What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Fëanor]

Harry does not believe in measurements or Terms like Class D phenomenons. I trust my ears, and whether my ears say 1 dollar is enough, or 18.000 is enough, my ears will tell me what to spend or not. So any discussion about this subject I will decline.

I hope you took no offense at my earlier post, I didn't mean to come across as impertinent.

Everyone is entitled to enjoy the audiophile hobby as they please.  Relying on one's ears is a valid choice, and if one has the financial resources to indulge one's self, so much the better.

My own experience goes back over about 55 years and I have always relied on my ears as the final judge.  However as a person with limited financial resources, value always had to be a consideration, the best sound for the least money.  Accordingly I was & am always open to theories and methods to find value.

In the last decade in particular I have come to value comprehensive measurements as a way to expedite my search for value... Measurement are useful, I have found, because good measurements correlate with my subjective listening preferences.

It's fortunate, at least in my case, that measurements reveal that moderately priced equipment can often equal or surpass the sound quality of much more expensive equipment -- as confirmed by my ears.

[71 dB]

Harry does not believe in measurements or Terms like Class D phenomenons. I trust my ears, and whether my ears say 1 dollar is enough, or 18.000 is enough, my ears will tell me what to spend or not. So any discussion about this subject I will decline.

Hopefully you understand Harry that sometimes measurements are extremely important (A bloodwork is a measurement and I'd say it is good to believe when it tells your cholesterol level is up). We wouldn't have any kind of audio technology without scientific measurements. We wouldn't even understand how electricity works. You have the luxury of trusting your ears only because thousands and thousands of scientists have made billions of measurements for centuries and we have all the technology we have.

Placebo effect/conformation bias are real things and they mean we can't fully trust our senses. That's why for example listening tests have to be designed so that placebo effect/confirmation bias are removed. Of course when you listen to music at home, it doesn't matter if your ears are lying to you if you enjoy the sound, but at least you should be aware of what's happening. Otherwise you are practically living under delusions. To be honest to yourself, it might be necessary to admit a very expensive and heavy amp with a convinving design and rosy marketing pitch probably induce placebo and confirmation bias and makes the sound better for this reason while in proper double blind test the sound could be inseparable from a 10 times cheaper amp.

[Valentino]

My aural memory never was golden ears phenomenal.
My loudspeakers are bespoke. You cannot make loudspeakers without measurements.
You may be able to select loudspeakers by shop audition.
Auditioning electronics away from home is useless.
Turntables, tonearms and cartridges sound different.

[Harry]

Well measurements or scientists all matter, and of course enough financial resources are also a prime issue. I am not RICH, I simply work hard and long. But despite what y'all are saying, which I take in of course, respecting your views,  my ears are the truth and true measurements. It's an interesting journey, and the very last update in gear in my life, I simply hope I live long enough to enjoy it in depth. Over to you!

[Harry]

I hope you took no offense at my earlier post, I didn't mean to come across as impertinent.

Everyone is entitled to enjoy the audiophile hobby as they please.  Relying on one's ears is a valid choice, and if one has the financial resources to indulge one's self, so much the better.

My own experience goes back over about 55 years and I have always relied on my ears as the final judge.  However as a person with limited financial resources, value always had to be a consideration, the best sound for the least money.  Accordingly I was & am always open to theories and methods to find value.

In the last decade in particular I have come to value comprehensive measurements as a way to expedite my search for value... Measurement are useful, I have found, because good measurements correlate with my subjective listening preferences.

It's fortunate, at least in my case, that measurements reveal that moderately priced equipment can often equal or surpass the sound quality of much more expensive equipment -- as confirmed by my ears.

No offence taken, it's all good my friend.

[Harry]

Hopefully you understand Harry that sometimes measurements are extremely important (A bloodwork is a measurement and I'd say it is good to believe when it tells your cholesterol level is up). We wouldn't have any kind of audio technology without scientific measurements. We wouldn't even understand how electricity works. You have the luxury of trusting your ears only because thousands and thousands of scientists have made billions of measurements for centuries and we have all the technology we have.

Placebo effect/conformation bias are real things and they mean we can't fully trust our senses. That's why for example listening tests have to be designed so that placebo effect/confirmation bias are removed. Of course when you listen to music at home, it doesn't matter if your ears are lying to you if you enjoy the sound, but at least you should be aware of what's happening. Otherwise you are practically living under delusions. To be honest to yourself, it might be necessary to admit a very expensive and heavy amp with a convinving design and rosy marketing pitch probably induce placebo and confirmation bias and makes the sound better for this reason while in proper double blind test the sound could be inseparable from a 10 times cheaper amp.

Measurements are only half a truth, and even measurements are sometimes biased in the wrong way.

[AnotherSpin]

Hopefully you understand Harry that sometimes measurements are extremely important (A bloodwork is a measurement and I'd say it is good to believe when it tells your cholesterol level is up). We wouldn't have any kind of audio technology without scientific measurements. We wouldn't even understand how electricity works. You have the luxury of trusting your ears only because thousands and thousands of scientists have made billions of measurements for centuries and we have all the technology we have.

Placebo effect/conformation bias are real things and they mean we can't fully trust our senses. That's why for example listening tests have to be designed so that placebo effect/confirmation bias are removed. Of course when you listen to music at home, it doesn't matter if your ears are lying to you if you enjoy the sound, but at least you should be aware of what's happening. Otherwise you are practically living under delusions. To be honest to yourself, it might be necessary to admit a very expensive and heavy amp with a convinving design and rosy marketing pitch probably induce placebo and confirmation bias and makes the sound better for this reason while in proper double blind test the sound could be inseparable from a 10 times cheaper amp.

The body/mind system is perpetually living under delusions That's just how the wretched thing is wired, and there's hardly any way around it. Measurements are for this system, and no matter how many you throw at it, the delusion won't be budging, it will stay. Fortunately, our true nature isn't quite so easily boxed in

[Harry]

The Value of High-End Gear: It's Not About Price, It's About Potential!!!!!!!!

Yes, $500 gear can sound good. Surprisingly good, sometimes. But what great high-end gear does isn't about just sounding good,  it's about disappearing, about transporting you so completely into the music that the system vanishes and all that remains is the emotional core of the performance.
Gear like the Bricasti M1 and M20 doesn't just reproduce a cello — it places it, shapes it, fleshes it out in a space where you can feel the bow pressure, the texture of the strings, the decaying reverb of the hall. It creates scale, color, emotional precision — things budget gear doesn't even attempt.
You're not buying "better gear" just to chase numbers or status. You're investing in the time and depth you'll get back from your listening life — every day, with every note.

Some don't need that. Others can't live without it. Hope that makes my position clear!
 

[AnotherSpin]

The Value of High-End Gear: It's Not About Price, It's About Potential!!!!!!!!

Yes, $500 gear can sound good. Surprisingly good, sometimes. But what great high-end gear does isn't about just sounding good,  it's about disappearing, about transporting you so completely into the music that the system vanishes and all that remains is the emotional core of the performance.
Gear like the Bricasti M1 and M20 doesn't just reproduce a cello — it places it, shapes it, fleshes it out in a space where you can feel the bow pressure, the texture of the strings, the decaying reverb of the hall. It creates scale, color, emotional precision — things budget gear doesn't even attempt.
You're not buying "better gear" just to chase numbers or status. You're investing in the time and depth you'll get back from your listening life — every day, with every note.

Some don't need that. Others can't live without it. Hope that makes my position clear!
 

Very true.

[DavidW]

To bring it back to class D amplification, recently, more and more manufacturers are switching to designing class D amps, and some of them are finally, apparently (at least from what critics say) approaching the level of their A and A/B counterparts. I have an NAD power amp that is class D and sounds great, and I have had zero complaints. I am a mid-fi enthusiast, though, not high-end or summit.

[71 dB]

Measurements are only half a truth, and even measurements are sometimes biased in the wrong way.

Sometimes measurements are not even half the truth, sometimes they are a lot more than half the truth. I all depends on what is measured, how and what our understanding of the measured phenomena is. Ironically most of the time it takes more measurements to gain better understanding leading to more accurate interpretation of the measurements.

A good example is loudspeaker measurements. Many people say loudspeaker measurements don't correlate with perceived sound quality. The problem here is most people don't know how to interpret loudspeaker measurements correctly and that is why they don't see the correlation.

[Valentino]

I've been using Hypex nCore class D amplification for four years or so. Quiet, low power consumption, drive about any impedance you throw at them, decided on because of the data.

[Harry]

When Great Gear Doesn't Match: From Pass Labs to Bricasti with Avalon Eidolons.

For over two decades, I enjoyed the commanding presence of the Pass Labs X250,  and the X1 pre paired with the Avalon Ceramique loudspeakers. It was a synergy that worked beautifully: the Ceramiques, slightly on the lean side, benefited from the X250's robust tonal body, midbass grip, and warm harmonic texture. The system was bold, emotionally engaging, and filled my room with musical conviction.

But recently, I decided to take a significant step forward. I upgraded to the Avalon Eidolon Diamond, one of the most refined and revealing loudspeakers ever created. And with that upgrade, a surprising discovery surfaced: the X250 no longer felt like the right amplifier.

The Eidolons, unlike the Ceramiques, are radically transparent — they thrive on finesse, micro-detail, and air. They're not looking to be "helped" by warmth or push. They ask the amplifier to disappear and reveal only the music. And here's where my long-trusted Pass amp started to show its limitations. The sound felt heavy. The image collapsed into the speakers. There was an unmistakable softening of textures, a veiling of the magic I knew the Eidolons were capable of.

Some might say: "But it's the Pass X250! That's an excellent amplifier!" And it is — just not the right one for this speaker.

So I made the switch — to Bricasti. First the M20 preamp, then the M1 Series II DAC, and now I'm evaluating the M15 and M25 amplifiers. What a difference. With the M15, I immediately noticed an inner lightness and clarity. Chamber music breathed. Solo instruments like the trumpet and cello had nuance without strain. The sound floated free from the speakers — not entirely yet (it's still early in the break-in), but the potential was already apparent.

And that's the beauty of synergy. The M15 doesn't inject character. It controls, reveals, and steps out of the way — exactly what the Eidolons need. Whether I end up with the M15 or the more dynamic M25 remains to be heard, but already I know: this is the right path.

Lesson learned? Trust your ears. Specifications, reputation, and price tags mean little without proper matching. The X250 was wonderful — just not here, not now. The Eidolons asked for something else, and Bricasti answered with elegance.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

GE 6ca7 tube has arrived, and it sounds very good with my amp. It's marvelous this week.

[AnotherSpin]

When Great Gear Doesn't Match: From Pass Labs to Bricasti with Avalon Eidolons.

For over two decades, I enjoyed the commanding presence of the Pass Labs X250,  and the X1 pre paired with the Avalon Ceramique loudspeakers. It was a synergy that worked beautifully: the Ceramiques, slightly on the lean side, benefited from the X250's robust tonal body, midbass grip, and warm harmonic texture. The system was bold, emotionally engaging, and filled my room with musical conviction.

But recently, I decided to take a significant step forward. I upgraded to the Avalon Eidolon Diamond, one of the most refined and revealing loudspeakers ever created. And with that upgrade, a surprising discovery surfaced: the X250 no longer felt like the right amplifier.

The Eidolons, unlike the Ceramiques, are radically transparent — they thrive on finesse, micro-detail, and air. They're not looking to be "helped" by warmth or push. They ask the amplifier to disappear and reveal only the music. And here's where my long-trusted Pass amp started to show its limitations. The sound felt heavy. The image collapsed into the speakers. There was an unmistakable softening of textures, a veiling of the magic I knew the Eidolons were capable of.

Some might say: "But it's the Pass X250! That's an excellent amplifier!" And it is — just not the right one for this speaker.

So I made the switch — to Bricasti. First the M20 preamp, then the M1 Series II DAC, and now I'm evaluating the M15 and M25 amplifiers. What a difference. With the M15, I immediately noticed an inner lightness and clarity. Chamber music breathed. Solo instruments like the trumpet and cello had nuance without strain. The sound floated free from the speakers — not entirely yet (it's still early in the break-in), but the potential was already apparent.

And that's the beauty of synergy. The M15 doesn't inject character. It controls, reveals, and steps out of the way — exactly what the Eidolons need. Whether I end up with the M15 or the more dynamic M25 remains to be heard, but already I know: this is the right path.

Lesson learned? Trust your ears. Specifications, reputation, and price tags mean little without proper matching. The X250 was wonderful — just not here, not now. The Eidolons asked for something else, and Bricasti answered with elegance.

Proper matching - I would venture to add one more element, perhaps the most vital of all: a listener poised for discovery, never content to rest on past accomplishments. The point of convergence where all things meet. A marvel, both astonishing and boundless in its potential.

[Harry]

Proper matching - I would venture to add one more element, perhaps the most vital of all: a listener poised for discovery, never content to rest on past accomplishments. The point of convergence where all things meet. A marvel, both astonishing and boundless in its potential.

Agreed Sergei! We are of one mind.

[AnotherSpin]

Agreed Sergei! We are of one mind.

Thank you, but if I may, a small clarification: two minds sharing the one knowing and understanding of life...

[Harry]

Thank you, but if I may, a small clarification: two minds sharing the one knowing and understanding of life...

Absolutely correct!

[drogulus]

GE 6ca7 tube has arrived, and it sounds very good with my amp. It's marvelous this week.

    I have a sentimental fondness for the 7591/a.

[Fëanor]

...
Some might say: "But it's the Pass X250! That's an excellent amplifier!" And it is — just not the right one for this speaker.
...

Proper matching - I would venture to add one more element, perhaps the most vital of all: a listener poised for discovery, never content to rest on past accomplishments. The point of convergence where all things meet. A marvel, both astonishing and boundless in its potential.

Yeah well I thought my Pass Labs amp was great 'till I got a Purifi 'EIGENTAKT'-based amplifier.

The latter delivered greater detail & transparency, most instruments sound more like the real thing, also deeper, more articulate bass.  (I won't mention that the Purifi device was <1/5 the price of the Pass.)

I have discovered in recent decades that component matching is no trick if you stick to ultra-low distortion devices up & down the chain.

How do you know if a device is "ultra-low distortion"?  Yep, you guessed it.