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What was your first big eye opener with regard to audio?


Hello friends,

what was the most fascinating thing you did with the compilation or optimization of your system in terms of SQ or performance, that really got your attention in either a good or bad way?


what was it that actually impressed or surprized you once it was in place?


or what DIY project was it that once done really gave your audio system a big shot in the arm SQ-wise?


maybe it was simply finding out just how much some items could cost


something always seems to take place that changes our philosophies or understandings and maybe even our approach to arranging a fine audio system.


what was your’s?

 

Perhaps it was buying a quality rack, platform, or maybe a pr. of amp stands?


rolling tubes? adding iso footers?


biting the bullet and bringing in a decidedly  more expensive or merely a different electronic component? DAC? Line stage? Mono blocks? Speakers?


what amazing things could be done with as little as 8wpc?


for example, my ‘eye opening’ events came two  fold. adding power line conditioning and using upscale wires/cables, or power cords.


which of these came first I’m not sure but all of them  came with a huge amount of prejudice on my part as to them doing anything positive to the quality of the sound, but indeed they did!


other things came along with nearly the impact or mind altering impact but those were the initial items that paved the way for me to keep an open mind with respect to building an audio system and preserving its synergy.


what was or has been your epiphany? your most surprising  ‘move’ in audio land?


blindjim
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 

@jnovak
To this day, I haven't ANYTHING that comes close to the sound I heard that marvelous day at Soundex.

jim>
I guess everyone will have that one session or event that continues to haunt them with its incredible ppresentation.

mine was an all tube 30wpc set of monos and a pr of VSA VR 4JRs of all things. some unknown tube cDP, perhaps Cary. the Thor line stage and EL 34 monos played Diana Krall. the sound was glorious. evocotive. emotive utterly engaging.

not able to afford that rig's price tag I tried mostly in vein to duplicate its sound. using some of the same and some different pieces. got the line stage still. had the same speakers. got similar costing cables and power filters. a BAT SS amp.... then a pr of EL 34 monos. at that point things were very close indeed. then I exchanged the vSA units for Silverline Sonata IIIs and the presentation exceeded that of the former showroom demo, but it still did not have the former demo's inner glow within the notes.

the monos I used were running 60wpc in ultralinear, the demo monos ran SET at half the power of those I could acquire.

I've come to the notion once you find a rig that you love, duplicating it elsewise is likely not gonna happen. emmulating it? sure. bettering it in some regards? perhaps.

but if you love that demo's sound, asemble that outfit as precisely as you can in your digs as synergy is a result of all of its components.
thanks much.

for me... experiencing sound when it is ultra good takes on spiritual properties.
pastorbob's avatar
pastorbob
79 posts
 
Hearing a set of Stax electrostatic headphones in the 70's with Yamaha integrated and tuner as the source.

I purchased them and couldn't understand why they didn't have the same magical sound when paired with my Lafayette Radio LR4700 receiver.
That was the beginning of my understanding that in audio "everything makes a difference." (I wound up buying the Yamaha gear too!)



tomcarr
1,542 posts
 
First opener for me was hearing a properly setup system of Linn LP-12/Mark Levinson/Magnepan at Audio Concepts in Houston in the early 80s. I was in my 20s, had component systems since age 15, and still remember thinking how amazing it sounded.
Didn't have another "wow" moment until I installed room treatment in a dedicated room just a few years ago. Biggest change, by a huge margin, ever. Truly "eye-opening". Actually "ear-opening", though I'm sure my eyes were wide open in disbelief at the transformation in sound quality. 
Nothing sexy about acoustic treatment, but man does it work.

jnovak's avatar
jnovak
434 posts
 
blindjim: Yes, you're correct about everyone having that one experience. It would have been interesting had I have gone back say three days in a row to compare the sound. I had a stereo friend way back when who invited me to a listen at a local shop where a system blew him away. We sat down in front of the same setup he heard only days earlier. We were both unimpressed and left scratching our heads. Go figure.
tcbrinkley's avatar
tcbrinkley
20 posts
 
Early ‘80’s; I walked into a few shops and said “what’s the best system I can get for $1,000?” One salesman was showing me their entry level Denon setup when I asked “what would you show me if I had $10,000 (even though I obviously didn’t).

With a sly grin he kindly walked me to another room and played Jazz at the Pawnshop on an Oracle Delphi/ARC/Acoustat system. I thought the Oracle was from a UFO and I didn’t even recognize the tall skinny Acoustats as speakers, but I’ve never forgotten that sound. 
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