What's your logic when it comes to Speakers vs amplifiers vs source?
@Philo15 ай бұрын
My logic is this: "vs" is the wrong aproach, it should be said : speakers + amplification + source ( and lets not forget of the 4th COMPONENT ! ) :)
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Did you watch part1? 😎
@Philo15 ай бұрын
@@hificave yup, it's auul about the Synergy !
@mrpmj005 ай бұрын
All important. I've discovered that I prefer thin film tweeters (I own the GoldenEar BRX with AMT tweeters) such as AMT, planar. Source must be lossless so I use Apple Music lossless. Don't cripple your music quality with compressed Spotify. But you haven't mention the finishing touch that actually sounds different: Cardas Clear USB cable and Cardas Parsec RCA cables (or higher such as Cardas Clear), and iFi SilentPower Supanova active noise cancelling power cables (I have 2 for the amplifier and DAC). DAC for me must be r2r so that music sounds 3D live with no listening fatigue (I have the Denafrips Pontus II 12th-1) and DDC (I have the Denafrips Iris 12th).
@Thunderbird1395 ай бұрын
This is officially my favorite hifi channel now.
@sean_heisler5 ай бұрын
I’ve been at this for over 25 years. It’s all of it. It really is. One doesn’t clearly stand out for me in all honesty. Every aspect is important. Beyond components there’s the power and cables as well, it’s just all important. But there are two things that are HUGE if you want to really unlock a top quality stereophonic experience and that’s setup and your room. If you’re sitting too far away, or your speakers are pushed against the wall and you have zero room treatment, then you’re basically listening to your room. If someone said to me you have a choice: you can have a treated room and perfect setup with a $2,000 synergized system or you can have a listening room inside a three season room with windows surrounding it, a $30,000 system, you can talk to ghosts through a machine you built and have 2 million followers on you tube, I would take the former all day long.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Every combination i have heard, hundreds of combinations. No matter what, if amp is a bad match for the speaker, nothing can compensate for it.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
But I agree, it all matters.
@sean_heisler5 ай бұрын
@@hificave I agree. Sorry, I know that the video was more about synergy and amps and it goes without saying I agree. Absolutely. I hope you got my Steve Huff joke in there, bro! Ha ha.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
@@sean_heislerhahaha I wasn’t sure, but I dont judge people’s rooms or setup anymore. As I had a few experiences where a situation shut me up and humbled me. I have even done this to myself recently in my own garage with new concept open baffles using a 60$ chi-fi amp and my phone via bluetooth simply testing the sonic performance before moving everything in the cave.. not expecting the outcome, and I was stuck listening for hours in my garage just standing there with the door open … it was that good and made no sense in my mind. I could not explain it. The speaker “mechanics” was overwhelming certain aspects so much that the flaws that should have been heard were so far lost in the back row that I could enjoy it. Anyway, that might be my next video (#100) Always fun reading your feedvack Sean.
@pfunk345 ай бұрын
After restarting my journey, the point you made at the end of this video fully encapsulates my journey up to this point. For me... today... it is ALL about enjoying and being emotional with the music when I am tired. After almost 2 years, I'm still recovering from a significant concussion and after a hard day at work my brain wants syrupy, juicy, meaty with just enough "edge" in the music. Not resolving with medium or hard edges. So that means tubes. They in my pre-amp to feed solid-state amps to drive my power-hungry speakers.
@snakeoilaudio4 ай бұрын
What ppl usually don't understand is that it is absolutely necessary to buy garbage because it is all about your personal journey or development. I can easily setup a super cheap high end system, that's not a problem at all. But the most inexperienced listeners would hate it. A beginner wants a completely different listening experience than someone with 30 years of experience who already had 20 different setups. The problem is not to find the right hifi system, the problem is to figure out what somebody wants and the first few years it is all about glossy and shiny surfaces anyway.
@hificave4 ай бұрын
I completely agree!
@Robert-id9jx3 ай бұрын
Awesome video sir a great listen for new budding audiophiles but even a better one for those who have been in this game for years but keep chasing their tails. I started when I was 13 and now I'm 63 and I've never heard it stated better well done..
@MLantier4 ай бұрын
I'm 67 now, I spent over 25 years in the hi-fi and consumer electronics industry. I worked for a high end audio shop in the late 70's before getting into wholesale end of things. I just wanted to tell you that I admire your intelligence, style and wit. What you say and the way that you speak is refreshing. Last year, I started putting together my first new hi-fi system that I've owned in years. I'm approaching it exactly as you have suggested. It's a great hobby. I love music, I've really enjoyed Roon too. I'm streaming everything on TIDAL. Never have missed any other medium. I love owning the entire record store that streaming offers me. Take care. Thanks for what you do.
@hificave4 ай бұрын
Thank you. So many are chasing, and dont know what they are chasing. :-)
@weust26722 ай бұрын
I was lucky to hear my amplifier and loudspeakers during a demo weekend at a local high-end audio business. There were three integrated amplifiers that were switched around. Due to reasons I bought the speakers first, and the amplifier later. It was, imo of course, the most musical combination. And after several years I still love it. Luxman L-590AXII amplifier and Martin Miles 5 loudspeakers.
@Phloored5 ай бұрын
Great video and advice to help navigate the hi fi journey 🙏
@samuelferraro56015 ай бұрын
Came across your channel when you had maybe 10 videos. I liked your dry sense of humor so I instantly subscribed. The quality of your videos have has improved dramatically recently so kudos to you. Back to the subject of this video. I totally agree with you the step 1 is the speaker and amplifier synergy. As a budget minded audiophile I couldn't never get to my nirvana till I got into the DIY aspect of the hobby. That allowed me to tweak my various components I built to eventually achieve synergy and nirvana on a budget as well as DIY room treatments. The final piece of the puzzle was building 300B preamplifier to compliment my DIY First Watt Turbo F5 solid state. I did bite the bullet and bought a pretty nice turntable and cartridge. All in all maybe 500 hrs and around $5000 and now I'm a happy man. Keep up the good work.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Of all diy possibilities, turntable, tone arms and cartridges seem to be… well, difficult to make 😃 thanks for the support. Your system probably sounds divine! 300B preamp. Im all in on that one!
@denzelmarshall19885 ай бұрын
You are in the running for hifi video of the year for this one!!
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Haha! How so?
@denzelmarshall19885 ай бұрын
You put a laughing/equation to the thing we're all stumbling around doing. I plugged all my upgrades over the past few years into it and it made sense. Always entertaining too!!
@samlee25625 ай бұрын
Now there's a tier list video we want to see... 😅😛
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Tier list? Like, this amp is a D and this amp is an A… and so on for speakers, converters, sources etc? It would be very much flawed, because, I could try with the gear I have spent time with, but my opinion of where on the tier level each belong is subjective to the combinations I used them with to really know where they stand. But you might have sparked an idea… thank you 😊
@denzelmarshall19885 ай бұрын
I said laughing and I meant to say language lol
@atabayomer5 ай бұрын
Normally it takes few different videos from a channel for me to subscribe to that channel but this one is so good so easy to understand for anyone at any level at this hobby that I subscribed to this channel about 15 mins in to this video.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Looking forward to hearing from you in the future.
@dannyfannyfoodle5 ай бұрын
Wow! You have a true gift of distilling difficult concepts into easily understandable visuals. This has been a tremendous series so far. I can relate to and totally agree with your conclusions. Can’t wait for part three!
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Wow, thank you!
@saverioricchiuto53865 ай бұрын
Great video Loic, food for thoughts. And also a good pair of lens on how to interpret hi-fi reviews.
@rmzidann5 ай бұрын
The most important are the sound transducers, ie, speakers and source (TT, DAC, Cartridge, Tonearm, CD player or CD transport, phonostage and Streamer). Next is the Amplifier followed by preamp and lastly cables. But then again, the room and speaker placement maybe the most important! 😆
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Nah, if amp cant drive speaker, no matter what, it sucks. 🤪😂
@rmzidann5 ай бұрын
@@hificave… true, I didn’t mean to suggest running your Lii audio OB speakers with a Pioneer receiver. 😁😉… personally I would go with Decware, First Watt or a Luxman Class A. I would love to build your OB speakers!
@redkh20175 ай бұрын
A great video!!! With great layout of the hobby!
@geoffreydebrito79345 ай бұрын
Looking back on 50 + years in this hobby, the most important decision is whether you want to go down the rabbit hole known as 'high fidelity audio'. As soon as you move beyond a table radio... you've begun to go down the rabbit hole. The most important thing to realize about the rabbit hole is, that it is a journey. As you progress on your journey, you'll find that your priorities shift a bit. Bass definition, mid-range 'fluidity', treble 'airiness' all become a given expectation and your focus shifts to the size of the soundstage, the placement of performers within that sound stage, the tonality of the instruments and voices with the 'palpability' of players within the soundstage. After all this time, I've learned that being aware of something is not the same thing as having a deep understanding of it. Only time and experience within the rabbit hole will bring that deep understanding and then only if you're paying attention. Preconceived ideas are an obstacle to understanding but "you have to believe in something or you'll fall for anything". What we believe is what resonates with us and in audio that is what sounds best to our ears. Since we can't listen to all the equipment out there, increasingly true as brick and mortar audio stores disappear, we have little choice but to pay attention to reviewers of equipment whose writing resonates with us. Example; I don't like dissonant music, it grates on my mind. So any equipment that in long term listening sessions the reviewer found to be fatiguing is a big no-no for me. Finally, realize that the reviewer is on their journey as well, what they focus on in their review tells you much about where they are in their journey. We're all "On the Road to Find Out" kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pcmlaruAx962imw.html&ab_channel=Yusuf%2FCatStevens-Topic
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Thank you for this great bit of feedback and discussion.
@user-od9iz9cv1w5 ай бұрын
Some great advice in there. Everything matters. The source (DAC/Cartridge) makes the signal. I like that to be good. The speakers make the sound. Agree that they must speak to you and be capable of disappearing. The electronics should be a wire with gain. But that is tough. The amp and speakers work as a synergistic pair. One driving and the other reacting and influencing. So your advice to start with the amp speaker pair that you like is a great foundation. Then I think focusing on the DAC/preamp combo until you are either happy or need to upgrade the speaker / amp cluster.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
I used to be analog nut, vinyl embassador to those around me. But when I reached a certain level of understanding and wanted to push the sonic results as high as I could. I realized that the layers of variables was adding many extra layers of things to consider for turntable: platter, motor, tone arm, cartridge, phono cable, vibrations… then, the layers of factors in a phono preamp(stage)… I sold everything. And chose to focus on digital for a more manageable amount of layers and cost to think about. That led me to a philosophy that works for me: instead if trying to fix all the issues, i chose to maximise the strengths. And the issues often get washed away or put so far back that no longer seem like issues.
@jeffreythurston18225 ай бұрын
Great discussion. I agree with most of this. The room itself is also key. A $50k system can sound awful in a poor room or poor set up. Also, the synergy between the components is critical as you pointed out by changing gear in and out.
@rodm19493 ай бұрын
My rule of thumb is "It is only as good as the weakest link". Balance and compatability can not be understated. When you add personal preference it's only advice so don't get upset.
@amitanaudiophile5 ай бұрын
Wow great to listen from you that synergy between speaker and amplifier is important... Now what I experienced in my journey of search of Hi fi realism??? From recording to final output (the speakers) is the whole journey of dynamics which has to be remained unaltered as much as possible and more synergy in between nearby path device....But next to this it's Also more important to maintain travel of air waves unaltered from speakers to our ears as much as possible achievable by rational speaker placement and little room treatment( if required only) Now , why well made/designed tube amplifier and preamp sounds more realistic? Because those creates widest dispersion of image which makes experience more true to natural throw of sound waves as we feel in nature (reference @ ear to brain mechanism and psycho acoustic,Book called"Get better sound"by Jim Smith)
@philipteater37144 ай бұрын
Late comment but this is a fantastic roadmap. Perhaps you will write a book on this for a wider reach
@ridirefain66065 ай бұрын
"This is so much fun", I feel touches on the crux of the hobby. Just try and have something fun to listen to is my current determinate for my speaker and component choices. Like you, when I was younger, I favored the product that had the best measurements and most accurate music reproduction I could afford. That changed, I am fortunate enough to be able to attend at least one live music event a week. It dawned on me that the highly resolving system I cobbled together approached but could not really covey the real thing. It was not going to fool anybody into thinking that I had anything going on but playing a recording on my HiFi. So, I did a revamp and chose stuff that I could pour a glass of sherry, kick back, and enjoy until the wee hours of the morning. What I currently own is not considered Ultra Hi-End, it is good sounding stuff, that I simply enjoy the sound of. A few more thoughts: I whole heartedly agree the speakers and amp synergy is a must consideration. I had a friend buy a pair of B&W 801's mated with an 80-watt integrated. His kit sounded anemic. It was not long before he swapped it out for something that has sufficient power. On sources, do not cheap out. I have seen a lot of Blu Ray players doubling as CD players. Unless it is in the same league as an Oppo, things become mushy, indistinguishable. So true, garbage in = garbage out. The last thought is on speakers. I would suggest people, take their time and go through the effort to listen to a lot of different ones with the music they like the most. I listen to a lot of bass heavy stuff, when I played it through a $15K plus audio industry darling. Things sounded castrated. The music had no balls at all. Played it through another make that was cheaper but had true full range response, with enough low-end that could thump me in the chest. Now, I could rock out and have some fun. In speakers be cautions, spending more does not always get you more.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
100% if i did a graph of the journey after the verity audio speakers, and applied the bars in terms of pricing, my speakera today, cost me 1/10th the price of the verity, and I enjoy them more and I wiuld debate that my current setup is far superior in terms of maximizing my current tastes in music than ever.
@hiresaudiocosta8735 ай бұрын
Speakers are number one most important as they transmit the sounds that we hear. Source unit is almost as important as the speakers. And amplifier gives the three dimensional imaging as opposed to two dimensional. I would rate that third. 😊
@einarbk8855 ай бұрын
the source is by far the least important component. a $10 apple dongle measures ok-ish and can in theory be used in any system without any issue. for amps and speakers not so much. $2-300 gets you a transparent dac with preamp, nothing more is needed if you use properly designed speakers.
@hiresaudiocosta8735 ай бұрын
@@einarbk885 My experience has obviously been different from yours. I use to think along the same lines as you until I experienced a life changing experience. Back in the 1990’s I had a car audio system with Boston Acoustics Pro series component drivers. Pyramid Class A biased amplifier. Pioneer Supertuner III / CD player source unit. A simple source unit swap to an Alpine 7894 took the same system from mediocre sounding to absolutely unbelievable with regard to Sound Quality. I was surprised, shocked and stunned on how much a difference it made. Everything else in the system remained exactly the same. The difference was so significant, I actually couldn’t believe it. Back then the Supertuner III with a CD charger cost $1000. The Alpine unit was $329 back then. Prior to that I had thought that speakers were way more important. After that life changing experience, my perspective shifted. Think about it. The speakers and amplifiers can only reproduce the signal from the source. Garbage in / garbage out. The prices that you are throwing out with your example , show that your system is probably not even highly resolving enough to demonstrate differences if there were any. So in your experience, you’re probably correct with your findings. But in reality, a highly resolving system will highlight changes in simple things like cables or in my system today, or OpAmp swaps in my DSP. In a mid-fi or low-fi system small changes will make for barely perceptible changes that one has to strain to hear. However, in a higher resolving system those small changes like cables or OpAmps make for dramatic differences.
@davidgill25205 ай бұрын
Hello from Montreal, this is your best video. Great advice. I love the way that you’ve analyzed the thought process of your audio history. It shows that this hobby takes time and even if you throw money at it synergy of the system is not a given. Experience and patience will eventually give success. By the way I have a pair of Verity Parsifals….well done
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Parsifals!!! I love verity audio. Julien knows how to build speakers. They are on a special level. I learned a lot from them. Thank you for the feedback.
@davidgill25205 ай бұрын
@@hificave Regarding the Pasifals, have you ever turned the bass drivers around facing you? I haven't, I mean I should but right now there's no need. I have them in my living room 2.5' from the front and side walls with room. Not many speakers can do that. I've been lucky to save up, work hard and prioritize in having a nice stereo system. Ever since I was 12 in St. Bruno wanting a stereo. Starting with a Realistic receiver, speakers and turntable in the late 70s. Then evolving with all the makes from Onko up thru McIntosh and now a beautiful E-4000 from Accuphase. Same with my sources both analog and digital are at a good level. When I'm long and gone my kids will benfit from this great hobby. Take care.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
@@davidgill2520 i have not. In some scenarios it might be good and in some it might not… a friend has the rienzi that are a bit smaller but offer the same option, and he uses them in his living room now, close up to the wall, and its better facing mode. But in his listening room where they were out in the room, sounded better rear firing.
@brucermarino5 ай бұрын
I've yet to hear convincing description of how amplifiers can provide depth, etc. other than by alterations frequency response. Happy to learn... Thanks!
@knobbshots5 ай бұрын
Interesting “story”…will definitely keep in mind for next upgrade (dac is weak link currently)
@dougg10755 ай бұрын
I have my end game rig. Just in time for the end of the world. I still love reviews and watch them for entertainment.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
The only comforting part about the end of the world is, our parents had their end of the world, our grand parents had their end of the world moments too… Hopefully, our kids will also have their end of the world, and their kids too. 🤪
@Philo15 ай бұрын
Loic, now i can say that you are a true connoisseur of audio. One of the audio guys to go to for advice :) Thank you for all your work and altruism ! Ps : what are the DACs that you mentioned in this video, please ?
@nekky_7r5 ай бұрын
This was a good one man. I was able to draw so many parallels to my own journey and I’m early into it, only a few years. I’ve spent..enough..and have heard that bit of “magic” at a dealer and a touch of it at home, at least enough to be thoroughly perplexed, confused and aroused… I was left wondering how open baffles play into your journey as for your graph the Verity Audio speakers were at the top? I know there’s so much more to talk about but speaker design seems to be a big one for most. Thx for doing more of these now, Loïc!
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Part 3. But you can get an idea of my journey in my older videos, although not as explicit or quick as its done in tgis video. That being said, you see my switch from verity to tektons, to open baffle full range drivers and the open baffle madness and low watt set amps begin. Starting with this one kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nMB7iqiKxqzdcn0.htmlsi=49o3ZYvS1B-Nl9RL
@nekky_7r5 ай бұрын
Cool man, merci
@wric015 ай бұрын
Best investment ever fosi za3, no way you can find a better sounding upgrade. Not dac not cables come close to all the options on upgrade path on this amp(xlr then mono then opamp then rip out the subwoofer and left opamps) . Receivers and most amps you have lying around sound like junk in comparison.
@leeandrewclarke5 ай бұрын
In order of importance; 1.The Room. 2. The mains. 3.Equipment supports. 4.Speakers + Amp. ( this must be treated as a partnership ) 5.Cables 6.Source
@chelillingworth94665 ай бұрын
This is 100% true and then you just build everything around it
@tamayaytam5 ай бұрын
May be this is the best insight and advices. I am walking the same path like every sound sommelier . And I have been experiencing everything you mentioned. There is no shortcut I believe. But I wish there had been a cheaper way of it. The thing you said about how do we know we have a good sounding system. Searching ,knowledge and experience of course. But can a good high quality headphone help us as a reference? I believe that can be more objective way of assessment. Have you tried something like that to check fidelity?
@headshotpros8885 ай бұрын
Your speakers and their interaction with your room is the biggest variable. The key to get right. Most of the time, we're not maxing out the limits of DAC or PreAmp or Amp. It is not the electric part, tubes or not. It is the analog part with object physically move and the air moving and resonating in the room. I've worked at a couple recoding studios. The difference between how sound is recorded, tweaked, and reproduced in a studio vs the Hi-Fi world is vastly different because.. of the marketing and selling people stuff with too many options, frankly. It was recorded a certain way, mixed and produced a certain way. They used studio monitors to reference and check the end results. Hi-Fi would take leaps up if only that world did their playback the way the recording studio and engineers did their capture and proofing of the sound. So do as many of our audio chain components like the pros who recorded that music you're listening to did. THAT is absolutely how to get as close to the pure sound you all claim to be chasing after.
@philipkershaw79185 ай бұрын
Hi, I have quoted elements of your wisdom in my post, elsewhere in this thread. Loving your work. Regards.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
You are right. Sometimes, to have hope of success we must start on simpler concepts that at minimum, is done to ensure a certain amount of performance and knowledge is acheived so we can then understand the “real” challenges and possibly surmount them. What you describe, is the true marathon that we should train for. What I am sharing is, how to start with stretching and why stretching will help you when you start training for the marathon.
@psyphonyxaudio5 ай бұрын
Your mic sounds distorted / clipping / crunchy. - might be a gain level thing. Compressor? The screen shot with voice over isn't as bad .. but the desk view is definitely off.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Gain issue, between mic pre and camera input. Workin on it
@sonusancti5 ай бұрын
Interesting and we all agree that HiFi is a highly complex and subjective endeavor. As a veteran (30+ yrs) in this hobby I would break it down this way, enumerate the influencers and assign its percentage of influence to the sonic whole. It goes without saying that finding the blend of components that harmonize the best into what we call synergy is what the journey is all about. The influencers imo are (in random order) : 1 Source - 10% 2 Pre amp - 11% 3 Power Amp - 10% 4 Speakers +placement - 12% 5 Cabling, power acc, etc- 6% 6. Room acoustics - 51% Total = 100%
@user-od9iz9cv1w5 ай бұрын
For friendly debate... so you have a perfect room. Symphony hall good. Then you only need entry level 1 through 5? I'd argue that speaker placement equal or greater than all these points. For half my life in many rooms I had the speakers against the wall. Did not know any better and had never heard a sound stage. The different rooms made little difference and changing all the rest made little difference.
@sonusancti5 ай бұрын
@@user-od9iz9cv1w The thing is there's no such thing as a perfect room, far from it. I never belittled speaker placement. What's more, recording quality also varies widely. For me, my system needs to have a way to compensate for both acoustix deficiencies and recording quality variances. This is why, I'm an advocate of using passive and active equalization simultaneously to solve these problems. And in my experience they do and are indispensable once you're able to.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
It makes sense, that is your journey. All of our perceptions are relevant to what elements we were lucky to be playing with or to have maybe been influenced. If you are lucky enough to land on amazing synergy between components on your first try or inherited it through friends and their experience or a mentor etc. What you will think is the most important thing will not be the same as someone who starts with the wrong match of components in a great acoustic environment. Had I made this video 5 yesrs ago, i would have very different thoughts, 10 years ago, even more different. This is great conversation tho. This is how we grow and mature. When I fished competitively, i saw guys talk about how the most crucial thing to catching fish was the technique.. these guys started their fishing careers with a mentor that took out the guess work for so many elements at first that they now took those things for granted and it was easy as long as the basics checklist they were shown applied. they knew where to go to find fish, so getting the fish to react and bite was their focus on what is most important. But when I looked at new guys who were alone and did not have an experienced mentor, they were told to focus on technique by many and were trying technique on spots that held no fish. :-) they didn’t know basics of learning where fish live. If you have a very bad synergy in audio components, and are limited wihout knowing it, you can try many things in acoustic treatments and positioning at the cost of frustrations or potentially false conclusions. Like the fisherman trying techniques and thinking one is better because there was one random traveling fish that came through that day not knowing for all other techniques didnt work because theres no fish where he is testing them and wondering why they never stand in the podium after a tournament. But you are right, it requires a journey to get there.
@quma0015 ай бұрын
I had high end DIY bookshelf speakers with a decent hybrid amp (Pathos Classic One MK3) which gave me amazing sound (goosebump territory) but only on certain tracks. As soon as I listened to bad or thinner recordings, everything fell apart, sounded annoying. Then I bought a used pair of older floorstanding speakers (price about 15k twenty years ago) and suddenly every music I play sounds good, full bodied, smooth. I can also listen to my old favourites from Queens Of The Stone Age etc. and enjoy it. But something is missing, They never reach the "goosebump territory" that my old speakers could deliver with certain tracks. So everything sounds very good now, but nothing sounds amazing 🥲 The question is, can the speakers get to this point with better source/amplification, or did they reach their limit.
@billythestalker5 ай бұрын
Hmmmm. I’ve tried enough gear to understand your point of view. My NAD M10 and Totem Tribes were great. Same with my Maggie LRS and Pass LAB XA25. But swap either component and listen again…. And nope! Just not happening.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Its such a difficult thing to properly explain too. And easy to fall in the wrong conclusions. Thanks for commenting. 😎
@shogo33004 ай бұрын
Heck man @hificave one of the most informative videos in a while by a long shot. Thank you sir! One of the most overused word in hifi is 'reference', what is the benchmark here? Dealer's or manufacturer reference? - pfft! A system to replicate a 'live' performance? and pfft! I agree with your logic and its all subjective, especially at 17.06 mins into the video (rofl) nice try though!
@hificave4 ай бұрын
Nice try? Find 1 system that sounds good with bad amplifier speaker synergy.
@dajikbatarang15 ай бұрын
I used to think speakers were the most important. Then I found a pair of $700 used speakers, that just keep getting better with better electronics. Ive had 12k speakers in my room that didnt satisfy like these. I also think they would be able to be driven by tubes, something I’ve never dabbled in.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
I lived the same thing. But saying it simply to most “inexperienced audiophiles” or book smart audiophiles who haven’t truly experimented is a difficult game of symantics and perceptions. Dialog and open mindness is what helps us all.
@baronofgreymatter145 ай бұрын
So how does one know when one has collected a fine pile of components and having collected them how to set them up properly from cables and speaker placement to vibration. I think I have some nice gear. Im just not sure if they play nice together since Im the only one hearing them
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Are you happy?
@baronofgreymatter145 ай бұрын
@@hificave I think so..never been at this level and not sure if I'm missing anything set up wise
@hificave5 ай бұрын
If you are happy. Why look for reasons to be unhappy? That concept of missing out… if you want to dig, dig for curiousity sake and to learn. Dont start digging by worry that it could be better, because it comes with expenses and frustrations along the way. So it has to be for the right reasons, growth, learning and the experience. Smile man. Put on good music, and enjoy.
@fearwolfbrewery50144 ай бұрын
So you have sold you Musical Paradise MP-D2? What did you went for instead? V4?
@hificave4 ай бұрын
Never said that. The mpd2 is still here with its big$$ upgrades, and its the best dac I have owned yet.
@fearwolfbrewery50144 ай бұрын
@@hificave ok, sorry. in that case I missunderstood. Have you consider adding dueland bypoass caps to those jupiters? Btw, is it a fullmusic 274b you are holding in your hand during the video? I will but the MP-DX in a while and I will upgrade it similar to yours. I already have the MP pre-amp and have upgraded it with the Jupiter caps and Linlai e6sn7. Love it!
@hificave4 ай бұрын
@@fearwolfbrewery5014 It;s a TJ 300B. havent done the duelunds yet.
@blejzerosamigos61155 ай бұрын
Hi I have to say love your videos,but dac is not a source, streamer is ,a lot of people use computers (pc or laptops😢) cd transport,turntable,tape.
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Ok sure. But you get the sense of the conversation. 😎
@blejzerosamigos61155 ай бұрын
@@hificave I do, Cheers. 🥃🥃
@jaycoleman80625 ай бұрын
What are your thoughts on Amp/speaker combinations from the same manufacturer?
@hificave5 ай бұрын
It ShOULD sound good. They are voiced together… usually… I would hope… They should perform well, then it’s a matter of your sonic taste vs that of the engineers doing the voicing
@jaycoleman80625 ай бұрын
That was my thought as well. I purchased a hybrid amp from a very well-known manufacturer that only has 5 or 6 different types of speakers in their line. The connection between the pieces is quite evident. They seem to understand each other quite well. Just my 2 cents. I enjoy your content.
@restcarl835 ай бұрын
Did your room treatment play any role in this story/journey?
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Ahh it sure did. A future video…
@abxaudiophiles5 ай бұрын
#Wisdom.... :)
@hificave5 ай бұрын
Who let you in here mr @abxaudiophiles? did you tip the valet before making comments here? 😎🤪 You should see the bloopers on this one…
@philipkershaw79185 ай бұрын
@headshotpros888 [elsewhere in this thread] nailed it when he wrote: 'Your speakers and their interaction with your room is the biggest variable as far as kit is concerned.' I've had the good, the bad and the downright ugly of kit at one time or another and I know by experience how true this is. Back in the day, the recieved wisdom was that the source [usually a turntable] was the all critical, make or [system] break component. And most contemporary Hi-Fi gurus would expound on the virtue of spending most of your hard earned Hi-Fi budget on said source. Yet, I have always considered that a much more even handed approach to budget allocation was the way to go. After all, what use that over specced turntable when those crappy, after thought, speakers make everything sound awful? To this end, I feel that Hi-Fi Cave with his notion of 'balance', is giving us all a good steer! In simple terms, picture your system as a series of components joined like links in a chain. And consider each link as an interface. So, what do we [minimally] have: a source, interfacing with an amplifier, interfacing with a pair of speakers, interfacing with [as is seldom considered] the listening room. And it is this final speaker/room interface where any goodness from up the chain gets mauled by nodes and anti-nodes and absorbtions and reflections....... Thankfully, unlike that man, we don't have to spend $6,000.000 to fix this! Those pesky room effects can be 'dialed out' with a little digital wizardry. This is the way I have gone.
@thomasfi12755 ай бұрын
How to reach your HiFi endgame, you tell exactly how to get there, what’s the most important part? Your answer: all matters. To me this video didn’t help. Maybe I missed something…?