Planning to step up to a high end home audio system. Need advice.

[Alrainbow]

Nice reads
now aside from math how do we feel each format sounds to us
this is on part why some prefer one format over the other. After this lets consider the sound reproduction system used for observation.
My reason is this
on headphones exp flag ships on exp amps meaning sota
pcm or dsd is easy to hear
dsd 64 to dsd128 easy
now 256 and 512 good luck there. But even this can be judgmental due how good the dac is
dop or native.
For me dsd 128 is the sweetsopt but I do feel 256 has virtues and 512 not so much
now same observation on my IRS v setup it different
dsd 64/128/256/512 all can be heard.but again 128 is sweet but 256 is more hollowgraohic.
More ambience too. But no matter how good the heapphones are I can't.
Pcm is easy
16/44.1 low end of pcm and for me lets nkt go to MP3
but there is some good MP3
now going to anyting 24 bit depth the noise floor is noted
yet math on 16 seems more than enough
and if my math is correct
16/24 is about 256 times more volume resolution.
Why this matters I don't know but the my thought is it's a lower noise floor that somehow it translates in my brain to blacker background.
Color me nuts it's ok but it's obvious
24/96 sweet spot for pcm too. Why it's still very dynamic or has jump 24/192 model layers less jump in dynamics

[brad225]

Now that you have completed your system purchase I had to bring your beginning thread back to the top.

Congratulation on finishing the purchase of your system. How did the $12,000 budget work out? :-)

[bluegrassphile]

Now that you have completed your system purchase I had to bring your beginning thread back to the top.

Congratulation on finishing the purchase of your system. How did the $12,000 budget work out? :-)

Brad, I pretty much obliterated my budget. As I became more educated about high end home audio I realized I'd have to spend much more money than I originally planned. I became aware that to get what I really wanted I was going to have to bite the bullet and buy it. Looking at what I purchased you can easily do the math, so I'll save you the time and tell you I spent a total of about $40,000 over a 10 month period. And that doesn't take into account the weekend trip to Suncoast Audio in Sarasota, FL. to audition components. It kind of reminds me of building a new house...It will ALWAYS cost you more than you think. But I got what I wanted. And next week I'm going to find out if it was worth it. However, I'm not too concerned about that. I can hardly wait.

It was really cool of you, Brad, to bring my original thread back. Thank you for that. I hadn't had the chance to go back and review it. I've really enjoyed rereading it. It's really interesting to see some of the choices I made and the number of times I changed my mind about various components and how I arrived at my final choices. I'm very confident about those choices. I'm not sure what else I could have done. They were exhaustively researched. I know it will pay off.

Tom

[brad225]

I would guess most here smiled when you talked about your hopeful budget.

The knowledge you possessed about what you were looking for in sound quality was the end to your hoped for initial budget.
I never would have asked what you spent but would have guessed there or above.
It is interesting to look at peoples thoughts and direction they are thinking of and where reality takes them.

There is no doubt in my mind there will be one happy guy in Iowa next week.

[bluegrassphile]

Yeah, Brad, naive is the term that comes to mind, ha! I was naive. Or, at least ignorant.

[Mr Peabody]

I hope you have help to move that 250.8 into place, it's a beast, yet a beauty.