Which component has the biggest effect on the sound?
- Thread starter dolfan
- Start date
darrenyeats
pfm Member
The question might be a bit meaningless.
If your preamp could be better, getting a better preamp will help. And it will help in WAYS room treatments never could.
If your room could be better, getting room treatments will help. And they will help in WAYS a preamp never could.
So, it's horses for courses. The total playback system should be working properly in all the ways it needs to work. What improvements there are to be had, depends totally on the context. What system? What room?
The question seems to be designed to foster a debate (which is fine by the way) rather than arrive at a real answer.
If your preamp could be better, getting a better preamp will help. And it will help in WAYS room treatments never could.
If your room could be better, getting room treatments will help. And they will help in WAYS a preamp never could.
So, it's horses for courses. The total playback system should be working properly in all the ways it needs to work. What improvements there are to be had, depends totally on the context. What system? What room?
The question seems to be designed to foster a debate (which is fine by the way) rather than arrive at a real answer.
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
A preamp should be totally transparent, the whole amplification chain should be, speakers and room, and a good turntable if you use vinyl.
Keith.
Keith.
It's not possible for room/speaker to be transparent. The only two ways are to sit in the near field or in a field, if you get my drift.
Room equalisation is always a compromise.
adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
I read Keith's post as
A preamp should be totally transparent, the whole amplification chain should be. [The answer to the Op's question is] speakers and room, and [you need a] a good turntable if you use vinyl.
Keith.
TheDecameron
Unicorns fart glitter.
The Loom.
darrenyeats
pfm Member
Should is a big word!
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
I would have thought 'most" solid state preamps are audibly transparent, unless designed to be otherwise, valve pres 'may' be transparent.
Keith.
Keith.
You're absolutely right. Room treatment, correct speaker and listening position allows even a modest system to sound great. With a really good system the sound can be ear-opening and any change/upgrade can be easily heard good or bad.
I don't get it Keith, if this is the case, then why do you represent a €9,500 integrated amp (SPEC RSA-M3). I suppose in this case it "shouldn't" be totally transparent, and instead have a "triode" / "rich and warm" 300B balance? This is interesting despite it measuring 0.02% distortion (way below 300B), so should be transparent in any case? Why not sell what you consider should be transparent, but at 1/10 of the price?
Daniel Quinn
Banned
£9500 integrated amp !! In view of your philosophy Mr Purite , what room wouldn't benefit from a £9500 extension/conversion as opposed to spending it on an amp .
Can we please drop the room as component crap now ? Please .
Can we please drop the room as component crap now ? Please .
adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
You mean "please drop the telling the truth crap, because I judge the truth to imply that your components are overpriced. I would prefer you to talk nonsense as I would prefer to believe that your components are not overpriced."
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
The SPEC has an srp of Euros 9500, it is a nice sounding amp, not strictly transparent perhaps but the designers aim was to combine some of the best qualities of valves with the best of solid state ,in which I believe they have succeeded.
We also sell a cheaper class A integrated, and I also use a bespoke valve pre amp from David Wiright and a pair of again bespoke hybrid mono blocs.
But the room and it's interaction with your loudspeakers remain the largest single contributory factor to sound quality.
Keith.
We also sell a cheaper class A integrated, and I also use a bespoke valve pre amp from David Wiright and a pair of again bespoke hybrid mono blocs.
But the room and it's interaction with your loudspeakers remain the largest single contributory factor to sound quality.
Keith.
djftw
Heterodox Member
I imagine that is far more universal than the south east, even in supposedly the cheapest place to buy property in the mainland UK (Hull) the average is over a grand a square metre of living space!
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Don't understand this, Gerald. In which way do most people spend more?
In real or unreal terms (?), I have spent virtually nothing on my listening room in ten years; dedicated radials, some underfloor ducting and record shelves. Can't imagine what people would spend so much money on.
This just goes to show how bonkers property prices are. And also maybe how it pays to buy property at well under the average rates per square metre.
I paid £180 per square metre for my living space in 1999 in West Yorkshire. Multiply that by 1.5 to adjust for RPI inflation to todays prices.
djftw
Heterodox Member
Well quite, but there is usually a reason why property is well below average, either the property needs a lot of work which can equal a bargain if you and friends/family have the skills/contacts to bring it up to scratch at at a reasonable cost (which is pretty much what I'm doing atm), or it is in an area of very low demand which tends to correlate to a lack of employment opportunities etc. We will likely always have somewhat high property prices on an relatively small and highly populous island, but we really don't help ourselves with our cumbersome planning system and our national predilection to Nimbyism!