Or, why a well tuned inexpensive system can make better music than one that is very expensive, but badly set up.
Let HiFi+ magazine’s Steve Dickenson explain:
hi-fi+ Setup 244_Review_FeatureWhat have traditionally been called ‘accessories’ in our scheme assume a much greater importance than has previously been the case. These components are the foundations on which truly great performance can only be achieved.
We understand that for some people this will be a difficult concept. For others there will be outright hostility to these ideas, but for most, who have been around the block, they will provide an explanation for experiences that anyone working with good audio equipment has had, namely the variation in performance that the same components achieve under different circumstances. And, the sinking feeling when a new well reviewed component is put into your system, and the music simply fails to engage.
Once these concepts are understood and worked with, it will quickly become apparent that changing boxes is not necessarily the most fruitful approach to improving a system, and almost certainly not the most cost effective.
Music is energy, a great system produces a lot of energy over a wide bandwidth. This energy needs to be managed, and all our cables and supports (isolation) are chosen to allow a system to produce the necessary energy for music to communicate effectively.
For a description of how a modest system can be transformed by set up, read Steve Dickinson’s Hi Fi + article here. HiFi+ at The AudioWorks
There needs to be a revolution in the world of ‘High End’ audio in order for wider progress to be achieved. There is some evidence that this is starting to happen amongst the most enlightened manufacturers, although there is still a long way to go.