It looks like we may making similar changes, but in slightly different routes. Your foray into Border Patrol transformer based psus for amps is mirrored by my 85kg Westwick 8kVA balanced power transformer. My foray into Entreq Silver Tellus grounding will be mirrored by your move into Shunyata Typhon etc. And your foray into ASC room treatments is mirrored by my two SpatialComputer Black Hole anti bass wave generators/standing wave and bass node management system.
So we're getting power, electrical management and room acoustics sorted.
Yes, I agree. I suppose your bass treatment improves all frequencies; what astonished me was that the resolution in midrange and treble benefitted so much from the ASC treatment, much more than the bass -- that was excellent to start with in my room.
In my case, an outlay equivalent to half the cost of my component total is producing such synergy improvements that I honestly believe spending even 3x the price of the total w/out the improvements would be inferior! Cost effective, or what?
Precisely! From reading my review it will be obvious to you that the upgrade with the BorderPatrol power supply Units (PSUs) worth 4 grand has had more effect in my system than the purchase of a Trinity DAC for 50 grand would have had -- the amps simply would not have let through the extra resolution. Perhaps I would have heard some of the apparently improved tone with that DAC, but only in a limited way, since without the new power supplies the tone of the amp was also less rich (or less dense if you will) than it is now. And without the ASC room treatment of 6 grand I could not even have appreciated the Berkeley DAC at all over my old Wadia 12.
As we both now know, the foundation of a system must be to take care of electronic and acoustic noise. I must admit, on my own I might not have found out about acoustic room treatment as easily as I did with the help of Goodwin's High End. And regarding the removal of electronic noise and its benefits with the BorderPatrol PSUs, I simply had dumb luck -- that was not even why I bought the units. I had always known, however, about the importance of power conditioning, and my massive Tice Powerblock II still does its excellent job (I am surprised it hasn't died yet).
Certainly, it is 'sexier' to have a shiny new DAC or a shiny new amp, rather than some humble acoustic treatment or measures to remove electronic noise. But without first taking care of electronic and acoustic noise, the most cost-effective upgrades you can think of, the shiny new DAC or shiny new amp can't really shine by showing their true potential. I believe there is a lot of money wasted in High End by people not paying sufficient attention to those essentials first.
It would be more flashy if, for example, I would buy the new Berkeley Reference DAC for 14 grand rather than a Shunyata Triton/Typhon power conditioning system (or similar), and I could at length discuss with everybody how nice that new DAC is and all that. But the sonic benefits with the Shunyata and my current Berkeley DAC will be greater than with the Berkeley Reference DAC (or equivalent) but without Shunyata in the chain, I am now 100 % certain. Of course, the nicest thing would be both upgrades, but by necessity the Shunyata has to come first.
What I'm most pleased about is that the improvements are not at the cost of a change in the nature of the sound - the effort I put in to get the sound I love isn't alterd out of character, just maxxed to the hilt. same for you I'm sure.
Yes, exactly! I am for example not ready to part ways with my 23 year old, albeit modified, Ensemble Reference minimonitors (augmented by REL subwoofer) because I like their tone and enormously lively micro-dynamics (next to excellent macrodynamics) a lot, and the tonal balance represents very well my average live concert experiences. Sure, people may sniff at a 24 year old speaker design and say, boy, you can get so much better these days. Really? I've heard the Magico S1 in the same price range (inflation adjusted) and my speakers, pardon me, blow it away, especially at high, realistic volumes where the Magicos become congested. Only in the lower treble the Magico's were richer, but not necessarily better or more realistic compared with my live concert experiences. And Magico is supposed to be one of the leaders in speaker design. Other Magicos may be top performers, but the S1 ain't, at least not for my tastes and needs. I also heard widely acclaimed DeVore minimonitors (albeit at a lower price range, but current design) in my system and they stood no chance against my speakers.
With the recent advances in my system regarding removal of electronic and acoustic noise I get a resolution from those 23 year old speakers that is just incredible to me.