what is the "best sounding" component ?


frequently a question is asked regarding the "best preamp", the "best cd player under $4000", the "best midrange", etc. . obviously the poser of such a question wants input to assist in a purchasing decision.

only the person who asks the question can answer the question. what is best varies from audiophile to audiophile. it usually depends upon the criteria one uses to evaluate performance.

it is often an ambiguous term, as no one specifies what is "the best sound".

if standards for determining what "best" is are specified than one can render an educated opinion.

i suggest that in the future, when one asks for ideas regarding the "best sounding speaker under $1000", for example, the poser of the question indicate his/her criteria of sonic excellence.

i suppose one could start a thread asking for ideas as to what constitutes the "best" in audio, but i think this would be redundant.
mrtennis
I don't get it either.
It's like "World's Best Coffee" .......according to who?
Perhaps it would be semantically more accurate, but I truly doubt anyone asking such a question is actually under the illusion, nor has the expectation that the answer is as myopic as the question. For me it goes without saying that whatever I read from someone else's point of view is simply an opinion. Anyone who's actually under the illusion that this stuff actually is factual in nature is deeply misguided. I also don't see much of a point, either way, in correcting the semantics in the way they phrase their question. I truly doubt it would make the poster view the answers in a different light, especially if they were of that 'misguided' state of mind to actually think there were some "right" answer to such a question. Nevertheless, I agree, posing the question that way does seem pretty silly. Another alternative would be something like, "What has been your favorite CD player under $2k?". I couldn't agree more that it is all entirely subjective. It is a good point that the poster include the qualities they consider positive attributes to the component(s) they are asking about. That would be useful information in responding.

Marco
marco, i think a better way of phrasing the question is:

what cd player sounds................. priced under $2k ?"

the problem with personal favorites is the subjective nature of "favorite".

i believe someone seeking assistance may be looking for a component having a particular presentation. it would be useful to specify what that presentation is.