New Component Upgrade Success Rate

My sucess rate is 95%+. You need to clearly know what you want your system to sound like. I tend to ignore any review that talks about resolution, detail, dynamics, distortion, etc. When a reviewer listens to a piece of equipment and says he played a favorite album and tears rolled down his face that is something I want to hear. Also I was a recording engineer for many years and try to reproduce the sound I got in my favorite control room. Remember all reviews are subjective as well as your own listening. You need to match them up to have any success. Your high failure rate is not knowing what you want
Alan

I was lucky having many options to hear various components in my system from local dealers, local audio clubs, knew a few reviewers, plus I am able to do my own modifications/upgrades.  I kept trying to see what would get me to the next level from all of these avenues, but being a cheapie, I would not want to pay the higher price for what I considered was not a significant improvement from one component to another in my system. I settled on upgrading equipment and trying various capacitors, resistors, transformers, chokes, etc.  I also was fortunate in being able to try other peoples components in my system after they asked me to upgrade their components.  All of this made me begin to build my own components.  I learned what could improve a components sound and how all of this trial and error in parts swapping could change the sound.  I have stated this before but many people have not been able to hear what I have been fortunate to hear.  I would agree that many have not been able to really know what their system can sound like because of having been exposed to the same old thing from various manufacturers, IMO are just slightly different from each other.  I am generalizing here but that is what I felt when auditioning a component.  Once I understood what changed the sound and how it changed the sound, I was able to get to other levels in sound.  Way back then, Linn had the concept of component matching by using all of their components and the most important was the source.  I think I always knew that the source was the most important piece of the puzzle but it was not until recently that found out how important the source was.  Once I found a better source my system improved more that I imagined.  I don't think I really could judge my systems sound and any real improvement until this happened. 

Happy Listening.  


 

I have found in all gear digital may be the only exception,  you buy a good piece of used gear and have it modded . I have worked with technicians gor some 20 years now  and what most people donot realize their  $5k preamp for example has less then  $1000 of actual psrts inside, and parts quality average at best. 
Capaciyors, resistors wiring, transformers and other parts  , even thjngs like gold plated copper Teflon tuse sockets better connectors and copper iec input 
Noticeable sonic improvements 1500 in upgrade parts would make your used 
Amp,preamp a close to  $10k product  like putting in a Nascar engine in your family car.it is cumulative . I have a Pass labs F6 build with A Nelson Pass 
Schematic he allows and just made it a dual mono in one chassis incredible results ,  find a well respected tube preamp and have it rebuilt ,same with speakers redo the Xover night and day results. From $10 stock Solen capacitors to Premium  VH caps Audyn ,Jupiter, Mundorf for example.if you have any specific questions drop me an email.good luck.

I've had two new items returned in my journey so far because I could. Others were sideways improvements meaning different not necessarily better. These items were bought used and I stuck with them but that was a good thing. It helped to get the experience learning what different gear sounds like. Some things I'd like back and won't forget em. I've had much more of a rewarding experience tuning, tweaking, learning it's not always a component right off the shelf new or used that's gonna get me there. I would say my "success" rate is damn near a 100% percent because everything is a learning experience. The one true surprise/failure was my one experience with a mc. Nails on a chalkboard to my ears. That was through a step up into my Quicksilver. I didn't even think it was worth trying to work with it. I will try again with something else. The other surprise was a 2k ss phono that was cool but the heavens didn't open up with a choir of angels either. Gonna just enjoy the music now for awhile. It's not perfect but I know it's weaknesses and its strengths. The Decca super gold whispers in my ear at night tempting me from Grado though. 

I like to try a new component once in a while when the upgrade bug hits. 

I am sort of beyond trying new flavors of components just to satisfy an upgrade bug.  As you are finding out, as I did years ago, the actual improvement with electronics and peripheral items like cables is only very slight.  If at all.  Its the transducers in a system like cartridges and speakers that will have the biggest sonic impact and I am pretty much where I want to be with these.

Much better to analyze where the weak links are in a system and address these.  I am having a harder and harder time finding them in mine so I guess I am done for awhile.