Upgrading The Audio System - What To Tackle First?

[Braddles]

I found this post in a local A/V forum. Some interesting info and opinions. Thought i would get some feed back from you guys.
It made me rethink my next move!
See what you think.

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=52342

[F1nut]

What was your next move and what in the post has got you thinking differently?

[Braddles]

I have monitor 12 speakers and thought they might need upgrading. Now i thinking my Luxman cdp ( bought at the same time as the polks, 17 years ago ) should be my next call.
Also looking more at room setup, cables and other less obvious things.

What did you think of the post?

[Braddles]

Also looking at better dedicated DVD player rather than my LG player/recorder.

[F1nut]

In general, I thought it was a good post and I agree with a lot of it, but disagree with some parts.

I'm in the camp that thinks the source is were at all starts, so I think you are correct that it's time for a new source. This is one area of audio that has made huge improvements over the years, therefore making a 17 year old CDP hopelessly outdated. I don't agree with spending a good sum of money modding a unit such as the mentioned Oppo. I put forth that one can still not make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

As for your speakers, an upgrade to the RD0 tweeters and an upgrade to the crossovers would breath a much welcomed new life into them.

[mantis]

In general the best way to upgrade a system.

1) Speakers. Most important part of any system.
2) Pre/receiver. This can change your sound almost as much as the speakers.
2a) Amp. Make sure you have enough power to drive/ handle the given speakers.
3) Sources. If these are not as good as 1 and 2 , they will not perform as well as they could,
4)Power. As silly as alot think, this is very important. If you got dirty power , your system will not perform it's best.(Unless we are talking women, dirty could be a good thing)
5) IC's and speaker wire. At the end of the day, this signals got to go from one place to another. In and out so this area should match your systems level.

Thats the hardware now really the most important anyone can do to a system is the room it lives in. Having a good room can make or break a system no matter how good or poor it is. Proper speaker placement and seating distance alone can really help a system without changing anything.

Good luck with your upgrades.

Dan

[venomclan]

1 - Speakers, are where everything comes together.
2 - Amp, must synergise with the speakers.
3 - Source
4 - Everything else including wires, power etc.
Venom

[Early B.]

Ask a hundred audiophiles this question, and you'll get 138 responses, all of them legit.

Ater trading out gear for several years, here's the deal: It doesn't matter where you start, it's where you end up that counts.

Let's say you have a "low-fi" system and you want to take it up to "mid-fi." Well, you probably gotta change every single component. Otherewise, you'll have a "weak link." So questions regarding whether to change the CDP, amp, pre, or speakers first is largely irrelevant. Besides, you'll go through several iterations of "upgrades" anyway before you learn what you like, so the stuff you buy today will likely be sold tomorrow, thus making the "what to buy first?" question even more irrelevant.

But if you're gonna disregard what I just said, start by building a solid foundation -- a big badass amp is the ticket.

[tonyb]

Depends on how deep your pockets are.Doing so a piece at a time lends itself to gear being sold too soon,mainly because you don't realize the extent of the upgrade until the rest of the chain is up to snuff.Buy good quality used gear,your coin will go way further.
I would go speakers, amp, and source,in that order.Not cast in stone though.Just start with one piece if you want,point being is to start,but be carefull,most of us who start,don't know when to stop.

[pearsall001]

1st - The "ROOM" without a doubt has the most impact on your sound!!

2nd - "SPEAKERS" but don't forget to treat the room first.

3rd - The "SOURCE" but don't forget to treat the room first.

4th - "AMP" but don't forget to treat the room first.

Get my point!!

And I quote: "I'd rather listen to a mid-fi system in a hi-end treated room than a hi-end system in an untreated room". The system in a treated room will always sound better!!!

[Gaara]

What to upgrade first totally depends on what you have, and your preferences/budget.

You might upgrade your speakers and then not have a amp to do them justice. Maybe you upgrade your amp and don't notice a drastic improvement. It all depends on your rig but I would focus on the weakest link first, and if your system is about the same level across the board do speaker first for the largest impact.

If you haven't already done so i would recommend room treatments. These will cause a improvement no matter the system, it is a surefire upgrade in sound.

[AndyGwis]

If you are simply looking to make a single, easy upgrade, I would replace your CD player with a nice universal, or a dedicated CD player. If you're not into High Def DVDs, you can get a very good Pioneer Elite, Denon, Marantz universal (DVD, CD, DVD-A, SACD) for a couple hundred bucks (or Kangaroos or whatever).

If you are looking to totally rebuild your system from the ground up, I would go with what others have said. Buy some speakers you really like, then a big powerful amp that matches its power needs, then source, etc.

[mantis]

Some good advise so far.

Dan

[TroyD]

Obviously, speakers make the biggest difference.

On the gear side of it:

1. Source should be your primary concern as this is where there have been the most substantial improvements in the past decade both analog and digital.

2. Preamp

3. Amp

It's been my experience that your preamp will have a bigger effect on the sound and character of your rig than the amp will. YMMV.

BDT

[reeltrouble1]

If a system is by definetion a collection of interdepdant parts
And all parts must function optimally in time to allow the system to reach its potential
Then no part of the system can mean more than another

Therein lies the path down the rabbit hole as each change in a part changes the system potential.

I.E. see Early B posts.

RT1-Audio Infidel

[TroyD]

durka durka

[reeltrouble1]

raise you three desert crocs and a jar of sand fleas.

RT1

[TroyD]

I'm down with that and raise you two empty tubes of carmex and a half empty container of Gold Bond powder.

BDT

[reeltrouble1]

GG left you something.

RT1

[cfrizz]

:D Is there a full moon today? You guys are acting hysterically funny!:D

[reeltrouble1]

sad thing is we are not acting..............

RT1

[TroyD]

I was dead serious.

Yeah, G is a great guy and all but I STILL haven't gotten the brylcreme smell out of my pillowcase.

Bastard.

BDT

[reeltrouble1]

you wont.

and remember LSMFT

and a used jock might seal the deal

RT1

[halenhoang]

What to upgrade first totally depends on what you have, and your preferences/budget.

You might upgrade your speakers and then not have a amp to do them justice. Maybe you upgrade your amp and don't notice a drastic improvement. It all depends on your rig but I would focus on the weakest link first, and if your system is about the same level across the board do speaker first for the largest impact.

If you haven't already done so i would recommend room treatments. These will cause a improvement no matter the system, it is a surefire upgrade in sound.

I agree. Everyone's system and setup and room acoustics are different.. Based of yourself and listening experience with your setup and layout, start with the weakest link first! All things are only as good as its weakest link! period! or should I say exclamation.

Halen

[george daniel]

damn,, I was going to say " source" ;):)