My experience is laid down in writing for everyone to see right here on my systems page: https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
Specifically: "everything matters. Everything either contributes or detracts, and no one single component is any more or less important than any other."
This is based on well over 30 years experience. Which in the beginning I would have agreed the thing to do is upgrade components. The main thing that has changed is the meaning of components. In the beginning not having much experience it was easy to think components are, uh, components. Now I know components are wire, shelves, walls, outlets, insulation, literally every single thing.
My great awakening to this fact goes back to BDR Cones in the 1990’s. For months I would carry a set around trying them under all kinds of components in all kinds of systems. In one very typical experience I went to try out a used pre-amp at a guys house. Decided not to buy but enjoyed listening to his Dunlavy’s. Asked if he would mind me trying the Cones under his CD. He wasn’t interested but said no problem and went off in the kitchen. Few minutes later from in the kitchen I hear him yell is that the Cones man his voice stands out so much clearer!
Got dozens of these. Typically its the husband straining and laboring to hear something while the wife who inevitably seems not to care says yeah honey get the MkIV they’re clearer.
Now here’s the thing. The Cones cost the same $60 regardless of what you put them under. That’s anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars worth of equivalent improvement. For $60.
Clearly one can get better sound with a better CD player. Amp. Speakers. Whatever. Equally clearly it is by far more cost effective to do it with Cones than upgrades. Way more.
So that’s Cones. Which until PPT came along was the all time cost-effective champ. Very nearly as good as those are things like HFT, ECT, PHT, Orange Fuses, fo.Q tape, cable elevators, etc.
One of the more astounding component upgrades of my life was going from the ARC PH3SE to the Herron VTPH2A phono stage. This was so huge my wife heard the difference from the other room and through the closed door. Then when she came in she stood there bug-eyed trying to comprehend how that little box made music sound so much better.
That little box cost close to four grand. The ARC sold so net cost call it three grand.
Okay. So months later I open the speakers, apply TC and fo-Q tape inside, and we are both just about equally blown away. Net cost, less than one grand. Way less.
So my experience is that by far the biggest sound quality improvements per dollar are to be had by these sorts of upgrades rather than buying a whole new component. Its the classic weakest link scenario. I simply see more links than most. They will get there. Some of them, anyway.
Oh, another related experience. Anyone who has ever modded anything knows just how cost effective it is to upgrade a cap or diode. Manufacturers certainly know this. Its why they use better quality parts in their special editions or higher level components.
Anyone who has ever upgraded from patch cords and rubber power cords knows it was worth the upgrade. There really is nothing the least bit controversial in any of this. Its simply learning to see - and hear - all the links in the chain. Not just the biggest most obvious ones.
Specifically: "everything matters. Everything either contributes or detracts, and no one single component is any more or less important than any other."
This is based on well over 30 years experience. Which in the beginning I would have agreed the thing to do is upgrade components. The main thing that has changed is the meaning of components. In the beginning not having much experience it was easy to think components are, uh, components. Now I know components are wire, shelves, walls, outlets, insulation, literally every single thing.
My great awakening to this fact goes back to BDR Cones in the 1990’s. For months I would carry a set around trying them under all kinds of components in all kinds of systems. In one very typical experience I went to try out a used pre-amp at a guys house. Decided not to buy but enjoyed listening to his Dunlavy’s. Asked if he would mind me trying the Cones under his CD. He wasn’t interested but said no problem and went off in the kitchen. Few minutes later from in the kitchen I hear him yell is that the Cones man his voice stands out so much clearer!
Got dozens of these. Typically its the husband straining and laboring to hear something while the wife who inevitably seems not to care says yeah honey get the MkIV they’re clearer.
Now here’s the thing. The Cones cost the same $60 regardless of what you put them under. That’s anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars worth of equivalent improvement. For $60.
Clearly one can get better sound with a better CD player. Amp. Speakers. Whatever. Equally clearly it is by far more cost effective to do it with Cones than upgrades. Way more.
So that’s Cones. Which until PPT came along was the all time cost-effective champ. Very nearly as good as those are things like HFT, ECT, PHT, Orange Fuses, fo.Q tape, cable elevators, etc.
One of the more astounding component upgrades of my life was going from the ARC PH3SE to the Herron VTPH2A phono stage. This was so huge my wife heard the difference from the other room and through the closed door. Then when she came in she stood there bug-eyed trying to comprehend how that little box made music sound so much better.
That little box cost close to four grand. The ARC sold so net cost call it three grand.
Okay. So months later I open the speakers, apply TC and fo-Q tape inside, and we are both just about equally blown away. Net cost, less than one grand. Way less.
So my experience is that by far the biggest sound quality improvements per dollar are to be had by these sorts of upgrades rather than buying a whole new component. Its the classic weakest link scenario. I simply see more links than most. They will get there. Some of them, anyway.
Oh, another related experience. Anyone who has ever modded anything knows just how cost effective it is to upgrade a cap or diode. Manufacturers certainly know this. Its why they use better quality parts in their special editions or higher level components.
Anyone who has ever upgraded from patch cords and rubber power cords knows it was worth the upgrade. There really is nothing the least bit controversial in any of this. Its simply learning to see - and hear - all the links in the chain. Not just the biggest most obvious ones.