I never think it is important

tonyw1hk

Bought the three pieces (amp, speaker and CDT) home for a month, not really like the quality of sound... the sound stage, bass, middle, positioning... almost everything is bad... the total investment was not low, but why it is totally different to the sound i was testing in the store?

I have been trying a lot of ways to try to improve it, e.g. asking chings... a lot of them said "it is because your system is just not yet run-in..."  I admit that it is, but it shouldn't be having such a big difference!

For sure, i won't leave it like this, so i have tried placing the speaker by different positions, changed from playing Apple lossless files to FLAC and AIFF files, bought the Amarra HiFi attached to itunes to play CAS.. still not good...  Use CD then, so that i bought the CDT... a bit improved, but still not up to the standard...

Reading a lot of chings report and/or comments, especially those PC and IC threads.... they are so poisoned, however, those PC and IC are costing at least 20k and even up to 100k+, which i was thinking are they nuts, how could they spend on this by such a way?

Having said that I definitely trust using better PC and IC will improve the efficiency of the transmission, so as to support the system to give their full put.  Since i actually still using the crappy PC, IC and SC, i think i really need to look into it...

ok, i give it a try and check it out in Mong Kok.  I planed to get a digital RCA for the IC between the CDT and Amp.  After shop around few shops, asking questions to the salespersons, got some make common sense and some not make common sense answers... I finally stop by a shop and keep on asking my stupid questions as follows:

Me: what digital RCA i should get? and should i also buy a pair of SC together as well?
the boss:  you actually just need the digital first, don't change both in one go... one-by-one la...

me: oh really, ok, understood, so which one you recommend to me and how much of it?
the boss: you should only need this one and it suits your krell CDT to Mcintosh amp/dac... it cost u <$2k

me: oh really, is this already good enough for me?  do i need a more elegant (professional/expensive) one?
the boss: no need la, this is good enough la, however, did you change the pc yet? (at that moment, i think you have equipped with good selling technique!)

me: no, still using the original cheaply ones for both and i am still using the <$100 power adaptor as well!
the boss: if so, i would say you are just using/listening 30% of your equipment outputs that equals to 30% of what you have paid on the equipment cost! (good selling skill again!)

me: oh, isn't it....

BTW, end up i bought the 2 PCs and an power adaptor that comes with two plugs and its power connection cable as well as the <2k digital RCA...

ok, home...

play the song that i found the worst playing by the original combo...
1st - change the digital RCA first... i hear improvement, clearer, wider, high tone goes higher
2nd - put the graphite made supporter under the CDT... i hear better positioning
3rd - change both PCs on the amp and CDT, connect it to the adaptor and plug it to the wall socket... wow... i hear a VERY Fxxking big improvement!  much higher dynamic, stronger solid sound, wider and deeper sound stage... the difference is just like you were very hungry and now you are having full fuel after a big decent tasty meal!

it is ridiculous/unbelievable... but it does...

i don't know are they worth what i have spent, but i see a ridiculously improvement...  the total cost of 5 things i purchased are much less than most of the chings' one pair of XLR cables...

it is awesome...

i finally understand why those chings need to get those very expensive connection cables, 1st their system cost is already very high, for sure they need to get a suitable/similar value/quality connection cables, 2nd it is true that equipment, cables, music sources, accessories are all important to make you a good listening of a song!

i intentionally don't want to say how much exactly i spent and the brands of them since i am not going to tell the reader that you have to spend a lot of money on cables than on the equipment, i just want to say they all important, just draw a balance would be good enough!

happy listening!  cheers!

ma73

all the cables are important, but so many times depends on the combination, happy listening

Bill888

Thanks for sharing your experience! Cables does make quite a difference of the sound and also depends on the equipment.

bassheadowen

Nice Sharing! Yes power cord does make quite a difference

PhantomGTR

Electricity supply is the REAL source of the sound in the system.

doggie9999

Buddy, can you share your system setting?

tonyw1hk

Hi 9999,  I am using McIntosh 6700 + Krell MD2 CDT + focal 1008be + iMac

lau2001hk

Remember every signal is electrical signal.

power > cd > electrical signal > pre amp > electrical signal > amp >electrical signal > speaker.

阿樂

Cables do make big differences.

But it is not easy to have a cable suits you.

阿樂

I think you may change your topic to

I never THOUGHT it is so important

vintage_tube

Thank you for you sharing and your story is quite poisonous.

I am really wonder what PC & IC that u selected?

tonyw1hk

Hi vintage_tube,  

i didn't select them, it was all introduced from the shop keeper (the boss)... in fact, no matter what the boss said, from my mind, 1) i don't have such knowledge, 2) even i test it in his shop, since the equipment is difference, the result will be just a kind of reference...  So i don't really bother this, therefore, i just let him to introduce to me and my judgement is am i able to afford what he introduced?

I in fact not really listening to the salesmen's talk, whatever they said is just from their experience via their equipment or their personal agenda... so that my buying behavior is if i can afford it, buy and try it... yes, it will then always waste some money, but luckily it won't be a lot as i do not have so much to spend!

PhantomGTR

"waste some money" - that's called 交學費

fieldmice

A very good sharing！

Jazzer

I have the same feeling as you at the very beginning, especially on the PC.

End up, i already brought 2 PC (Acrolink and Gigawatt) and now look for another one for the pre-amp.

Enjoy!!

nickif

Nice sharing, and good luck with your hifi journey which looks to me is just started.

Can't agree more with the power part(not only cables but also the wall plugs, power bar etc.), it is the foundation of a system. Why not try plugging the original cheap cheap power cables directly into the wall plugs and keep everything else unchanged? I guess it would make a big difference too.

Expensive wires justify their cost (barely though) only when the system is good enough to reflect the difference. My experience is use some good quality but inexpensive copper wires in the burn-in process. If the system sounds crippled, there must be something seriously wrong. It might be the amp or room acoustics, whatever it is, nail it down and get it sorted out, until you've got to a point where you are generally happy with the performance of the system. Now it's the time to upgrade the wires as well as ancillaries.

No cables, regardless of price, can save a crippled system. However, in the right system, you'll never believe what great cables are capable of.  

Cheers and happy listening.  

chuck

I was once a misbeliever of using PC and cabling to fine tune the sound of my system. After experimenting with different makes of PC and cables from affordables to exotics, I begin to discover the benefits. The process is indeed interesting and rewarding, but at a costs.  I find the law of diminishing return also applies to PC and cable. Up to a certain extent, the sound quality of my system will plateau when using the best matching cable. But further spending on more expensive ones may not be improving the sound but rather making the system sounds differently. It is up to your personal taste to determine which ones are the best for your ears.

tonyw1hk

Yes chuck, I totally agree even I'm not yet arrived there in hifi area!  In fact it is the same theory in working, studying, running a business and playing sport as we'll!

bcychung

Yes!
The Fun of HIFI is to "Waste some money" and "Gain some experience" !!

Law記

Once I thought those are all bullshit that accessories and cables play critical roles in Hifi systems before I became a hifi maniac but I am now a strictly follower! That said, I refrain from paying 5 or even 6 digits worth of money for those supplements but focus more on quality of the devices