What powers your Dyns?

[CDLehner]

Well...I can see I'm in the minority here. As I said...it's all chicken and egg, and it's all good anyway.

Best signal in the world, can't be heard by speakers that won't reproduce it. After all...sound doesn't pass between your ears and the pre-amp! So the argument is really only, whether you think it's easier to produce a cheap, but good speaker...or a cheap, but good amp.

I still say...less moving parts, less cabinet worries, etc; a cheap but good amp is more likely...but why are we arguing. No one is going to buy a cheap, but good anything in this thread, lol.

[Puma Cat]

Well, I don't think anyone here was saying to power cheap speakers with very expensive electronics. The only reason I am using my Era D4s right now with the gear mentioned above is to burn in the Pr350.

I would apportion my spend more towards source and amplification quality; 50% towards amplication, 40% to speakers, and 10% to power cables and power distribution.

For vinyl lovers, a fair bit will be apportioned to the cartridge and the phono preamp, also.

[Josquin des Prez]

I have to agree there needs to be balance. The idea of a 1:9 ratio in expense between speakers and amp (whichever way that goes) seems silly to me.

In my system at retail, my speakers are $6.5K, my amp is $6K, my preamp with PSUs is $6k, my digital front end is $3.5K and my analog front end is $8.5K. I feel I have a very well balanced system. Nothing is overly emphasized, synergy is fantastic. If I improved anything now it would be upgrading the tweeters in the speakers (to Esotar2) and upgrading the phono stage. But I would probably upgrade the preamp (to a NAC282) before I would upgrade the speakers.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by RaceTripper

I have to agree there needs to be balance. The idea of a 1:9 ratio in expense between speakers and amp (whichever way that goes) seems silly to me.

In my system at retail, my speakers are $6.5K, my amp is $6K, my preamp with PSUs is $6k, my digital front end is $3.5K and my analog front end is $8.5K. I feel I have a very well balanced system. Nothing is overly emphasized, synergy is fantastic. If I improved anything now it would be upgrading the tweeters in the speakers (to Esotar2) and upgrading the phono stage. But I would probably upgrade the preamp (to a NAC282) before I would upgrade the speakers.

Dean, if you think about upgrading the phono stage, think about the Zesto Audio Andros....fantastic stage for the money.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by RaceTripper

I have to agree there needs to be balance. The idea of a 1:9 ratio in expense between speakers and amp (whichever way that goes) seems silly to me.

In my system at retail, my speakers are $6.5K, my amp is $6K, my preamp with PSUs is $6k, my digital front end is $3.5K and my analog front end is $8.5K. I feel I have a very well balanced system. Nothing is overly emphasized, synergy is fantastic. If I improved anything now it would be upgrading the tweeters in the speakers (to Esotar2) and upgrading the phono stage. But I would probably upgrade the preamp (to a NAC282) before I would upgrade the speakers.

That's pretty close overall to how my system is apportioned out, though my TT would be a bit more because of the SME V and Koetsu Urushi V. My digital front is less, though, at about $2500 (Wadia 121, old black Macbook that was sitting in the closet, and Oppo BD-83SE).

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Dean, if you think about upgrading the phono stage, think about the Zesto Audio Andros....fantastic stage for the money.

Thanks, but I wasn't thinking that kind of money. Maybe half that for the Fosgate Signature or something along those lines.

[Puma Cat]

In that price class I'd also consider the Sutherland 20/20 or Curl JC3

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

In that price class I'd also consider the Sutherland 20/20 or Curl JC3

To be honest, I am going to consider what I can audition at home first. I may not be able to with these. I can with the Fosgate, probably. I don't know that anyone in St. Louis carries the Sutherland or Curl.

I rarely buy anything I haven't heard in my listening room beforehand.

[Puma Cat]

You can order either from Music Direct, and if you don't like it, return it.

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

You can order either from Music Direct, and if you don't like it, return it.

Thanks Stephen. I know about the Music Direct policy. I don't like the buy it and return it strategy. If something is marginal I'm too prone to end up keeping it and having remorse about it later. I prefer borrowing from my dealer and giving them the business.

If MusicDirect has these two, they don't show up via their search, nor listed in the pop menu in their Analog store.

But it doesn't matter really. I am not in the market for a new phono stage. I just got my Nova not that long ago.