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Stopped looking for the best system

I've been in this hobby since I was 16 years old and, like so many of us, have stayed on a constant quest of finding the perfect, or at least best for me, overall system. It's a quest, though, that has no end; there are just too many variables as well as listening tastes to address.

Many times I have made changes, put in a familiar and favorite CD and said, wow, I finally found the answer, only to find that the next CD selection was a disappointment. With that in mind, it crossed my mind that the best solution would be separate systems dedicated to certain genres of music, for examples, acoustic guitar, vocal, concert, etc.

Of course, that wouldn't be practical and there would still be a question in each case of whether I had gotten it right. So, the only real alternative is to try maximizing one complete system for everything which means that some things will necessarily be compromised.

This all sounds a little negative but it really isn't the case because it, at least, gives us all something to do. After all, the value of any hobby is in the journey. This journey, though, can be quite expensive so I consider myself somewhat fortunate to have a limited budget that restricts the number of choices. Further, if I was given access to anything available, regardless of cost, I'm sure I would still find some fault. O.K., so I guess I am being a little negative.

I'm pretty happy with my present system which I believe most would consider at least good. It consists of the Shanling S100 CD player, CAL Sigma 2 DAC, Rogue Audio Sphinx hybrid integrated amp, Straightwire Octave 2 biwire cable and Martin Logan Odyssey speakers. I've tried quite a few different amps and have gone through many speakers including Acoustat, Magnepan X 2, JM Labs, and Martin Logan (SL3, Prodigy and Odyssey). I got the present speakers and cable together in 2003 or 2004.

I cannot hear the difference in speaker or interconnect wires which may have something to do with my age (72) so it is something that I don't mess with any more. As a last ditch effort I will try a good tube based amplifier and have made a promise to myself and my wife that this will be the final big purchase.

O.K., I'm rambling with no other real purpose than to vent and I'm sure that these issues are not unique to me but as Dietrich on Barney Miller used to say "it had to be said".
128x128broadstone

Showing 2 responses by jmcgrogan2

jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I think that it is impossible to assemble one system that will sound great on all recordings. I have developed this theory over several decades. I feel that the "problem" is in the recordings themselves. Their sonic signatures vary from recording to recording due to processes, engineering, mastering, etc. So while one recording may sound a bit bright with some gear/cables, it may sound just perfect with another set of gear/cables. Obviously you can replace the word bright for many other audiophile adjectives in my last sentence.

I recall visiting a gentleman about 8 years ago who had a 4 armed turntable set up in his main system. 4 different arms/cartridges and phono stages. He was able to vary the sound to his taste by using a different cart/arm/stage on any LP. This is what really started to make me realize that my theory had some merit. The same recording could sound stunning on one setup, and just OK on another. Most recordings could be made to sound very, very good, it was just a matter of setting up with the proper cart/arm/phono stage.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Dayglow, I did not offer the 4 armed turntable as a solution, only evidence as to just how critical the recording is. So many get stuck looking for the perfect component or cable, and it just isn't out there.

Obviously power conditioning is an important topic, I have dedicated lines and a $5K power conditioner, so I feel that I have addressed that, yet Broadstone's "problem" still survives.

The OP is not looking for suggestions as to how to fix his problem. He has correctly come to the proper conclusion that there is no correction, at least not using one system. Multiple systems, as Mapman originally suggests, is an option. Otherwise, we all just do the best we can to balance the sound to our own individual tastes the best we can. Even then, some recordings will just not sound right. There are some recordings I do not listen to anymore, as it would only frustrate me even more to tune my one system to make those recordings sound more favorable, only to find out that it will make other recordings sound less favorable. It's a game that you cannot win....not with power conditioning, gear, cables or whatever other variable that you can throw in there that you can think of.

Broadstone now realizes that fact, as do I. It does help to get off the merry-go-round once you realize that you are not really going forward....only in circles.
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