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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
tubegb's avatar
tubegb
188 posts
 
The first time this wild man (Noel Lee) waltzed in to the “stereo store” where I was working and proceeded to proclaim his 12 gauge wire sounded better than the 18 gauge zip cord that we gave away every day with system/speaker sales.

I would call it an ear opener more than an eye opener.
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 

one thing is for sure, despite any arguments on audionic memory, the first time anyone who cares at all about music hears something really special, extremely elevated excellence in sound reporduction, or a presentation that they have never encountered before which checks all of their boxes, THEY WILL CERTAINLY REMEMBER IT!!

the recall may vasilate a bit, but that moment is solidly ensconsed in the memory.

as well it should.

I think it is experiencds  like that 'one' or maybe a few which ignited the passion for us to pursue those event (s).

otherwise, the vast majority of us would be really OK with entry level or mid fi gear so long as the presentation was engaging.

but once ya hear something way beyond any other EXP... you are either hooked, or well, deaf. lol
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,322 posts
 
@jszei +1.
While I was aware that speakers make the most difference and components and cabling also made difference, it is the affect of power conditioning that made the most impact in my mind. I always thought that power through dedicated line is all that is needed. But the way the power conditioning affected my listening is simply substantial. The only problem is that it does not allow for background music. The music is alive and you HAVE to pay attention - it simply demands it.Room treatments can make your music sound amazing - locking instruments and vocals in precise spaces and making the music come out from places where there are no speakers. I am investing more in panels for even more effective spaciousness.
rongold's avatar
rongold
49 posts
 
Fool your ears! Back in the ‘50’s (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I went to a “hi-fi” show in San Antonio, Texas. There was a good deal of equipment shown. But two things really caught my ear: one room was demoing Audio Fidelity Records, then quite new. They were playing it on a Rek-ko-kut, 16” turntable, into a McIntosh Amp and then on to a JBL Hartsfield speaker (monaural, at the time). They were not pushing the equipment, only the Audio Fidelity Record. It was the most fantastic sound I had ever heard!  Another room, much larger (it seemed like a basket-ball court size) had about 20-25 ElectroVoice speakers/cabs. All the way from a small $25 job to their SOTA EV $800 Patrician. The demo started on the $25 speaker, you could ‘see’ people nodding, as if to say “not bad”. After a bit the demo moved up to the next level speaker. Again, you could ‘see’ people nodding “yes, that’s better. And so forth ‘til they reached the $800 Patrician. Again people were thinking, Wow! That’s a lot better.....but is it $775 better?. At that point in the demo, the music switched from the $800 Patrician to the $25 speaker..........they could not have GIVEN the $25 speaker away. That’s when I learned how easy it is to fool your ear. The louder speaker always sounds better than the quieter speaker. Something to keep in mind in ‘auditioning’ speakers‼️
skyscraper
825 posts
 
Back in the early seventies walking into a dealership in Poughkeepsie, NY and hearing a pair of pricey Ohm speakers being demoed for a customer. I recall the sound of cymbals shimmering across the room as it you could touch the sound.

Not much later I heard some Quad Electrostatics which had a beautiful, clear sound. I wanted them badly but was in college then earning $115 per month in a work study program, so they were a bit out of reach. That second experience stayed with me so long I might have sprung for the newer Quads recently instead of my Magico A3’s if they weren’t of Chinese manufacture now.

Mike
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