Audiophile Mistakes: Mini Series for Better Sound Mistake №5: Choosing the Right Speakers: Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better USING FULL-RANGE FLOOR-STANDING SPEAKERSIf you buy floor-standing speakers for big sound and great bass, think again. The reality is that a big floor-standing speaker with “great” bass may not actually produce great bass in your room. Why? Because the bass coming from the speaker and its position in the room relative to your listening position may not be energizing the listening position, leading to wasted sound. This is why some manufacturers of larger floor-standing speakers use subwoofers during demos—to ensure the bass …Read More

Mistake №4: EQ or Not EQ? When to Adjust and When to Avoid It Using EQWhy you shouldn’t use EQ: Equalizers (EQs) have recently regained some attention, particularly parametric EQs in digital sources. However, they are often misused as a shortcut to “fix” something undesirable in a sound system rather than addressing the root cause of the issue. If you have components and speakers you genuinely love, they shouldn’t need “fixing.” That said, your room may be the real culprit. The problem is that EQs are frequently overused, which can lead to unbalanced sound, distortion, or further audio issues. This temptation to tweak often …Read More

Mistake №3: Spending Too Much on Speakers There’s a common misconception that expensive speakers are the key to great sound. If your budget allows for high-end speakers, that’s fantastic. However, prioritizing costly speakers at the expense of the rest of your system components can backfire. Speakers are the final link in the audio chain, and their performance is only as good as the signal they receive. Advances in speaker technology over the past decade have made it possible to find excellent-sounding options at more affordable prices. You no longer need to spend a fortune to get great sound. Instead, focus …Read More

Mistake №2: Skipping Your PreamplifierThe notion that “the best preamplifier is no preamplifier” is a misconception that some audiophiles adhere to. However, a preamplifier is far more than just a volume control or a signal switcher. It’s a critical component—a mini-amplifier—that pre-amplifies the signal, carefully extracting and enhancing the information passed from the source. This process is where the magic happens: the soundstage takes shape, imaging gains precision, tonality is refined, and dynamics come to life. While it’s true that a preamplifier adds its own unique fingerprint to the signal, a high-quality preamplifier enhances it in a way that elevates …Read More

Mistake №1: Cheating Your Source Your source matters more than you think. Whether it’s vinyl or digital, the source is arguably the most critical link in the audio chain—second only to the recording itself. Think of it like a literal chain: a weak link compromises the entire system, no matter how strong the other links are. No component that follows the source can improve what it delivers. Every part of your system—amplifiers, speakers, cables—can only work with the quality handed to them by the source. This is especially true for digital audio components like streamers and DACs. Many believe a …Read More