Fred,

I get where you're coming from. The object of the exercise is to enjoy your system, and you are doing that. By the way, I have an Oppo 105D, which has Darbee built in. And it does improve the image quality.

I started out (this go around, around ten years ago) with a bonehead simple system, a cheap CD player, cheap RCA interconnects, a Sony A/V receiver, Radio Shack lamp cord speaker cables, and a pair of $250/pair Sony tower speakers. Sounded pretty good!

Then, I started improving, bit by bit.

Funny thing is, every time I made an improvement, I heard a difference (except for digital signal cables and some power cords), and I thought, "Oh wow! This is great! I don't see how it can get any better!" Then, after a while, I'd try something else, and it got better. Now I'm to the point where I'm afraid to say it can't get better, because I know it probably will. A classic case of, "The more you know, the less you know."

As for hearing, I mentioned that before. My hearing is pretty crappy, yet I can hear subtle differences between components. Part of that is learning what to listen for, but I also think that the process of serious listening has actually improved my hearing somewhat. Maybe my brain has improved its signal processing.

So, Fred, enjoy what you have, but if you're like me, somewhere down the road you'll start wondering how the sound might change if you change this....or that. And then you'll be amazed.

It's great fun, but increasingly expensive as you crawl up the ladder.

Charlie

Hi Charlie. I’m not yet at the point where I can hear subtle changes, ringing in my ears from flying jets. But I do like gadgets. My first set of speakers were homemade. They produced sound. Do you remember Heathkit? My first color tv was built from one of their kits. Worked great. I spent more time at the back tweaking the picture than I did watching tv.
So, you got me figured out. It won’t be long until I see something new to try out.

Fred

fred1942 wrote: Not sure what the Audience power cords have done to improve the electricity to my gear because I can’t measure it. I do know the Tripp Lite decreased this noise dramatically because I can measure it. So, I do have cleaner electricity going to my gear. What effect does this have on the sound coming out of my speakers? It is hard for me to tell. I listened to the entire Eagles concert last night with my wife. She was a real trip to watch. Normally reserved, she was up and dancing by the end of the concert.

Fred

Hey, Fred

I can relate to wives reacting to Goldenear sound. My wife loves peppy dance music, and listens at moderate levels on other speakers...but, when she asks for a song on the GEt HT, nine speaker's worth, well, she just dances and asks me to turn it up. And, often comes out from the bedroom or den when I am listening to do the same for peppy music: "turn it up please!".

BTW, I agree with Charlie re future upgrades. Wish I could count the number of times I've thought "that's as good as it possibly can get", and then, Sandy brings out another new speaker, or I read about a new power cord or.... well that's my hobby and passion and wouldn't change a thing.

Happy listening! And expect those Audience power cords to keep getting better as they break in. And, yes, they do a different job than anything upstream cleaning power into the system in that they clean digital noise created by gear downstream from the power feed.

Rick

Here is my initial report on my Audience PC’s. Can’t yet hear any sound differences, but the hardly audible hiss I was hearing from my speakers between music tracks is gone. Dead silent.

Fred

Well, that's interesting! I guess that noise was getting through.

I'm using a Nordost Heimdall 2 on my DAC/Pre, and that source component showed the biggest sensitivity to PC changes. Where are you using the Audience PCs?

Charlie

I have 4. Using them on 2 amps, Oppo and Marantz. Not sure what was producing the interference. I may experiment and try taking them out of my system one at a time to see what happens.

Fred