(There’s an easy way to eliminate that potential source of brow-furrowing: don’t have tubes in your system.) And has anyone tried this thing? If you have vacuum tubes in your system, they’re subject to wear and sonic degradation, and may or may not be performing at 100 percent. I’ve heard phono cartridges take time to warm up while playing. Or the electronics won’t sound their best, or even good, unless the system has been warmed up (and the components have been broken in). It could be a turntable setup that’s so good that the differences in vinyl record thicknesses will compel some listeners to want to adjust VTA for each record. How are the ways in which this psychological interaction can be less than happy and peppy and bursting with love? The first thing that comes to mind is a system that’s so revealing and sensitive that it needs constant fine-tuning to sound its best. A friend’s Sunn Concert Bass amp and homemade guitar speaker cabinet are in the closet.

Lafayette integrated amp, Garrard turntable, EPI 50 speakers (not shown). I did not stress out about this system sounding too good circa 1976-1977. The other half is the psychological reaction of the listener in interacting with their system. Here’s the fundamental concept: the actual audio system itself and the sound it produces is only half of the equation. (Can an audio system sound rough and dull at the same time? Take a ride in my Elantra.) I’m referring to high-end and ultra-high-end systems that somehow make you feel uneasy, anxious or otherwise stressed out.īut, isn’t that counter to the whole audiophile thing so many of us have wrapped our lives around, the striving for greater and greater listening ecstasy? In my experience, sometimes…no. To be clear, I’m not talking about low-fi, lousy-sounding products and systems that would turn discriminating listeners off because they sound harsh, dull, flat, grainy, bass-shy, are lacking in detail or all of the above. How does that concept even make sense? Well, let me put this out there:Īn audio system might be too good when it makes you feel bad. After all, the better the sound, the closer we are to the music, and the more enjoyable it is to listen to our systems…right? As audiophiles, we are on what can sometimes seem a never-ending quest for better sound from our systems.

Protools on 2017 mac pro waste basket