What has the most audible impact in a digital HI-Fi set up after speakers, amps and DAC?

applecross

applecross

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Assume you have already chosen your speakers, amp, pre-amp, and DAC, what other items have the most audible impact on how your system performs? :skeptical:
I am purely considering a digital system (sorry analog folks).


  • External USB re-clockers (e.g. MUTEC MC3+)
  • Interconnects
  • Speaker cables
  • Power cords
  • Power purifiers (e.g. Audioquest Niagara 1200)
  • Pre-amp buffers
  • Music streamer
  • Network switches
  • Acoustic isolation
  • Vibration dampening kits
  • DSP (e.g. miniDSP SHD Studio)

How would you rank these?

I am trying to decide where to upgrade and I cannot make my mind up.
Please don't just say buy better basic gear :rofl:. The whole point here is to discuss ancillaries.
 
Start with your power. Whole home surge protector, a couple of dedicated lines (10g, same wire length from panel), and audio grade outlets. Then good quality power cords and power distributor/conditioner.
 
I wholeheartedly agree with this.

GSOphile said:
Start with your power. Whole home surge protector, a couple of dedicated lines (10g, same wire length from panel), and audio grade outlets. Then good quality power cords and power distributor/conditioner.
Click to expand...
 
applesauce, once you have your clean power to your room without question the room itself comes next, if that's what you mean by acoustic isolation
 
applecross said:
Assume you have already chosen your speakers, amp, pre-amp, and DAC, what other items have the most audible impact on how your system performs? :skeptical:
I am purely considering a digital system (sorry analog folks).


  • External USB re-clockers (e.g. MUTEC MC3+)
  • Interconnects
  • Speaker cables
  • Power cords
  • Power purifiers (e.g. Audioquest Niagara 1200)
  • Pre-amp buffers
  • Music streamer
  • Network switches
  • Acoustic isolation
  • Vibration dampening kits
  • DSP (e.g. miniDSP SHD Studio)

How would you rank these?

I am trying to decide where to upgrade and I cannot make my mind up.
Please don't just say buy better basic gear :rofl:. The whole point here is to discuss ancillaries.
Click to expand...

Here is an article that looks into many of the factors that you mention and attempts to objectively evaluate how much they affect the sound.

http://archimago.blogspot.com/2019/07/summer-musings-how-much-difference-does.html?m=0

Based on that article, what makes the most difference are the speakers and the room. For a digital system the article suggests that 80% of the money be allocated to those two factors.

I also agree that power is very important and should be considered part of the room expense. In my case, adding separate circuits for my amps eliminated room light flickering when playing loud music.
 
by far your server. in my case adding (1) the SGM Extreme server caused a quantum leap in performance. it was the 800 pound gorilla in the room. this server also uses PCIe drives for my files and uses Roon for Tidal and Quboz. i already had a good server, this step up above that was huge. it was not cheap.

next (2) was adding fiber optic interfaces replacing copper Ethernet and (3) a fibre optic interface called Pro USB for my dac to server which included a USB cable. next was the USB cable itself, i replaced a modestly priced USB with (4) a Gobel LaCorde USB which was a big step up.

beyond that everything matters, i do have top level resonance control, and grounding.

click on the link to my system page below and you can see the Extreme server in my system description.

btw; i'm an analog guy who takes his digital way too seriously. i'm all in for digital.:)
 
GSOphile said:
Start with your power. Whole home surge protector, a couple of dedicated lines (10g, same wire length from panel), and audio grade outlets. Then good quality power cords and power distributor/conditioner.
Click to expand...

joeinid said:
I wholeheartedly agree with this.
Click to expand...

I live in a rented flat in Czech Republic so dedicated lines, surge protectors are out of the questions.

I can maybe change the outlets.

What I can definitely do is get power cords and distributor/conditioner. After a bit of searching I have my mind set on Puritan Audio PS106 (maybe the DC version) and their cords (which seem sensibly priced). Cannot post links yet because I am a new member. Initially I was thinking of an Audioquest Niagara 1200 and some Acrolink Acrolink 7n-4030se cords with Oyaide connectors, but they are too expensive.

Do you have any brand or products in mind?
 
Mikado463 said:
applesauce, once you have your clean power to your room without question the room itself comes next, if that's what you mean by acoustic isolation
Click to expand...

nicoff said:
Here is an article that looks into many of the factors that you mention and attempts to objectively evaluate how much they affect the sound.

Based on that article, what makes the most difference are the speakers and the room. For a digital system the article suggests that 80% of the money be allocated to those two factors.

I also agree that power is very important and should be considered part of the room expense. In my case, adding separate circuits for my amps eliminated room light flickering when playing loud music.
Click to expand...

There seems to be consensus on power and room treatment. Thanks for the archimago article!

The new room where I will set up the system has carpet floors, which is a plus. I will try to get some diffusers and bass traps. I like the GIK acoustics ones as they easily double as room decor.
Perhaps measuring the room with REW first to understand exactly what things need to be addressed?

I already invested in the speakers, a bit of an impulse buy TBH. I have a pair of Russel K Red 120s.
 
Mike Lavigne said:
by far your server. in my case adding (1) the SGM Extreme server caused a quantum leap in performance. it was the 800 pound gorilla in the room. this server also uses PCIe drives for my files and uses Roon for Tidal and Quboz. i already had a good server, this step up above that was huge. it was not cheap.

next (2) was adding fiber optic interfaces replacing copper Ethernet and (3) a fibre optic interface called Pro USB for my dac to server which included a USB cable. next was the USB cable itself, i replaced a modestly priced USB with (4) a Gobel LaCorde USB which was a big step up.

beyond that everything matters, i do have top level resonance control, and grounding.

click on the link to my system page below and you can see the Extreme server in my system description.

btw; i'm an analog guy who takes his digital way too seriously. i'm all in for digital.:)
Click to expand...

I have an RME ADI2 DAC and the plan for streaming is to pair it with a Sonore Ultrarendu streamer, to use as an Roon endpoint. Perhaps the new Primare NP5 when it becomes Roon certified. I do not have a large FLAC collection now as I was limited by a terrible IPS.
However I will get a decent cable connection soon so that might as well change. Setting up a dedicated NAS is a bit out of scope for me now. Bu thanks for sharing your experience.

What drives me mad sometimes with Roon+Tidal is that some albums disappear and/or are just not there in the first place.
 
Mike Lavigne said:
by far your server. in my case adding (1) the SGM Extreme server caused a quantum leap in performance. it was the 800 pound gorilla in the room. this server also uses PCIe drives for my files and uses Roon for Tidal and Quboz. i already had a good server, this step up above that was huge. it was not cheap.

next (2) was adding fiber optic interfaces replacing copper Ethernet and (3) a fibre optic interface called Pro USB for my dac to server which included a USB cable. next was the USB cable itself, i replaced a modestly priced USB with (4) a Gobel LaCorde USB which was a big step up.

beyond that everything matters, i do have top level resonance control, and grounding.

click on the link to my system page below and you can see the Extreme server in my system description.

btw; i'm an analog guy who takes his digital way too seriously. i'm all in for digital.:)
Click to expand...

Sweet Jesus Mike, I just saw your room setup! Very interesting article on Positive Feedback. Life goal for me. Starting at 30 years old to get into Hi-fi lol. :baby:
 
Yea Mike is one of many members on the forum who have insane level of gear. I am certainly not one of them.

I highly recommend the AudioQuest power conditioner. I use a Niagara 1000 (the predecessor of the 1200). It does a great job. Quality USB cables are very recommended. I use a pair of AudioQuest Coffee cables. I also recommend a USB reclocker. I use what I consider one of the best, a Wyred 4 Sound Recovery, which appears to be on sale for only $149 right now. https://www.wyred4sound.com/products/digital-converters/recovery
 
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This chart seems to fly in the phase of many of the opinions on this forum. Thoughts?

taken from the post above - http://archimago.blogspot.com/2019/07/summer-musings-how-much-difference-does.html?m=0

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The OP also stated after pre, Amp, speakers, and DAC. :)

Also, opinions vary... all are important... source (server/computer), software, DAC are all rather important.
 
Randy Myers said:
The OP also stated after pre, Amp, speakers, and DAC. :)

Also, opinions vary... all are important... source (server/computer), software, DAC are all rather important.
Click to expand...


Yes, I know Randy, but he wanted thoughts about the chart.

Regarding his original question: room doesn't come after pre, amp, DAC for me.
It comes right behind speakers.
 
bart said:
Yes, I know Randy, but he wanted thoughts about the chart.

Regarding his original question: room doesn't come after pre, amp, DAC for me.
It comes right behind speakers.
Click to expand...

exactly right, argue against that logic and one knows next to nothing about quality audio ........
 
In my humble opinion, after having an armed team (without importing the value) in the first place is the acoustics of the room, then Power purifiers, power cables, interconnection, USB, ethernet cable, speaker cables.
 
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