By first understanding the science of sound; not spending exorbitant amounts of money on boutique power cords, speaker wire, amps, etc., that don't actually change the sound AT ALL but feed into snake oil marketing that is killing this hobby. Then splurging on things that actually matter, like speakers, by listening to as many different brands/models as possible to see what sounds good to my ears.
There are so many speakers, that's the hard part. |
My system is a shell of what it use to be in the past. I had to have the best or close to it. So I was always chasing the next speaker, amp, preamp, or NOW let's get an integrated amp, WOW how about those tube amps, on and on and on - till I finally realised that I spent a lot of money chasing but never enjoying... I got married late in life and all of a sudden I enjoyed my wife more then my system(s) and the happiness was different - so I have a little system, play my CDs through bookshelf speakers not worrying if my power cable can or should be upgraded, or speaker wires ---- rather I listen to music and share my past with her realizing that my little system brings me to the place I want to be ... Happy New Year To All - smerk |
@squared80 wrote:
+1 I would add, or rather clarify the area of physics and acoustics with speakers as an extremely important aspect to be conscious about and be a guide in acquisitions; get the basics right, and then start the process of fine tuning. The former isn’t necessarily expensive, but combined with the latter aspect is time consuming to get to a point where the right choices and results are made. Time (and experience) is gold, as they say, as well as an open mind and a dose of "anarchistic" spirit to counter much of the marketing BS, business mechanisms, vanity and a sense of status flaunting. With speakers, what needs to be done needs to be done, and it usually isn’t pretty, rarely small in size, or doesn’t necessarily cater to expectations or preconceived notions of "you get what you pay for." Instead, form follows function, or rather it should, and not the other way ’round. The problem with current states is that "the basics" don’t mesh well with the illusion and gospel of constant technological advancement and interior decoration demands. It’s not good for business - you can’t sell the next "evolved" piece of gear if it isn’t sprinkled with a unique company profile, claims of sonic heavens, new "groundbreaking" materials or design approaches and what doesn’t stay within an accepted physical size. It’s a balancing act of eyeing that which needs to be done, prioritizing the different areas accordingly and the expenditure required. Some gear, like DAC’s and preamps, I find I won’t get by with "mid level" stuff to wring out the sonic potential I’m looking for. If one can’t afford it, buy used gear - there’s a lot to be saved here, and even older ref./top level components more than hold their own against new mid level ditto. Great amps can be found for a manageable price in the pro studio segment, besting much more expensive varieties in the typical "high-end" arena, not least if they’re configured actively. Again, if price is (still) an issue, buy used. The same with speakers; the pro segment holds gems of speaker solutions that actually abide by physics - if one can accept their physical appearance and larger size. Bearing in mind one isn’t scared away by uninhibited dynamics and a physicality of presentation that by some is deemed "exaggerated."
Cables, decoupling/coupling etc. do change the sound, but it’s how they change the sound and what to make of it and balancing it all out with the rest of the setup and acoustic particularities. What’s clear to me here is that price is not (as much) a factor being that different or no solutions can be required in different contexts. |
