Comment - Auditing the hifi

Over the last couple of weeks I have been indulging in audiophile phantasising again. Truth of the matter is that I'm quite satisfied by what I'm hearing. But there is always a nagging doubt that significant improvement is possible at justifiable expense. Looking at my setup I am quite confident in the quality of my digital source. I think the Advanced Acoustic CD transport in combination with the Grace M902 DAC provides a very good quality input signal. The analogue source is another matter. The Michell Gyrodec is a solid basis, but I'm quite sure the Goldring Eroica MC element can be improved upon. Also the addition of an Orbe platter and an external power source are part of a clear upgrade path.

I have less confidence in the amplification stage. First there is the Promitheus Transformer Volume Control, which is in fact a passive preamp. It's a 350 euro 'sigar box', supposedly hand made in Malaysia. I bought it out of curiosity, but it has never left the setup ever since it replaced the Electrocompaniet ECM-5 preamp. Curiously enough it seems to perform well and to grow with subsequent improvements I have added to the setup. Nevertheless, the doubts come from the fact that this is a very cheap component, that the passive preamp concept is fairly controversial in itself (some people think it 'sucks the live out of the music') and that I have to live with the fact that I have very long (6 meter) interconnects to my power amps which sits uneasily with the passive concept. The big plus of a passive preamp is its transparancy and hence neutrality. It really doesn't colour the music.

The power amps are two Advance Acoustic M705 mono blocks that deliver 200 Watts at 8 Ohms. At less than 1.000 euros apiece they are not very expensive. I'm always wondering what they are really worth.

I am quite happy with the B&W 804s speakers but they are not the end of the line. At one point I'd like to buy something more substantial, with a little more oomph in the lower frequencies. The 802D would be a very nice 'rest of my lifetime' speaker but at 14.000 euro/pair this is very serious money. Not an investment I'm willing to contemplate right now.

I've upgraded my cablework over the last couple of years with serious Supra power cords, Supra interlinks, Link Velox speaker cable and Kimber Hero interconnects.

As this set has gradually grown into its present shape, I also wonder how coherent it is. Matching components is at least as important as having quality components to start with.

In addition to the amplification factor I am wondering about things like the quality of the net power, the placement of the components in the rack, the positioning of the speakers in the room, etc. How optimal is all of this? Are there tweaks that are able to bring audible improvement?

I have very little opportunity to compare notes with likeminded enthusiasts (I can count my audiophile friends on half a hand) and my reference framework of what is possible in the high end world is very limited. So, when I arrived on the website of a hifi-advisor/shop who indicated that he was willing to advise during home visits, I decided to take that opportunity and invite him in. My point was simply to ask a seasoned professional for a second opinion.

Today was the day. Audio Perfect's Peter Neirinck came by to have a listen and give some advice. He also brought some reference components to compare. I played him a few tracks of good recordings, both pop, chamber music, small ensemble and big orchestra. The verdict was very positive. He gave it a 9/10 calibrated against what is possible in the kind of price bracket I have been listening in and a 7,5/10 with 'high end ears' (where the sky is the limit in terms of budget). I thought that was a very good result. He admired the very clean, neutral, well-knit sound (in his opinion quite remarkable with the not so neutral B&W's), the set's responsiveness and the considerable depth of soundstage due to a very advantageous placement of the speakers with a huge, closed resonance box behind them. The power amps seemed to be more than adequate to drive the current-hungry speakers.

We then proceeded to compare with the Lyngdorf TDAI 2200 - an integrated digital amplifier - and the PS Audio Perfectwave CD transport. Add to that a very special speaker cable from Synergistic Research and you are talking about 10.000 euro worth of gear. The assessment was quite easy. First observation was that the sound of the Lyngdorf/PS Audio combo was very similar to the sound produced by my own setup. By and large we were listening to the same kind of neutral and clean picture. But it was also immediately clear that my own set provided more air, liquidity and authority to the music. It flowed more freely, providing a much more compelling listening experience. In a way it's not surprising giving that the Lyngdorf has an integrated amp and a DAC under one roof whilst in my case there are four components with equally many power sources. But the stiff price (4200 euro) of the Lyngdorf is a fact too.

So the conclusion is that I need to spend serious money to get a better sound, and even then it won't be a quantum leap. Putting 802Ds in the living room is going to make difference but it won't be a revolution. The analogue upgrade path is clear and that is certainly something I am going to do. For 2000 extre euros there is no doubt I can significantly improve the quality of my vinyl output. The digital chain will have to wait. I can't see me sinking 3000 euros or more into marginal improvements. Some kind of music server or streamer will eventually come, but the technology still needs to mature it seems to me. It's just an extra input channel. With the laptop and the iPad - complemented with a tweak to generate an asynchronous USB signal - I can go already a long way. All in all this is very good news. It has renewed my confidence in what I have built up over the years and brings, at least temporarily, peace of mind ...