What Was Your Favorite “Game Changer” Moment?


I've been rebuilding and modifying my system since the summer of 2029. I have a pile of rejected cables and assorted gear to sell sometime soon. Several times I told myself that I was finally finished with upgrades, only to be tempted to try just one more thing. Happily, I stumbled upon an unexpected game changer in the past week. I purchased a used pair of Fusion Audio Romance 1 interconnects.

The reviews, some on this forum, suggested that this cable is “warm and romantic,” as the name implies. My biggest concern was that the top end might be somewhat muted. I have been using Shunyata Venom interconnects and speaker cables. They have plenty of top end sparkle that I didn’t want to lose. But I’m always in favor of curbing harshness.

Well, not to worry. The Fusion Audio interconnects did not just keep the high end sparkle, they extended it. And they did it in a very musically pleasing way. I played a native tropical bossa nova album, and the percussion instruments danced around in a stunning holographic fashion. On some other albums, I heard female vocals served with a sublime, expressive quality that surpasses anything that my system was capable of before.

I consider myself a “warm side of neutral” kind of listener. Fatiguing harshness has always been the obstacle to overcome. But I want the details at both ends of the spectrum. As for Fusion Audio cables, they are available at Audio Surroundings in Boca Raton, Florida. Here is the link: https://www.audiosurroundings.com/store.php?seller=Ericlove&navt1=263817&per=6&num=6&...

Does anyone know how to contact Eric Love, who was mentioned in numerous threads a few years ago as the maker of these cables? I would like to contact him.

Please share your favorite “game changer” moments with cables and other items. I'm still looking for the “magic” USB cable.

My system:

Exposure 3010S2D integrated amp
DynAudio floor standing speakers
Topping D70 DAC
Auralic Aries Femto music streamer with SBooster power supply
Kitsune modded Singxer SU-2 USB bridge
Netgear S8000 Network switch with streaming music preset
Cables and power cords by Shunyata, Lessloss, Wireworld, PS Audio, Chord Company, Fusion Audio


boakey39
Power conditioner? Sound Application...hands down winner for me. I think my first one was an cf-x maybe, then xe12, then JC something. They just blew my little mind.. 
Biggest game changer… hands down no comparison, adding diffuser panels behind the speakers.. And one sound absorbing panel behind my head. Did more than any cable would think about doing. IMHO.
Sound stage improvement. Brought the bass forward. Mellowed out any sharpness in the highs.
I posted above that hearing a $750 turntable sounding better in some ways than my 10K+ CD player was a real awakening.  But also game changing was when I went to my dealer seeking to upgrade my amplifier and he demonstrated that upgrading the preamp gave me much more of what I was seeking sonically.  He could have easily sold me the amp, but until then I was not fully aware of the musical contributions made by upgrading the preamp. 
Going from a Wallmart type music centre to a separates system built around a Rega 3.

The magnitude of improvement I experienced back then has never been approached by anything since.

It was like focussing a pair of binoculars. Dylan and the band playing Tangled Up in Blue became an unforgettable experience.

However the question of whether it was a more enjoyable and more fun experience is not one I can fully answer even nearly 40 years later.

I remember Stephen Fry mentioning a similar experience after he’d upgraded to an expensive Arcam system.

It was great, it was clear, but it just wasn’t the same as his old beat-up record player he had used at sixth form.

Now getting that ’original buzz’ seems to be an entirely different challenge.