THE AUDIOPHILE's Practices
8 rules to observe in your journey towards audio bliss
Depending on where you are in your journey, I believe there are 8 rules in their ranked order to provide the audiophile the ability to transform a standard high-end audio system into a high-resolution one.
There has been much confusion and many misconceptions concerning the proper setup of a high-end audio system. The influx of tweaking devices shared knowledge from audio journalists, and radical ideas from self-proclaimed 'gurus' provide many options for the road less traveled. Moreover, with aggressive sales pitches from "expert" salespersons and unresolved controversial issues raised by audio engineers, musicians, nay-sayers, and even some high-end audio designers, the audiophile is left no wiser and seemingly more dazed and confused. We have seen this movie before. Nevertheless, the good news is that the road to a high-resolution audio system is not daunting by any measure or restricted to people with only deep pockets. The following hierarchy (8 pathways) to audio bliss will enable the willing (read-motivated) audiophile to progress without making expensive mistakes or being embroiled in endless debates on inconsequential issues.
The proposition
For the audiophile who would want to calibrate and optimize their system, the 8 rules will provide a clear and less expensive way forward. The journey to audio bliss will however demand some sort of compromise (read sacrifice). You may have to allocate a practical budget, make adjustments to your lifestyle, and more importantly, re-organize your furniture and living space, hence décor which may directly affect family life. As the adage suggests 'there is no gain without pain’, sacrifices must be made, like all good things worth having. Unfortunately, this hobby is intrusive because it’s a home entertainment system that requires you to carve out a substantial area even if it’s for one person. The hierarchy may seem radical but is a logical and practical approach to acquiring a fully functional high-resolution audio system no matter the budget (Read my article on Foundation/Audiophiles budget). Yes, I have said it, no matter the budget.
Your exposure matters
If you are a ‘hermit audiophile’, you may probably be suffering from ‘audio malnutrition’. By listening only to your system and some choice systems at audio salons, you may not be able to appreciate fully the potential of your audio system. You must have alternative sources of references to widen your perspective. This is because most audio salons, (I prefer to call them `boutiques’) are usually not optimized for good music reproduction. The shop spaces are usually too small and are not designed to be practical listening rooms. They should be, but because of space constraints, expensive real estate, practical business considerations, lack of expertise, and time, the performance of their ‘showroom’ systems is mostly compromised.
When we are not suitably exposed and open to best practices and industry standards, we naturally develop a strong bias toward 'our sound'. We tend to become defensive of "our sound" and, maybe due to ignorance or pride, try to rationalize when we are criticized. We tend to make our home system the standard whereby we judge others much like our mother’s cooking. We must therefore recognize that we are the elephant in the room. Your audio system should ideally perform to its full potential, congruent with established best practices and standards which are articulated in these 8 pathways. That is why some expensive systems in the showrooms sound bad and conversely, modest systems in some homes sound impressive. This is why we should also pause to celebrate the availability of ‘affordable high-end audio gear’. Audio components don’t have to be expensive to be good sounding, many variables must first be considered and these 8 pathways fully address them.
The fallacy
Most audiophiles who desire to improve their system, often turn to 'upgrading' components in the hope of acquiring better sound. I do not agree with this premise because component upgrades as the first option is a misconception as there are better solutions which is why it is way down in my hierarchy (Rule 6 – Select and integrate audiophile-quality components). I strongly believe that upgrading as the first option is a fallacy. The 8 rules stipulated are deliberately ordered as such to scaffold one over the other to reach new heights in sound quality. Therefore, make sure you master each pathway systematically and satisfy them before moving on to the next one. For example, if you were to attend rule 5 first without regard to previous pathways, you will not hear significant improvements. I believe if they are all observed according to their implied rank order, you would be able to achieve a reasonable level of improvement each step along the way. However, the degree of resolution, when all criteria are presumably met, will finally be limited to the weakest link (component) in the audio chain.
Notwithstanding this, even with system components, there is a purchasing hierarchy (cost/benefit) and proper integration for a “sound” investment (pun intended). This will remain the only factor in a fully functional high-resolution system. Only then, should you play the upgrade game to get incremental improvements thereby getting into the weeds albeit discovering the many shades of grey. At this stage, I must stress, the law of diminishing marginal returns will rear its ugly head. It simply means that you may have to spend in some situations many times more for a component in the same product group only to achieve a nominal improvement. Unfortunately, that’s how the sausage is made in high-end audio.
If you’re not happy with a particular issue in your system and notice that you've skipped or did not consider a pathway or that the pathway has been poorly executed, then you would have mediocrity, irrespective of the excellent components you may already have and is probably the cause of the problem you were initially facing. The hierarchy suggests the level of importance and if optimized at each stage would unlock the hidden potential of your audio system. It will make possible, with adequate resolution the reproduction of a musical performance captured from relevant recordings that would create a layered dimensional soundstage of virtual musicians, extended dynamic range, relative tonal balance, and spatial imaging if such was previously created in the recording mix.
The possibility
I must state that each pathway is not intended to be radical, which means you don't need to go to the extreme, and in most cases, it can be practically applied in a reasonable and common-sense way. I have addressed each pathway in great detail under the scaffolding column. I can attest to you that a modest mid-end system that follows these rules judiciously would outperform a high-end audio system costing many times more without regard to the pathways that I have listed. I can assure you, that your journey to audio-bliss will eventually be realized.
Conclusion
There are ’audiophiles’ that have gone dark, and some may have not followed these pathways, and over the years, have accepted the current performance of their system. These audiophiles have somehow lost the plot along the way, and are operating in their comfort zone. Some may not be open to or agree to these pathways, and for some, these pathways may be too intrusive for them to make the ultimate sacrifice. That's ok, what I am shooting for, are those audiophiles that are frustrated and lost, especially budding audiophiles that would like to move up to the next level. Nevertheless, I am challenging everyone even our prodigal sons to return to the fold. You need to try and unlock the potential of your audio system, and convert it into a high-resolution one without the need to break the bank. These 8 pathways will enable you to discover that every tweak, or each purchase made, imposes a sonic difference. The rewarding part is, you will finally hear your system talking to you because nuance matters.