When do you reach the 90%?
- Thread starter tyeeslayer
- Start date
Exactly. I suspect you could improve the openness of your system with fewer tall, diffractive things in the center.
I'v thought of that and really mostly for aesthetics of having a simpler look. The dilemma, what I might gain with one amp/speaker setup in SQ, I'll loose with music I play on the others. The thing is I have sound choice as to the type of music, media format and mood I play depending on amp/speakers I choose. You see I really listen to the music and don't psychoanalyze every mynute change in sound. Not every amp/speaker works the same with all music and moods.
I live by myself so I can gut the room out hang sound treatment everywhere and just have the stereo and a little setting in there. However I rather have the space setup as I do right now. A coffee table with records stored in it as well as a 27" iMac between me and my system is not optimal, however I 'like surfing music vids and or using it as my server.
That said with all the selecting and trying different things setup in this room, all my choices sound really good in the space. If I want to reduce choice and living environment I'm sure there can be a little gain in SQ or maybe not, I'v done it before. It also might go the other way and I may not like the sound change with the same components. I firmly believe that everyday decor will work as room treatment and you build the system to match what the room and you like in sound.
When listening to records, the tables, cartridge and staging choice I made for this space really opened the room. The walls pushed out and the celling raised up making it sound like a concert hall. I also settled on speakers and amps in this same manor, it's all how one gets their build to work in the room. Look behind my system and you'll see a lot of dried plant, twigs, if they are pulled out I get reflections that head straight to the cartridges. Left in place I get no feed back at all no matter how insane I get with SPL. Not all room treatments need to be what a studio uses.
SiliconTi
Super Member
I think the test is to listen to your system nd see if you really like it.
There are *always* upgrades, but do you need them?
My Library system is great, I love it and just want to add a tape deck for fun, everything else works great.
Living room system is very good, but I know it can be better, so that is in line for an upgrade.
Office system is OK. Just OK, but not worth any time/$.
There are *always* upgrades, but do you need them?
My Library system is great, I love it and just want to add a tape deck for fun, everything else works great.
Living room system is very good, but I know it can be better, so that is in line for an upgrade.
Office system is OK. Just OK, but not worth any time/$.
From my perspective, I knew I could never attain the mythical 90% threshold, so I bought what I could afford, (new & used) and am happy with all of my systems. I have spent far more money acquiring music to be played on the systems than I have in the equipment itself. Listening to the music is of far more importance than the conveyance of it. YMMV.
Never suggested you move those as they don't compromise the sound stage.
Space need not limit quality... unless you require component redundancy. Just get some 2301s and be done with it.
That's effectively what I do with the U-1s using VTL MB-450s - less superfluous meters.
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Well that's you and not me, why are you going out of your way to be rude?
My system is perfectly fine for me, so who are you to say it's not? When you buy my things and pay my way in life maybe, just maybe then your opinion will have some weight.
As far as the speakers you like I would not want them in my house.
gslikker
Super Member
I would strive for the last 10 percent if listening to "music and gear" was 90% of my life or more. Now, as importance of the audio hobby is less than 10% of my life it is of no use to strive for the last % to be gained in my room, since I am at 100% satisfaction for it myself.
I thought you might like the larger Mac tube amps. ??
I heard them drive Magneplanar 3.7s very well. HP liked them on his Scaenas, too.
Superampman
AK Member
You're always at 90%
What no one has addressed is the recording equipment, venue etc. 50% or so of the instrument to ears. A lot will depend upon the quality of that equipment. Some recording components are amazingly good many are not so good.
How much mixing also determines quality as some can mix through literally 100 transistors, cheap slide pots etc. Other recordings use minimal, very high quality components.
keep on truckin
joe
How much mixing also determines quality as some can mix through literally 100 transistors, cheap slide pots etc. Other recordings use minimal, very high quality components.
keep on truckin
joe
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I consider the whole 90% thing to be a relatively meaningless abstract, explainable but not quantifiable. I mean, 90% of WHAT, exactly? The capabilities of any particular system, in a particular room, can be measured. All individual components of a system have specs that can be measured. Performance has an absolute 90% cumulative value score in any system, it's a real set of numbers, and I think 95% or so is a realistic performance goal. But, just because a component is operating within spec DOESN'T necessarily mean it's operating at maximum capacity or efficiency at any given time, and doesn't take into account the rest of the components in the system. But how do you measure the enjoyment of music? Your system may measure off the charts good, with everything working at or near its maximum capabilities. But if I don't care for your choice of speaker, say you have horns and flea-watt tube amps, and I prefer planars with big honkin' SS amps, you might only be at 90% (85% if I'm really being snooty!) in my estimation. Which of us is right? Also, if you change any component, from cables to speakers, you now have a different system, with slightly different performance parameters, whether you can hear them or not. Do you take inaudible improvements (.01% vs .02% THD) into consideration, or is it "only improvements you can HEAR?" And how do your experience and expectations color your opinion? The goal line is always moving. Think of how boring it would be if everybody liked exactly the same things, and thought 80% was good enough. We'd all ride the bus to work, eat at McDonalds for lunch, pizza for dinner, and listen to canned music on a phone with some phat Beats.
Bottom line, quit worrying about numbers. They're not really rules, so much, as guidelines...
Bottom line, quit worrying about numbers. They're not really rules, so much, as guidelines...
maxhifi
Addicted Member
When changes become changes, instead of improvements.
musichal
poet emeritus
Did I upgrade from Khorns to Silver 6s, or downgrade? Or neither? Depends on your perspective.
Bill Ferris
Lunatic Member
Thank you botrytis.
