What are the most important things in audio reproduction?

[Bodhi]

A friend posed the above question on FB and posted his list of priorities in building a high end system which I thought would make a good topic for a thread. His approach is quite different from mine. Whenever i'm asked by a newbie what approach they should take building a system, I always advise them in a nutshell to "build your system around your speakers and room".

Here is my friend's list...

1. The Room
2. The Room Treatment
3. The Speaker Positioning
4. The Speakers
5. Room Correction
6. Phono Cartridge (where applicable)
7. Phono Preamp (where applicable)
8. Preamp (where applicable)
9. DAC
10. The Amplifier

"Not the CD transport, not the cables, not the power cords.
Obviously, everything has to be of decent quality-using an Optimus receiver to drive Wilson WAMMs is a recipe for disaster, but that's my hierarchy. Improving each step can reap major sonic rewards, especially if all the items above have been optimized."

And here is mine...

1. The room (incl: room treatments)
2. Speakers (which have the biggest influence on the sound of your system imho)
3. Speaker positioning
4. Amplification
5. Front end (closely behind amplification)
6. Cables
7. AC power (eg: dedicated 20a lines, regen, conditioner, balanced isolation transformer, audiophile wpo's)
8. Isolation (eg: racks, isolation footers, cable risers, NCF Boosters)
9. Physical media (vinyl, cd, analogue tape)

What are your thoughts? What would be your list of priorities in terms of expenditure, and how you believe they influence the ultimate sound of a system?

 

[NorthStar]

1. Turntable @ level
2. Turntable @ speed adjusted
3. Tubes warmed up

 

[RogerD]

from scratch?
Speakers to fit size of room
Speaker position
Preamp
Amplifier
Source
Grounding circuit use large battery cable to chassis(s)
PC's and IC's
Isolation for source,preamp,amplifier,all signal electronics
Room
the size of the room and the type of music listened to should dictate how much air is needed to be moved $$$$

 

[kodomo]

I have a similar approach too.

1. Choose the right speaker for your room size.
2. Treat your room according to measurements and work on how to position yourself and your speakers according to your room.
3. Get an amplifier that has the right power for your speakers in your room with enough headroom.
4. Get the best possible source but leave enough funds for 5, 6, 7 and 8.
5. Get a preamp that matches your sources to your amps.
6. Vibration management.
7. Cables
8. Have as good and clean an electric layout to fit your needs as possible.

 

[bonzo75]

Hah. No one mentioned recordings

 

[bonzo75]

Did anyone ask Rudolph?

 

[kodomo]

Hah. No one mentioned recordings

It all starts from there, if you dont have the records what is there to talk about. It tops it all.

 

[NorthStar]

Yeah, without music no need to a stereo sound system.
Without an orchestra no need for a classical music concert hall.
Without an Opera singer no theatrical opera music drama.

 

[RogerD]

Hah. No one mentioned recordings

from scratch?

the size of the room and the type of music listened to should dictate how much air is needed to be moved $$$$

maybe doesn't count.

 

[Bodhi]

1. Turntable @ level
2. Turntable @ speed adjusted
3. Tubes warmed up

I think Batman had a similar procedure

 

[Bodhi]

Hah. No one mentioned recordings

Yup I did in my OP (See step 9) . I ranked it as my last priority, or to put in another way, my first priority once the room and system are sorted. It's really hard to decide where to put physical media in a list as they're co-dependent.

 

[the sound of Tao]

I’ve taken to essentially just building my system around the music.

1 Music to be played
2 Room the music to be played in
3 Speakers and amp that will be playing the music in that room
4 source replaying the recorded music
5 everything else - because everything ultimately matters when playing music and then nothing else really matters when playing music

 

[Blackmorec]

Synergy!
Speakers with room
Amplifier electronics with speakers
Sources with amp/speakers
Cables with system

Hi-fi systems are like musical instruments. A Stradavarius won't make an average violinist sound great

 

[Bodhi]

RogerD, you made a good point about addressing grounding & taking the time to focus on not just proper speaker/room coupling, but on consdinering how speaker A or B will sound with the music you actually listen to.

 

[bonzo75]

Yup I did in my OP (See step 9) . I ranked it as my last priority, or to put in another way, my first priority once the room and system are sorted. It's really hard to decide where to put physical media in a list as they're kind of co-dependent.

We all end up starting with gear before we learn about recordings. The ideal way would be to know recordings first and then set up the gear around them. It changes the audition/evaluation.

 

[Bodhi]

The sound of Tao, I like your approach to building a system around the type/genre of music you listen to which is an equally valid approach. I can see how that would be very important to someone who mostly listened to one genre of music (eg: classical, rock). I framed up my system priorities based on my eclectic taste in music. Hence for my system I chose loudspeakers which I consider to be great 'allrounders'.

 

[Bodhi]

We all end up starting with gear before we learn about recordings. The ideal way would be to know recordings first and then set up the gear around them. It changes the audition/evaluation.

I agree. One of my bugbears at audio shows is when you take the time to bring your favorite cd's/vinyl to audition, walk into a room & they either only have served music, or insist on playing their albums.

 

[JackD201]

Saying recordings to me is like saying you need at least one AC outlet. I think both are sufficiently obvious.

For me, having done things totally from scratch beginning with tearing down an existing house and building a new one in its place:

Always start with knowing what eventually you want to achieve. From there....

Room size and construction including furnishing, lighting, power and mechanicals
Loudspeakers
Amplifiers
Pre and Phono
Sources
Cabling

As far as budgetary allocation goes I would go for the best sources I can afford and build up the rest later just because the sources and what they brig to the table are what you can take with you should you need to move for any reason.

 

[Bodhi]

Synergy!
Speakers with room
Amplifier electronics with speakers
Sources with amp/speakers
Cables with system

Hi-fi systems are like musical instruments. A Stradavarius won't make an average violinist sound great

+ 1 on Synergy .

 

[bonzo75]

Saying recordings to me is like saying you need at least one AC outlet. I think both are sufficiently obvious.

For me, having done things totally from scratch beginning with tearing down an existing house and building a new one in its place:

Always start with knowing what eventually you want to achieve. From there....

Room size and construction including furnishing, lighting, power and mechanicals
Loudspeakers
Amplifiers
Pre and Phono
Sources
Cabling

As far as budgetary allocation goes I would go for the best sources I can afford and build up the rest later just because the sources and what they brig to the table are what you can take with you should you need to move for any reason.

No completely missed the point. I am talking about budget for better recordings. To continue the AC outlet analogy, it is like first figuring out which is the best AC power strategy, before proceeding ahead... Not just having an AC outlet