2. misc-audio
  3. 141872-115924

Relative component value to overall SQ.

There is a lot of discussion about various things in the hi-fi audio component chain and how they affect SQ and as a beginner it would be interesting to see how folks rate the relative value of these items.

This is not necessarily meant to be a hierarchy. What I would like to see is a percentage value for each item in the chain. Total must be 100%.

I realize this is an artificial construct but I think for newbies building a system it would help them know where to start and where to put initial emphasis.

For simplicity I am leaving out the signal source. Let’s assume that the CDP, DAC, streamer, server or TT are delivering an optimal signal of an optimal recording to the system.

I included room optimization since that is also likely critical.

The components are as follows; assign a percentage to each. Total must be 100 :

Speakers
Speaker cables
Amp
Amp power cord
Interconnect cables
Pre-Amp
Pre-amp power cord
Interconnect cables (to source)
Room optimization


n80
sbank's avatar
sbank
2,038 posts
 
@bdp24 Great post! 
That's why I suggested used. Think of it as home audition for as long as you want at marginal cost. If you goof on a match or your priorities change, flip it with little risk. If one assumes that they may not hit perfection on the first try and are willing to enjoy the journey, it can be a fun, long and winding road(that leads me to your door - just like a Fedex delivery!). Cheers,
Spencer
dweller's avatar
dweller
2,152 posts
 
I assumed buying new. I gave the lion's share to speakers because future upgrades, to other components, will add value to the sound from the speakers. So quality speakers keep sounding better and better.
sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
486 posts
 
Speakers 70%
Speaker cables 10%
Amp 15%
Amp power cord 0%
Interconnect cables 1%
Pre-Amp 1%
Pre-amp power cord 0%
Interconnect cables (to source) 2%
Room optimization 1%

hadsat
2 posts
 
Interesting too
inna
5,245 posts
 
bdp24, you make it sound almost like a rocket science. But you are right.
This thread was clearly started by non-audiophile. The question makes little sense in real world and one never leaves the source and the recordings out.
More to discover