2. misc-audio
  3. 190594-78103

Don't do anything!

A couple months ago I posted a question on the forums that I was looking for the next level of imaging from my system and was contemplating better speakers.  As per usual there were many responses of varying degrees advice.

Since then I have done nothing to pursue this next level.  The reason for my inaction - my system is breaking.  What I mean by that is I had made a few upgrades to my system  - which were new power cable for the amp, newer speaker cables and finally a cartridge that has about 150 hrs on it. All of these changes are moving from the break in stage into what they can do for better sound.  So now my system is maturing and delivering on what I am looking for.  So the moral of the story is - leave it alone, stop tweaking.  Let your system evolve.

Thanks for the advice fellow music lovers!

polkalover
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,773 posts
 

Congratulations OP

It’s always great to hear someone who is happy with their system. I’m hoping to get there with just one final change.😁

shtinkydog
689 posts
 

@boxcarman as long as it's cheaper. laugh

 

jhnnrrs
112 posts
 

I don't think it's the power or speaker cables "breaking in" - that's just audiophile foolishness.  Your cartridge, however, may have more to do with it.  More than likely you are acclimating to the new cartridge and it's your brain "breaking in".

bolong
621 posts
 

I evaluate tweaks only late at night when the power grid has calmed down. During the day - especially in the summer - the power can be quite janky, and it's very audible.

ghdprentice
7,052 posts
 

Congradulations OP,

It is great to hear you did the right thing as a result of some of the posts here. Breakin is a very real and important part of system building as is learning what your system sounds like. From continual daily listening you can appreciate what you system “sounds like” (its essence) as the different albums… mastered differently with different resolution go by. There is a very distinctive essence left behind that is the sound of your system. Typically this essence is far greater than the “sound” of an interconnect, or formate type or mastering. Each of these things change the sound of your system… but not the majority of its attributes. So, after you subconscious grasps it’s sound you can easily perceive very minor changes in its sound quality.

 

It is like someone from Hawaii sensing and describing snow versus someone living in a snowy climate. There are all sorts of subtle differences to snow instantly and describable to a person with lots of experience with it. I’m sure there are better examples… but hundreds of hours of exposure allows you to understand the sound of the system”.

 

You also, bring up one of the challenges of system building. The time it takes. If you upgrade your components one at a time, then interconnects, then power cords. Then you must let each component break in, then get know your system’s sound intimately before you can plan the next piece. So, an upgrade cycle will take about two years… and from my experience that is what they have always taken me. You can shorten this by replacing two components at a time or use a whole loom of interconnects… but unless you really know what you are doing, that adds a lot of risk of sub optimizing your system.

 

But thanks for bringing up such an important aspect of system building.

 

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