What's the weak link in my system?

Great advice on the digital equalization. Then you can just throw your turntable and LP collection away. lol

Dave

Sure, if you want good audio you have to say goodbuy to the vinyl romance anyway.  However, if you really want to hang on to your vinyl setup, you can also do the equalization in hardware.

Moving speakers around trying to find the best locations is like trying to solve 3 simultaneous equations in 4 unknowns. You'll never be able to find the absolute best locations without the out of phase track on the XLO Test CD. The best you can do is find local maximums. This is one of the few cases I can think of where measurements are superior to listening.

willemj,

With the confidence that you exude in your opinions on every topic, you should post your system on a Virtual Systems page so we can all see what you have chosen and your experience level. Short of that, we can only hope that your advice is taken with some caution.

Dave

As I teach my students, the truthfulness of a statement does not depend on who is making it, (let alone on the content of their living room). However, I don’t mind. I have two serious systems:
1 main system in the large living room
Speakers: Quad ESL 2805 (at full range), with B&W PV1d subwoofer and Antimode 8033 room eq. Crossover at 33 Hz, and 4th order slope.
Amplifier: Quad 33/606-2 (both refurbished, of course). The pre amp had its input senstivities modified to match modern sources (this is very important).
Sources: a modest Panasonic BD player, a Panasonic Plasma TV, a Chromecast Audio.
Souces still connected but no longer used: Linn Sondek/SME/Shure V15iii turntable, and Quad FM3 tuner (I now use internet radio for its superior sound quality).
And for those of you who are interested in cables: ordinary heavy duty speaker cable and quality interconnects with Nakamichi connectors, put together by a pro audio engineer.
Upgrade plans include firstly a second sub for even smoother response, and perhaps a DSpeaker X4 pre amp for improved room eq and its inbuilt DAC (but maybe it will be an Oppo 205). The Quad 33 is getting a bit long in the tooth.

Secundary system in my 18 sq m study
Harbeth P3ESR as desktop speakers, raised to get the tweeter exactly at ear height (crucial for all dynamic speakers, and often overlooked).
Amplifier: Quad 405-2 (refurbished of course), input senstivity lowered by inline attenuators.
Volume control: Emotiva Control Freak
Source, desktop PC, with external ODAC usb dac.
Because the speakers still had a slight bass boost as a result of the proximity to the desk surface I equalized them a bit with the equalizer APO.

So as you can see I live by my conviction. Also, I am not one prone to the upgrade virus. My first system was QUAD esl57 with the 33/303 and that Linn SME combo and that was in the mid seventies. I later added a Philips cd player, subsequently replaced by a Marantz unit when we wanted a DVD player and similarly now the BD player. If and when there will be enough UHD video content, I will probably replace that with an Oppo 205 (perhaps also used as a pre amp). For years, the system in my study used the Rogers LS3/5a monitor, until I replaced it by the far better Harbeth P3ESR.
I do like having my tv screen attached to the stereo. I am not a home video buff, but I like better sound when I watch tv, and I think the video is an important part of the recorded opera/ballet experience. A good example is the magnificent Gergiev recording of the Ballets Russes at the Mariinski theater.