regardless of cost, I'm sure I would still find some fault. O.K., so I guess I am being a little negative.

I'm pretty happy with my present system which I believe most would consider at least good. It consists of the Shanling S100 CD player, CAL Sigma 2 DAC, Rogue Audio Sphinx hybrid integrated amp, Straightwire Octave 2 biwire cable and Martin Logan Odyssey speakers. I've tried quite a few different amps and have gone through many speakers including Acoustat, Magnepan X 2, JM Labs, and Martin Logan (SL3, Prodigy and Odyssey). I got the present speakers and cable together in 2003 or 2004.

I cannot hear the difference in speaker or interconnect wires which may have something to do with my age (72) so it is something that I don't mess with any more. As a last ditch effort I will try a good tube based amplifier and have made a promise to myself and my wife that this will be the final big purchase.

O.K., I'm rambling with no other real purpose than to vent and I'm sure that these issues are not unique to me but as Dietrich on Barney Miller used to say "it had to be said".
128x128broadstone
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I think that it is impossible to assemble one system that will sound great on all recordings. I have developed this theory over several decades. I feel that the "problem" is in the recordings themselves. Their sonic signatures vary from recording to recording due to processes, engineering, mastering, etc. So while one recording may sound a bit bright with some gear/cables, it may sound just perfect with another set of gear/cables. Obviously you can replace the word bright for many other audiophile adjectives in my last sentence.

I recall visiting a gentleman about 8 years ago who had a 4 armed turntable set up in his main system. 4 different arms/cartridges and phono stages. He was able to vary the sound to his taste by using a different cart/arm/stage on any LP. This is what really started to make me realize that my theory had some merit. The same recording could sound stunning on one setup, and just OK on another. Most recordings could be made to sound very, very good, it was just a matter of setting up with the proper cart/arm/phono stage.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,210 posts
 
Jmcgrogan2,

I agree with you that no one system can sound great all the time with all recordings.

All it can do is deliver what its fed accurately or in some similarly pleasing manner.

All recordings are different. There are two many permutations to adapt to, at least manually.

That's where modern digital processing in its many forms provides a unique opportunity that many do not understand or appreciate because its gasp "digital".

But digital gear can be programmed to account for variations and make it all sound as similar as possible , if desired.

Its the if desired part that's an interesting question. I prefer to hear each work of art on its own terms good or bad, not make it all sound similar.

I would not want to transform a Monet painting into a high res photo graph. Why would I want to do that to a recorded work?

It's like that Twilight Zone episode where everyone gets transformed into a similarly beautiful person at a certain time in their life, and the main character who wanted to be uniquely herself, not a beautiful reproduction like everyone else.
dayglow
1,903 posts
 
Jmcgrogan2-We all know that we are slaves to the recording quality. The possible solution mentioned in your post is not applicable to a majority of us. IMO we should focus on issues we can control. Clearly modifying and properly conditioning electricity is not the most fun or interesting part of this hobby but it's essential to maximize our components.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Dayglow, I did not offer the 4 armed turntable as a solution, only evidence as to just how critical the recording is. So many get stuck looking for the perfect component or cable, and it just isn't out there.

Obviously power conditioning is an important topic, I have dedicated lines and a $5K power conditioner, so I feel that I have addressed that, yet Broadstone's "problem" still survives.

The OP is not looking for suggestions as to how to fix his problem. He has correctly come to the proper conclusion that there is no correction, at least not using one system. Multiple systems, as Mapman originally suggests, is an option. Otherwise, we all just do the best we can to balance the sound to our own individual tastes the best we can. Even then, some recordings will just not sound right. There are some recordings I do not listen to anymore, as it would only frustrate me even more to tune my one system to make those recordings sound more favorable, only to find out that it will make other recordings sound less favorable. It's a game that you cannot win....not with power conditioning, gear, cables or whatever other variable that you can throw in there that you can think of.

Broadstone now realizes that fact, as do I. It does help to get off the merry-go-round once you realize that you are not really going forward....only in circles.
broadstone's avatar
broadstone OP
310 posts
 
Once again, JMC, we seem to be on the same page. In this case I agree with your comment about multiple systems but, even if I were inclined to do so, I don't have the budget or space for this approach. Some of the music that I listen to with my setup is completely enjoyable and some other recordings I find quite unacceptable. Perhaps the best thing to do, then, is stick to recordings that work well with what I already have and take the rest out of our inventory. There are, after all, already quite a few selections that I don't listen to anymore anyway.

I've tried using selector switching devices enabling me to use different speakers with my best amp and, as it is presently set up, two different amps into the same speaker pair. I have yet to try a full tube amplifier in place of the hybrid that I now use and maybe that should be my next/ last trial.
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