It costs the money YOU CAN AFFORD to spend that will allow YOU to enjoy listening to music! It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks because it's YOUR MONEY and YOUR ENJOYMENT.
What does 90% of the Absolute Best Sound Cost?
Like many things, I have come to believe that the cost of incremental improvements in audio come at exponentially increasing costs - e.g., big improvement from $5K to $10K, less so from $10 to $15K, etc. All of us have our limits regarding what we can/will spend to achieve our best possible/practical audio experience. So, a couple of questions that I am sure are at least somewhat subjective.
A. What does it cost, in terms of components, interconnects, and direct furnishings (e.g., racks, isolation pads, surface room treatments, etc.) to achieve 90% of the absolute best sound possible?
B. What % does $50,000 get you?
FWIW, my setup is at about $21,000 actual cost ($32,000 original retail) and I am really happy with it right now. All of my incremental spend for the next couple of years is going to be working the room itself. Looking forward to your perspectives!
- ...
- 41 posts total
@avanti1960 my room is roughly 15x24 with a ceiling not quite 7 feet. One back corner is clipped from the rectangle and I have four 3" square posts to deal with. So, while I have some significant challenges working the room, I am dealing with a nearfield listening environment - love seat ~2/3 back, speakers ~2.5 feet from front and side walls in a pretty good equilateral triangle to the sweet spot. Rack is centered but set back - I like looking at my gear: Dual CS 529 I know I can upgrade my power conditioner. But other than that, I am working on the room. |
I love this question for a variety of reasons. As many have pointed out, room contributes significantly to the listening experience. A pair of $160k Magico M6 speakers in a room that cannot accomodate them with appropriate spacing, treatments, room volume, ambient sound isolation, etc. would be a waste of money. So, first you must consider your listening environment as it will largely dictate your speaker choices. Conversely, electronics are largely a matter of budget, listening preferences (neutrality, warmth, tonal accuracy, adherance to the artist's intentions, etc.). With speakers, bigger and/or more expensive isn't always better. With electronics, more expensive typically delivers better sound albeit with a diminishing return as price increases. I've been a stereophile/audiophile since 1983 when a friend played the first CD I'd ever heard in his Ford Escort. The CD was Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits and I've been hooked ever since. I'd be embarrassed to disclose the amount of money I've spent (never "invested" - don't ever think this hobby/addiction is an investment!) over the decades. But, I am more passionate now about music and high fidelity than I've ever been in my 59 years. One thing I've learned is that this hobby is rife with opinions, confirmation bias and bad or ill advised suggestions. Fortunately, I recognized that early on and have generally accepted the opinions of well-regarded publications and reviewers with a grain of skepticism, by no means disrespecting their assertions yet, understanding the various pressures and biases that guide the industry. If you've indulged my ramble to this point, I'll get to answering your question. At least to the extent that my experience and judgement will be useful. Last year, I decided to do a complete refresh of my system with a budget of not more than $40k. I spent many hours reading and watching equipment reviews to determine the best value in the industry for components, speakers and accessories. My choices are by no means going to suit everyone but, they do represent the best in class in their respective price points. I'll add to that, I have come to appreciate the magnificence and utility of digital room compensation yet, still have a deep love for pure analog playback. Bottom line, I have the best sounding system of my personal 40+ years experience for $22,367 (MSRP excluding taxes and shipping). Note: I was able to purchase some items at a discount but listed MSRP for this exercise. Here's the kit: - Rega Planar 6 turntable with Rega Ania Pro MC Cartridge ($2,895 from UpscaleAudio.com) - NAD M66 Masters DAC/Streamer/Pre-Amp MM/MC Phone Stage ($5,499 from Crutchfield.com) - NAD M23 Masters Stereo Power Amplifier ($3,749 from Crutchfield.com) - Brennan B2 CD Ripper, Hard disk Jukebox with ~320 CD's in the library all ripped in FLAC ($700 from thebrennan.com - B2 no longer available but B3 is) - Furman ELITE15i Linear Filtering AC Power Conditioner ($250 from Amazon.com) - KEF R7 Meta speakers (from KEF local dealer $5,000 per pair) - 2 (each) KEF KC92 Powered Subwoofers (from KEF local dealer, $2,000 each) - XLR Interconnects from Worlds Best Cables (WBC-PRO-Quad with Neutrik Connectors from Amazon.com $44 a pair) - WORLDS BEST CABLES 12 Foot Ultimate - 9 AWG - Ultra-Pure OFC - Premium Audiophile HiFi Bi-Wire Speaker Cable Pair with Eminence Gold Banana Plugs & Carbon Tweed Jacket ($230 from Amazon.com) This combination delivers stunning accuracy, soundstage and power. I would however describe the result as impressive but clinical as none of the components have much personality. They simply reproduce the music in an uncolored delivery. The NAD M66 has both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil phono pre-amp with a pure analog signal path for purists. I enjoy using it with vinyl but inevitably find the DSP processed signal path more pleasing. The M66 includes Dirac Live room compensation as well as Dirac Live Bass compensation which make a huge improvement on the influences of my 24'x18'x8' (W, D, H) listening room. The ability to sample a dozen different points in the room with a microphone and process that data to eliminate (mostly) poor room audio qualities, resonances and reflections while balancing both subwoofers is incredibly powerful. For what it's worth, Dirac room compensation is a remarkable technology. The M66 allows multiple profiles to be saved so you can have individual ones for different speakers (I also run Magnepan's on occasion) or listening conditions (movies, music, low volume/late night frequency curve, etc.). In short, I'd say electronics are the start of a great audio experience. Digital signal processing and DIrac can make a meaningful difference in your listening experience, overcoming limitations of your listening environment and helping speakers sound as intended. If I were to win the lottery, I wouldn't change a thing on the pre-amp, amplifier side of things but would consider a pair of Focal Sopra No. 2 speakers or KEF Blade 2 Metas. That's it! Best of luck with your musical journey! Matt C Pleasanton, CA
|
P.S. After decades of motorsports my tinnitus is constant and I often find myself wondering if another $20k, $40k, or more would be appreciated. I recall not long ago, a friend was over and we were watching something on my 65" 4K ($550) television. He said there are great advances being made in displays and an 8K OLED television would blow me away. I laughed as I removed my fairly strong prescription glasses and said, "it may be 8K but my vision is 720p!" My hearing is still really great, despite the tinnitus which I have learned to listen through. Yet, I strongly believe going much further in my audiophile pursuits will only improve my bragging rights (to what objective?), not my experience. Food for thought.
Matt C |
- 41 posts total