Calvin +1 , I agree with you . Money can’t shortcut this hobby. You can afford expensive components but they need to match. Cables are very important in matching from digital , pc to speaker cables. You can’t buy listening skills either. Mike Lavigne has it all, amazing systems , room, great wealth of knowledge and money.
High End System Building. How important is the matching, cabling and room? Thoughts ?
The last 20 years as an audiophile and now a dealer has taught me a very important lesson. Everything matters. The equipment can be great but no matter how much you spend the matching is very important. The cabling is also important. Some think cabling is all about making it sound better. I prefer my cabling to not get in the way. It’s like it can’t be a clogged faucet for your sound. Materials and shielding are very important. In addition to that the room is very important. You may not have a perfect room but you build your system to work in the room you have. I don’t have all the answers but you can’t just spend money and have a great system. Combination of equipment, cabling and room has gotten me there. I’ve tried a lot of gear and cables and this is how I feel. What are your thoughts everyone?
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In my opinion, if audio cables are made properly, all cables sound the original music and cable matching is not needed. However, all cables are not made properly and sound different. Even same model/brand power cords made by a same person in a same day sound different each other because no one knows how to make PC properly. Everybody (Audio companies, DIYers, any electrical part manufactures) know how to make PCs and that is the limit and not enough to make proper audio PCs. That’s why audiophiles keep changing equipment and wishing for a good luck in matching cables. Alex/WTA |
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I would have expressed that in a more cautious way myself even if i agree with the post ... Most dealers are like audiophiles here with 40 amplifiers behind them and 50 dac and as much speakers experience , they know the gear , but they dont know much about the importance of acoustics ( i dont spoke about a few panels here ) and about electrical noise floor controls or mechanical vibration/resonance problems ... r : tThey they advise ANYWAY the customers as the customers ask for : the gear attention is focussed on the gear piece it is not focussed on the way to embed acoustically , mechanically and electrically anything, because price tag and the piece matter no more here ...Anything at any price must b3e well embedded to work optimally ...And the diffrence is always huge for any piece at any price ...This dont means that my low price active speakers even modified will rival Revel Salon well embedded ... As said mike lavigne in his own way in another priceless post , HIGh-END is more a state of the creative mind than a price tags race ....
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I and several fellow audiophiles with good listening skills and systems have spent good money on treating our rooms with all manner of acoustic treatments. In two specific cases folks paid big money for a room acoustics company to come in and professionally treat the rooms. In the end, the rooms sounded better with all the “stuff “ taken out. I experienced the same thing about 13 years ago. Few absolutes in audio and this includes “treating” a space with all manner of absorption and diffusion. My current room has a few diffusion panels strategically placed and sounds good so I am all for experimenting with treatments. However, I do not believe they are a must for every room and situation. Just not the case based on my experience. Experimenting and working hard on speaker placement and listening position is something I am willing to say is absolutely needed. |
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