What’s the best way to build a fine music system? We can help you.
I was scouring my hi-fi mags the other day. While I enjoy reading about nice audio gear, these guys have gotten flippin’ RIDICULOUS.
The disproportionate attention paid to absurdly priced gear is flat out insulting. They regularly review preamps and power amps for $25-100k. They write routinely about turntables and speakers for that much AND A LOT MORE. Why waste your time reading this Never Never Land tripe? The magazines are long past trying to help a working man build a hi-fi.
Audio Emporium lives in the real world. Your money is finite. We can help you get the best performance for the money you choose to spend. We not only know which affordable products sound GREAT, we also know which products are reliable and which manufacturers will stand behind gear reputably.
Just because a given company can put together a cherry picked product for a reviewer- doesn’t mean that they can produce quality on a regular basis that ends up at your house! Production… is a skill. “Anybody” can build a nice onesie.
I have one warning before diving into the minutia of the products. Whenever possible, don’t buy a mass produced box from the other side of the globe. The price may be good, but the performance invariably is MUNDANE.
Step One
Your first step has to be to clean the debris out of the AC line current. If you don’t filter out the NOISE from your electrical line, the fine detail we audiophiles crave will be obfuscated by the buzzing.
We can clean up your line. When you visit we’ll show you the measurement from the wall without an Isotek conditioner- and then with one. The typical measurement from the wall is 750-1000 units of noise. The typical measurement with an Isotek is zero to single digits!
Stripping away these audible honeybees will make your music sound clearer. It’s the same
as stripping the snow out of your TV picture that we all lived with for years!
You’ll hear definition better on a stand up bass fiddle being plucked. You’ll hear a stick against a cymbal or drum skin more clearly. You’ll hear piano hammers strike cords. Most importantly the human voice will POP out more from the background and give you more emotion.
You absolutely, positively, need a MAINS CONDITIONER to achieve a high level of resolution.
You can have the most expensive electronics on the market, but if you don’t eliminate the sludge from you electrical system, you’re leaving massive performance behind. You can’t get it back later!
Step Two
Step two is to run with a GREAT source.
Streaming
Streaming is understandably the way most audiophiles choose to fly these days. The best way
to enjoy streaming is with Tidal or another hi-res service. The machine you buy for streaming is only part of your consideration. If the company that makes that streamer doesn’t support updates regularly, your system will be fraught with hiccups and sputters. NAD has proven it will support Bluesound for the long haul. New-ish competitors talk a good game. We’re seeing many of them cough and buffer.
Silver Discs
CDs and SACDs are alive and well. Don’t believe that baloney you may be hearing that silver discs are dead. The naysayers said the same thing about vinyl many years ago. How stupid was that?!
Vinyl
If you have a nice vinyl library and love the tactile interaction with your source, go nuts. Vinyl can be terrific, or frustrating, depending upon how you dive in. We can help you find the diminishing returns of your investment.
Step Three
Resolving electronics are imperative. You may chose to run a wonderful integrated amp for top value. You may opt for separates if your wallet is thicker. We have a marvelous selection to help you chose the best for your system.
Technology has moved on from yesteryear. We no longer have to listen to old amplifier technology laden with mismatched output transistors. Smart companies have moved on. We can explain to you what makes sense TODAY.
It’s also important to know that loudspeakers have a tremendously reactive impedance. There are boatloads of speakers that claim an 8 ohm load, that drop to an ohm or two in their demanding
bass region. You need an amp that is impervious to this load or you’ll have wimpy water pressure that won’t let your speakers perform with zeal. Fine speakers sound flat out mundane with the wrong electronics.
Step Four
There is no substitute for having GREAT SPEAKERS. The differences among electronics are tiny compared to the differences among speakers. Speakers at the same price point can sound dramatically different. There is plenty of room for taste as well.
We need to know if you want to crank up the volume or if you’re a modest level listener. The volume you want and the size of your room are important details for us to know before recommending the right speakers for you.
Step Five
Cables. Yes, cables are a vital component in your system. Cables should be commensurate with your system and we’ll help you understand which level makes sense for you.
Mains Conditioners From Isotek
You need to start with a fine Mains Conditioner. If you don’t, there is debris coming out of your wall that presents “haze” getting in the way of your music. Isotek is a British company that makes conditioners that will filter out the noise without quashing your dynamic range. The sonic improvement and protection provided by Isotek is the most cost effective going.
To ignore this step is to start creating your POSTER with a NEGATIVE that isn’t clear. When you blow up the negative to become a poster, it will be softer than it should be. You cannot achieve stellar musical clarity without expunging the hummmm from your line. Isotek is our answer. Isotek squelches airborne AND line interference.
Isotek Corvus V3 Mains Conditioner $800
Corvus is a 20 amp conditioner.
It has 9 outlets, each has its own filter so there is no cross talk among components plugged into it.
Most conditioners have just one filter for the whole bar.
It comes with Isotek’s excellent Initium power cable.
Most conditioners come with NO cable, or something chintzy.
Corvus takes noise from over 1000 units to single digits and
provides a distinct sonic upgrade in resolution.
Initium Power Cable $150
Initium features nickel blades and a dielectric of polyethylene. If you have a Polaris, you’ll be able to hear the improvement Initium brings. If you don’t have a Polaris, you won’t- because your musical detail will be obfuscated by AC noise.
The crummy black cables that come with your gear promulgate RFI.
Initiums block RFI and provide superior sound- as long as you have an Isotek mains conditioner.
Isotek Elektra V5 Conditioner $2000
Elektra is for higher end systems.
It has six outlets, each of which has its own filter.
It provides DOUBLE the isolation of Corvus above.
If you can swing an Elektra, you should!
It has six outlets, two of which are dedicated to high power applications.
Elektra comes with an Initium power cable that goes to your wall.
You would be wise to replace your generic black power cables on your components with Initiums- as the sonic benefit is well worth the investment IF you’re running an Isotek conditioner.
Isotek Aquarius V5 Conditioner $3000
Aquarius has higher current capability than Elektra.
It supports 20a vs 15a.
Do you need that?
Aquarius comes with a Premier power cable.
Premier Power Cable $250
Premiers feature gold plated blades and a dielectric
of Teflon- the best materials out there.
Use Premiers with Aquarius.
In a basic system of preamp, amp and a source or two,
you might end up buying 3 or 4 Premiers.
The investment in power cables will
pay off as long as you run an Isotek Aquarius mains conditioner.
C15 is the traditional power connecting plug.
C7 is the smaller option for lower powered gear.
Streamer
Bluesound (made by NAD) is a slam dunk winner as best choice for a streamer. The Node runs $600 and can connect analog direct to your preamp or integrated.
Of course NAD knows you can’t put a STATE OF THE ART DAC in a $600 machine, so you might opt for a higher end DAC like a Mytek. Or, of course run Node into your integrated amp or preamp that has a fine DAC on board.
Silver Disc Players
NAD makes class leading CD players for $350-900. There’s a lot about them that is better than the main stream.
Please consider Marantz’s SACD-30n, $3k. It is the BEST performer and value in the silver disc market. It can go in price no object systems, or yours. Please read about these on Dave’s Faves.
Turntables/Carts
We love Rega at a modest range and MoFi at an upper range. There are a million things to
consider when playing records. Let’s talk.
NAD Integrated Amps
Integrated amps are the best budget value out there. If you’re buying electronics at $1400 or under, you want NAD. If you’re buying electronics over $1700, you should consider an American built Rogue.
NAD integrateds are impervious to your speaker impedance. NAD is will drive an ohm or 2. The main stream competitors will NOT. They will current limit and likely break, as they aren’t built as solidly as NAD.
NAD has new technology to evade the harsh sound generated by old school, mismatched output transistors. Please visit the tab near the bottom of our home page: NAD INTEGRATED AMPS.
Rogue Integrated Amps
Rogue makes three fabulous integrateds that are a distinct cut above NAD or anything made in Asia. Built in Pennsylvania, Rogue has more TLC within. You get a more intimate, uncongested sound that makes music more live sounding. Rogue’s Sphinx and Pharaoh integrateds are among the best values in all of hi-fi! These American built integrateds make the Chinese sound grainy and dark.
Speakers
I need to know your listening demands. Are you blasting classic rock? Are you a more mellow
jazz listener? Do you want the precision of a finely tuned grand piano?
Speakers have unique personalities. I love getting to know them and recommending the correct speaker for YOU and your needs. I have many colors and power levels to work with.
Bryston
Bryston speakers are made in Canada. As a family, it’s my favorite brand because it can deliver the combination of deep bass and high power- with a Steinway smooth top end. They’re built mechanically better than the other guys and subsequently come with a 20 year warranty!
Bryston’s A Series speakers are priced right there with the world of Chinese imports. Yet performance is miles better with substantially deeper bass and dramatically better reliability!
Klipsch
If you want high volume levels in your system, Klipsch has it in spades. Klipsch is extremely high in efficiency and can be driven with modest amplifiers. Its bass isn’t as deep as Bryston, which is an important consideration to think about.
Their top dogs are made in Arkansas. They have a more main stream line they make in China. If you’re buying towers under $2k, they’re coming from China. At least K does this with high efficiency and needs about 1/8th the power to drive them that the other main stream brands do.
Magnepan
The Magneplanar design is for the ultimate audio hobbyist who loves tinkering with speaker placement and dialing in a thousand nuances. The mass is low so they have great detail. The size of the stage is enormous and they’re great fun. They’re not for high power listeners though.
Kimber Kable
Kimber Kable of Utah makes a wide array of interconnect and speaker kables. We’re deeply into the weeds and can help you make the smartest kable choice for your system.