Like an idiot, I spent a fortune upgrading components to try and get the sound I expected, to no avail. Then one day I moved my system into my master bedroom and was instantly rewarded with vastly superior results. I sold off the "big" system costing $15k and am getting considerably better sound out of a $3k system in a better room. This has also been my experience as a recording engineer...the room trumps the equipment 100% of the time. The best microphone in the world is going to sound poor in a bad room, whereas an "okay" microphone in a great room will typically sound great.
529proaudio, I finally realized how important proper room setup/treatments are after years of being in this game of hifi. I haven't spent crazy money like many other audiophiles I've read about because I was content with my Paradigm S6 speakers and setup for many years until I decided I wanted to try some different speakers. I've always owned solid state gear except for the entry level Conrad Johnson ET3 tube preamp I had for several years paired with a Bryston 4BSST. I decided to go with an all tube setup when I bought the Spatials and glad I did. Again, I finally realized that the room is #1 when building a any type of audio system. My Audioquest Niagara 3000 and the AQ power cables I bought for my DAC, preamp and power amp are probably the best upgrades in my system next to the Spatials and room treatments. You'd have to experience this for yourself before you disagree.
Thanks for your input!!
You have nailed it, and you are 100% dead-on right 100K in equipment will sound horrible in a room left untreated and a system costing 1/10 the cost would kill it in a room built around an audio system and treated. The room is your sound, so take the time a treat it, because you spent good money on your gear so why sell it short putting it in a bad room not fit for any audio system 2-channel or Video multi-channel.
Mr. Big, I CONCUR!
I also agree that the room and speakers are (almost) everything. Worrying about power cords, cables, DACs etc. is like rearranging the deck furniture on the Titanic if the room is bad! There is probably an ideal reverberation time (RT60) for Spatial speakers and other dipoles that would be helpful to know and use as a guide for adding acoustical padding to a room.
Al
abomwell, If I knew then, what I know now, I probably wouldn't have bought all of the new components, but I had to make do with my current room because I didn't know when I would be in a position to build out my future dedicated room until recently. So, I have no reason to buy anymore new components, etc., until I get the room setup properly which I'm sure it will turn my system into a brand new system as a result of the room setup! Friends are blown away when they hear my system, but I'm used to hearing it all the time and I can be very analytical, as many of us tend to do.
Thanks for your input!
M5 sapphires in a small bedroom. Thanks to Mike at GIK as well as Clayton for the consults. Oh, my aching neck. That was a long weekend.
Agreed: Forget about cables, isolation pucks, component upgrades, etc. until you have the room under control.
sockpit, nice setup!!
