Your Second System

I presently have only one speaker system set up but I drive it with 3 different digital sources thru one pre-amp to three different amps for the following reasons:

1) Economy. Amp has 4 power tubes and demands on tubes is conservative. CDP is SS. Pretty good and cheap as well.

2) Drama. A tubed CDP and big mono tube amps. CDP is very dynamic. Amp has major bass balls and HF extension. Great on well recorded big peices. But you don't want to hear mediocre or poor recordings on this set up.

3) Relaxed listening, perhaps more accurate and certainly more delicate than 2) using a medium powered amp and a tubed CDP different from 2).

Now if I could just find a single CDP, and a single amp that did Economy, Drama, and Relaxed, all equally well, I'd be in audio heaven.

BTW, before CDP's I had the same problem, only then I had multiple TT's/Cartridges. Go figure! I'm just an audio schiziod. Probably wouldn't know what I want if I heard it.

I specifically design for a different style. Unless you spend vast quantities of money, it is very hard to get a system that does everything equally well. That is the way Nature requires it.

I listen to all types of music from folk, to techno, to symphonies, to heavy metal, so I have been collecting gear in order to eventually (when I have more room) have two totally separate systems. One for acoustic/vocal/jazz and one for electronic/symphonic/metal.

Some people say that you should spend all your money on one "good" system but I feel you can get more with less cost by having two carefully-put-together systems. It is a sort of distributed optimization that can give you 1+1=3 if done right. It is a fun and less costly way to have your cake and eat it too.

Arthur

In my case,I just have enough components to assemble 3 complete systems.The best gear are on my primary system .
George

KThomas,

Good question. Thus far, I’ve put together 4 systems, 3 posted here with 1 to go.

My approach to this hobby, and system building in particular, has been somewhat flipped from the normal "one system does all" pursuit / approach. For sure, there’s nothing wrong with this approach and my chosen route was borne out of inexperience, a desire to learn as much as possible, and the blessing of having the resources to have multiple systems.

When jumping into this hobby, it quickly became clear that there might not be one perfect system and that one could get very frustrated chasing the ever elusive holy grail, thinking you’ve found it, only to hear something totally new a week or month later that I “had” to have.

Living in Hong Kong, where we’re blessed to have virtually the entire gamut of Hi-Fi available – from uber-kit to the latest Chi-Hi-Fi and usually in the same building, it was a bit overwhelming at first. After coming to terms with what I liked, I actively sought advice from those whom shared the same leanings. This has been a big help when separating the wheat from the chaff kit-wise. An awful lot of research and auditioning helped hone my focus with respect to identifying my tastes.

So, rather than go for the super system on the first go, I decided to take my time and put together various systems that differ in approach; i.e., all tube, all SS, SS/tube hybrid, etc. In doing so, my aim was to enjoy each one and to understand what appealed to devotees of a particular approach. This way I could assess the differences of each and migrate towards that sound which I liked best at a comfortable pace. In kind, I've sought to assess different speaker types as well, i.e., multi-driver, full range single driver (with super tweeter), ported, sealed, etc. Right now, I would put myself more in the tube kit / hi efficiency speaker camp, but I appreciate the other kit as well. Accordingly, like food or anything else, variety is the spice of life!

As far as the approach to each particular system, when putting together the general principals I try to follow are . . .

First thing that comes to mind would be that the components should exhibit a certain amount of synergy. An obvious example that comes to mind would be speaker/amp matching. In my experience, getting this correct saves a lot of time and money.

The second thing was to try to understand what the designer of the equipment had in mind and, if possible, find out what components they used when voicing their products. In line with this, I sought to avoid making changes just for the sake of change itself. Cost consideration is a fact of life when designing products and no doubt that, initiated in the proper fashion, modding/tweaking can yield benefits. However, if one is too smart by half when trying to “improve” on the original design, more often than not, these changes throw the individual component and system out of balance.

Thirdly, the system should fit the room/space and not overpower it sonically or aesthetically. While sound is always the most important consideration, in as much as possible, matching the kit to the decor of the room is crucial for me. More simply put, the system must fit in the room and not the other way around. I would rather do without than force a square peg in a round whole.

Lastly, trust your own ears and take the time to enjoy the process.

Cheers,
Garry