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Finding the 'weakest link' when upgrading?

Being able to find the weakest link when upgrading is really, really important.
Otherwise a different new component may never really be able to show how it is better. Since the other ’weak’ component(s) is(are) masking the new components better sound.

This is a difficult problem.

My best example is not exactly about the least sound quality, but it may show something about it.
I upgraded a good portion of my equipment all at once when I retired. And I still had in my system an old DAC I bought used. When I received most of the new components (including new preamp, new amp, new speakers and a new turntable and cartridge), I was comparing my old DAC with the new one. And found no sonic difference. I mean I tried every way I could and could not hear any difference between them/ So either I just wasted $25,000 for nothing or?? I was very frustrated.
Anyway, after three weeks I got another new bit which had to be ordered and built
.
When I plugged in the phono box, an epiphany and a flood ot tears.. My $25,000 of new equipment really was better. Since the phono box sounded glorious, thus it made it clear all the rest of the system WAS NOT holding back the new DAC. That new DAC was actually just not any better than my old one. And I returned it.

And unless I just happened to acquire that new phono box a week later, I would have been stumped why the new DAC (which was praised to the skies by both Stereophile and TAS) was not doing better.
I was seriously bummed and confused about wasting a ton of money... until I played the new phono box.

Now it was kind of odd that the two DACs, one, used for $250 )it’ original list price was $1,000) and the other $2,400 and 12 years newer) could sound so alike. But chance happened. (And toss in the official guru magazine praise with it all)
==================================================================

Anyway, how do we find the right part to upgrade? Since making the wrong choice can leave one in the same boat I was in back in my example? (at least until I got the phono box)

I do not have an answer. and I ask.. does anyone?
For me it is just kind of a sixth sense, with little real science to it.

In general I have been kind of lucky.
But how do I know I have managed well?

I do not know.
It has been better more often than not.
(Though I have made a few really terrible choices over many years now and then. Costly choices)

Anyway, my question is how do you make the choice of what to upgrade?
How do you know or decide which is you weakest component?

And do you agree finding the weakest component is really important in the path of upgrading, or one might be making expensive mistakes buying gear, or trying gear? (which may really be great, yet you cannot hear it due to some other weak links in the chain? And though I hate to say so, this weak link may even be cables, or powercords or even the AC from the wall*.

*(but please do not get into a big theory arguments about interconnects and powercords and power conditioners.) Stick to the main topic of knowing how to find the weakest link.
elizabeth
judgmentday
21 posts
 
elizabeth,

Yes, the whole thing!
$70K is not bad at all.  I have a friend who says for him $100K is a good entry level. Darn rich boy! jajajaja.

I have my eyes on the $100K system that I auditioned and be done with it.

Are you going to drive your $70K MBL 101e speakers with you iPhone? jajajaaja.

What about that $12K phone box?  This one asks for a $30K speakers at least.  

PD
Shhh, please don't tell anyone, but I want to get the Tesla P100D $135K 2.5 sec 0-60, or at least the 100D $94K which still does a respectable 4.1 sec 0-60 both with a range of 315 miles per charge.

Really is less than a 1/4 of million bucks for the 2 toys.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Looking for the “weak link” in an audio system - if you’ll excuse the expression - is like not being able to see the forest for the trees. Finding the “weak link” in an audio system is like trying to solve N equations in N + x unknowns. Obviously you can achieve better sound quality by identifying one problem and correcting it. But there are many more problems waiting in line. When will it all end? 😮

A rich man or woman has about as much chance of entering audio Valhalla as a camel 🐪 has of passing through the eye 👁 of a needle.
amg56's avatar
amg56
666 posts
 

It's nice to hear civil encouragement, understanding and real advice instead of groups either side of the street throwing stones, Some wonderful advice being given by those who have been there and done that.

Its not nice to hear the dollars being contemplated while the Aussie dollar slips downhill though.

We in Oz do not have the breadth of brands, in numbers that make it a viable product for the dealer. So many of the models noted, need to be "Googled" to see what they are. From personal experience it can take 10-12 weeks to get a component in. And we all know what happens next, the nest magazine or show (we do have too many of those) comes around and you question whether you should have waited for a couple of weeks more.....   more hand wringing and mental chaos.

Any way I now have 3 US contacts who are building my speakers, my power conditioners, and I have just bought some M&K stands and small speakers that are unavailable in Oz, and lastly a Nakamichi OMS-7 CD player. Yum. I am also considering a Nakamichi Dragon just serviced by "THE" Willy Herrman from the same seller. He knows I am a genuine buyer so he is happy keeping it until I am out of hospital and well again.

However I have discarded all my old 100+ tapes in the last "declutter" so apart from looking good, It would be an expensive "look at me" component. I don't know where to purchase tapes (metal) in Oz any more, but is the Nak really useful to me anymore? Ir would be a "look at me" trinket, but It would match the OMS-7 though.

No. I have my health first, my wife second, my new house build third, my wife fourth, our overseas trip fifth, my wife sixth, the grandkids anywhere, and then the Nakamichi Dragon/ wife at some stage. Ho hummm.

I love these threads as long as I know I am not boring you or advising anyone wrongly.

A

cd318
404 posts
 
Upgrade the whole system?? Seriously?

Might be an idea to ask how much measurable distortion there is in modern amplifiers, DAC's, CD players, or whether there is any difference between a coat hanger, one good strand of copper or solid silver cables?

As far as distortion goes the real culprits are loudspeakers and microphones. Unfortunately progress is slow in these areas so it's just a case of choosing speakers with distortion characteristics you can live with. 

Of course not all distortion is unpleasant, I used to love the sound our old valve radio used to make. In fact nothing ever quite matched it harmonically.  
elizabeth OP
6,726 posts
 
Years ago I would have agreed speakers are the number one ’problem’ as far as what is the most difficult to get right. But once up in a ’better’ speaker zone, the electronics become a huge part of "where is the crap coming form?" The speakers already can let the bad noises pass right on through!
So once you have high quality speakers, (or even just decent ones) then the electronics become a huge issue, since now, you can hear their faults! (back in the 1980’s I could scoff at folks touting huge $$$$ amplifiers, thinking are they nuts?. But NOW, I understand the reason for them.)

Previous to my Magnepan 3.6 speakers, the speakers covered most of the little faults of the electronics. (Or I did not have the skill to see them clearly?) With the 3.6 those faults in the electronics became more evident. So the quest to find and fix those faults in the electronics became the goal.
(For myself I actually upgraded several items at that time, and bought some top notch power conditioning. But I read others buying 3.6 and wondering why they sound bad.. IMO It is the electronics crud they could not hear before!!!)

With my new 20.7 Magnepans much better midrange and overall tonal balance, I can now hear the electronics like never before, so can appreciate finding the right gear even more. Thus my ease at adding a $7000 digital bit of kit. It just does the right things via listening to it. I doubt I would be able to hear a lot of what the Marantz SA-10 does ’better’ without the speakers I now have.

And that brings up another point of upgrading.
If I buy stuff which is way better one at a time, how can I know it will ’be there’
ie can do way better than I can currently hear from my system!

Like the Bryston BP-26 preamp I have. So far it really does clearly have what it takes to let the goodness through! And it just (after all these years) got mentioned in TAS as being worthy of buying. So in a way I 'lucked out’ buying it on faith? that it could cut the grade in the future.

These are the problems it is hard to ’know’ how to work around and solve when one cannot just throw money at it endlessly! So upgrading everything a little, vs going big one item at a time, the work to find that stuff which is going to 'last' or going to be able to show it is worthy when it gets combined with other better gear on down the road...
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