Is High-End Gear Really that Superior…I doubt it

McChicken

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Is High-End Gear really worth the Money?


( Re-writing a massive post from aweek ago when my browser crashed...but have not had the spiritbefore..and this time it will be shorter)


Anyway as you can see my headline...Iam honestly questioning if High-End gear really is that good.


To start with I want to clarify that Iactually do now what good sound is as I have worked as a professionalSound Engineer as well as DJ'n, built my first stereo from scrapparts at the age of 12.


I have owned High-End gear ...but hadto put them in storage as I got kids and I could not listen anymorein my former listening room that have turned into what it probablywas supposed to be form the beginning a living room...LOL


anyway during these years I used myBang & Olufsen mutliroom system, something I had all the timewith integrated AV system and other bling.


Two years ago, we re-furbished ourwinter garden / conservatory, and suddenly I realized that i couldget a Music Room again, as it was sound proof ( family , neighbours)Lucky me.


Anyway at the same time I had gottenmore interested in trading the B&O multi-room system for Sonos,especially due to the Spotify integration that B&O did not haveat that time.
So, out with all the B&O stuffexcept the BeoLab speakers as they are active and a perfect fit toSonos ( BeoLab 8000's, BeoLab 3's and some subs) got a new life.


I have been pretty happy with my soundin my Music room , however you know how it is...you always want a bitmore, so I started to read on different forums like this, AVS,Computer Audiophile, and thought that I had got some good tips onwhat to buy.


I went for Anthony Gallo reference3.5's as they are now a massive price reduction, and needed apowerful Amp to drive the powerhungry Gallo's.


Through another forum I found out thethe hottest ticket that got the High-End community to go GaGa...wasthe “Goldmund-Light” JOB 225.


so finally I was able to get everythinghooked-up ( and the speakers had 40 hours on them) .

  • AG 3.5's with their exclusive speaker cables
  • JOB 225
  • Digitally tweaked Sonos
  • ( DSPeaker 2.0 NOT IN USE YET)


OK, I don't have a perfect listeningroom as the surfaces are hard and yada yada...I am right now working together with an acoustic engineer to solve this.


However cut to the chase...
I cannot say that this quite exclusive set-up is NOT that much better than my BeoLab 3's and a Sub ( notB&O)
to put a number to it ...10% better


Yes, I have not connected the DSPeakeras a Pre-Amp, DAC, DSP, EQ yet as it bricked during FW up-date. Butcomparing the Analog out from the Sonos ( also tweaked) because thatis what the BL3's where fed with I cannot say that I am far frombeing blown away by this “Up-Grade”


so my question ...is my BeoLabs 3's( with Sub) better than I thought that even though I got myself some very fine gear 10% improvement is what to expect ?
Right now my re-entry to the High-Endscene is a fiasco IMO

GUYS…I don't want to start an angry argument or flame war…I'm just a bit disappointed of the lack of WOW Factor
 
Putting a system together that really sounds good is very time consuming and hard.

I am not familiar with your equipment to help, but sometimes a all in one system will sound better than a system with various manufacturers because of this hated synergy thing we all strive for but rarely get perfect.

Sorry. I do know how it feels to have a system by its parts should be really good and put together just falls flat. Good luck in getting it right.
 
90% of how a system sounds can be attributed to setup and room acoustics. Even with modest components the music can sound really damn fine if you pay attention to those details. But it takes time and knowledge to set things up correctly. You need to do some homework on these audio websites and give some of those lessons a chance.

If you just plop speakers and chairs down anywhere even the best components will sound like a bose waveradio.
 
In my opinion, the gear is only as good as the recording and the room acoustics whether the gear is $100 or $100K. No piece of gear , high-end or otherwise can help a poor recording or bad room acoustics. It's also in the ears of the beholder.
 
Thanks Guys for not "Flaming me"…I'm just frustrated
I do hope that the work together with my Audio Acoustic Engineer will solve a lot of the problems my room is causing.
I will soon run the BeoLabs + sub next to the "True Audio Gear" to get a direct comparison
 
A proper electrical foundation, the room and the quality of the recordings aside (which are all very important IMO), it all has to do with the law of diminishing returns. Is a $50,000 amp better than a $1600 amp? Usually - but not always. Is it 30 times better? No. Is it 20% better? Maybe. Is that 20% gain worth $48,400 more? Only the individual can decide.

I heard some really expensive amps, speakers and sources during my 9 month cross country journey auditioning gear - and some of it I wouldn't want at any price. I heard some amazing gear that won't break the bank (Emerald Physics speakers and JOB225 to name a few) that defy the laws of the price vs performance ratio. I heard SOTA/best of breed speakers (Magico S5) that weren't even the top of the line in the manufacturers impressive line up.

However, generally speaking (and I've noted there are many exceptions), the more expensive gear does sound better and only you the consumer can decide whether its worth that next jump. I would note that finding the sweet spot in a product line and spending the rest on music isn't a bad strategy at all.
 
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