Where to spend the most money in your audio chain?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Moby said:
Room/system setup important. Yeah, I get it, that’s why I spend hours and hours on it over several weeks when I set up a system or change components. Now explain to me how this relates to the topic of the post.
Click to expand...

LOL.........look at what YOU posted as the thread topic.....duhhhhhh, time is money kid. So with that being said, again, post #2 ........
 
Dear lord, this thread has gone so far off the rails. Time is money, yes, except when you’re retired like me. Then time is the measuring stick used to count down to your inevitable demise. I think I’ll spend that time doing something a bit more productive than trying to keep this thread on point - like playing my guitar on the back deck and listening to the river flow by. Peace.
 
Moby said:
I agree it’s all important and I’m personally an advocate of a balanced system. And yes, one needs to buy the right speakers for the room and be able to adequately drive those speakers. And yes you need to set it all up so you don’t have horrible reflections or electric hash from your refrigerator introduced through your power mains. But let’s just focus on the most basic issue - if you have all those thoughts in mind, when buying the components themselves where should you focus your investment? As I said, I believe in balance and look for musical performance more than watts or size, but it seems to me that you’re just trying to put lipstick on a pig if the signal from the source isn’t the best it can be. I see way too many systems discussed where people put a $1,000 - $2,000 source in front of $20,000 of other components. Obviously this is just my opinion, but maybe Ivor had something there (despite his obvious self-interest).
Click to expand...

80% of your budget on the best speakers , bigger differences here than any other component ..
 
Putting the room aside. Every part of the electronic chain is important. I think that you have to pick speakers first to fit your tastes, music and room. Then pick a source. But both of these will sound like crap with the wrong amp, preamp, integrated etc. It's like what came first, the chicken or the egg. I think that digital is certainly a different animal than analog. Currently, there are great sounding DAC's in the $500 to $2K range that can be paired with great electronics and sound great. Especially now that there are music players like HQ Player, Bug Head, Roon and the like. However, a cheap analog system will more likely be exposed by higher end electronics and speakers. The question is, what is a cheap analog system $2K, $5K, $10K? Certainly, I have a budget analog system but it suits my needs and it happens to sound great to me and my audio friends.

I see the frustration with people saying you should address the room first. It is not always possible. I am in this boat as are a few of my friends that have $10K to $30K systems and they are limited as to what they can do with a room. Therefore, I hand picked my system to sound the best with my room.
 
a.wayne said:
80% of your budget on the best speakers , bigger differences here than any other component ..
Click to expand...

I can't resist coming back to this thread due to the quoted recommendation. So, let's say I have a $20,000 budget. I should spend $16,000 on the speakers and $4,000 total on source, amp and cables? Let's look at how that might work out with the best Stereophile recommended components available in the budget given those parameters:
Revel Salon2 or Sonus faber Guarneri Tradition
Parasound Halo Integrated
Oppo UDP-205 Universal Player or Music Hall MMF 5.3 turntable with Ortofon 3M Blue MM cartridge
Blue Jean Cables
The Revels at 88.7dB sensitivity rating into a nominal six-Ohm load likely could use more power than what is available from the Parasound. The Sonus Fabers are even less efficient - 87dB/ a nominal 4 ohm load. Both are terrific speakers but, I’ve got to say that in my view this is a ridiculously out of balance system and the chain up to the speakers is not going to give you the quality signal and power those speakers deserve. IMHO
 
$20K budget-

PSB Imagine 3 speakers $7K, Elac Adante $5K

Schiitt Yggdrasil DAC about $2200 Chord Qute $1800

Clear Audio Concept TT or Music Hall MMF 7.3, 9.3 for $1500-$2000

Ortofon Black, Clear Audio Concept or Hana cartridge $700-$1000

$1K for phono preamp

That leaves $7K-$9K for amp, integrated or separates. Hegel Integrated H360 with DAC $5K, PSA Stellar 700 monoblocks $3K
 
Moby said:
Mechnutt - This is more like the balance I’d look for.
Click to expand...


All that gear that I listed has that bang for the buck factor. They perform way above their price points and compete with gear costing thousands more. Stereophile consistently says the PSB's compete with speakers in the $15K-20K range.
 
That is the rationale for most of what is in my system, particularly my amp and speakers (both of which cost 2/3rds or less of the cost of their predecessors in my system) but filled the bill exactly. Other items were purchased as demos at a considerable savings - my phono pre, my DAC, my subwoofer - or used, such as my SACD player. Where I went nuts and totally out of balance is on my TT/tonearm/cartridge, but I can really hear the difference and my intent is to be buried with that rig.
 
Moby said:


I can't resist coming back to this thread due to the quoted recommendation. So, let's say I have a $20,000 budget. I should spend $16,000 on the speakers and $4,000 total on source, amp and cables? Let's look at how that might work out with the best Stereophile recommended components available in the budget given those parameters:
Revel Salon2 or Sonus faber Guarneri Tradition
Parasound Halo Integrated
Oppo UDP-205 Universal Player or Music Hall MMF 5.3 turntable with Ortofon 3M Blue MM cartridge
Blue Jean Cables
The Revels at 88.7dB sensitivity rating into a nominal six-Ohm load likely could use more power than what is available from the Parasound. The Sonus Fabers are even less efficient - 87dB/ a nominal 4 ohm load. Both are terrific speakers but, I’ve got to say that in my view this is a ridiculously out of balance system and the chain up to the speakers is not going to give you the quality signal and power those speakers deserve. IMHO
Click to expand...

i do agree with your assessment here because you spent good money on expensive speakers hard to deliver and worse Parasound .

Revels and fabers , will require tons in electronics to achieve , also i had assumed digital front End, if doing analog you will have to flip the percentages around , 60/40 would be reasonable , lots of details are lost with speakers ..

20K budget ..

Magnapan 3.7i with 4 powered subs , i would stack the subs L/R , amplification can be purchased used but stay away from parasound if you like real as opposed to hifi sound ..
 
Mechnutt said:
$20K budget-

PSB Imagine 3 speakers $7K, Elac Adante $5K

Schiitt Yggdrasil DAC about $2200 Chord Qute $1800

Clear Audio Concept TT or Music Hall MMF 7.3, 9.3 for $1500-$2000

Ortofon Black, Clear Audio Concept or Hana cartridge $700-$1000

$1K for phono preamp

That leaves $7K-$9K for amp, integrated or separates. Hegel Integrated H360 with DAC $5K, PSA Stellar 700 monoblocks $3K
Click to expand...

No amt of amplification would get those speakers to sound like real music , i would go for better speakers ,,bigger differences there than in the amplification...
 
Moby said:
That is the rationale for most of what is in my system, particularly my amp and speakers (both of which cost 2/3rds or less of the cost of their predecessors in my system) but filled the bill exactly. Other items were purchased as demos at a considerable savings - my phono pre, my DAC, my subwoofer - or used, such as my SACD player. Where I went nuts and totally out of balance is on my TT/tonearm/cartridge, but I can really hear the difference and my intent is to be buried with that rig.
Click to expand...

wouldn't you say , the Harbeth 30.1 is under powered in your current rig ... ??
 
a.wayne

So your saying that JA and Doug Schneider and many others don't know what good speakers sound like but you do. I highly doubt that to be the case also the same applies to the Parasound gear designed by John Curl. These broad sweeping generalizations of yours are not particularly helpful.
 
Step 1: I purchased a Pr of Parasound amplfiers , sad sounding but with enough big parts i thought it was worth a go ,

Step 2: I went as far as to ask John Curl to assist in the mods , at the time i was in contact with John and he declined as he was in agreement , suggested i get the real Curl amp the JC-1 ..

I sold and moved on ..!

Built my own ...

Now where did i criticise John Atkinson and that other Bloke ...??

I'm offering my opinion as asked , as everyone else , i stand by them , Buy the best speakers possible ..

BTW, FYI , John only designed the JC-1's ...
 
How about "No amt of amplification would get those speakers to sound like real music." If you pronouncements appeared to be presented as opinions with evidence that you had heard them that would be one thing instead they are written as statements of unchallengeable fact. And in case you haven't read his review here is JA's opinion of the PSB speaker in question.

"Paul Barton has done it again, he has raised the bar for affordable reference speakers, we have found that a pair of the PSB T3's, with good electronics, and a good source, will give you one hell of sound!"
 
Jack said:
How about "No amt of amplification would get those speakers to sound like real music." If you pronouncements appeared to be presented as opinions with evidence that you had heard them that would be one thing instead they are written as statements of unchallengeable fact. And in case you haven't read his review here is JA's opinion of the PSB speaker in question.

"Paul Barton has done it again, he has raised the bar for affordable reference speakers, we have found that a pair of the PSB T3's, with good electronics, and a good source, will give you one hell of sound!"
Click to expand...

No, Jack , thats your wrong assesment of my opinion same as it is of JA opinion on the PSB. Let me reiterate , I currently and whole heartedly stand behind my opinion that a pr of Maggie 3.7i with subs cans any PSB speaker, of course with all due respect to Mr Barton ...

:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top