Each component does a different job in the system and needs to be judged in appropriate terms. An amplifier is required simply to increase voltage and supply current to drive the loudspeakers: whether the amplifier will be good or bad in the system depends a great deal on how difficult the speakers are to drive.
Speakers are generally the most imperfect element in the chain, and therefore make the most dramatic differences to the sound. Source-first proponents argue however, that if the musical cues don't make it to the speaker, it's ultimately unsatisfying, no matter how good those speakers are. In any event, the speakers need to be matched to the room to perform at their best. Whilst measurement clearly have their place, IME things can appear to measure very similarly but sound quite different. The fact that you hear a difference between your CDP and the SB3 is eveidence that CDPs do have a 'sound'. It may not be as 'obvious' as the difference between different loudspeakers, but IME, over a longer time you will find it just as significant to your musical enjoyment. -- Patrick Dixon www.at-tunes.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Patrick Dixon's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=90 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=23871 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
