Where’s My Weakest Link?

@needlebrush Unfortunately this forum often misses the mark on the comradery you’d expect amongst folks who share the same passion for audio and instead it becomes a venue for people to selfishly attempt to prove they are the smartest guy in the room. Even if someone has audio setup superpowers, why does one have to get those skills continuously re-validated for an eternity? Enough! Be nice, share, and remember....it’s not always all about you.

It is of no avail to change first probably any one of your electronic components...

Is it not stupid to change any electronic component of an audio system without having ever listen to it at his top potential peak before?

Believe it or not, it is precisely what most people do, advise by market ploy or masters know-it-all...

Personally I  think your electronics components one by one are already good....

Before upgrading anything by frustration or misplace urge to easily change anything, think about the way to improve simply your system, with simple, homemade materials or vey low cost materials....


I cannot describe here all I have done, but the general principle is linked to this:


The most important underestimated facts in audio are the controls of the 4 basic embeddings : mechanical, electrical, and the passive and active controls of the acoustical field of the room ... There are others dimensions but these 4 one are fundamentals...

I give indications to try in my virtual page and more on my thread....

Never listen first only to someone who only buy new things or sell them except for a precise technical problems, create with fun your own heaven, and you will discover the truth about audio:

Most of us we owns already a good audio system, the real question is not about the way to upgrade the design of an electronic component by buying a new improved one;
the real question is : Do I know from having heard it already, how my audio system, as it is now, behaves in an optimal controlled environment ?


After these sets of experiments in controls of the 4 embeddings, knowing how beautiful is really your actual audio system, knowing his positive and negative point better, then you will know what electronic component to change for improvement, and in half the case you will say to yourself, why changing anything? this audio system is holographic, natural, 3-d imaging and is almost perfect.... I know it is mine... 500 hundred dollars for dac, amplifier, speakers, and 500 hundred dollars of materials at very low costs....

By the way my audio systems components are not on a higher rung of the audio scale at all compared to yours... They are in the same range of quality/price...But the difference between their sound in a non controlled embeddings and in a controlled one is simply not comparable at all.... This is the reason of my post to you.... It is not money that gives Hi-fi, all modern gear are relatively well designed, the problem is they sound not so good and even bad in a non controlled environment... Simple...


Listen to your own creativity.... Read and think about....Experiments with your ears opened....It is fun....

For your precise question, it is impossible to know the answer before all the electronic components are rightfully embedded …. It is my experience.... Play with this and you will know with fun experiments that will transform completely your system....Knowing that save me much money....

I don’t get it, someone kindly asks for advice and is besieged with scolding lectures.

Some people just can't help themselves. 

In one post they'll berate others for hiding behind their screens and not acting in a way that they would in person.  In the next post they'll hide behind their screen and berate someone who is asking for help by telling them how dumb their question is while proclaiming how smart they are and how great their system is. 

Put simply, it's a lack of self esteem and insecurity.  People who suffer in this way look for things outside themselves to prop up their fragile egos.  Unfortunately it doesn't work, but that doesn't stop them from shouting "Look at me!  I'm the smartest/greatest and have the bestest toys!".  It's sad and pathetic.

Thank you all for your insight, opinions and physcoanalytical analysis of one another.

Given the age I would look first at the pre and amp, maybe consider an integrated with a good dac as that's the weakest link in the Node2i. It has a good interface and a lot of streaming options.