Which system would you rather have?


Which system would you like better? A system that offers one or two sonic attributes that are truly just "outstanding", but which comes at the expense of another sound category that is subpar, or a more balanced across the board system that may not rise above merely "excellent" in any category, but that does not really fall much below it anywhere either?

(Or would you rather take what's behind door number 3: truly "outstanding" in Every category and all the financial ruin that goes with it...)

I will go first. For myself, I believe the longer I've been at this game maybe the more I've come to appreciate a system that is well balanced across the board - even if nothing in particular is an overwhelming standout, and I may favor it especially so once all the sonic gremlins have been successfully tamed (no small thing that, sometimes). But, in my mind at least, maybe that comes the closest to anything I can point to as my "reference sound" anymore...or short of live music, anyway. Maybe the imbalance that I'm hearing in other systems these days is because most systems are simply "unfinished" and as such are in a state of flux. I'd say we can all appreciate how long it can sometimes take to consider a system truly finished. Maybe mine is unusual in that IS completed, I dunno, but I've now gravitated somehow toward more balanced, even if it must therefore be less spectacular in some particular regard. I find the better balance distracts me less when listening, when any shortcomings are not there to remind me that I'm listening to equipment rather than the performance...and even when no particular attribute, while it can certainly be wonderful to pay attention to in its own right, may actually be working to upstage the others, keeping all the musical facets from being on the same page. More of gestalt thing, perhaps. Or maybe it's just me. Anyone else feel like this??...or disagree??

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"The more I experiment with the Chinese Boutique Brands the more I am convinced that in this day & age you do NOT have to settle for an unbalanced system.$500.00 Tube Integrated amps that outperform $10,000.00 amps from 5 years ago!$100.00 DACS that,in a blind listening test, stand toe to toe with anything under $2000.00."


It could be that you don't hear differences in better DACs because you're playing them through $500 Chinese amps.

I thought the same as you not all that long ago.

Experience,lets see.43 years of going to live concerts in some of the worlds best concert halls(life in the Army does have some perks).15 years installing custom home entertainment systems,30 years following all the audio rags & many THOUSANDS of hours visiting every audio shop within bus travel of whatever base I was stationed at.I miss Julian Hirsch.
Freediver-You never mentioned that $500 giant killer tube amp? Let me guess it’s manufactured by Imagine Audio?