Happen to you? Gear chasing because the fundamentals were wrong.

Great stuff! Thanks. Keep it coming.

@nonoise 

To be honest, when I first started out I fell for the hype when it comes to amps, power ratings and the like. Add speaker myths about efficiency and the dos and don'ts in all things audio. It was a learning curve for me.

Me too. I also didn't understand about impedance curves and phase angles.

Not understanding the frequency spectrum. Thinking that a flat room response is the ultimate pinnacle.  We all know how annoying peaks in the bass region can be, but I have since discovered that small peaks (around 3 db) at certain frequencies, in the mid’s and low mid’s can add a richness to vocals and that certain dips in the mid’s can remove a hollowness from vocals that can show up from time to time. A peak in the upper mid’s can add a very striking presence to vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, upper register wind instruments and snare drum strikes. Strategic dips in the upper mid’s and highs can remove the hard edges that you sometimes hear on vocals and can diminish background noise that you don’t even know is there until it’s gone, which reveals a noticeable amount of clarity and detail and creates more air around each instrument. Lastly a peak in the upper high’s that can add a shimmer to cymbals that gives them an almost crystal like quality.

A couple of times poor amplifier choices left me feeling unhappy, but things are right as rain these days, so all is well.

Regards,

Dan

Thanks very interesting post... I live the same experience... A room with a flat response is hell not heaven.. It is not even possible in most room anyway..

Not understanding the frequency spectrum. Thinking that a flat room response is the ultimate pinnacle. We all know how annoying peaks in the bass region can be, but I have since discovered that small peaks (around 3 db) at certain frequencies, in the mid’s and low mid’s can add a richness to vocals and that certain dips in the mid’s can remove a hollowness from vocals that can show up from time to time. A peak in the upper mid’s can add a very striking presence to vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, upper register wind instruments and snare drum strikes. Strategic dips in the upper mid’s and highs can remove the hard edges that you sometimes hear on vocals and can diminish background noise that you don’t even know is there until it’s gone, which reveals a noticeable amount of clarity and detail and creates more air around each instrument. Lastly a peak in the upper high’s that can add a shimmer to cymbals that gives them an almost crystal like quality.

Starting out I fell for reviews and the mystery of tubes without knowing anything about speaker matching and tube rolling. I look back at certain pieces of gear and wonder if I knew then what I know now would I have liked them more. Also I wildly underestimated the importance of speakers overall in a system focusing on digital preamps and amps.