When it comes to upgrading a system, we audiophiles tend to fall into one of two camps:
- Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO): The idea here is simple—if your source is compromised, no amount of high-end gear downstream can recover what was lost. A bad recording, a poor-quality DAC, or a noisy turntable will pollute the signal before it even reaches your amplifier and speakers. In this view, the source is king.
- The Weakest Link: This philosophy argues that a system is only as strong as its most flawed component. Even if you have a pristine source, if your speakers, amplifier, or cables introduce limitations, then all that quality is lost before it reaches your ears. The logic? If your speakers can’t resolve fine detail, then upgrading your source is pointless—you simply won’t hear the difference.
Both arguments have their merit, and both have their limitations.
Most of you know that I am in the latter camp, where speakers are the key to audio nirvana. But, perhaps it's worth a closer look at the merits and demerits of both, something we will do in the next few days.
Stay tuned.
