Every 'link' in the 'chain' affects the outcome. It is a synergistic, holistic system. The whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. No matter how great the amplifier, no matter how great the speakers, everything affects what we hear. The room, our ears, our brain, it's all of a piece.

I feel the speakers have been the one thing that have changed the sound more than anything, other than the room (which is probably the MOST difference) especially those times when you listen at a dealer vs home.

My experience has been similar to yours in that the amplifier holds the majority of the value in my system. I noticed differences with interconnects as you mentioned. I also noticed a difference when I added a power plant, power cables, etc. Good video!

It's amazing how quick one gets used to the upgrade! Unfortunately sometimes it's only a matter of weeks and BTW videos like this ain't helping 😂

Always love what upgrades you make on your system with your opinions because it opens up my mind to see what upgrades I can do and test it out on my system.

Very well said, that's how they make their speakers sound great in the Hi-fi show.

I like the subject and the words, but the camera swinging around continuously throughout the video makes it unwatchable to me. I offer this criticism because I think it could help this channel pull in and keep viewers. I don't want to be a downer, I truly just want to let you know that I can't watch because of the camera technique, and i actually really would like to watch. I like the discussion a lot. I think you're making a great point here in this video.

Nice system. Thanks for making this in HDR. I mostly watch content on my iPad Pro and the quality is stunning. I’ve had great success with interconnects for guitar center. Mogami are the brand. I swapped out the stock ones that came with my Meridian speakers and was floored at the difference. It was like I upgraded my whole system.

I'm doing the same. I just got my MAC7200 which is around 4x my Goldenear Triton 7 speakers, but I agree with your reasoning. I love the Mac btw.👍👍

Nice video and system. Spent my money on mains cables, interconnects, speaker cables and a balanced mains unit. Every time I upgraded the cables the sound stage got better. Now its time to change the power amp to a pair of monoblocks. Everybody has a different path......

From my experience, should spend most on speakers.

Upgraded to a pair of Definitive Technology BP9020 towers with built in subs in my 2 channel system with a class D NAD C388 integrated amplifier and noticed a major difference with sound quality through the Def Techs. For me, I would have to say your money should be spent on speakers. Just my 2 cents thrown in! BTW, you've got a killer system Paul!

Im not an audiophile by any means but seriously impressed at your set up. Love from the U.K

Very cool space you got there! Thanks for sharing amigo!❤

Down through he years, I've went through (experimented with) several different speakers, until I finally found the speakers that I determined to be my end-game speakers. Then, after some trial and error, I found the perfect integrated amp to dive the speakers. Some of my cabling is newer, and then some of it is over 15 years old, and I have no plans on replacing any of them. I have isolation (which I believe is critical/crucial) on all my components, and also on my speakers. Right now, I feel like I have the perfect marriage between my integrated amp and my speakers, so there will be no changes there for the foreseeable future. But, if I were going to do an upgrade (speakers or amp), it would definitely be my amplification, but only if I went to a larger room. Once I was able to achieve the kind of sound that I was searching for in my system, I felt that there was no longer a need for me to change or to upgrade anything further. I could easily live with the sound quality of the system that I've so diligently put together for a very, very long time, for which my ears and my wallet thanks me.

Speakers ALWAYS. Amps have reached almost perfection. That tech is cheaper now and readily available. Speakers on the other hand need good engineering. It’s getting better, but still has a ways to go. As such speakers are way more of an investment to make.

The whole presentation of your system is incredible! It looks like you're in Seattle. The view is great. Just watch out for that plant in the window. Seattle is prone to earthquakes. I don't want to see your right speaker damaged.

Simple answer : room acoustics & treatment first. No cable, amp or speaker in the world can fix the fundamentals. The search & gear hunt is over much quicker when you get control over the energy you put into the room. So first put every Dollar/Euro in a professional Treatment & also DSP Correcrion and after that its time for Accessoires like Cables, Riser or whatever (sorry) nonsense the dealers want you to buy

That's a dream, I can only congratulate you. beautiful system

Hi From Thailand. Great Video. Thanks. I agree totally Amp first!!! A totally different take... Debated whether to upgrade my Amp or Speakers or DAC/Streamer. Due to luck, I was offered a new near new (50hrs only) Tube/SS amp - Pathos Inpol Heritage at nearly 50% off. Kept my existing Int Amp and got the Heritage. Now I have 2 great totally sounding systems with the same Speakers/Dac/Streamer. When I feel like transparency/neutrality/details - I play Setup 1 (old amp) When I play vocals etc.- I play Setup 2 (Pathos Hybrid) Easy, just have 2 sets of speaker cables. Cheers

Amps should come first because you can "trade up" to better gear more easily than you can with speakers. Otherwise, they are of equal importance. Your friends or love interests are happily listening to music in their earbuds.

I have been through tens of thousands of dollars of gear in the past two years... Then I bought a pair of Zu Omen Dirty Weekend speakers... Long story short, I have a 1970 vintage Sansui 4000 receiver at the heart of my system, with a PS Audio Gaincell as a DAC and digital hub. $2300 all in! I did add a Mofi StudioDeck with MasterTracker cartridge, another $1350 or so... They are on sale right now, the StudioDecks, darn near half off... Audio Nirvana! This little ugly duckling of a Sansui integrated stereo receiver is simply kicking ass. The phono stage, or preamp is simply incredible, that 60's 70's vintage analog sound. And this Sansui is a raw powerhouse, while remaining dead silent, measured with a db meter. The Bass is just nuts out of the Sansui, and then the best part, the midrange, very airy, the band is in the room, very tube sounding without the distortion... The top end, tight, detailed, analog detail, not digital, even with the GainCell DAC/Preamp. I do not know what to say at this point, other than I am kicking myself for pissing away so much money over the past few years on this modern gear.

My favorite seattle-side hifi reciewer homey! I forgot to tell you on your last vid that there are several high end IEMs manufacturers in our backyard that are top notch, like Campfire and FiR audio

great video, thank You for sharing ,

🤗👍 NAP .., sharing your two. Cents.😎 after all it is your two. Cents.

I think speakers are the most important because it’s what you hear not saying you should have a crap amp But it’s like an old SLR camera it’s the lens that captures the image not the camera. I have owned the Olympia 3 and they made it much better sound than changing out my speaker cables I think if you took the 5k you spent on speaker cables and put that into upgraded speakers you would get better sound

At least we have the same VTI stand....😅 I'm running Marantz & Parasound with Vienna's....no digital capabilities as I don't use my system enough to invest in it all. Beautiful build!

Pull out the pre amp / power amp jumper pins on the Mc (with power off). Replace the jumpers with a short decent quality interconnect.

Thank you Paul :^) Best regards from South America. chris.

I dont't believe it's Your upgrades, that make the difference. IT MUST BE THE OWLS! I demand an A-B comparison video with and without the OWLS. 😂😂😂 /;;/

Respect your thinking and way of doing things, but for me the room and then the speaker are like 70% Taking the room out of the equation, for me it is 40%, 25% pre amp, 20% cd player and 15% power amp, not including cables which in my opinion should not be more than 10% of the hole system. These days it is good to be an audiophile, so much to choose from.

That was great! I love my Mac MA352 and walnut Sonetto 3’s

magnifico.❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥

Totally respect your take on this but for me, it is output first and I work my way backward. So for me, it's speakers first (as it impacts the sound the most)... I know wires matter but that would be the lowest priority in my book.

Firstly you should spend as much as you can afford on the Source component. The quality of the musical signal coming out of this first component defines the ultimate ability of any sound system. Every other component in the system merely passes on this signal with greater or lesser accuracy. None can enhance or improve it The next piece of equipment is the pre-amplifier. which is responsible for volume adjustment, input switching and a gain stage. Again spend as much as possible on this particular component. Following behind the pre-amp is the power amplifier. Try to get one that degrades the signal from the pre-amp, as less as possible Lastly are the loudspeakers. Price is no indication of quality with speakers. You have to audition them before you buy.

Love it!!!.. I wanna be like you when I grow up. I jut got started Denon PMA 1600NE intergrated amp most recent speakers .. Musician Knight 1 with Viborg VS901 cables.. I'm happy! but I aint finish:>). I also have another system Nikko Alpha 130, nikko betea 20 preamp, Nikko EQ.. I also have the Nakamichi MR 1 cassette a real gem.. speakers for that system .. ADS L780, and Polk L200

Nice video like your setup and how you do this hifi hobby. What Stillpoints do you use?

Im a firm believer in speakers first. There is so much variability in sensitivity/impedance/tonality that an amplifier that sounds great with some speakers may sound meh (or worse) with others. Once you have your preferred sonic signature, you can work on matching the amplification and finding the right synergy. Fellow trumpet player here - What’s that sitting next to the right speaker? Yamaha Xeno?

Hi Paul! Love your McIntosh! I have always felt put your money in your speakers first, but I have never had that nice of equipment. One day I might change my mind.

What I nice rig you have and I always love your content. We all have our own beliefs and opinions, based upon our own set of experiences. Let me stat by saying everything is important and it all matters. Having said that, for me, it is essential to start by getting things right at the very beginning of the chain (that is the Source, be it Turntable, CD Player or Streamer).

That's a helluva nice system. I had a Mac7200 and should've kept it. Currently have Lumina V's, KEF 201's and Paradigm S4's. Think I need to get back into the Mac realm...

A chain is only as strong as its weakest element. Looking at your set up it's your speakers. Get yourself a pair of SF Olympicas to catch up.

I like Sonus Faber Olympica Nova 5.

I am having fun with new to me gear and it can very with pieces. At the moment I have more invested into speakers than the amp (restored vintage LaScalas and a Cary SLI-80HS) I like the Lumina 1 in the back ground, my desk top choice.

Being a fan of your channel I'm certain that you will surely pick the amplifier over the speaker even before the answer is revealed. Thanks for sharing. Source is certainly powerful and without good source it is difficult to know the limit of the capability of the speaker you had. Even though the majority of people says speaker make more difference than amplifier it is an interesting chicken and egg question. Without the amp speaker can't make sound and without speaker the amp ofc can't make sound.

Hi from Toronto 👍☕️🍕

System still looks great! Thanks for sharing. Kimber is a great set of folks but unfortunately their cables didn’t play well in my system. Moved to Harbeth 40’s and Cardas cables and it’s as smooth as butter. BTW your camera is the clearest on KZfaq. It’s really dynamic! What camera are you using, if I may ask?

If you don't have proper room treatment, then no don't spend a boat load of money on an amp yet. Get speaker placement and proper room treatment sorted first.

Paul, love your perspective on gear priorities as Ive been considering upgrading my power amp recently. Nothing as nice as what you have, but I've been looking at a NAD M23 for $3,100.00. Have you heard any class D amps, and if so, what's your opinion? Thanks again for sharing your love of HiFi! J.B.

need to try a dual sub just for a monment , you would be surprised when the voids get cancelled out how it sounds

Curious: With that garden-size power chord does it fit snuggly into the rear IFC connector on the amplifier or is it supported some way?

Isn't that a PS Audio Power Regenerator?

Upgrade to the Synergistic Purple Fuses! That’ll maxout the system! I did!

Sounds like you've been lucky with your upgrades. Have any intended upgrades not turned out so well? Your videos are very done.

I must be more of an MusicPhile then an Audiophile because this seems way to much like overkill to me so that I can enjoy my music. I did buy a small powerful tube hybrid integrated and noticed how nice it was and cables have helped little bits here and there with my two systems but I'm happy without all this huge expense and tons of equipment that I feel are unnecessary and just overkill. Im happy keeping things much more simple and not so expensive to play my old records and cd's. I will say that I have a new set of speaker cables Im extremely happy with and they were just $40. Im just a simpleton I guess. But things are thought out and well chosen and within a balanced taste I have developed for my equipment and speakers.

Your knowledge and audio equipment are intimidating to me since I am a newbie. I am just curious on your thoughts of a new set-up if you can comment please I purchased a Denon 4700h, B & W 702 S3, HTM72 S3, SVS SB3000. Ive been told I may want to add an amp in the near future. Subscribed!!! Thanks Nice Pad!!

I'm curious if you have ever considered moving from an integrated amp to a separates system?

wow.. speaker cable out weighing your speakers. maybe its time for your speaker upgrade

just ordered the Triangle Delta, how is your current speaker compared to the Delta sound wise , why you didnt stay with the triangle and do you thinks the sonos are an upgrade from the Triangle ? Also please keep up the good work , love your videos :)

Although I think speakers influence the sound more, I agree an integrated amp is the heat and soul of the system and deserves the most investment! Here is my classic Marantz PM-11S2 amp performing rather well at the heart of my system: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l9pooqmnmNraenU.html

A CHAIN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS IT’S WEAKEST LINK 🤷‍♂️

The whole question is just loaded and wrong.. With the right matching you can get really expensive speakers to sound good.. and vice versa.. The worst sounding amp i have had in my system was also the most expensive.. Some of the best sounding have been from lesser known brands from europe that you don't have to pay 50% extra just for the name.. :) And speakers.. well.. when you find one you like you can start the matching.. a cheap amp might just play better on them :)

I still have my amplifier I got in the 80s 👍

Are your neighbors cool with 85db?

Hi Paul, did you go to PAF? would have been nice to have run into you there if you were. For me I started with my Integrated then went through many speakers until I found the synergy with my current ones. I’ve recently been focusing on my digital side and bought a new streamer , boy oh boy was that a big upgrade over the oppo 203. I also bought the Synergistic MIG footers and again a very nice and shocking improvement.

same amount!!

acoustic treatment first..

Are you in NY Long Island City??

hey my friend, i got a problem ,my mt2 turntable is humming? i made a video here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ptmVqM1-vNiwZoU.html pls can you help me TY so much, best klajess