How do you judge audio components and speakers?

@jackhifiguy 

I would broadly agree with everything you say, especially the point about some systems being too revealing for certain less than perfect recordings. 

The problem wortj bearing in mind is that it's virtually impossible to find anything that comes close to satisfying so many differing criteria.

Therefore, whenever I hear music being reproduced, I tend to try to keep my evaluation as simple as possible by focussing on a few essential qualities as possible.

1 absence of sonic nasties -  coarse treble, sibilance, indistinct bass, overhang etc

2 life-like timbre

3 dynamic range, transient speed and attack.

Anything else, imagery, disappearing speaker, articulate natural sounding treble etc would all just be extras.

Alas, my search for this mythic speaker goes on.

Anything else, imagery, disappearing speaker, articulate natural sounding treble etc would all just be extras.

Alas, my search for this mythic speaker goes on.

Imaging, and "disapearing speakers" , are not "extras" they are acoustical fundamental factors which can perfectly be controlled at will by understanding of room acoustic...

And ALL acoustical factors anyway are interrelated, bass,dynamic, treble, mids, imaging, soundstage , LEV/ASW ratio, Timbre, they all reacted together to any change in the room...

People dont realize it because in their non controlled room all these factors work in a non synchronized and non optimal way in an apparent separated way ... Like i already say, even a single straw location can change the sound of a room and in some well prepared conditons it is perfectly audible...I know because i experimented it non stop 2 years in my audio room ...

By the way i dont need "mythic" speakers to do the job, only relatively good one... Acoustic is a science which can improve any good speakers, never mind his brand name...

But sometimes to increase for example transient and dynamic we must also decrease the electrical noise floor of the System/  room/house...

And any speakers, even "mythic" one will need vibrations and resonance control to improve  timbre and all other acoustic factors...

@twoleftears 

ghdprentice,

My modestly sized Mytek Brooklyn Bridge was packed with components and weighed a veritable ton. It ran hot. It also decided to go completely black & dead a couple weeks after the warranty expired.

I replaced the Mytek with a Cambridge CXN. The Cambridge is standard rack size and is a veritable fly weight by comparison. I haven't opened it up to look, but I'd guess  that the device separates the streamer and DAC sections with a good deal of empty space. In any case, it runs extremely cool. That lack of heat gives me confidence that it'll last me far longer than the Mytek did. I am also enjoying the sound of the Cambridge much more than I supposedly should be.

@jackhifiguy I'm in agreement with most everything you stated. I'd only suggest a system can't be too accurate, rather the recordings that sound inferior are inaccurate. However, I understand what you mean, many times we want our systems to have a bit of sweetening in order to sound good with  mediocre recordings. In a perfect world one would want an accurate system to reproduce accurate recordings.

So weight and packed in parts is how some of you judge sound quality.  Very interesting.  The Pro-Ject Audio transport is light weight but it is one of the best sounding transports I have had in our system and we have had and hear a ton of them.

I guess then design means very little?

Happy Listening.