Which area of components to spend the most $ on? Boy I was wrong all my life!


I have been an audio junkie for about 25 years. All those years, I have read plenty of discussion posts and recommendations where to spend the most money on. The majority, even the experts recommend to spend the most money on speakers. Up to as high as 60% of the total budget.Example: CEO of PS Audio-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYwL7vPkPhg
I believed this all my life. Today, my eyes are opened. My total budget is about $15K.Before today, my system was:Speakers-Revel F36 Concerta 2 (For the money, this is the best speakers I’ve heard. I like it more than my previous Dynaudio Contour 30)Integrated Amp-Marantz PM-10 (Class D, balanced, 400wpc at 4ohms)CD Player-Oppo UDP 205 & Marantz CD 6005 (Some of the best in class)Line conditioner-Furman Elite PFi 15Cables-Kimber 8TC Speaker Cables (Sorry, not a cable nut. I’d rather spend money elsewhere)
I upgraded my front end CD player to... Marantz SA-11S3. I was BLOWN away! This is the greatest upgrade I have ever heard in my life. For 25 years, I was taught to spend the most in speakers. Sorry! It’s the FRONT END! The best source you can afford. The purity transcends down the river. I am blown away by the sheer improvement in detail, clarity, depth, the air around the instruments.
My philosophy has changed.
skimrn

Showing 24 responses by geoffkait

dave_b2,224 posts01-26-2019 5:43pmNever thought I’d do this, but...hey GKait!  Gotta riddle for ya.  I changed out the jumpers on my speakers, MIT tails (12”) for NRG Omega’s (already owned) and not only did the resolution increase dramatically, but the PRaT improved as well.  My amp seems even more dynamic and full sounding in addition to the increase in clarity and air.  Why?

>>>>What are NRG Omega’s?


If you’re having trouble hearing the difference between Correct Polarity and Inverted Polarity I suspect your system probably needs a tune-up. Inverted Polarity lacks bass and proper focus. Crossovers are a separate issue. How do you know your system is in correct Absolute Polarity? Answer at 11.
Gee, they couldn’t be the same brilliant audio engineers that are compressing the life out of recordings, could they? Maybe those are different brilliant audio engineers.
The Polarity issue is important, I’ll grant you that. It’s too bad there’s no standard for Polarity in the industry. However in terms of priority of importance, i.e., impact on sound quality, I rate the scattered background laser light problem higher than Polarity. Furthermore, you can now do something about scattered light getting into the detector whereas for most people there’s no practical solution for the Polarity on CDs being Inverted. If one has a Polarity switch goodie for him.
You were the innocent gullible victim of a Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby routine. 
I wouldn’t say I know more than anyone else. However I do know the difference between a black hole and a worm hole. 
Oh, well, you can’t please everyone. Maybe you need a vacation. 🌴
You must be looking in the mirror, Joy Boy. Most people get over Carl Sagan by the time they hit puberty.
Davey, m’lad, you’ve been following the wrong sheep.

“Billions and billions.” 😳
“If I could explain it to the average person they wouldn’t have given me the Nobel prize”
He may have been inspired but his idea for Jodie Foster’s character to travel to Vega in the book and movie Contact via a black hole was totally screwed up. Fortunately Kip Thorne convinced him that wouldn’t work out too well.
Hey, me too! Constrained layer damper on bottom, crystals on top. We’re twins! 
Definition of an expert. Someone who used to be a drip under pressure. 😛
Dave went in for a brain scan. But luckily for him they didn’t find anything.
Speakers 0%, cabling 0%, power cords 0%, room treatment 0%, front end + headphones 1%, Tweaks 99%

The higher you go the cheaper you fly. 🦉
Getting rid of all the things that audiophiles hold dear and fret over endlessly worked for me. No more power cords, no more house AC, no more speakers, no more speaker cables, no more interconnects, no more fuses. No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks. 🤨
millercarbon
“Forces you think about the system as a whole.”

>>>>>Also forces you to think about the system as a black hole. It also forces you to think of the system as a big rabbit hole.