Let me tell you a story about HIFI Synergy. Audio discussion.

#hifi #audiophile #amplifier #stereo #Integrated amp #DAC #preamp
Patreon: / thomasandstereo
Gear mentioned in this video:
Exasound E28 DAC
Willsenton R800i tube integrated amp
Sonus Faber Liuto speakers
Mission LX2+ speakers
Verity Audio Parsifals speakers
Passlab XA100.5 mono blocs
Classe CP800 preamp
Soncoz DAC
Topping D90SE DAC

[@ThomasAndStereo]

What is the more synergistic system you have built? Please share. My video on synergy with Jay kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouaZ6ebermAgac My discussion videos playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLtkU4eRp056bRN8b4opAFCg21ICgyszh0

[@howardmims8376]

Bedroom system Klipsch RP 600 Maze Audio Reference 4 speaker cables Emotiva S 300 amp and Audioquest Sydney RCA interconnect

[@ufarkingicehole]

Speaking of Synergy.... Hate to bug you Thomas but you have to try the Geshelli J2 and try it with a crown amp (or an amp with typical class d sound). Lol. I have gone through so much gear over the last year and very rarely do I get one of these moments. You will be surprised what this $300 ish Dac can do. I currently have it streaming quboz or Amazon HD using usb into the J2 that is running balanced into SMSL 0200. The smsl is powering the top post of my LSIM 705 (with aperion ribbon super tweeters). I am running both sub outs of the smsl 0200 into a Crown xls 1002. That is powering the Bottom post of the lsim 705. I am running out the crown into an elac 3010 sub. I am seriously very impressed. The dac brings class d to another place that my $1300 Pegasus couldn't or my smsl 400 can't or even my Cambridge, Loxjie, or any other dac I've tried. Hope you get the chance..its tempting to mail mine just so you can try it. Its rare to find an absolute Gem or find Synergy with equipment I'm not crazy about but I do get excited when I do.

[@bryanpaulgilbert7308]

an Audio Refinement Complete a integrated amp (which has a rep for being a smooth sounding) and Klipsch Heresy 4's. It's a very well-balanced, engaging, and endearing. People that have preconceived ideas about Klipsch sounding too forward, bright, or expecting horn-shout would be surprised by the combo

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@ufarkingicehole I emailed them actually but they told me they are too busy with black Friday.

[@shanestephenson8423]

My current set up is sounding pretty good Wilson audio Sasha series 1, michi S5 Poweramp, and this is the interesting bit Mini dsp shd pre amplifier DAC, streamer, with a shinyanga hydra power conditioner, vintage Western electric xlr, rca interconnects, transparent ultra speaker cable.

[@PlaybackMansion]

I would watch 100 more videos like this. Super useful Thomas!

[@jittyz]

Yea do more!

[@michaelmityok1001]

This is by some margin one of the most useful and insightful vids on hifi KZbin. What a service this channel is to the hobby!

[@johndavies6253]

An audiophile looking for synergy NEVER trades-in their old gear…’just in case’!! Great video, thanks Thomas. I think for many of your subscribers, the idea of spending 3 days in a great hifi store, mixing and matching components sounds like a dream come true!!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Haha, I was really planning to do it!

[@Mrch33ky]

Too true! And that's why I have a storage unit full of SS and Tube equip that I CAN'T/WON'T let go. You can pry it from my cold dead hands!

[@robwc1935]

Well told Thomas, The advice about synergy is right on.... Without your help, it would be much more difficult. Thanks...

[@phantomplastics6582]

Superb content Thomas. I spent years buying the best gear and getting bad sound. Recently, I sold it, bought new cheaper equipment and found synergy that amazed me with musical sound. A big part of that was to borrow several sets of cables from The Cable Company. That allowed me to find the perfect synergy. It turned out that the cheapest of 6 sets of cables I borrowed was magical and the rest were bad or average in the system. I found the same when I used to spend a lot of time in a hi-fi store. It was possible to make superb cheap systems if you got the synergy right.

[@feloniusdrunk]

Synergy is when you pass on useful information in an interesting and entertaining way and that's why I watch your videos Thomas.

[@user-od9iz9cv1w]

Do enjoy listening to your stories. Lot's of wisdom shared that has been gathered over time. Plus you are a good story teller. :)

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for listening

[@stopthefomo]

Thus, active speakers like Kii3 and D&D 8C which matches the speaker design to DAC to DSP to amplifier to world class tone controls! Not for everyone because boringly easy but amazing synergy - all that’s missing is the “matching” digital cable 🥺

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, also the person must like the sound to start of with. Cause after that, no tweaking.

[@MusicLover-01]

Too boring for audiophiles... unless it's you putting the active system together which can always be tweaked 😊

[@yvesboutin5604]

One of the best video I ever heard about the Hi-Fi dilema of building a good sounding system! Great storytelling we can relate to! Thanks, that was very helpful!

[@kaptn_kapton]

I get to appreciate you as reviewer more and more by watching videos like this. Great work!

[@JackW62]

Thank you Thomas. We all need to be reminded how important synergy is and I’m pleased to see that it is becoming more of a focus for reviewers. I’m realising more and more how limited reviews that don’t put a component into a system context are.

[@HiFi_Paradise]

Man, what an eye opener to people who love this hobby. Many people buy products based on the budget and looking at the specs, this video is going to all of my audiophile buddies! Must watch!

[@Chris-nd5se]

I like the discussion format of this video and would like more of the same. The odd equipment review thrown in would also be good.

[@alexlopez-u3i]

Great video Thomas. Thx for making a video like this.

[@jamieirwin6333]

I agree that synergy plays a huge role, because it took me a few years to dial in my current system. All have been fairly expensive journeys and it can be frustrating until you find that magic.

[@bikemike1118]

Yeah, it really can become frustrating if you’re kind of in a „hurry“. You need to take your time, use your intuition and try out a lot of stuff. Most people who come into this hobby cannot imagine that it can be so complex (or complicated). Well, one „easier“ way to apparently gain synergy is to buy components from one manufacturer only….apparently… ! But oftentimes you more or less only get synergy in the look of the gear. Real synergy might still be somewhere out there…! As you don’t know that until you found it…yeah it can be „annoying“ but also makes things more interesting and magic …and leaves you proud when you found it

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I sometime get better result matching electronics from different company than the same company depending on the speakers.

[@bikemike1118]

@@ThomasAndStereo …happened to me as well.

[@CatMelodiesOasis]

Thank you! greatest video in hifi topic. after this video i realize my system is right on good system synergy! i used to not understanding why people keep upgrading gears, now i understand, i am lucky i achieve good system synergy.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Very interesting Thomas! I like the pace and love your delivery. Also, you’ve hit a very interesting topic, in that for most people, true synergy is almost impossible to achieve without access to lots of equipment, or a HiFi retailer that honestly listens to, and understands the needs of their customer. I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I find what works amazingly in one location. Doesn’t quite gel in another. What a frustrating hobby we have, when we’re in a hurry for the perfect result! Thanks again!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes frustrating and fun. Thanks for the comment and I will have to get in touch with you for your speakers. My email is [e-mail] if you want to email me.

[@stephenstevens6573]

Its more helpful than you know...at 63, my journey continues. I don't have a lot of money, so gear swapping is slow and painful. Mostly a mix of vintage gear. And budget, but well reviewed newer gear...I don't buy this years model....I buy 2 or 3 year old gear that the big money gear swappers get tired of...I've found my lifetime forever speakers, but the search continues gor the rest. Thank you for your guidance.

[@Cyril29a]

I agree completely. I don't spend huge money on my system. I bought a krell kav300i and MartinLogan Aerius with a powered sub back in the 90s. I was in my early 20s at the time and while I have loved audio since I have kept this as my main system for nearly 25 years. For the price, and an order of magnitude of the price I have yet to hear something I enjoy more in someone else home. There is something magical about my little kit that has kept me happy for all this time.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for sharing

[@atlanticautosales6106]

Excellent video Thomas 👏 very informative, great history’s 🤗

[@TracyJonesTraceElements]

Excellent video, Thomas. I think you are my “Mr. Vintage” and have saved me so much time and angst. Your advice has really helped guide me and man did I relate when I paired my new KLH Model 5s with a tube amp that had previously sounded amazing with a pair of Totem floorstanders. It was so un-synergistic that it was almost unlistenable - shouting mids, unbalanced bass, thin highs. I made the leap to McIntosh with an MA252 based on what I’ve heard about them and hoped to be a bit happier. When I plugged it in it was like an entirely different system. All of the sudden the Model 5s made sense and I understood what the fuss was about. A friend came over to listen and asked if I had some how routed sound to my surround sound speakers (different system entirely) because the music was that dimensional. Please keep up the stories (and the reviews), they really help.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, the KLH did not work well with my Cayin CS88 tube amp, mixing and matching is really something people need to experience.

[@anthonyhopkin]

Excellent video Thomas. Essential viewing for any would be hifi buyer. Greetings to you and yours.

[@vtkz]

Its always the combo of room acoustic + gear to create synergy. You can buy 20k Gear but in a echoey room with a lot of room modes it cant sound good or its impossible to tell differences. And dont forget there is also the Active Section. I think there you can way faster and easyier a product / system you like (+ the advantages over passive crossovers). But for a lot of people thats the hobby, test out gear and change every year the components, they dont want to arrive

[@bikemike1118]

😉

[@leo48084]

Thank you so much for these videos and your experiences Thomas. Experience like yours is for more important then finding any best audio for the price. My budget is much less then yours in the audio hobby. With your advice it speaks to everyone who is willing to learn more about what can work and what might not work without having to make major costly mistakes. My favorite story that has taught me to take advantage of what I have first. Was when you talked about having to take a brake from HI-Fi because of a traumatic experience of going out of your budget. Then braking the most expensive equipment you had. Experiences like this mean so much more to us who know what HI-FI really means. Finding the best listening experience. Thank you for your time and sharing your experiences with us. I look forward to more stories.

[@CP-oe3kt]

Excellent video Thomas. It truly is all about synergy and like you said, you never know until you plug it in. Keep up the great videos and keep on with the stories!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for watching!

[@ronaldmcdonald2456]

Boy, Thomas, I really needed that! You've helped me jettison that "dope head" feeling. The one you get when you've lusted after a piece of gear, felt you were making the right move, and then realize when you plug it in that "you done messed up, fool!"🤪 Two decades ago, when I first started a serious audio journey my approach was simple and the result was basic, simple systems. Only in the past five years or so have I found it harder to achieve synergy as I've gone deeper into more sophisticated digital stuff like dedicated servers and all the supposedly "special" gear and techniques that accompany them.

[@FirstNameLastName-tb3rm]

I really enjoy your videos like this. You’re a good story teller.

[@PARajapakse]

Brilliant. Totally agree. Solves that mystery for me. Please keep these stories coming -so interesting. :-)

[@ThomasAndStereo]

More to come!

[@jasonreyes9504]

GREAT video, Thomas.

[@robk5745]

Thomas you did it again, another banger video. Thanks man! Btw audiolab 6000a amp and matching streamer CD player make a lot of modest price gear sound really fricken good 😉 I believe that was what was connected to the Mission speakers …

[@djhmax09]

I wish there was a synergy section included in all audio reviews...

[@Mrch33ky]

well said

[@jerryjazzbo2845]

Hmm, good idea.

[@latheofheaven]

Wow, that was just lovely! Thomas... It is just absolutely not possible for you to talk too much 😊

[@latheofheaven]

Just to add... With my system with the 2 tall multi-driver fully open baffle dipole line arrays, I kind of wonder if I introduced a decent 'Live' sounding tube amp (Doge 10 anyone...?) I have this strong intuitive feeling that although I feel that my system has always sounded very good and spacious, that the right tube amp just might really bring my system 'Alive' in a way that might result in this 'Synergy' you speak of... One day...

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Really depends on the speaker, maybe a Doge or maybe a Decware amp.

[@latheofheaven]

@@ThomasAndStereo Yes, exactly!

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

Great video Thomas, full of good common sense and helpful tips. Thanks for sharing!

[@herminiogeronimo4269]

This video led me to retrieve my first integrated amplifier - NAD 3020 and started trying it with my bookshelves and floorstanders - Wharfdale, Tannoy, Elac, Dali Opticon2, Linton, AE500 but nothing exciting came out. Then just before I was to keep back my NAD 3020, I tried my old jm lab cobalt 806S that I no longer listen to because I found it bright and lacking warmth and bass. But lo and behold, I was astounded! Pairing my Cobalt 806S with my NAD 3020 produces the best sound I ever heard in my music room. It's just fantastic that I just want to listen to this pair now and my newer and more expensive gears are now kept in storeroom. Thanks so much for your discussing synergy. It changed my belief that allows me to enjoy music much much more.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

That is so so so awesome and thank you for sharing.

[@barryhallsack8852]

Love your channel! You sir are very talented explaining things and doing your reviews! Keep up the good work Cheers!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Much appreciated!

[@Evil_Peter]

As someone that's very happy with my system I really enjoy watching great discussion videos on concepts like this one. Reviews matter less since I'm not in the market for anything but there are always things to learn from hearing other people's experiences. Your example of pairing Focal with Hegel also really highlighted the point of how hard it is to just say how an amp will sound with a certain pair of speakers. When I got my Focal Kanta No 3 and was searching for the right amp I did try the Hegel H390, and I had high expectations on that combination. The actual result was an overall impressive sound except that something made it extremely straining on my ears, which was an immediate effect. I tried to experiment with everything from settings in the amp, using it as a power amp with another preamp, and of course with physical aspects of the room, but nothing worked and I had to return the amp. I had a number of other amps from well renowned brands on my list but in the end I ended up with one that I hadn't given a single thought towards, which is the Technics SU-R1000. A dealer gave me that tip over even more expensive amps that he had available and it ended up being the right thing for me, in my room.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, the newer hegel sound I heard is brighter. That is why I had to specify the older hegel h300 which is smoother. Matching has to be specific.

[@howardmims8376]

Excellent video, I have a second systemThe speakers the speaker cables the interconnects in the amp Have such good synergyNo matter what I put on the front end it sounds great

[@henni1964]

Hi Thomas, for me it's hillarious that you bring up this topic right in the moment, when I have achieved a synergy in my system, I have longed for in the past 15 years or so. I recently discovered the Audio Technica VM-540ML, combined with my Graham Slee Reflex M2 "Era Gold" phono preamp , as the smoothest and most natural sounding cartridge I have ever heard. But the main problem for me to solve was to achieve true synergy between my KEF LS50 Metas and my modified Reisong A10 EL34 tube amp. Despite of using two REL subs, which not only do help the little somewhat underpowered A10 in the bass region but also contribute to an amazing 3D sound, the dynamics lacked a bit. I supplemented two "Speaker Enacoms" by Combak and wow! my A10 suddenly got balls in the mid- and upper bass region, combined with unbelievable dynamics in the whole frequency range above approx. 80 Hz! For me, my dream system became finally true! I do know very well how good transistor bass sounds, but I prefer the somewhat "rounder" tube bass, supported by the subs, by far. 🙂

[@oleksiifilippov68]

Great story! I’d love to hear more about synergetic components!

[@DevBone42]

Wow! What an important video. Good insight to even think of presenting this. Thanks!

[@vicg5323]

Best story yet. Many of your videos if compiled together would make for a great audiophile book A reference for both the novice and the advance audiophile. Your analysis and your logical thoughts make it easy to de-mistify this hobby. And the story telling adds fun.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

That's a great idea!

[@MusicLover-01]

This is such an important topic 👏 It's fair to say that not just synergy, but overall balance is crucial.

[@pnddesign]

Very useful! I’m exactly there in my journey. I got linn ninka in aktiv. Very happy with my speaker and Lk140 lk85 setup. Now I feel I can add some smoothie by using a tube preamp. Long life to our journeys !

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Very nice!

[@k9killer221]

I got my first shock when I found out a 20W Amp can drive big powerful speakers. Now I learn that balanced systems are more important than individual components. I think there's almost infinite subtlety/nuance in sound systems, and that makes the field endlessly fascinating.

[@auggysimcity]

20 amp. I’m thinking first watt..

[@WHo-vf1oz]

Really enjoy synergy videos can learn from your experiences. Funny story about Mission LX2+, its so easy for me to find brand new ones i would have help shipped one to you

[@tietoliikenne]

This video taught me more about HiFi than any articles or person ever did D: I never realised how important this was and the way I was evaluating gears to buy.

[@Steveh817]

So true about synergy. I’m committed to my speakers so everything around them can change. My biggest problem is understanding what part the other components play in this process and how they affect the sound. What component is most responsible for soundstage, the depth, the width, the imaging, etc? I’m waiting on a Decware amp to replace my class D. I just raised my speakers with some isolation pucks and it made a fairly significant change in sound quality. At some point I want to be less critical and just enjoy the music more than I do already. Great topic!

[@heriacosta5452]

It's all about engagement with the Music.

[@jameschant2740]

Very germane topic of discussion Thomas where component matching is concerned. It's a real benefit when you can take a modest equipment budget of say under $ 5K and put a system together that includes an integrated amp, speakers, sub-woofer, tuner, DAC, phono-stage, TT, power supply and above average cabling with synergy in mind, Funny how it seemed like I managed to put an exceptional low-end system together but I only ended up "upgrading" to another more expensive system. I miss things about the previous system though. Oh well !

[@astolatpere11]

Thanks. Wanted to add the importance of synergy between room and speakers. Begins right there.

[@andyrocha]

Excellent video Thomas. Edit**, after watching your video on how to ask for advice I've made the appropriate changes. With your experience with McIntosh, for an MA8900 looking at Sonetto V (for budget) Olympica 2 or 3s, Olympica Nova 2 (stretch $). Room size 16L x 12w , 9 ft ceilings , untreated looking at treatment options now. I can listen to Canton References as well locally, curious if other than SF you found a nice match. Classic rock, 80s and modern music vocals, electronic. Great channel. Thank you!

[@markscott7583]

Enjoyed this video - nice to have a mix of experience/perspective sharing videos complementing review videos.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@barrypatterson1154]

I never thought much about synergy and system matching until recently. Last year I bought a McIntosh MC 312 to drive my Martin Logan speakers. There didn’t seem to be much difference in the way they sounded using the McIntosh or my Conrad Johnson Art 150($20,000) so I decided to use the McIntosh. No tubes, no hassle. This summer I bought a pair of Dynaudio Contour 60i’s and just continued using the McIntosh. They sounded really good. By the way the preamp is a $10,000 Conrad Johnson ET5. After a few months I decided to put the Art150 in, WOW. They sounded spectacular, I mean really spectacular, like nothing I had ever heard before. The soundstage, the imaging, the power of the bass, the smoothness and detail of the mids and highs just blew me away. You are so right Thomas, synergy between components is the key to great sound.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Great story Barry.

[@marcbrummel8566]

Hi Thomas. Your video should be a "must watch" for all who step into this rabbit hole called Hi-fi. And yes, everybody is looking for "the best amp" "best speakers" etc. But NOBODY tell them that is a matter of the right combination. I learned that hard (ask my banker 😑) but finally i drive my LS 3/5 15 Ohm with a powerfull Claas A tube (2x24Watt) ((BTW also a theme to mention what punch could come out of 1Watt of Claas A) Thanks a lot, hello from Berlin, germany. And dont forget the BADA amp review please 😂🍾👍

[@audiorick841]

I like both: reviews and Thomas wisdom stories 🙂. Thanks!

[@vintagestereo]

Very good and instructive video, thanks

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@vintagestereo]

@@ThomasAndStereo i like all your video's only pity that you could never tested my german speakers there. German speakers are rare in your country..still looking for the matching amp

[@ufarkingicehole]

@@vintagestereo what model speakers are you referring?

[@vintagestereo]

@@ufarkingicehole Heco the statements

[@nicklasahlgren1095]

Thanks for speaking mind and heart! I remember first time that I got ”perfect ” synergy with a couple of old speakers and could not believe I got ” high-end”. Or as close as ever been at home😂✌🏼

[@davidgill2520]

Hello from Montreal, I think synergy like you said is luck but through learned experience. Having the opportunity, curiosity and patience with this hobby will allow you to find synergy. Having opportunity to listen to all types of gear ie friends systems will enable you learn the sounds that you like and dislike. People will be content with a good system but then the curious cat comes out and wants more. I’m on my journey right now, looking for the right sound! It’s fun.

[@Slim-man1977]

I like the idea👍 Try to get your hands on two most popular speakers in Europé right now. The Rubicon2 and the Special40. It will be a BOOMBASTIC reviews

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

👏👏👏 THOMAS …GREAT VIDEO…can you teach us how to listen 🧐 #1 FORGET ABOUT MONEY #2 BE OPEN-MINDED #3 we can’t buy experience …BUT WE CAN LEARN FROM YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS WHO HAVE IT …LEARN HOW TO BUILD A SYNERGISTIC SYSTEM …and then experiment within a budget. IT’S NEVER BEEN EASIER AND HAVE FUN 🤩 DOING IT 😍😍😍

[@davidgill2520]

Hello, I agree with what you said. Be open, find some friends who are into the hobby and learn. And with some luck and some trail and error find that complete system.

[@danielhifi3147]

Spend 3 days in the store. I’m completely sold to support your audio journey. We just brought in Marten speakers as well.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Nice! One day I should, it would be the coolest video ever.

[@arichison]

Good , very informative and excellent Thomas. thank you. My system has no synergy and I have three systems.

[@positivelife3034]

My system consists of a Roksan Kandy mk3 amp with a arcam cd73t and B&W 606s2. I recently put this system together and at first I was really happy but after a while I found it a bit tiring. On a whim I bought a mint condition arcam alpha 3 amplifier for a good price. My system now sounds much warmer and refined. I am amazed how good it sounds.

[@farbschlachterei]

Out of focus is fun; it looks a little bit like 90th TV 😂❤️ Content rules. Everything else is nice but secondary. So thanks for making all this content.

[@amb3cog]

Awesome video Thomas! Really, Really Awesome!!! I don’t know if I’ve hit upon this myself, or not. But I recently bought the Sound Artist LS35A review pair from Sean@Zero Fidelity. And liked them, but wasn’t blown away. I also had a Akitika GT-102, a Holographic Audio Pre TwentyFive, and a Sabaj D5 DAC kicking around. The DAC is a steal of a deal IMO ($369@Amazon right now). But the pre never really fully impressed me, and while I really liked the amp. I never saw it as a main system type of unit for various reasons. But when I put them all together. Wow! I haven’t taken it apart since! And in fact, I’ve added two REL T Zero MKIII subs to it, and made it my desktop rig. It’s so good that my main system has just been sitting there unused, and that’s worth thousands more. The Exposure 3010 S2D with built in DAC alone, goes for $3300 MSRP, and my $650 Topping D70s MQA is definitely a real step up from the Sabaj DAC. However here I am rocking out to my little desktop rig that has an MSRP price that’s less then the cost of just the amp in my main rig alone. So I have to agree with you. It’s not the money, or the rave reviews that make a great system. It’s the buying it, and trying it that does. That’s what I always tell people. Buy, and try, or you’ll never know what you can achieve. And at what cost. You can always sell the stuff you don’t use later, and in many cases you’ll get your money back. And even make some money sometimes too. Plus it’s a heck of a lot of fun to do, and you learn a lot along the way. It’s how we gain wisdom as audiophiles, not by reading, or watching other’s experience’s. It’s like the old “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat tonight, but teach a man how to fish, and he’ll eat for the rest of his life” adage. Sure you can copy someone else’s setup, but you’ll learn a lot more by discovering your own system the hard way. Have a great week Thomas. ✌️

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Nice, always love to read well thought out comments.

[@FPSBird]

This is how I feel about my cayin mt-12n and klipsch rp600m they match so well every time I listen to I'm blown away I can spend an entire day just listening to music on it. I've also tried this amp with 3 other speakers and was never blown away by it this much. Centre hifi you must be from Montreal.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yup, I am 30 mins away from Montreal downtown.

[@robk5745]

Thank you for synergy tip good man, I don’t know this cayin amp though so I will look it up. Why do you like the combo so much?

[@gordoa172]

This is why I enjoy your opinion. It's humble and sincere. Thank you for what you do.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

So nice of you

[@patrickmccrank8414]

Hey Thomas. I think you mod gear occasionally. I'd like you to check with GR audio in Texas to see if they have an upgrade for the mission lx2 speakers. Danny comes up with all sorts of good things (crossover parts, no rez, etc.). It would be interesting to here your comments pairing these speakers with the R800i after the mods. I'm sure the KZbin reviewers have a community. I too would be very interested in what results you find. As always, an informative video. Thanks

[@CUDAbuster]

This was an excellent topic and probably more helpful to most viewers than gear review. When people go through their journey in audio, the preferred sound signature tends to be a moving target, changing over time, due both to exposure and experience with various gear, but also music. I keep a "V curve" system in one of my listening rooms, since most of my friends (who are not audio people) are impressed by that type of sound, i.e heavy bass and dynamic treble. I don't do much listening to that setup on my own time, but it's nice to have to contrast with my other listening rooms. Regarding synergy, the room acoustics play such a huge part of the solution or problem. I didn't want to acoustically treat my main living room and it is not friendly to horns or bright speaker in general (which I normally enjoy a lot); so after a lot of experimenting, I found a phenomenal combination for that room which gave me the holographic sound stage, midrange/vocal detail and overall large presentation which I like. That amazing thing, it was some of the least expensive gear in my collection. Namely, a pair of Polk Lsim707 and a Peachtree Nova integrated amp (older model with the tube buffer). For some reason, that pairing brings out significant musical and vocal detail and I can hear finer details on recording that I could not hear on much more expensive amp/pre-amp combos on those speakers. I was both delighted and kind of sickened at the same time, when I discovered this, because of running equipment costing five to ten times this and this budget setup sounding so good. The other shocker is that the little Nova only has 65Wpc and those Polk towers are not the most efficient; however, with the room gain, the volume can get very loud, but remain very clear with no distortion. There is a slight lacking in the lower bass department from that little integrated amp, but the bass is tight and controlled, which provides better focus on the vocal detail and top sparkle. As you say, luck has a lot to do with it. Being knowledgeable only gets you searching through a smaller haystack instead of the entire barn.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, this synergy and matching thing, most people will get it once they have experience. Nice you have the LSIM 707, for me when they were selling it at $1200 a pair, it was the steal of the century.

[@CUDAbuster]

@@ThomasAndStereo I've had the 707 for almost 3 years now. I think the pair was about $2500 (so $1200 really was the deal of the century), but even at 2500, still a great deal. I matched them with several amps, mostly class AB when I first got them and had the general impression that most people did when they got theirs- smooth, lots of bass, moderate highs and detail, i.e. easy to listen to, not significantly dynamic. The sense of scale is certainly there, as expected from a large tower. So, I only occasionally wheeled these out of storage and listen to them for a couple weeks, then switched them out with something else in the collection. All of that changed one day when I hooked up the Peachtree integrated amp to it. It sounded like an entirely different speaker. Now I also rarely used that integrated also, because it seemed too bright and a little like on the bottom end. The two together just became Cupid's arrow. So much detail, sparkle in the highs, midrange/vocal clarity, etc. Having spent plenty of time sampling 50k+ systems, this felt like that kind of experience. Additionally, I did notice that those 707 took about 200 hrs of break-in time (this was when I still used heavy class AB amps on it). Basically, the Peachtree added a bump in the upper midrange and reduced the frequency extension in the lower bass (compared to the amps I was previously using). This may seem like weakening the 707 strength in bass presence, but it helps balance everything thing out. I'm thinking the Yamaha as1200 probably would sound great on them too.

[@martinMZ72]

Very informative and interesting video. Thanks a lot!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Glad you liked it!

[@assai74]

I remeber being proud of my well matched audio system with you could listen to grass growing. I suggested my girlfriend buying a yamaha pianocraft blindly for a fraction of the money of my system, as she did not wanted to spent time and money on building a system. Boy did this combo rock compared to my more refinded system. From there on I moved in another direction. Sure It is a matter of taste and objective. But I never let my feelings alone, when audition components. An fun is a good one! Thanks for your talking head stories!

[@abhimawa1]

Greetings Thomas. Out of many audio opinions / reviews out there, I believe this is one of the most worth watching. Synergy is the key, while price is man-made (if you know what I mean). Gears synergy (incl. cables), room interaction; a near-perfect one can sound ‘musically analytical’ ;-)

[@johnp1721]

Great video about synergy thanks.

[@NiSHAN256]

So you want me to buy an even more gear to find that special synergy? yeah my wife really gonna love you Thomas.

[@Unker_Spunkanathan]

you should have bought the audiolab too!😂 way back in the 90s, the mission 760i and 780 entry level stand-mounted were awesome. Tiny speakers with limited bass but uber engaging and very fast. I think Darko did a review on 90s sound not too long ago.

[@johndavies6253]

My system still is a pair of Mission Cyrus 780 and a NAD 3240pe amp. The amp could do with new caps, but I got luck 1st time around and 30 years on, don’t have the space or money to look for a fancy upgrade!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Haha, yes I was trying to get audiolab to send me something.

[@xtcund]

The most synergistic I have built was: Buchardt s400 Primaluna prologue four Audio gd 11.28 PE Chord speaker cables Atlas equator mkIII ic This is a medium priced system that will blow You away. The buchardt s400 are amazing speakers, I tested them with several amps, but the sinergy with the primaluna brings these speakers to a complete level. Prima luna have strong mediu frequency’s and s400 are very smooth on the medium, so they are made for each other. This is a system I would have if I lived in an apartment. I love it, and It’s not my main system.

[@pharoahamunra]

Thomas i agree 100%. sometimes certain things have almost a magic to them.this is whats known as synergy.its odd you made a vid on this topic now.here recently ive had this topic on my mind.i do currently have 2 dacs 4 amps and 3 sets of speakers.one specific combo i have sounds fantastic together.a parasound amp with some wharfedale speakers is a decent combo.the new dac i have has made an incredible difference.i listened to a song the other day.i heard a whisper in it,never before.so i was a bit surprised at the detail of this thing. just to add.in the end it sounds way better than expected.my opinion on synergy. Real!😃

[@danielcortez5092]

Thanks very much for this video T&S! Enjoyable to listen to your synergy experience. And your english is very good 😈 - 🤭Apologies You have so much experience in this enjoyable hobby. It's great that you have the time to talk and share your knowledge with us.👍 You mention that you are changing your job. May I be so rude to ask, what is you're career specialty? Continued success! All the best...🙏🏼

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I was a business analyst my last job that lasted 15 years. Now I am team lead of about 25 people working on a new sales project.

[@shanestephenson8423]

Great video Thomas l really enjoyed your story's about synergy. It is extremely important but it is a bit of a dark art and needs a fair bit of luck involved to get it 100% right. Having a good set of ears is also vital.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Totally agree

[@TracyJonesTraceElements]

Man have you sent me down a rabbit hole on “synergy”. Just did a MM cartridge showdown on my system with what I have kicking around. I have a 2M Red (because we all do, right? haha), a Goldring 1042 and an Audio Technica VM95ML. On my system - Vintage JVC QL-A7 table, McIntosh MA-252 Integrated Amp and KLH Model 5s, I fully expected the Goldring to win. It did and it didn’t. On Jazz and Classical the detail and soundstage were amazing and the sound “exciting", but on pop albums, it was almost too detailed - the AT was (to my ear) the more musical spin and mixes seemed to glue together better. The Red was as the red is - a competent, excellent cartridge but it didn’t live up to the AT and Goldring. This is really fun. I just wish I had more gear to play with.

[@louissilvani1389]

Synergy is everything And the room

[@jonathanvanier]

Thoughtful and insightful, as always; I really enjoy the "discussion" videos in addition to the reviews. It's a more comprehensive viewpoint on the great world of audio. Aussi, envisageriez-vous de tenir des rendez-vous audiophiles impromptues dans les environs de Montréal? Les images tournées au Centre Hi-Fi m'ont fait penser à cette possibilité.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks, a get together with audiophiles before COVID would have been cool. Having said that, organizing a get together at a big centre Hifi would not be a bad idea for local audiophiles.

[@jonathanvanier]

@@ThomasAndStereo That would be great!

[@jean-pierrethibaudeau7201]

One of your best overall videos, Thomas. Now, what is synergy? What are the particular elements in the gear that produce a good synergy beyond their price point? I have yet to find the answer which might lie in the esoteric world. 🧐

[@PAULGRILL]

I am really looking forward to the LS50 Meta synergy video! I drive mine with a Musical Fidelity M5si but using a Bluesound Node (n130) as a pre-amp. Cables are Mogami RCA and cheaper Dynavox for the speakers.

[@LuxAudio389]

Yes! Another Fire Side Chat👍

[@laurencegoldman4639]

Great video. It gets even more complicated. Let's say you love a vintage Pablo Cassals solo cello vinyl recording. Or classic hard bop jazz say Eric Dolphy Live at the Five Spot. Will the synergistic miracle still Wow across genres, recording sources, etc? It would be great if it did. On the other hand, I'd love to hear about whatever Synergy systems you've discovered.

[@mpw621]

maybe the system should just reveal what is on the source. Some sources sound better then others or just different.

[@joeycastillo1496]

Well said Thomas.

[@dennisvun8863]

Nice one. Keep sharing!

[@yogoeasystudio]

I love your stories.

[@EntropyConcept]

Very nice review! Love this type of video.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

I couldn't agree more Thomas ! Also use your settings and tone controls my tone controls /Tubes/opamps here is an example with my Triangle 40th Comete when using The Doge amp /Burson dac combo I use The Doges dual class mode and to me the best Synergy for Triangles, Is me using the Doge in class AB mode and feedback set to medium and P.S.vane Kt88c tubes but also with my burson dac i use the classic op-amps, the overall sound has good synergy but when i hooked my Polk audio lsim 703s up to the same system set up the synergy was just ok nothing special but then !!!! I put the Doge into class A mode with low feedback and used my Tungsol Kt120s tubes and the Burson i used Vivid opamps after this my jaw hit the ground synergy is GREAT ! I tamed the overall sound in to the directions of my taste 😆 Just by using features of the Doge And different tubes and different op. Amps . One thing i love about the Doge is its basically 2 amps into one you can taylor the sound a good bit ! Now i have polks that actually have more refined treble and sparkle and the polks dynamics jumped a level with those Kt120 tubes dam those tubes got dynamics ! And The Class A mode is cleaner and more linear which really helped the polks from being to Boom-E or bloated 😆 and the Vivid op-amp i noticed immedetly help the top end to have more refinement even the upper mids brought more life and expression with vocals . ok time for work 😥 another book i wrote

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Man, I can't wait for your Doge 10 review!

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@ThomasAndStereo Thank you Thomas !!

[@AmbientWanderer]

I own the Mission LX-2's. They're mighty fine speakers for the price.

[@RedSinter]

Thomas you are needless worrying about your us like Synergy you match well with the audience wide and far. Not over amped with useless superlatives or grandiose. You reviews are very useful for whatever level of equipment because like certain tweeters they rre not too sharp and have a nice roll off revealing with little listener fatigue. I'm going to send a test image to Thomas and Stereo as a thank you and as a hope you enjoy it if It doesn't come back then I'll send on the one of mine I feel is possibly my best, or one of.

[@annebokma4637]

Way back I got onto some money, I already had a HK citation 12 deluxe, so I bought the HK citation 24 pre. Listened to a luxman CD player, the one with the tubes but liked a Marantz cd80 much better, Thorens turntable. And then I bought a pair of acoustat x. Kept the 12 unused, but that combo sounded like heaven for me. Now 3 decades later the acoustat have gone, and my audio hobby been dorment for a while but I bought a pair of esl57 a year ago, put the 12 back in and I am loving it. So I guess I got lucky, I have bought very few components in my live but the warmer HK sound combines very well with electrostats. Of course I have heard better, martin Logan combined with cello is something I never forget, but that was and always will be beyond my means. Up to now I have spend 15k tops on gear in my live, and boy did that pay of. Countless hours of listening to a sound I love. Great investment.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Nice thanks for sharing your story.

[@boubakane]

Woot woot 😁 shot out to the lx2+ seller.. you know what the song says: "meet me halfway..." 😂👍🏿🙋🏿‍♂️

[@boubakane]

Sharing my recent discovery, Talking about synergy and cheap vs less cheap (component and money wise). Driving fyne audio F303 with Cambridge CXA-61 for 10 Days.(tidal via computer USB). Just tried Yamaha R-N602 ( streaming tidal with internal DAC). Heu what? Way better! How? Ask synergy Lady not me 🤦🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️ ✌🏿

[@peregrinodisastrado]

Uuuh baby! A synergy video would be absolutely awesome! Specially with the ls50 metas! Thomas you are awesome, but you would be a KZbin god if you made a video on that. Question for all: Anybody have ideas for amp+DAC that are synergistic with the ls50 metas?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Maybe one day!

[@meinwarcrafttagebuch5142]

I was a HiFi professional like 30isch years ago. I was working for a manufacturer so my job was to visit one dealer after another and I always took the chance to listen to their HiFi systems, so after a while you know pretty much all (important) HiFi gear on the market, and obviously you develop an opinion what works and what not. So my opinion to this day is that for every Watt above 50 you pay with sound quality. So a Krell is basically the worst sounding gear and a 300B SE is basically the best. Then I came to a dealer who's opinion I really took seriously and he told me that he has just bought a new amp and it is killer awesome. So in his listening room he showed me a pair of 1000W McIntosh monoblocks and I thought it is an Aprils fools thing or something. But he was dead serious about it. So I started to listen to these amps and it was indeed one of the very few best sounding amps I've ever heard. So I am 100% with you, you can have a bias or opinion but you should always listen first.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Great story and lesson, thanks for sharing.

[@bobb.9917]

Great overview.

[@IgnoranceBegetsConfidence]

Love the stories.

[@rickx86]

Just found your channel and I know this video is older but it is very useful for my situation as I am trying to build a system. With your experience and knowledge would you be able to recommend a system build please? The only things I have at the moment are the Klipsch RP-8000F and the center 504C. And a Denon x2500h. I feel like the Denon does not have enough power and I do want to replace the receiver and expand on my Klipsch speakers getting the surround and maybe bookshelf to make the system either 5.1 or 7.1. Thank you in advance if you are able to give any advice on my personal situation. 😊