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Ups and downs of audio

Have you ever “upgraded” your system with a highly touted component, only to realize after a while that the sound is not as good as it was previously.  This has happened to me several times during the years.  After I finally figure out the “truth” I correct the problem by compensating for the imbalance with a new component.
Eventually I’ll get a brainstorm again to try something new, and the process starts all over again.
Right now, I’m in the phase of having corrected the problem created by new interconnects with changing the brand of tubes in a section of my preamp. I’m deliriously happy. Everything sounds great.
But I’m  beginning to wonder if it sounds better now than it did before the upgrade.
128x128rvpiano
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oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
4,867 posts
 
^^^ Nervosa Audiophilia. 

Just relax and enjoy the music. Its all about the music and not the equipment. 
lostbears's avatar
lostbears
537 posts
 

 No. I would never buy a component without hearing it in my system first. There is no way to know if the component will have synergy without hearing it. This is why dealers are so useful. I have bought most of my equipment used from dealers I can borrow a piece for the weekend and if I do decide to buy it, they will stand behind it if there is a problem.


douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 

Those are not problems. Problems are incompatibilities and technical failures.

simao's avatar
simao
1,715 posts
 
Sound is like taste inasmuch as we have no memory for it. I can see both sides of the issue and part of the fun of this hobby IS trying a new component sound-unheard and seeing what happens.
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
RV, as I recall the interconnect you replaced was an older "networked" cable, which was explicitly stated by the manufacturer to have been designed to alter the signal. So in my opinion replacing it with a non-networked cable, as you did, can only be a step in the direction of greater accuracy. Which I would consider to be a good thing. And if that revealed a need to change something else in the system, such as the preamp tubes you indicated you changed with good results, that would be another step in the right direction.

Best regards,

-- Al
sgordon1
407 posts
 
Instead of spending big money on components that come and go,
why not focus on the smaller, less expensive (or "no cost")
things you can do to get better sound?

Keep what you have. Challenge yourself to improve
the way they sound!  This is how you will appreciate
how good those pieces really are.
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,415 posts
 
Al,
What happened is, I replaced one interconnect, between DAC and preamp and the sound improved greatly.  (which is what you’re referencing.). Then, I replaced the interconnect between the amp and preamp with a duplicate of that same exact cable, and the sound got duller.  That’s when I changed tubes, and the sound is now, I think, better than ever.
Its a crazy hobby!
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,415 posts
 
oregonpapa,
Theoretically, I completely agree with you.
But the nature of this hobby is to look for improvements.
And this change I’ve made has caused me to re-listen to CDs and get more enjoyment out of the music.
The last sentence of my post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
I really do think I’ve made a big improvement.




 
browndt
97 posts
 
Certain components will have more impact than others. So I look at these key components.  Preamps, cartridges and speakers and isolation of components are at the top of my list.  Most of the other stuff, wires etc
are really not important after you have reached a certain level.

Just my opinion. 
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