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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
cdc
1,796 posts
 
E.
Excellent source
Moderate amplification
Moderate cabling
Excellent speakers

I think you missed an important choice.

From the Audio Critic:

As I used to state over and over again in the print version of The Audio Critic, all amplifiers
having high input impedance, low output impedance, flat frequency response, low distortion,
and low noise floor sound exactly the same when operated at matched levels and not clipped.
This has been proven so many times in double-blind listening tests that opinions to the contrary
by the tweako/weirdo element of the audiophile community and by the subjectivist audio press
can be totally disregarded. They just don’t get it.
srwooten's avatar
srwooten
694 posts
 
"all amplifiers
having high input impedance, low output impedance, flat frequency response, low distortion,
and low noise floor sound exactly the same when operated at matched levels and not clipped."

Sure- to those with tin ears.
cdc
1,796 posts
 
Or if the amp designer "tweaks" the sound away from just pure amplification. Has made big bucks for Naim.
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