Everyone Makes THIS HiFi Mistake! Don't fall into the Audiophile trap!

I realize I've been upgrading the hifi gear in my audio system all wrong...and so have you fellow audiophile.
I discuss the way to get the best sound from your audio system and how to avoid the upgrade mistakes so many in hi-fi audio make with their high end audio system.
Please join my FB page here: / greekaudiogeek

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Join us on our Facebook page for fun conversations on this and other Hi-Fi audio topics and gear!: facebook.com/MichaelsHiFiAdventures

[@bazassaminoteii8225]

In Europe, Ikea lak shelving and their butchers block are unspoken excellent pieces of hifi isolation.

[@msing539]

I started replacing all my cabling some time ago and, like you, the usb cable had a huge impact. It was literally night and day. That single cable had a more dramatic impact than all XLR and RCAs. Nice video.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Thanks for watching! I was really surprised at how much difference the USB cable made. I

[@CarlScherz]

​@HiFiTweaks Have you tried the Chord USB-C which retails around $100. That seems like a respectable entry cable. But you think I'll see a big improvement moving up to the Stealth line? (My system would qualify as how you characterize hi-fi...but I'm in the process of refining my streaming chain.) Thanks!

[@GreekAudioGeek]

@@CarlScherz Chord has some nice cables and $100 is certainly a respectable price point. If you have your system set up RIGHT - I mean a decent room, speakers positioned correctly in the room, and want to get the best sound possible with hi resolution (note not necessarily super expensive) gear, then I would ALWAYS choose a STEALTH at any price point over others. As an example, my testing was done both with the Rose 150B as a streamer / DAC (a $5K unit) and with much more expensive gear and external DAC's. In every instance the difference with the STEALTH was significant. If however you are running a receiver and have your speakers up against the wall and in the corners, then I would suggest you won't come close to realizing the potential of the higher end cables. Hope that helps. It's as honest an answer as I can give. :)

[@bobbybowers356]

Basically, what he said is people need to quit listening with their eyes,(thinking something sounds good, because they read that it does, or they rely on specs and measurements).Just install the gear, or accessory, (cable, cones, footers, fuses, ect, and listen with your ears.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

EXACTLY!!

[@connorduke4619]

Agree that tipped up upper mids is a standard cheap trick employed by many brands to fool consumers into thinking they hear more detail. As for cables I can highly recommend from experience Tellurim Black II for interconnect and speaker cables and for digital, Tubulus Argentus. For isolation, the best method I know is Ikea Aptitlig cutting boards placed on Atacama Isolation Gel.

[@KRELL427]

In my system after playing around with usb cables and the waversa filter I found that running a coaxial cable from hifi rose to dac gave me the best sound.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

And that's the key - to experiment and see what works in your system to your ears.

[@mr.hansen5195]

Synergies! So important, and generally not taking enough into consideration.

[@bencarignan2711]

Every little thing has an impact on the sound quality, though some more so than others. Have you tried the copper tube connectors from GR Research? New Record Day was able to A/B them and the difference was noticeable. The tube connectors sounded less constrained. You could clearly hear the sound open up.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Hi - I've not tried those.

[@jungtarcph]

New record day is a successful subsidiary of GR "research" 😊

[@Maurizzio_]

A Chain Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Link.

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

What manufacturer makes stealth cables?

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Stealth Audio.

[@madcrabber1113]

No clue what an audio switch even is?

[@danmarjenka6361]

He's referring to an Ethernet switch. He chains 3 of them together using CAT 5 or CAT 6 ethernet cable. He said it improved the sound.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Someone that was into video then went " trans "

[@donalddeorio2237]

I've had my infinity Interlude speakers for 20 years, my Carver AV 705X for 20 years. The only upgrade I've made was my AV pre-amp processor. The Marantz my sons bought me for my 60th birthday made a big improvement in sound

[@InnovativeBuildersmd]

I picked up a firstwatt sit 3 and my mind is blown! SO GOOD. I just sold a 80k Macintosh C1100/MC901/horizon dac system. I sold the 80k system to downsize so far so good.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

That's great to hear!

[@InnovativeBuildersmd]

@@GreekAudioGeek the other parts is I kept all the tweaks , cables , lifters , isolation , network switch , power upgrades etc. so ive came to almost he same conclusion make sure your accessories are up to par you can get away with lesser main gear.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Absolutely! It's amazing how important a part they play.

[@connorduke4619]

Agree with your conclusions here based upon my own experience. However one thing I am curious about - have you found the equipment rack still influences sound quality even when all components are placed on quality isolation platforms?

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Absolutely. Much less so for sure, but it can still play a role as differently materials inherently have different sounds to them.

[@connorduke4619]

@@GreekAudioGeek Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@jochvomberg5541]

Great infos on yout channel,thanks a lot.I use also the Aqua la Scala optologic dac. Which tubes do you prefer for the aqua? I also use a Acoustic Revive usb cable, the R-AU1-SP, it seperates the usb-power in a extra cable which i connect to a Keces P3.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Hi - I tried several tubes. I will tell you the stock tubes are really limiting the wonderful sound the Aqua La Scala is capable of. The RCA's are great and so are the Mullards - each has a different sound to them.

[@jochvomberg5541]

Thanks for the answer and many greetings from Austria.@@GreekAudioGeek

[@tubefreeeasy]

What power distributor box do you use?

[@GreekAudioGeek]

I upgraded from AudioQuest to the Puritan. The Puritan is noticeably better. Review coming soon!

[@tubefreeeasy]

@@GreekAudioGeek I’ve heard they’re the best.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Puritan products have been fantastic in my system.

[@DBigs]

@@GreekAudioGeek adding the puritan is one of my biggest improvements in overall sound.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

@@DBigs It's a great unit for sure.

[@stevewestwood4832]

I think you are right about audiophiles prioritising components over cables. There are so many people saying ( wrongly) that cables don’t make a difference. As you say, you have to be at a certain level of gear to be able to really appreciate the benefit of good cables and power leads. Having said that , there are so many players out there, its pure chance that you find something special and good value for money. I have been very impressed with Puritan purifiers and power leads. I didn’t want to believe that their ultimate power cable would make much difference over their standard cable but it did, although cost was £450 versus £70 which I still maintain is the law of diminishing returns. On the analogue interconnects side of things, I have tried many cables from Ecosse, QED, Transparent Audio, Russ Andrews ( kimber cable) , then I discovered a cable from a UK eBayer seller which was cryo treated pure silver costing just £90 for 0.5m which blew everything away (even the Kimber costing £600 for 0.5m) . You have found the Stealth cables so yes if you are lucky enough to find the good value giant killing cables then I agree that it can outweigh the benefits of a component upgrade.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Hi Steve - Agreed. First, I have Puritan power conditioner and there will be a review coming soon on it. Very good indeed. Second, I agree with you on cables - there are soooo many it is overwhelming. That is why I had largely passed on the cable game for years. To me the Stealth are the one and only cables I can say are the best of the best (after having heard HUNDREDS of cables) and my recommendation to people (IMO) to skip the rest and go right to Stealth Audio cables.

[@stevewestwood4832]

@@GreekAudioGeek 👍 just out of interest Michael what do the Stealth cables cost ?

[@GreekAudioGeek]

They vary. I believe some of them start about ~$1,000

[@jim586]

Wow. So refreshing to hear what you say. There’s so much audiophile bashing on KZbin. I totally agree with what you’re saying in this video. It tally’s with my experience and people think I’m mad, but when I play them the differences, they’re silent. I have a Belles integrated amp. It sounded great in stock form. When I connected a £1k power lead it became a different animal and I just had to add it, I couldn’t go back. Then one day I tried a set of alto extremo isolation feet and the change in sound is profound. Obviously, every system has it own unique environment, but in mine, these external changes made the component fundamentally change its sonic presentation. Cheers

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Thanks so much for your comment. Unfortunately, it's become 'cool' to be among the uninformed deaf crowd that bashes people rather than actually use their own ears. It's also interesting to see many of the other hi-end audio reviewers now reviewing low price crap and are trying to distance themselves from once reviewing high end gear as they chase the low-end subscribers.

[@spencerboaz2385]

I'm a fan of custom made granite 4 inch slabs with good damping suspension . Granite is one of the most stable stones . This is why they are used in engineering layout tables and test tables in places like NASA . They are not easy to work with but worth the trouble . They can be suspended with a number of materials like Maple that is used to make so many stringed instruments . Good quality stable gel pads used between supports and the slabs is good . This setup is awesome for turntables and all your components . A clean power source is a must , good cables in the $200 to $500 range will will make a audible difference . You don't have to spend $K's but as with anything if you can go for it . This was a great video with the kind of info the working man can use . I feel the same more money is not always the answer to your problems , , , but it doesn't hurt if you have it lol .

[@RobWhittlestone]

Interesting video, thank you Michael! Hi-Fi has been a hobby of mine now for 50 years, which is a long time. From my experience I can confirm the principles you mention: I run a 30-year old Exposure amplifier with 20 year old KEF Reference loudspeakers and a 8-year old Primare CD player and the system has never sounded so good. My lady musician partner of many years compared the sound to the top 5 of the systems in the national high-end show for resolution, musicality, dynamics and more despite costing a fraction as much. And the key is this: attention to clean mains power (I had a dedicated power line for HiFi put in when the house was built) cleaning up other devices consuming power in the house (dimmers, fridge, LED lights etc.) good shielded signal cables, killing interference noise with moveable ferrite cores like Stealth seems to do, shielded clean mains power distribution, equipment suspension, good equipment stands, loudspeaker decoupling from the floor, loudspeaker cables and geometry, clean earthing and I haven't even started on the room treatment yet... With this attention to detail it is possible to coax the best out of modest older equipment that can match or outperform top equipment operating under poor conditions. I haven't got a streaming solution (yet?) but thanks for the heads up about switches and Ethernet cable. All the best, Rob in Switzerland

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Thanks for the sharing your comment!

[@wrotruck]

Additionally, some components have an electrical synergy and sound better together. In that same vein, I've had components that sounded better together with interconnects and were considered a lower quality that what I intended to "upgrade" to. Different species of wood have a particular resonance frequency. The sound of a drum kit made from Birch or Maple will vary drastically. (See DW drums for details.) Racks can and should be considered like any other component. Finding the best sound is as much of an art as it is a science. 😃

[@charlieyang2613]

STOP, listening to new equipment, if you are happy with what you have, buy better recordings. Enjoy what you have, as the song goes , ❤️ Love the one you're with.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Why do you care what I do?

[@audiolife5038]

I recommend people trying the Neotech OCC Silver ethernet cable. Incredible price performance ratio!

[@localizer1980]

Another mistake people make while trying smth, is that they instantly give up trying if they hear no difference. There are so many factors that matter and influence our sound perceptions. So it's like trying one kind of beer, wine, etc. and saying that all beer or wine are the same.

[@japerlm8150]

Its all about Power and noise. Then after that its about the acoustic placement and then the gear.

[@adrianoamatucci989]

Buonasera da Roma. Non conosco tutti i problemi che assillano gli audiofili circa la rete e in conseguenza l'utilizzo di cavi idonei. Posso dire, parlando per esperienza diretta che ho gettato via i cavi tradizionali che avevo in uso. Un mio amico tecnico di apparecchiature elettromedicali (professionali), appassionato di hi-fi, mi ha regalato molti metri di quei cavi che loro utilizzano e che erano nei magazzini dell'azienda in cui lavora e che di fatto non erano mai usati. Sarebbero stati gettati in una discarica per componenti elettronici. Capite che per le finalità per i quali sono stati prodotti hanno delle specifiche superiori ai cavi (standard) in uso per l'hi-fi. Con un poco di manualità si possono adattare facilmente a diventare cavi di potenza e di segnale. Onestamente non posso affermare nulla circa il suono che esce adesso dalle mie AR M1. Sono semplicemente soddisfatto ma non vado oltre nel giudizio. Invito solamente (a chi ha la possibilità di averli in regalo come nel mio caso) di provare quel tipo di cavi, modificandoli per l'uso in hi-fi. Ma (in Italia) non è difficile farseli regalare, chiedendoli alle strutture che ne fanno uso, ospedali, case di cura, ad aziende che li producono e/o vendono apparecchiature mediche etc...etc..., esclusivamente vi ricordo a titolo gratuito (quelli in esubero che altrimenti sarebbero buttati nelle discariche apposite). Ricordo ancora che il mio è esclusivamente un invito alla prova, niente di più. Buona cena da Roma.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

* * CORRECTION: It's a WireWorld Ethernet Platinum cable - not StraightWire.

[@braxtkj]

your finds are right but i know that doesn't matter once you have hdmi or fiber cable, this will eliminate any noise from the switch or cat5 cable

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Hello! In my opinion on my system (so I'm note saying this is a blanket statement) after extensive back and forth I found fiber to be more analytical and less organic (to my ears) than regular cables. Thanks for watching!

[@michaellichnovsky8397]

Yes, but that’s not the only noise.

[@carminedesanto6746]

Interesting..I’m going to watch this video again..and contemplate 🤔 on west you’ve said. Take care ☕️

[@raykuiper4979]

I do not agree on your statement, at first a certain level of gear, it makes sense, you mentioned accuphase, luxman, my experience is on my audio road, even on a Marantz 7t/ Primare i30 it makes sense, I do own as well high-end gear which is compared to the Primare on an-other level.I have made this comparison,thereefore, I do not agree with you

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Most people who run Marantz are people who have their speakers up against the wall and pushed into corners running lamp cord speaker wire and are unable to hear the difference. You are in the minority (in a good way) with those people who can hear a difference with that level of gear.

[@Llucius1]

About the more details vs more natural part , I have something to share , recently I have watched a video about if mp3 vs flac make a difference , and a lady with perfect pitch sit onto a blind test to see if she could test which one is a "better" sound , and she didn't get all the question right. Then , during the final question , even I could tell the audio that she picked has more details , and it is MP3. Strangely , is it really more details or just a little more noise , hm...I just want to share this as it seems kind of related somehow.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Llucius1]

@@GreekAudioGeek My honor !

[@totalplonker824]

What does my head in? No matter what the upgrade, it's usually only a matter of weeks before it comes the norm 😢

[@bayard1332]

Weeks??? For me we are talking minutes.

[@danmarjenka6361]

It reminds me of trying different craft beers. Every new one becomes my favorite, but by the end of the week, I'm not liking it very much anymore.

[@ac81017]

I found that upgrading ALL ethernet cables in your system makes a huge difference. I swapped out my 2 Audioquest Vodka ethernet cable to Siltech and was completely blown away. I always thought that only the last ethernet cable in the chain was the most important, i was wrong!!

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Very true! It is a cumulative effect.

[@robertwoodward9231]

I use blue jean speaker bananas only to quick switch, however the sound is no better than using straight 14 guage wire hook.

[@Yiannis2112]

Regarding reviewers, what they address, what not and generally to what you mention at the start, yes many only care about the things you stated. However, I've yet to find one, who knows enough electronics, to give us an educated guess about what amp, player, streamer, seems to be reliable and what not, in the near and distant furure.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

That's because no one is psychic and no one knows if you are going to abuse the gear or not.

[@Yiannis2112]

@@GreekAudioGeek Electronics don't go bad, only because someone abuses them. No need to be a psychic or a clairvoyant. I think you confused psychics with physics.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

I still don't know why you are asking people to guess the reliability of electronics. I think you are confusing reviewers with psychics.

[@Yiannis2112]

@@GreekAudioGeek First of all, I'm not asking people to do anything. I just wished there were more reviewers, who knew a bit of electronics and what brands are making good, rel;iable components. So that the life span of whatever gear uses such components, will probably be greater than others that don't use quality components. All that in the context of the fact that some brands, some product lines of those brands and some component manufacturers are notorious for being unreliable and some are not. Reliability is as important as sound quality and Its not that difficult for someone to do his/her research and familiarize himself with what's great, good, mediocre, risky etc. No guess work here and no prophets.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

@@Yiannis2112 So you want a reviewer to dissect every single resistor used, every cap, inspect every single solder joint, and every wire used on the gear so they can make a complete guess for you? Why don't you just spend 5 minutes and search audio forums for your answer?

[@Waitaminutesilly]

I too have experienced that cables are what make hifi system sounds very refined and convincing. Sure speakers, turn tables, and electronics are head turners, but with my setup, superb cables, especially power cables, have elevated sound quality dramatically.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Thanks for watching and sharing your experience with us!

[@stevewestwood4832]

After making my own power cables from the parts bin of MCRU and knowing they were a step up from those supplied with the hardware I recently invested in a Puritan mains conditioner, initially using their Classic power cable. I am now discovering how good the Classic Plus and Ultimate versions are. I was surprised how much difference power cables can make 👍

[@Waitaminutesilly]

@@stevewestwood4832 I use puritan psm156 with classic cord as well. It was a single most effective and powerful upgrade ever. More like a revelation. I cannot listen to music without it. I am thinking to replace the classic cord with either the ultimate cord or the reference cord from Revelation Audio Labs.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

That Puritan is a great unit.

[@MrBazsi888]

Stealth?

[@danmarjenka6361]

It's the brand name.

[@andreas7278]

It's really interesting that I started out my personal hifi journey just like you described thinking that you focus on speakers, room and electronics and just top it off with some cables. It took me a while to realize that I you are throwing away so much performance when you don't address all the aspects of your system accordingly (adequate to the level of your gear). Blocking EMI inference, using very high quality anti vibration feet (not just a rack but alone) and using a custom power outlet have been my biggest revelations so far.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Well said!

[@grommie]

For me, hifi cables are making most sense connecting to sources and dac. The biggest surprise was the networkcable. I feel sorry for the people who dont want to try it. But i stop convinsing them.

[@GreekAudioGeek]

Agreed. They only want to be angry and miserable online and have no interest in being respectful that different people have different hearing.

[@rickyblair8802]

What do you mean by switches

[@santoriniblue8413]

As in the context he talks about Ethernet, I would asume he refers to domestic routers.