Building the perfect system..

[Porscheguy]

Do you agree?

www.planetofsoundonline.com/pages/how-to-build-a-good-system

[bootman]

...or take the room out of the equation (which accounts for about 1/4 of that speaker slice) and get high quality headphones to start.

[405x5]

The most absurd pie chart I've ever seen.
Were it a pie you could EAT I would report the chef to the board of health

Bill

[pedrocols]

So I spent time and money building some room treatment for nothing...

[siggie]

I agree on one point. Power cables make up less than 10% of the cost of my system. Significantly less.

siggie

[goozoo]

Jan 10, 2017 17:34:51 GMT -5 pedrocols said:

So I spent time and money building some room treatment for nothing...

Clearly!  If it was important, it would have been mentioned on the pie.  

[Gary Cook]

One of the first things I do before I read an article is to check the source, do they have an agenda that may or may not slant the content. In this case up to 20 brands of speakers, 5 brands of interconnects Oyaide speaker cables that cost up to $1200. I must say that I surprised that they ignored acoustic treatments since they sell the Primacoustic range.

A long time ago a very wise audio salesman told me that in a stereo system that I should spend at least half of my budget on speakers as that is what we actually hear, a mechanical device, the last in the chain. Good to see decades later that his advice is still relevant.


Cheers
Gary

[garbulky]

I would pass on the power cables and just use the ones that came with the device. I would also spend a good bit on the source and amps. But not so much the interconnects.
It depends on how expensive your speakers are. Mine are not very expensive. So I spent more on amps and the source than the speakers.
The pie chart appears a little off from real life. If you were buying very expensive speakers, sure that could work but then the interconnects and cables and stands make no sense.
On the cheaper end, you do want to spend as much as you can on speakers but cheap sources and amps can make an important difference. I would probably put something like 50/50 electronics vs speakers or maybe 40/60% while allocating about $100-400 for room treatments depending on what you need and how you spend it.

[jlafrenz]

I think it is a good start and gives some sort of guideline, but is certainly not a hard and fast rule. Each person and system will have different goals so some of these categories could easily change from one person to another.

I do think that some people chiming in and mentioning that the rooms is a large factor that has not been accounted for is worth bringing up. The best equipment in the poorest room is going to be lacking.

[brubacca]

I disagree whole heartedly with this article. The best system I ever heard was probably 56% source. (speakers were only 12%).

I have come to the realization that system System synergy is key. Also I a big fan of the source first school of thought.

[sethboy]

Where's the slice for "Rarified Audiophile Breathing Air" or complex systems to adjust humidity, temperature, pressure, ion flux, and enough soundproofing that you'd probably both miss hearing, and survive, a nuclear explosion. Heck, you have to put in a slice for the home treatments then.... rare wood flooring from extinct trees that dinosaurs pooped on, earthquake shock absorbing springs.... local no-fly zone specifically for the airspace around your house to avoid disturbing sound waves and sonic booms from resonating across those 10,000 dollar-per-foot speaker cables and the little wood trees they run along.
*snark*


On a real note, I've actually spent much more on components (all of them Emo, *ahem*) and one pair of what I guess are medium-high-end speakers (Elac Unifi) because, tower speakers or anything else would basically be overkill in my small townhouse unit, so until I move someplace with more room-flexibility, in my case it's not a "loss" to not have spent 80% of the budget on speakers. So, I suppose the true pie chart for YOU would be different than the one for the next guy, based on what you have / start with / add on, plus your audio space considerations.

[vneal]

I agree that the speaker has the most impact on a systems sound. Also that an electrical cord has the least.

[405x5]

Jan 10, 2017 18:16:55 GMT -5 jlafrenz said:

I think it is a good start and gives some sort of guideline, but is certainly not a hard and fast rule. Each person and system will have different goals so some of these categories could easily change from one person to another.

I do think that some people chiming in and mentioning that the rooms is a large factor that has not been accounted for is worth bringing up. The best equipment in the poorest room is going to be lacking.

This is it!
The room and the loudspeaker configuration within that room is the top priority to deliver the goods.
No mention of the room in that pie.

Bill

[sidvicious]

I have heard expensive system that sound like crap in a bad room with bad speaker placement, echo in all. To not have put the room, size and shape is crazy, the room, next to the speakers is one of the most important components and should have been mentioned in this chart.