Source vs Speakers...read the conditions first

[steveinaz]

Let's make the following assumptions to keep everything on a level playing field:

(Control group): You have a $1,500 power amplifier (choose whatever you like).

You're going to have only 3 components; a power amplifier, a cd player, and a pair of speakers. Which component will have the most notable effect on overall sound?

[RuSsMaN]

No brainer, speakers.

I've always believed in finding speakers you like first, then figure out the back end of the rig, and what combos sound best to you.

[dorokusai]

Speakers.

[Tour2ma]

Speakers... at least 80% of the equation...

[PolkThug]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and choose speakers.

[George Grand]

Speakers are the wooden things that make the noise right? Yes? Okay, then it's the speakers. That's my vote. You can shut down the poll now. All the heavyweights have checked in.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

[TheGrayGhost]

Speakers and then cables.

[Loud & Clear]

I'd like to suggest that it's all going to sound poorly without exotic interconnects and speaker wire. I find wire that I'm comfortable with first, then I match speakers and components to suit my wires.

[Loud & Clear]

Originally posted by George Grand
You can shut down the poll now. All the heavyweights have checked in.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

:p

Happy Valentine's Day.

[TroyD]

1. Speakers
2. Source
3. Pre
4. Amp

Source and pre are pretty close IMO.

BDT

[phuz]

w00t

Speakers, of coz.

[reeltrouble1]

Originally posted by TroyD
1. Speakers
2. Source
3. Pre
4. Amp

Source and pre are pretty close IMO.

BDT

Pretty much agree I might put the actual listening room ahead of the amp.

[Shizelbs]

Speakers. I'd like to second the room acoustics being a big player.

[TroyD]

Originally posted by reeltrouble1
Pretty much agree I might put the actual listening room ahead of the amp.

Actually, I'd put the room and setup at the top of the list.

Don't think a room can do some funky stuff to the sound of your speaks, ask hoosier.

How you digging those SRS's, Ted??

BDT

[George Grand]

L & C,

Glad you liked it. I made a funny.

The room wasn't a choice BDT.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

[reeltrouble1]

Originally posted by TroyD

How you digging those SRS's, Ted??

BDT

:D :D :D

As the Tim the Tool Man said "MORE POWER" These babies like lots of juice.

RT1

[TroyD]

Originally posted by George Grand


The room wasn't a choice BDT.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

They don't call me BDT for nothing, you know.

[Toxis]

Not a single vote for source yet... go figure. :D

[steveinaz]

Edited because with hindsight, it was an ignorant thing to say.
Carry on....

[LuSh]

Steveinaz your attempts are pathetic at best...you're more or less trollling now...to the point I really don't care to post on this forum anymore. Who cares about a $49 CD player, compare that creek to mine and you will hear differences...honestly have you ever heard a $3k-$5k CDP? Have you heard a $3k-$5k pair or speakers? I'm assuming you've heard the latter.

Obviously the speakers CHANGE more because it colors the sound more, it adds and takes away, as you move up the chain in CDP's they only ADD information, unlike speakers. This does NOT mean that the source is any less important. This poll has no merit on a SPEAKER FORUM...try the same on Audiogon, the results might be quite different, in fact I know they would be. If you were closer to where I lived I'd gladly show you the difference between a $49 CDP, a Creek and my reference combo....

I'd also like to see a show of hands of EVERYBODY who has heard a $5k CDP vs a $5k set of speakers. My guess almost everybody has heard the speakers, very few could even name a CDP costing near that. Now I'm forced using dollar amounts because on a forum like this very few people have heard or know what a higher end source is. Most people have wasted THOUSANDS of dollars on amplification and wiring when their source is a DVD player.

[jdhdiggs]

Originally posted by LuSh

I'd also like to see a show of hands of EVERYBODY who has heard a $5k CDP vs a $5k set of speakers.

Ooh, ooh! I Have, I have!!! And I'd much rather have the speakers.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Lush, you're way off base here...

First, Steve is an excellent contributor to the forum, this is far from trolling.

You're here with your typical babble 'I have reference gear, you can't understand what I'm talking about' speech...we've all seen it before.

You said the poll has no merit becuase it's on a speaker forum...SO WHAT. Yes this is a speaker forum, so what do you expect? It's not like anything said on here is the final word anyway, it's just a forum, not a sceitific inquiry into which is better...

Your generalizations are way off about what people on here have heard. How could you possibly have the knowledge to accurately make that statement?

Just becuase you're in the minority you decide to lash out...very nice...

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Oh, and yes, I've heard several Meridian and Lexicon players over 4K. Yes, they're nice, but would sound like crap hooked up to a cheap set of speakers...

[LuSh]

I have never once said acted like I know everything, I have opinions. People on this forum have emailed me about questions and I have responded, and vice versa.

Steve did this to get a rise out of people plain and simple. I don't think I'm in the minority. I just don't think the other members that know, waste their time on polls like this. Price really has nothing to do with the issue. It's more about building a foundation. You act as If I'm the outsider, I think you're wrong friend. Cheer up, it's only a forum.

ps, the typical babble comment was quite funny, like I said champ, people ask for my advice, you might take it as babble others certinaly don't. goodluck in your adventures.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Originally posted by LuSh
I just don't think the other members that know, waste their time on polls like this.

Hmm...so you're suggesting that the people who responded to this thread 'don't know'?

just noticed that most of the members whose opinions I have learned to respect have chimed in on this thread with their thoughts, save a few (Jesse and a couple others come to mind).

I'll be curious to see who all responds and how the overall verdict turns out.

I reacted like an ass becuase you entered this thread that way...acting like an ass.

I don't know Steve personally, but I think anyone that's been around here long enough to know him realizes that you're off base. I don't think the intent is trying to get a rise out of anyone...just curious where everyone falls on each side of the line and what the general consensus is.

[Early B.]

Here's the essence of what Lush said:

Obviously the speakers CHANGE more because it colors the sound more, it adds and takes away, as you move up the chain in CDP's they only ADD information, unlike speakers. This does NOT mean that the source is any less important.

Seemingly, this statement has merit, but not in the context of this thread. The original question was "Which component will have the most notable effect on overall sound?" Obviously most people chose speakers, regardless of the reasons. Kind of a loaded question, though.

Lush, I'm assuming from your perspective that the "best" speakers are those that provide the least coloration to the sound. Are we talking full range drivers here?

[VR3]

I havnt heard a 5,000 dollar CDP..

But I have heard a couple 10,000 dollar ones...

Speakers set a foundation, they are what actually produces the sound. If you dont like how something sounds, the chances of your changing the gear to make u like it is highly unlikely....

[F1nut]

Yeah Steve, I'm right here and I voted awhile ago....wanna quess which one is mine?

I had the chance to compare a $70.00 (about) cdp which was highly modded, so add another $100.00 or so in parts vs a $6500.00 cdp here at my house. After about half a song on the inexpensive cdp the other person and I just looked at each other, hit stop and disconnected it.

I've lost count the number of times I've read about someone here upgrading their power amp or cdp and reporting that their speakers all of a sudden came to life. Hmmm.....so it wasn't the speakers, was it!?!

Now, I've also heard $23k speakers with a $7k amp and a $6k cdp and those speakers sounded like crap. Why? The answer isn't easy because there are too many variables involved. Each one of those pieces have received great reviews, so what we have is the possible lack of synergy or bad room acoustics. Since the room was acoustically treated then one could draw the conclusion that it was lack of synergy. As MM pointed out in the other thread, synergy plays a huge role and is most likely THE most important aspect above all others regardless of the price points.

Having said all that, I still believe that garbage in will result in garbage out.

[Early B.]

F1 is right -- there are too many variables. Besides, how important is this issue? Let's be real -- virtually no one uses a $49 DVD player on a high end audio system, and no one uses Sears speakers with a reference system, so what the hell are we arguing about? The bottom line is that we buy components that "match" our wallets. If each of us had fatter wallets, we wouldn't even be discussing this issue.

Yeah, that's the problem. We're just a bunch of broke-ass MF's talking a bunch of bullsh*t because that's what broke-ass MF's do.

[organ]

Speakers:)