"I like the sound - " Stop right there. Why change? You've found the sweet spot. So many audiophiles will never be happy with what they have because they get addicted to 'upgrading' (in reality, often merely expensively changing) their system in search of the myth of a perfection that doesn't exist. Your system makes you happy, so you're free to spend your money instead on expanding your music collection!

@sivagurupathamvadivelu680

2 жыл бұрын

Chasing the dragon.

@zachunter246

2 жыл бұрын

I disagree, if you're closed to new opportunities you don't know if theres anything you're missing

@oliverbeard7912

2 жыл бұрын

More music is the best upgrade for any system.

@thisisnev

2 жыл бұрын

@@zachunter246 Here's the thing, though. No system is perfect in every way. Every single audiophile is missing something. The hard thing, if you're a perfectionist (as many audiophiles are), is to let it go.

@LuxAudio389

2 жыл бұрын

We are sick zombies fattening the pockets of Audio Wizards. 🧟🤑

There’s always room for improvement, but he isn’t being too specific on what he feels his system lacks. Identifying that would be really helpful. Paul’s probably right about the speakers in any case.

@jctai100

2 жыл бұрын

I'm sure the letter had specific brands, but that is usually not what Paul wants to focus on.

Fortunately I’m at a place where I am done upgrading. My most recent purchase was a new phono cartridge that replaced a cartridge I had owned for 18 years. That was clearly a replacement for a worn cartridge and these days the only money that goes into my system is for maintenance. It’s a great place to be.

@alphaniner3770

2 жыл бұрын

I am also nearly done upgrading, and my 'youngest' gear was 16 years old, and my 'oldest' 20. I plan to use the new gear just as long.

@NateEll

2 жыл бұрын

@@alphaniner3770 that’s terrific! It’s so satisfying when you’ve gotten to where you no longer are on the gear merry go round. I’ve not changed any gear, with the exception of my phone cartridge, since 2015. The oldest piece of equipment I have is over 50 years old. I also have equipment from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 10’s. My only concern now is exploring more music

@alphaniner3770

2 жыл бұрын

Perhaps it is slightly different... My set was 16-20 years old. I was happy with it, but then my CD player and integrated amp (both Rotel) started to develop problems simultaneously. I used this Corona period to replace my whole system. That is nearly done now, and then I plan to use it as long as I can. I also made sure that the new elements are very well made and can be repaired easily if necessary.

@NateEll

2 жыл бұрын

Spot on accurate Ben

@aakar88

2 жыл бұрын

No such thing as "done upgrading" Give yourself @ most 2 years before you get tired of your sound and start exploring again...never fails, there is NO known cure

What gives me the most bang for the buck? Pro-Tip: Never your cables.

As usual good and fair advice 👍 One thing regardless of the price and quality of the components used in the system…. that is even more important than the speakers..it’s the room and the seating position. If you’re not being slapped on the face with great imaging or experiencing a wide ( beyond the walls) and deep soundstage …it’s generally not the gears fault…as you’ve often said ..get the system to fit the space . Once again thanks for the great video.

That AquaNet is definitely the best sounding print-bed adhesive that I've auditioned ;) Neat to see some 3D action out in the wild. It'd make a neat topic in a future video!

I knew the answer was gonna be “tough to say, but probably your speakers”. Still true!

@Hirnlego999

2 жыл бұрын

Often the room too, and placement

I stumbled over my weakest link in my headphone setup when I recently bought some HiFiMan 400is as a long overdue upgrade for my beloved 10 year old Senheisers of equivalent price. I could hear a bit of a difference but didn’t feel it was anything near worth the cost. Then I got a $50 KGUSS DAC which didn’t make them very loud, but way clearer. It improved the old Senheisers too and allowed me to the hear the differences between the phones better. Put it this way the Senheisers have the emotional guts for Something like the Warren Zevon’s piano in Werwolves of London, while the new HIFiMans reveal classical music with transparency and ease. I think I found my weakest link, so I immediately sprang for an iFi Zen DAC and got a small but noticeable improvement. Spotify free now sounds really good.

My system made a huge step up when I bought my Rockport speakers. It's just another league all the way. Before that I was buying and seeling stuff with no roadmap, trying to upgrade my system, and quality was going up and down from one equipment to the next. Now, no equipment or cable get into my system before a proper and long testing session. No matter the price or the features of the equipment... I only select the things that sound better. That's the rule. Take a look at your system... sale this, sale that... put a little money and make a huge step up ! That's what I did and I don't regret. You save time, you save money, and you enjoy your system much more. And yes Paul, speakers help you to hear the differences between components more easily...

Love what You are doing for SOUND :)

I think you missed another part of the sound reproduction chain ... the room. That guy could easily be chasing the next big thing when he should be looking into making what he currently has sound better. Never going to get pin point imaging in an echo chamber.

Paul is absolutely right! if you have a decent class-ab amplifier like nad denon and a sound source with good sound qualities for example a cd player, but the sound out of your speakers is not good then it is most likely speakers you have that is the problem! I have seen 5500 usd speakers with the cheapest crossover and wires you can think of. I have also seen and heard cheap speakers with relatively good sound quality

An audiophile's system is never ever set or never complete, once you start you never stop always chasing the next best thing

My best low cost upgrade are two marble plates to place my speakers on (there on a cabinet). Makes a huge difference and only cost me $70 😁

Interesting subject and answers 😊

Speaker placement. Room acoustics and speakers . Don't know what speakers you are running. Look inside , are they braced, do they have material lining the cabinets, are the crossovers proper (not just a cap and resister on the tweeter)made from decent components? How low do the speakers play? Do you need a sub? Speakers can sound different and people have their opinions on what sound good to them.

Hey Paul, Now that RMAF is cancelled, does that mean there will be a significant delay in bringing PS Audio speakers to market? Any time frame for release?

for my turntable i bought an Origin cartridge isolater. wow. the ifi purifier going onto my Cary DAC was a very welcome upgrade as was their ac purifier. if i could id buy all PS Audio.

3:20 - Wouldn't the analog of speakers playing back be the MICROPHONE recording? (not neccesarily the A/D)

It finally dawned on my that some audio brands "prohibitively" price their gear sheerly to keep production volume low. Product may only cost a few grand to actually make, yet the MSRP is in the tens of thousands.

@AllboroLCD

2 жыл бұрын

@Douglas Blake I get it, some are just more extravagant than others. I could never fathom anyone desiring an Oswald Mills product, just me I suppose.

@mr.badzout9103

2 жыл бұрын

5506

@AllboroLCD

2 жыл бұрын

@Douglas Blake Basically... Nice work if you can get it. Sort of no different from the fashion or art industry.

I agree with Paul spend the most on your budget on speakers! They are ultimately what you are going to hear. Then your amplifier then your sources.

@alphaniner3770

2 жыл бұрын

I used to think that too, and my speakers used to be about 3/4 of my total budget. Then I got a better amp and the difference was pretty huge (in a good way). All this time my speakers where held back apparently. Now I have even better amps (pre and power) and, yes, cheaper speakers than my old ones. Overall the sound is hugely improved. I do think that speakers are still the most important and sound defining element, but to get the most out of them the rest of the gear should match. And at a certain point having a balanced system will be worthwhile. These don't come cheap.

What do you use the Aqua Net for ?

In reproduction the speakers are part of the signal path but in recording they are in a side chain like active negative feedback, the active component being the recording engineer.

Did you make the round bookshelf speakers in the 1970's? I think they where called PSB. I listened to them in Edmonton Alberta at a hifi shop. Demo guy had 2 pair set on top of each other and played "Cold as ice" by Foreigner. The speakers sounded better than any other speakers in the listening room. Sorry I didn't get them.

@NateEll

2 жыл бұрын

PSB was Paul Barton

Fair play my mate.. Easy to say oh,, he's pluggeing. Again.. But you can't hide genuality.. Good luck for future projects.. Regards, Antony.. Warrington... England..

This Video is soooo True

Every audio dongle I have ever used was better than the Dragonfly Cobalt. I am surprised Paul’s impressed with the Dragonfly (Cobalt I’m presuming), cause using that thing as a mobile solution was one of the most miserable experiences I had in audio.

The weakest link in my system is my ears. I had my hearing tested and found that my frequency range was 28hz to 17.5khz. I also have 3-6db dips at 600hz and 13khz. For my age, I was told it was good/above average. It was still unsettling to know my hearing has some loss 🥺😐🤔😭😳.

@robertvanruyssevelt7159

2 жыл бұрын

Frequency range shrinks for everybody with age. You can't do anything about that. What you can do is protect yourself from excessive noise e.g. wear ear protection when using power tools etc.

Yeah like to see that motorised attenuator why do you need to add it got enough leavers already not sure what you're trying to achieve

Speaking of speakers, I’m unfortunately a habitual viewer of AudioGon, A-Mart, Paragon and The Music Room, etc. There was a very nice pair of Von Schweikert VR-1 bookshelf speakers for sale. While I was contemplating what I’d do with these if I bought them, thankfully someone scooped them up, thereby saving me say $650 dollars or so. They were clad in very nice African Hazelwood. Sometimes not getting what you want works to one’s benefit - hah!

yes peas do a vid on the slider. so so so cool!

Used to fight with my friend who was a hi-end dealer and he felt that the power amp was the most important. My view is speakers first, but the amp is really PART of the speakers and they should be in harmony for optimal sound. Do your research and blow your $$ on the best speakers, than deal with the electronics. Take your time, Rome, as the saying goes, wasnt built in a day.

In Denmark, I would pay Dali a visit.

... sound-blasters - usb 's sound so much better than a dragonfly and come with extras like software if your running it on a PC (sound blasters work on most devices -cellphones/mac/windows/etc - some of the chips can only be used with a PC- but the newer models all have controlled by buttons on the device itself .. ) just helpful hint -

Paul, for your hair, I'd suggest a pomade or styling gel instead of Aqua Net.

@alex_stanley

2 жыл бұрын

@Lukas Please keep in mind that this is the YT comments section.

I remember a time when the source was considered the most important so I'm interested in what has changed. I understand the importance of speakers as they are the items most effected by room acoustics. However, if the proceeding components cannot resolve detail, speakers cannot compensate for this.

@johnholmes912

2 жыл бұрын

you can have the best speakers on the planet, but your system will still sound crap unless your source is up to the job

@billsiemer4932

2 жыл бұрын

Source is still the most important when the actual recording is being made. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it. It is either good or bad. Most middle class electronics sound pretty good. Any name brand will be serviceable. You can always strive for perfection. Speakers on the other hand can be vastly different. Personally I look at the room and choose the speakers accordingly. Then I try to choose electronics to match the speakers. Just my opinion. Results may vary.

@jamesfarrow6752

2 жыл бұрын

@@billsiemer4932 My speakers are the oldest component in my system and I knew that I was not getting the best out of them as the first time I heard them, which was an at event, they sounded so much better than with the electronics I had at the time. I still don't have comparative electronics but have upgraded then to a point where I'm happy. Its a balancing act as usuL.

@davidstevens7809

Жыл бұрын

Modern material is all over the place seems like every time I switch album or whatever I need to fix something to make it acceptable..and the more dynamic and power and wider the bandwidth ( more honest) the more obvious this becomes..

no mentions about acoustic treatment of the listening room... people buying new electronics, speakers like crazy. At a certain level, acoustic treatments can do a lot more than switching 'only boxes' (IMHO)

Speakers of course

Hi Paul. You're definitely not on the same wavelength as Ivor Tiefenbrun then! 😉 I guess times have changed. I find myself having sympathies with both points of view. Additionally I am often struck by the extraordinary effect different amps and pre-amps have on the sound. I will agree that speakers generally have the most obvious effect on the overall sound - but not necessarily the most fundamental or satisfying effect. At least in the longer term. Not that any of this helps answer the original question you were addressing.

@MarkW_CSI

2 жыл бұрын

I haven't seen big Ivor for years now 😂 I've owned a Linn LP12 for 39 years now and have Linn speakers on the other end of the chain with Naim amps in the middle. Nice synergy and great sound 😎👍

@barrymiller3385

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkW_CSI I have had my LP12 for more than 40 years now. And I've had Naim amplification of some kind in my system for the same length of time. (I went to the store to buy a Quad pre/power combo. I was persuaded to listen to a Naim 42/110 - and never looked back!!)

@MarkW_CSI

2 жыл бұрын

@@barrymiller3385 I still use a NAC42/NAP110 with SNAPS PSU. I've still got the badge that Ivor handed me personally, which says "May the Source be With You." This was late 70s when Star Wars was big news ;-)

First speaker placement/room acoustics then speakers.

Actually, at the recording end of an audio chain the microphone is the most critical component and the electronics come second. Transducers are the most difficult component to engineer and construction can be expensive.

I think swapping from an integrated amp to a dedicated pre and poweramp would likely net some significant improvements as well - it was night and day for me going from my cheap Sony 2ch to a nicer poweramp. However, poweramps are extremely expensive with only a couple exceptions, so it may not be the best investment depending on the speakers.

I own dragonfly red and cobalt at $200/300. Compared it to built-in DAC of an integrated amp (Rotel 1572) and I cannot hear a difference. Amir over at Audiosciencereview has tested it, and it measures poorly. There are MUCH better dongle DACs at MUCH lower price. I upgraded to a HoloAudio May DAC L2 ($5K), and it sounds significantly better. Haven't upgraded the dongle DAC yet, but it sure won't be one from Audioquest.

Speakers (maybe subs) then room acoustics. If that doesn't do it then move.

Put some 10 dollar isolation feet on your speakers and pull them out from the wall a bit...there’s your new speakers

The absolutely most important equipment in sound recording is the microphone. The DAC is probably second.

It’s easy to identify and considerably harder to fix… simply walk into your listening room and look around the room at the walls, ceiling, floor and all objects… your done, you’ve now seen all the stuff comprising the weak link…

Come on! The minute Paul mentioned "Dragonfly" you know we wouldn't get an honest answer...

@lanemiddleton9

2 жыл бұрын

Instead of settling for the “Dragonfly” dongle DAC, one should get the better value -Lotoo Paw S1 - great sound, LED message window, 16 eq modes and 2 inputs - 3.5 mm unbalanced and 4.4 mm balanced.

Speakers are misrepresented in the commercial world. Stuck in a book cabinet, too close together, a-symmetrical placement. No wonder a lot of people don't have them, because they don't always experience a correctly set up pair.

@mrpositronia

2 жыл бұрын

@Douglas Blake it's as much frustrating as it is rewarding when you get them to experience it correctly.

having/expecting a bad hair day, Paul?

I would say that speakers are not on the first place. I would put acustics on a first place. Then speakers, then electronics. Who knows maybe guy have a pair o descent speakers, but his listening room is emtpy, full of resonation, low frequency mods, or his room is sonically dead because of a lot of stuff he keeps there. How many times good or very good speakers were sounding like crap only because of bad acustics. I would say acoustics first, then speakers, then rest of the gear. Not liked and popular opinion but I think very true.

Same with wine, it doesn't mean expensive wine is good, you have to like the wine. The same can be said for a music system, you like the sound or not.

The source is the most important part of any hi-fi system, because any musical information that’s lost from the source is gone forever. The best speakers with lost information can only sound poor. Lossy not lossless. So the key to a good system is the turntable, DAC or CD.

I think just the opposite. If he likes the sound then probably the sound signature is aligned to his liking. He probably spent some time comparing speakers against one another and chose ones he liked most. Why? Because, as most of you said, electronics sound alike while speakers don't. Conclusion: he should keep the speakers and experiment with other elements of his setup, starting with the amplifier in the first place (as it will have the biggest influence on the sound among the rest).

People often confuse price and value. An expensive component is good value if it delivers the performance you want, just the same as an inexpensive component is good value it it delivers the performance you want. If you buy an inexpensive component but the quality of the sound it produces is unacceptable then it was not good value, despite the fact that it was cheap to buy.

Sorry, the weakest link is not your cables and power cords! Speaker's are much more difficult to demo because of shipping considerations. Electronics can be demoed for the cost of shipping both ways. 🏄‍♂️

OK- so you gotta explain the Aqua Net behind your left shoulder

@Paulmcgowanpsaudio

2 жыл бұрын

Hah! It is sprayed onto the bed of the 3D printer so that everything comes off smoothly and doesn't move around.

@NateEll

2 жыл бұрын

@@Paulmcgowanpsaudio thanks!

Proof this wasn't staged, the can of AquaNet.

that's easy , my Sprout amplifier , duh , it has only like one rca stereo input , who designed this thing anyway

sometimes he did say the right thing.. speakers

It's somewhat irritating to hear unconscious comments such as: "(This DAC is better than most and..) it's a couple of hundred bucks, whatever..." It's NOT 'whatever'; as if you were brushing that money aside like a moskito . $200. is half my weekly pay. Is this channel for the Elite only??

Paul don't tell Linnies that speaker are the most important. You should also give consideration to room acoustics to improve sound.

The weak link will be what ever PS audio are pushing this year 😂

Q : How to identify the weak link in any system? A : It is your speakers !!!111 So no, I don't agree. Even if we go by the rule that speakers would be the most important, obviously this advice cannot be taken forever, going through speaker upgrade after speaker upgrade. Or we will be ending up with something like Wilsons powered by a Crown amp, with say an external CD drive as a transport into a schiit modi DAC as source

The listening environment is the most important component of a playback system. Good speakers in a shit room = shit. Thanks for not recommending a change of power cables.

Paul uses Aqua net :)

Yeah even in home theater, speakers make the biggest difference. I mean no way getting around it. Of course 10 thousand dollar cables make the biggest difference really. 😏🤣🤣🤣🤣

The weak links in the audio system is the DAC and the streamer. Get a good turntable and cartridge, tape player and enjoy real music.