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Which area of components to spend the most $ on? Boy I was wrong all my life!

I have been an audio junkie for about 25 years. All those years, I have read plenty of discussion posts and recommendations where to spend the most money on. The majority, even the experts recommend to spend the most money on speakers. Up to as high as 60% of the total budget.Example: CEO of PS Audio-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYwL7vPkPhg
I believed this all my life. Today, my eyes are opened. My total budget is about $15K.Before today, my system was:Speakers-Revel F36 Concerta 2 (For the money, this is the best speakers I’ve heard. I like it more than my previous Dynaudio Contour 30)Integrated Amp-Marantz PM-10 (Class D, balanced, 400wpc at 4ohms)CD Player-Oppo UDP 205 & Marantz CD 6005 (Some of the best in class)Line conditioner-Furman Elite PFi 15Cables-Kimber 8TC Speaker Cables (Sorry, not a cable nut. I’d rather spend money elsewhere)
I upgraded my front end CD player to... Marantz SA-11S3. I was BLOWN away! This is the greatest upgrade I have ever heard in my life. For 25 years, I was taught to spend the most in speakers. Sorry! It’s the FRONT END! The best source you can afford. The purity transcends down the river. I am blown away by the sheer improvement in detail, clarity, depth, the air around the instruments.
My philosophy has changed.
skimrn
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Generally the idea is the 'hear it as live'... Yes? so WHO'S HEARING? do you say this person is the standard? or that person? or i it how each individual hears it? If it is  'how each individual hears it' then hearing loss has no meaning, since that IS how they hear live music. If you say noooo. it has to be how "I hear it" what are you? the Music Nazi?          
Just sayin'.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Speakers 0%, cabling 0%, power cords 0%, room treatment 0%, front end + headphones 1%, Tweaks 99%

The higher you go the cheaper you fly. 🦉
bigkidz
1,784 posts
 

My opinion the source has made the biggest improvement in my experience.  To me the source provides the overall sound quality, soundstage, dynamics micro/macro, separation of vocals and instruments, placement, dimension and most important to me is the tone of the instruments.  Other components contribute to this sure.  For example, I love to hear a piano and the decay of the notes.  To me the right source provides this which allows one to hear the "wood" of the piano and the size of the strings the hammer is touching.  Some components are just too fast and to me that sounds like a kind of cheap toy piano.  Very hard to explain until you hear it.  If that is not correct to my ears, then to me nothing in the system can compensate for that.  Also micro to macro back to micro dynamics, without that you don't really hear the emotion in the voice or string instruments.  And then there is a black background.  At the last CAF one reviewer said in his review of a digital product that it was eerie quiet.  So instruments come out of space and dimension.


Well that is all I have to say on this subject.  Happy Listening to all!

  

dave_b's avatar
dave_b
2,267 posts
 
Brain 0%
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Dave went in for a brain scan. But luckily for him they didn’t find anything.
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