Whats the most Important component in a system ?

You could have a $1 million Source component hooked-up to a $1 million Preamp feeding a $1 million dollar Power Amp powering a $1 million dollar pair of Speakers all sitting in a $1 million dollar specially design perfect listening room.

If you don't have the knowledge of how to massage the best out of the components and how to place the speakers, it'll probably sound okay but you won't be getting the best out of the equipment nor the perfect listening room.

Knowledge is the key component.
 
Front end first. If your turntable, CD player, tuner or cassette deck aren't pulling the detail off the source media, you're never going to get it back further downstream.

Lee.
 
The whole stereo matters. With that said:

1. Speakers are vital. That's where the sound is coming out of.

2. Amp: Different amps make a 'BIG difference' in what's coming out of the speakers. A BIG difference. A Night and Day difference. It's so Easily heard. You will feel it when it's right.

3. If you use a TT: USE at least a $250+ cartridge that matches your tone arm. Again, a world of difference.

4. Many of the new CD players sound simply outstanding.
 
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It's hard for me to start.
Well, all is important.
Let's start with two sentences as references.
Forgot the sources to these quotes:
"American wise, speaker is the most important component."
"English wise, source is the most important component."

By adapting these two ideas, one could build a system using the best American speakers component and the best English source component. Congratulations, best stereo/mono system ever on earth. (maybe) :banana:

If for example, one is upgrading the source first and the speaker latter, then he/she would not realise how different a source could "sound" from one to another.

But if one is upgrading the speaker first, then the amplifier, then the preamp, then the cartridge, one would experience the "different taste" of phono carts and preamps, assuming that the speaker, amplifier and line level preamp are "honest".

Because, it is harder for one to tell how does a source "sound" if the speaker is the limiting factor. For example, changing from Tripath amplifier to SingleEnded Tube amplifier through B&W Matrix 804 will not produce more significant difference in sound compared to changing from Tripath amplifier to SingleEnded Tube amplifier through Magnepan MG IIIa. I'm not implying that Magnepan is better than B&W. I am also not implying that Tripath amplifier is the same as SingleEnded Tube amplifier. These are the only particular types of brand and technology that are accidentally available for me to play with for the purpose of real life experience(s). One must be open minded and not limit oneself to only specific brands if the end goal is to have the "ultimate" system.

If one is using "best possible transparent" speaker and amplifier, then one could really appreciate different kinds of "sound" produced from various source components* limited by technology, design, build quality, and price.

Source components* = phono cart, phono pre, step up transformer, line level preamp
 
Sorry if I offended anyone but I am reading the Pros for treating the room and how you can almost have a transistor radio and it will sound like a live band.

I don't ever recall seeing or hearing where a proponent for the optimization of room acoustics has made such a claim. What you will hear them say is rather than sink big money into a rig and stick it in a room with unfavorable acoustics which will result in a piss poor representation of what that big money rig can actually do it would be preferable to listen to a modestly priced system show everything (or nearly so) it is capable of doing as a result of being set up in a room that is acoustically optimized. Hell, for that matter it would be preferable to hear a system at any price point show what it can actually do as a result of being set up in a room that is acoustically optimized. Again, why spend any amount of money for x amount of performance only to hear a fraction of x? :headscrat

Now, I get that my use of the term "acoustically optimized" alludes to something that is very difficult to attain but even the most modest attempt at improving a room's acoustic characteristics will pay handsome dividends. And the more effort you put into it, the better the return. And what a profound return it can be. :yes:
 
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I don't ever recall seeing or hearing where a proponent for the optimization of room acoustics has made such a claim. What you will hear them say is rather than sink big money into a rig and stick it in a room with unfavorable acoustics only to hear a piss poor representation of what it can actually do it would be preferable to listen to a modestly priced system show everything it is capable of doing as a result of being set up in a room that is acoustically optimized. Hell, for that matter it would be preferable to hear a system at any price point show what it can actually do as a result of being set up in a room that is acoustically optimized. Again, why spend any amount of money for x amount of performance only to hear a fraction of x? :headscrat

Now, I get that my use of the term "acoustically optimized" alludes to something that is very difficult to attain but even the most modest attempt at improving a room's acoustic characteristics will pay handsome dividends. And the more effort you put into it, the better the return. And what a profound return it can be. :yes:


I don't know why we all jump on threads like this ?
I think it is good to listen to different systems . Heard a few at the NY audio
show . Big buck gear in untreated rooms . What a disappointment .
There were some that got it right . l listen with my eyes closed .
 
Of course your ears are the most important, my mood seems to be a big factor too!

Original recording and mastering>
transducers (needle/cartridge/tonearm/turntable and speakers)>
room>
digital sources>
preamp>
amp>
interconnects.

Building a new room is a very expensive up grade!
 
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I don't know why we all jump on threads like this ?
I think it is good to listen to different systems . Heard a few at the NY audio
show . Big buck gear in untreated rooms . What a disappointment .
There were some that got it right . l listen with my eyes closed .

And in a untreated room even what sounds "right' is very likely a compromised representation of what it could actually be.
 
The whole stereo matters. With that said:

1. Speakers are vital. That's where the sound is coming out of.

2. Amp: Different amps make a 'BIG difference' in what's coming out of the speakers. A BIG difference. A Night and Day difference. It's so Easily heard. You will feel it when it's right.

3. If you use a TT: USE at least a $250+ cartridge that matches your tone arm. Again, a world of difference.

4. Many of the new CD players sound simply outstanding.

But all is good as long as there's Sansui :smoke:

Sent from my X10a using Tapatalk 2
 
I don't ever recall seeing or hearing where a proponent for the optimization of room acoustics has made such a claim. What you will hear them say is rather than sink big money into a rig and stick it in a room with unfavorable acoustics which will result in a piss poor representation of what that big money rig can actually do it would be preferable to listen to a modestly priced system show everything (or nearly so) it is capable of doing as a result of being set up in a room that is acoustically optimized. Hell, for that matter it would be preferable to hear a system at any price point show what it can actually do as a result of being set up in a room that is acoustically optimized. Again, why spend any amount of money for x amount of performance only to hear a fraction of x? :headscrat

Now, I get that my use of the term "acoustically optimized" alludes to something that is very difficult to attain but even the most modest attempt at improving a room's acoustic characteristics will pay handsome dividends. And the more effort you put into it, the better the return. And what a profound return it can be. :yes:

Maybe you can show us Pics of your acoustically optimized room and tells us what you have in your system equipment brands and explain why you did what you did on your optimized panels and what effect it had on the sound...
 
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Maybe you can show us Pics of your acoustically optimized room and tells us what you have in your system equipment brands and explain why you did what you did on your optimized panels and what effect it had on the sound...

It's just a garage system, so I do what I can with what I have. And I have no formal training in acoustics, I'm just a self-educated acoustics geek (because the science of it all is so freaking awesome).

I began to see the light here....

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=394908

....and the treatments scenario progressed as a wide variety of electronics and speakers passed through, such as these.....

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=537607

....and these....

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=571184

....and I've shared the benefits of what I've learned with the community here on AK as well. Here's some light reading you might enjoy.....

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=446798

....and some simple DIY projects you may find useful....

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=572781

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=445703

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=433749

....and my latest fascination....

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=547132

As they say, it's a journey. And the scenery is constantly changing....just the way I like it. :yes:
 
Yes, that's right. Bluesky did put speakers at the top of that list of his, didn't he? :scratch2:

Speakers, amp, > $250 cart. Got it. :thmbsp:

Yep get the best speakers you can afford. Stick 'em in a corner. The same corner. Boosts the bass ya know. Give 'em some loudness control. Ya can't have too much bass now can ya. That's it.

As long as ya have good speakers, that's all ya need. :stupid:
 
Yep get the best speakers you can afford. Stick 'em in a corner. The same corner. Boosts the bass ya know. Give 'em some loudness control. Ya can't have too much bass now can ya. That's it.

As long as ya have good speakers, that's all ya need. :stupid:

Well then I'm totally screwed, man. I got no corners!!
 
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