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Select Your Less Than Ideal System

Informal survey: Select from one of the four less than ideal systems below. Assume you have limited funds and can only afford three components of excellence and one moderate component. Which will be "sacrificed" to expediency?

I am not interested in alternative answers such as reallocating the funds to achieve balance. This is a thought experiment requiring absolute answers - A., B., C., D.

I have an idea which I am considering writing up as an article and want to see where the community stands on this question. This is not intended to be part of a review and the article is of my own volition, not assigned. Feel free to include your rationale, but I want clear choices regarding the survey. Only one choice please.

Survey: Select your Less Than Ideal Rig:

A.
Moderate source
Excellent amplification
Excellent cabling
Excellent speakers

B.
Excellent source
Moderate amplification
Excellent cabling
Excellent speakers

C.
Excellent source
Excellent amplification
Moderate cabling
Excellent speakers

D.
Excellent source
Excellent amplification
Excellent cabling
Moderate speakers

Thank you for your participation. :)
douglas_schroeder
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,594 posts
 
Al,

That's certainly a reasonable strategy, but I wonder how much that option still ends up costing to get something that reasonably approaches ideal?

Of course, no system is ideal in all ways, so its really always just a matter of what you are willing to give up and how much you have to invest.
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
See my answer above for part two....."B"

Dave
kgturner's avatar
kgturner
664 posts
 
i vote c. hell, my system is c right now.
transnova's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
transnova
350 posts
 
Re: Next question
Probably the Amplifier would be my next choice for compromise.I've been able to gleen wonderful sound from a Hafler Pro 1600 transnova amp that was given to me by a friend.I keep it as a spare and when I've had the occasion to use it I always ask myself if I really nead anything more.There was a fellow selling 4 of these 60 WPC FET beauties for $100 each in 9/10 condition!I also recently picked up a former Stereophie (class A or B???) recommended Hafler 9300 transnova amp for $230 on A-gon.It puts out 150 WPC of Fet power into 8 Ohms.I remember a little Sugden Class A integrated that was superb.It sounded so good in my office system,that I had to try it in the "Big rig." It shocked the S#$t out of me!!! I could give 10 more examples from personal use.I have a friend that picked up an Aragon 2004 at an auction for $90.Now, if you add in the slew of Good sound/value chinese tubed amps and integrateds...
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,594 posts
 
My strategy is to get the amp/speaker/room combo optimized first, because that constitutes most of the battle and largely determines the general end cost.

I think I've done a good job to date on that.

After that, hell everything (other than ICs) is usually a significant compromise of some sort so chose your poison! If I must chose, I'll go with A, because I know from experience excellent results can be had for very modest cost there, at least for digital sources.
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