First among equals: order of importance of the audio chain links

[JohnA]

There are bound to be different (and strong!) opinions on this subject, but that's the whole point isn't it?

Yes, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

But IF you had to list the links by order of importance, what would that be?

Some people swear that the speakers are the most important link: they are transducers after all, creating the actual acoustic energy

Others believe in the superiority of the Source: If it's not there in the first place, you can't subsequently put it back can you? Urinating at the source of a river will lead to contamination downstream no matter how transparent the rest of the links are. You get the idea.

Others believe in amplifiers, others in wires.

I'll get the ball rolling with my view:

1. Room
2. Recording
3. Source
4. Speakers
5. Amps

 

[eknuds01]

Speakers
Recording
Source
Room
Amps
Cables

 

[JohnA]

Yeah, I used to be a 'speakers' man in the past

That was until I heard really good speakers sound terrible in inappropriate rooms, and really low-end speakers sounding very impressive with high-end bits around them (and a room that didn't conspire against them as much)

Maybe it was the low expectations I'd have from cheap speakers though, without a meaningful A/B test it's all very subjective...

 

[Rich]

1. Room
2. Speakers
3. Preamp
4. Source
5. Recording
6. Amp
7. Cabling


If you asked me the same question on another day, I would probably not list them in the same order. It is very subjective. Another related question is: what order do you recommend upgrading components in the chain? My answer there is slightly different. I usually recommend that people move up the chain -- upgrade the speakers first, then the amps, then preamps, then source, then the cabling. I guess I would have to recommend adding room treatments at the same time you upgraded the speakers. With this method, I think you are better able to hear the incremental changes that each upgrade brings to the table.

 

[Bernard]

I think Linn said it best in their ads, "Garbage In, Garbage Out". If the source is garbage nothing superb downstream will make it sound better.

 

[Rich]

I think Linn said it best in their ads, "Garbage In, Garbage Out". If the source is garbage nothing superb downstream will make it sound better.

True . . . but . . . the finest source in all the land will not make beautiful music if everything downstream sucks, or if the recording sucks. Which brings us back to the original question: What is the order of importance of all the components of the chain, in your humble opinion?

 

[Beakman]

Ongoing experience is telling me:
Speaker
Room
Recording
everything else, wjth "source" as a good lead contender.

 

[Bernard]

True . . . but . . . the finest source in all the land will not make beautiful music if everything downstream sucks, or if the recording sucks. Which brings us back to the original question: What is the order of importance of all the components of the chain, in your humble opinion?

In my humble opinion? Just follow the the chain and you get the order. Garbage in, garbage out applies to each component of the chain.

This came to mind recently when I first upgraded the capacitors in my DAC to Black Gates (the improvement was mind-blowing), then upgraded the volume control in my preamp to a stepped attenuator (mind-blowing again). My SL3s are wonderful, but I was unaware of what they were capable of until I made the upstream upgrades. Next upgrade is a Black Gate instead of the electrolytic in the crossover of the SL3; to be done in the next day or so. I will report my findings in this forum.

 

[TheBobGoat]

I have to agree with Rich completely. If your room is terrible...it will sound pretty bad. But I think a lot of people have decent rooms so unless yours is an extreme, you should be ok. So it is close at the top between speakers and room.

So again:
1. Room
2. Speakers
3. Preamp
4. Source
5. Recording
6. Amp
7. Cabling

 

[DTB300]

But I think a lot of people have decent rooms so unless yours is an extreme, you should be ok.

You would be surprised at how bad most rooms are, hence the ignorance or ignoring of room acoustics currently in this hobby - that is at least until the last year or two. Even some treatments in a room will greatly improve your sound.

For my answer:

1. Source
1. Room
2. Everything else as they all add/subtract from your sound goal

 

[daniel]

In my humble opinion? Just follow the the chain and you get the order. Garbage in, garbage out applies to each component of the chain.

This came to mind recently when I first upgraded the capacitors in my DAC to Black Gates (the improvement was mind-blowing), then upgraded the volume control in my preamp to a stepped attenuator (mind-blowing again). My SL3s are wonderful, but I was unaware of what they were capable of until I made the upstream upgrades. Next upgrade is a Black Gate instead of the electrolytic in the crossover of the SL3; to be done in the next day or so. I will report my findings in this forum.

I agree with bernard. Garbage in , garbage out.
1. Great room.
2. The best source you can afford,
3. The best preamp...
4. The best amp...
5. Martin logan loudspeaker.

( And good cable to connect everything.)

 

[Bernard]

A couple of observations/opinions:

- You cannot separate the recording from the source, e.g. Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" recording makes my source (and the rest of my system) sound like crap.

- You cannot separate the room from the speakers.

 

[daniel]

True, but I didn't tell about cartridge, tonearm, support, cleaning....

 

[risabet]

It only makes sense that the source is the most important. If the signal is compromised at the source than there isn't a damned thing you can do downstream to recover it, ever!

Many place the room first but if you spend all of your dosh on acoustic treatments and buy B&O you get a great room with B&O sound Or picture Summits with a cheap receiver, a first gen. CD player and a cassette deck, ooh nice, NOT! A good source will let each of the following components, including a good room, perform at there best. You can then build on the good source, adding better downstream components as needed getting better sound, hopefully, with each upgrade.

Assuming that the room is not part of the system per se but a necessary element than the system IMO and IME should begin with the sources>recordings>pre-amp>amp>speakers>room>appropriate cabling.

This goes back to the post on synergy IMO, in that for the system (and that is key, the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts) to function maximally the separate components need to be melded into a system. Most of us have heard a collection of $$$$$ equipment that sounds horrible, why? no synergy IMO.

 

[twich54]

This goes back to the post on synergy IMO, in that for the system (and that is key, the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts) to function maximally the separate components need to be melded into a system. Most of us have heard a collection of $$$$$ equipment that sounds horrible, why? no synergy IMO.

Exactly risabet, besides last year I "culled" hundreds of my older Lp's that for various reasons didn't make the cut and trotted them off to Goodwill. Thus trying to minimize the "Garbage In" part of the equation.

 

[Zero]

This is easy stuff.

1) Recording
2) Listening Room
3) Electronic Components that work well with the above, and each other.

 

[amey01]

Room (just set up your system in the bathroom and tell me the room is not the most important)

Source (put a live feed through any system and you'll hear magic)

Speakers

Preamp

Amp

anything else........

 

[risabet]

Room (just set up your system in the bathroom and tell me the room is not the most important)

Source (put a live feed through any system and you'll hear magic)

Speakers

Preamp

Amp

anything else........

The room isn't even required. I can stick my system outside (I've actually done this) and the sound is really quite good tonally though not really engaging.

 

[JohnA]

A couple of observations/opinions:

- You cannot separate the recording from the source, e.g. Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" recording makes my source (and the rest of my system) sound like crap.

Ah, but you can play the same CD on a different player. I've got three.
Or you can play a SACD version of the same recording on the same player even (hybrid disks).
So it's not a moot point, is it?

- You cannot separate the room from the speakers.

You can amend the room with treatments, or use different speakers in the same room.

The idea of prioritising is that we don't fall in the trap of spending too much energy/money in a link that is overshadowed by others that could use the same money for a greater effect.

 

[Rich]

The room isn't even required. I can stick my system outside (I've actually done this) and the sound is really quite good tonally though not really engaging.

Even outside, the acoustics of the surrounding environment will affect the sound. But this is really a red herring. Since 99% of us listen to our systems in a room in our home 99% of the time, and since the room's acoustics always affects the sound we hear (most often in a negative way), then room acoustics becomes one of the most important "components" of our system.