Since Cable Threads have made such a comeback recently, I thought it might be time to dig up another old donkey and let it walk around in the yard a little bit.
To wit, Proportional System Spend, aka 'Which components in your system should you spend the most on?'
Yes, this is an old question, but I believe the audio landscape has changed a lot over the last decade or so, thus it might be appropriate to revisit this old chestnut. This last decade, the DAC is back in popular fashion, after languishing for some years on the fringes of the mainstream audiophile scene. We now have network players, 'renderers' and 'end points'. These components did not exist a decade or more ago. Even PCs are considered components in some contexts. Sure, if you've stuck to vinyl or CD exclusively, then perhaps things are as they always were.
So. Opinions.
Is a Linn-esque 'source first' philosophy still relevant? Should you throw the bulk of your budget at your turntable or DAC?
Or, at the other end of the scale, are the speakers the bits that really matter most in terms of the level of fidelity that we can actually attain?
Are the amps really the heart of it all? That's where I've concentrated my spend, in the middle, but I'm beginning to suspect my focus has been somewhat misplaced.
(Of course, this is all complicated by the fact that, by and large, we assemble our systems as we go; rarely are we blessed enough be in a position to acquire an entire system in one go.)
If I could do it all again, I would split my budget 40-20-40 - great source, great speakers, good (workmanlike) amplification.
However.
In the model above, I've ignored cables, system support, room treatment and EQ. Maybe that's the biggest mistake of all?
Here is an interesting perspective:
http://thestreamdoctor.com/index.php/what-is-the-most-important-component-in-a-hi-fi-system/
To wit, Proportional System Spend, aka 'Which components in your system should you spend the most on?'
Yes, this is an old question, but I believe the audio landscape has changed a lot over the last decade or so, thus it might be appropriate to revisit this old chestnut. This last decade, the DAC is back in popular fashion, after languishing for some years on the fringes of the mainstream audiophile scene. We now have network players, 'renderers' and 'end points'. These components did not exist a decade or more ago. Even PCs are considered components in some contexts. Sure, if you've stuck to vinyl or CD exclusively, then perhaps things are as they always were.
So. Opinions.
Is a Linn-esque 'source first' philosophy still relevant? Should you throw the bulk of your budget at your turntable or DAC?
Or, at the other end of the scale, are the speakers the bits that really matter most in terms of the level of fidelity that we can actually attain?
Are the amps really the heart of it all? That's where I've concentrated my spend, in the middle, but I'm beginning to suspect my focus has been somewhat misplaced.
(Of course, this is all complicated by the fact that, by and large, we assemble our systems as we go; rarely are we blessed enough be in a position to acquire an entire system in one go.)
If I could do it all again, I would split my budget 40-20-40 - great source, great speakers, good (workmanlike) amplification.
However.
In the model above, I've ignored cables, system support, room treatment and EQ. Maybe that's the biggest mistake of all?
Here is an interesting perspective:
http://thestreamdoctor.com/index.php/what-is-the-most-important-component-in-a-hi-fi-system/
